Message from the Dean
Posted April 22, 2010

Drexel In Sacramento: A Story Of Continuing Success

It was only in May 2008 that Drexel's Board of Trustees made the historic decision to open the university's first campus remote from Philadelphia in its 117-year history. Who could have foreseen that we would have become such a regional powerhouse in just two years?

Sacramento City Councilmember Robert Fong (center) presenting Council Resolution to Dean Oxholm (left) and Dr. George Tsetsekos (right), Dean of Drexel’s LeBow College of Business, commending Drexel for “bringing excellence in education and service to this region.”

Just since my last message (January 2010), our students have received a commendation from the Sacramento City Council [PDF] (pictured right) applauding them for their commitment to excellence and public service, and our President was honored by the Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce [PDF] for our "commitment to leadership and to [the region's] underserved communities" and for having made "a tremendous impact in our community." We welcomed four more business and civic leaders from both coasts into our Graduate Center to have conversations with our students about "what it means to lead." And our students have been going out into the community to participate in civic events and to volunteer in monthly service projects, most recently being thanked by the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services for having contributed 2,335 pounds of food during the holidays!

Four of our students from our first MBA cohort, having bested all other Drexel teams, flew to Philadelphia to represent Drexel University and placing third in this year's year's ACG Philadelphia Cup, a business case competition presented by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. That same week, five of our newest MBA students competed online in the semi-annual Capsim Foundation Challenge and placed first among the 224 teams that competed from around the country!

It's no wonder that, in the 15 months since we opened our doors on January 5, 2009, we have gone from zero students and no name recognition to over 255 working professionals taking nine graduate programs in a university that is regularly in the news.

We are teaching our students in what many have called the most high tech learning environments in the entire state. The educational pedagogy blends in-class learning on weekday evenings (or, for students in executive style programs, on a Friday/Saturday once a month) with field work and on-line sessions, giving them the flexibility they need to succeed both with their studies and in their jobs. They learn from Drexel's world-class faculty who fly here from Philadelphia, "beam in" using our Center's high-definition video-conferencing system (better than what you see the news anchors using on television), or are resident here either by term or full-time. And the programs we are offering here are top-ranked in the country, and keyed to the four areas that are core to this region's economic engine and quality of life: entrepreneurial business, health care, higher education, and information technology.

If you are ready to move up in your business or career, we hope you will join us. We are confident that our dynamic, proven approach to learning will more effectively position you for success. Come be part of the power of the Dragon!

Carl (Tobey) Oxholm III, JD, MPP
Senior Vice President and Dean
Center for Graduate Studies, Sacramento