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������Ƶ No. 84 on U.S. News Top Universities List

������Ƶ jumped to No. 84 among the Top 100 Public National Universities, according to the 2024 U.S. News & World Report College Rankings released Sept. 18, 2023.

������Ƶ ranked 84 out of 227 public colleges and universities in the nation and No. 159 of 436 on the Best National Universities list.

This is ������Ƶ’s second year in a row in the national rankings. Previously, ������Ƶ was included on the top 10 Best Regional Universities-North.

������Ƶ also vaulted 49 spots to No. 26 among the Top Performers on Social Mobility – National Universities. This category highlights schools that actively and effectively enroll and graduate large proportions of economically disadvantaged students awarded Pell Grants.

Similarly, The New York Times released its in September 2023, which ranks ������Ƶ as No. 11 for the share of first-year, first-time students receiving Pell Grants out of the nation’s 286 most-selective colleges. ������Ƶ’s share of Pell-eligible students has not changed since 2011, demonstrating ������Ƶ’s continued commitment to helping all students pursue a degree.

“These rankings make clear ������Ƶ is a place where everyone belongs,” President Joe Bertolino said. “For more than 50 years, ������Ƶ has been dedicated to helping students pursue their college dreams. Considering we have some of the best four- and six-year college graduation rates in the state, we are delivering on our promise.”

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������Ƶ, Atlantic Cape Sign 3+1 Pathway Partnership

Atlantic Cape Community College students will have a new pathway to earning a bachelor’s degree at ������Ƶ that may save time and money.

President Joe Bertolino and Atlantic Cape President Barbara Gaba signed a 3+1 pathway partnership agreement between the two institutions last October.

Through this program, students are empowered to plan their full educational experience in a cost-effective way that will begin at Atlantic Cape and culminate in a baccalaureate degree from ������Ƶ. Students will complete their associate degree and their junior year of ������Ƶ on Atlantic Cape’s campus at the community college tuition rate. The student’s senior year would be completed at ������Ƶ and at the four-year University’s tuition rate.

“This continues to strengthen the relationship between ������Ƶ and Atlantic Cape Community College by expanding the opportunities for students to seamlessly pursue an associate degree and bachelor’s degree at our two institutions,” Bertolino said.

“Being able to transfer 90 credits from Atlantic Cape to a corresponding ������Ƶ degree and earning a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies is an amazing opportunity that benefits the students of the region. It is a versatile degree, and our graduates have been successful in securing employment in virtually any industry, including state and local government, hospitality, health sciences and education,” he said.

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������Ƶ Signs Student Exchange Agreements with South Korean University

President Joe Bertolino visited Sookmyung Women’s University — one of the world’s largest female educational institutes — and signed two academic agreements between the universities on Oct. 19, 2023.

The first establishes a joint study-abroad program and the second allows for the mutual exchange of students and materials between the universities. Bertolino and Yunkeum Chang, president of Sookmyung Women’s University, signed the agreements during Bertolino’s visit to East Asia that month as part of a Choose New Jersey governor-led economic mission.

The agreements provide students from both institutions with a path to study abroad and immerse themselves in a new culture, while learning about the hospitality industry from a global perspective.

“Time and again, studies have shown experiential learning to be a critical component in preparing students to succeed in the workforce,” Bertolino said.

“������Ƶ is excited to add a new opportunity to deliver on our mission of preparing students to succeed in a global society through the immersive learning made possible through this agreement. Our students will benefit by expanding their perspectives and experiencing the culture and life in South Korea, and we look forward to welcoming students from Sookmyung to our campuses in the Pinelands in Galloway and on the beach in Atlantic City.”

The agreements stand between the Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management Program in the School of Business at ������Ƶ and the Division of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Management at Sookmyung. 

"This partnership will undoubtedly forge a path toward new horizons in global impact and the era of the New Normal," Chang said. "Since it was founded in 1906 by the Royal Family of the Joseon Dynasty, Sookmyung has played a pivotal role in women’s education in Korea. This partnership is a testament to our shared commitment to excellence and innovation in global education. We look forward to students from ������Ƶ igniting the sparks of curiosity at Sookmyung, a vibrant campus nestled in the heart of Seoul."

New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy attended the signing. “I am so thrilled that we are taking another step toward bringing our countries even closer together by welcoming more South Korean students to New Jersey. At ������Ƶ, students will have a chance to study at one of the top hospitality programs in the United States,” she said.

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Unique Esports Degree Partnership Announced with Camden County College

������Ƶ became the first public institution in New Jersey to offer an undergraduate degree in esports when the Bachelor of Science in Esports Management program debuted in fall 2023.

Camden County College’s Associate in Applied Science in Esports Production degree is the only one of its kind in the region.

Now the two programs have joined to create the first esports degree pathway program in the state.

“This program is a testament to our shared vision of providing high quality education and opportunities for the next generation of esports professionals,” said President Joe Bertolino during an articulation agreement signing on Nov. 1, 2023, at ������Ƶ’s Galloway campus. “We recognize the potential of esports as a growing global phenomenon and the need for qualified professionals to drive its continued success.”

 

The schools worked closely to align their curricula so that it’s seamless for the students to complete both an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in eight semesters, said Bob Heinrich, ������Ƶ’s vice president for Enrollment Management. The university will accept Camden’s classes as course equivalents to satisfy ������Ƶ’s requirements for an undergraduate degree.

“This partnership highlights both Camden County College’s and ������Ƶ’s initiative to be at the forefront of new technology and to prepare students for new and emerging career opportunities — some of which didn’t even exist just a short time ago,” said Lovell Pugh-Bassett, president of Camden County College (CCC). “We are proud to offer this opportunity to students who have found their passion in the fast-growing esports industry.”

The partnership will also help create a “whole new caliber of student” that’s interested in an esports career, said Noel Criscione-Naylor, a ������Ƶ associate professor and program chair of Esports Management. Criscione-Naylor said CCC’s focus on esports production provides students with extremely valuable technical experience on how to stream and broadcast events, and ������Ƶ’s program will build on that.

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Annual Latino Visitation Day Breaks Attendance Record

More than 1,000 students from nearly 30 high schools throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland heard the message loud and clear at ������Ƶ’s annual Latino Visitation Day on Nov. 30, 2023: if your goal is higher education, you can overcome the obstacles and earn a college degree.

������Ƶ ranks seventh in the nation among colleges and universities with the highest graduation rates for Hispanic students and overall minority students, according to a 2022 Chronicle of Higher Education report. In the 2022-23 academic year, 19% of ������Ƶ students identified as Hispanic.

Heather Medina, director of Admissions, was admittedly emotional when she saw the crowd - the largest one yet - of students filing into the Sports Center. Not so long ago, she was a student and member of Los Latinos Unidos, the student organization that started Latino Visitation Day.

“It is just such a joy to see all of these smiling faces today, and we hope that you all consider and choose ������Ƶ. This is our way of saying to you all: Welcome home,” Medina said. “Latino Visitation Day was born when I was a student here and started off with two schools, and today, I’m pleased to say that this is the largest ever in the history of the university.”

Medina introduced Nelida Valentin, chair for ������Ƶ’s Board of Trustees and proud 1986 graduate who was part of the Educational Opportunity Fund program and served as president of Los Latinos Unidos during her time as an undergraduate.

After sharing her journey from a first-generation student to a leader in higher education, Valentin encouraged the crowd to think of their own journeys and what they hope to accomplish.

“You see, I was the first and only in my family to attend college, and when you are the first, there is not a lot to look back on: You just have to move forward. I can tell you unequivocally that my ������Ƶ experience has translated into a lifetime commitment to education and community service. My journey through ������Ƶ has served as a testament to the transformative power of education, and you too can be on that journey toward transformation,” Valentin said. 

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Africana Studies at ������Ƶ Turns 40

The rich tradition of Africana Studies at ������Ƶ encompasses four decades of educational opportunity for students to study and analyze the various disciplines from an African/African-American perspective. 

The program itself went through many iterations, starting as a collection of General Studies courses offered by various faculty members. The courses were all centered on the Black experience and included topics such as music, entertainment and the law. 

It was the vision and dedication of the original group of faculty members, including Distinguished Professor of Social Work Pat Reid-Merritt, that led to the establishment of the Africana Studies program. In the spring of 1983, they proposed that the collection of courses be formalized into a new topic concentration originally called “Afro-American Studies,” offering interested students the opportunity to earn a certificate.

“There was a general awareness that people were developing concentrations around certain areas (of study), and we figured, yes, we should do it too,” Reid-Merritt shared. “Adele Beverly (professor emeritus of Nursing) worked on developing a proposal that we could take to the Faculty Senate. There were about nine of us, and we said that we needed this concentration. Soon, it was approved.”

The rest is history — Africana Studies became a recognized minor and, in 2019, a degree-granting major, offering students the opportunity to delve deeper into their studies in five different areas: Arts and Entertainment, Global Perspectives, History/Humanities, Literature, and Social and Political Perspectives. Students in both the major and minor are also eligible for membership in the National Council of Black Studies’ national honor society, Ankh Maat Wedjau, due to the program’s affiliation with the NCBS. 

For students like senior Keisha Richards, an Africana Studies major, the program doesn’t just build on what students learn about Black history in elementary, middle or high school – it is often where a student just begins exploring these different and contemporary topics, which has a tremendous impact on their identity.

“I feel that me not learning it (in elementary school) didn’t give me a sense of who I was, where I came from, or what purpose or connection I have here in this world,” Richards shared. “So, I think if they offer these courses, it gives a child who doesn’t really know what they want to do or where they want to go in life an opportunity to see that we’re important and needed here.”

Africana Studies majors can use their knowledge and understanding of people of African descent in any professional field to educate others and increase sensitivity, pursuing careers in fields ranging from the sciences to criminal justice, politics, education and entertainment.

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A Picture-Perfect Opportunity for Photography Students

A new agreement between ������Ƶ and Mercer County Community College provides students the opportunity to seamlessly pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in photography.

Students would spend two years at Mercer in West Windsor earning an Associate in Fine Arts degree before transferring to ������Ƶ to complete a BFA, according to Bob Heinrich, vice president for Enrollment Management at ������Ƶ.

Students would take courses like 2D Design, History of Photography and Digital Photography at Mercer to prepare for advanced classes at ������Ƶ including Film and Darkroom II and Senior Project Photography.

“By establishing this agreement, we are ensuring seamless transfer of credits from the student who is completing an associate degree at Mercer into our program by ensuring all of the courses are fulfilling graduation requirements,” Heinrich said.

"In fostering academic excellence, our partnership with ������Ƶ creates a dynamic bridge for students to cultivate their passion in photography and reinforces our commitment to providing an affordable and enriching educational path in the field of Fine Arts,” said Robert Schreyer, vice president of Academic Affairs at MCCC.

The agreement enhances an existing dual admission and transfer partnership between the two institutions called Transfer Pathways. Students entering this program receive conditional acceptance to ������Ƶ while they work on their associate degree.