On Track for U.S. Department of Education's Approval of the Salus and Drexel Integration

Dear Colleagues,

I am thrilled to share that we are nearing the final stage of the merger of Salus University and Drexel. We anticipate receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Education later this month, marking the final step in the integration process. This is a significant moment in the history of our two institutions.

As we enter this new chapter, we do so with a renewed sense of purpose and a clear vision of the expansive opportunities this merger affords: It strengthens Drexel’s place as a leader in preparing future interprofessional health sciences practitioners by expanding educational programs, providing new clinical and research opportunities, and offering access to state-of-the-art facilities, resources and support.

As you know, we have been working toward this milestone for two years and have already completed the integration of most operational units into Drexel’s structure. After the Department of Education’s approval, all student financial aid and academic records will transfer to Drexel’s systems, at which point we will be fully integrated.

I extend my deepest gratitude to Elisabeth Van Bockstaele, PhD, chief strategy officer, senior vice provost for Graduate Studies and dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, and Beth Moy, chief of staff at Salus, for leading this massive effort, and to all members who served on the Integration Council. Their dedication, expertise and the hard work of faculty and professional staff — across all departments, programs and support teams that have contributed to this effort — have been instrumental in bringing this initiative to fruition.

I recently made you aware of the upcoming departure of Salus at Drexel President Michael Mittelman, OD, to lead Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences later this summer, but not before he works to facilitate a smooth transition in this final phase of the merger. In addition, I am pleased to share further leadership updates:

• Effective this week, Beth Moy will serve as associate vice provost of Elkins Park Operations and Strategy reporting to the Office of the Provost. Since joining Salus, Beth has worked to effectively implement policy initiatives and manage administrative operations across the institution, making her the ideal leader to serve in this new role.
• Gerard (Gerry) O’Sullivan, PhD, will retire from his role as provost and vice president of Academic Affairs for Salus at Drexel at the end of June. Aside from his role as provost, Gerry brought extensive experience in the accreditation process and played a pivotal role in the current merger. We are grateful for his guidance and leadership throughout this endeavor and wish him well in his next chapter. Following Gerry’s retirement, Drexel Provost Paul Jensen, PhD, will assume the role of provost for the integrated University.
• The hiring committee is also making significant progress in the search for a permanent dean for the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Although going into full details is too extensive for this message, I will provide a high-level overview of where current Salus programs will be housed under the Drexel structure. Most programs in the current Osborne College of Audiology and College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation will merge into Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. Programs currently in Global, Interprofessional and Specialized Programming, Biomedicine Programs, as well as the Salus Physician Assistant Program, will move to Drexel’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies in the College of Medicine. The Pennsylvania College of Optometry will become Drexel’s newest college.

I will continue to provide updates on the status of the Department of Education’s approval of our merger. In the meantime, I invite you to join me in extending sincere appreciation to our colleagues whose dedication and leadership have made it possible to advance this initiative with remarkable speed. This is a pivotal moment for the future of health sciences at Drexel, and I am confident that even greater achievements lie ahead.

Sincerely,

Denis P. O’Brien
Interim President