Michael Mittelman , president of Salus University, and John A. Fry, former president of Drexel University, sign documents for the merger of their schools at the Anthony J. Drexel Picture Gallery on Drexel's campus in June 2023. Now Fry has left to become president of Temple University and faculty at Salus' Pennsylvania College of Optometry are concerned about Drexel's financial woes and what it means for Salus.
Drexel will trim senior leaders’ salaries, slash retirement benefits, and consider layoffs in the face of its $63 million operating loss But a group of emeritus faculty and current faculty in Salus’ Pennsylvania College of Optometry said they are extremely concerned about the recent news concerning Drexel’s financial state and the departure of John A. Fry as Drexel’s president. Fry will become president of Temple University on Nov. 1.
Several faculty said in interviews they have been reaching out to both the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education to see if they have any recourse. Two of four associate deans have resigned in recent days, following the university’s ouster of Melissa Trego, its optometry dean, last month, they said.
“I could no longer be associated with an institution that could be so callous and myopic in their decision-making,” she said.Mittelman and O’Sullivan said during the Oct. 7 meeting that they believed that Drexel was taking the right steps to improve its financial condition and urged faculty to have faith.