LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Continuing in its tradition of generous support of higher education, the ARAMARK Corporation has contributed $15,000 to Rider University for the development and enhancement of three programs geared specifically toward the cultivation of leadership skills among students.

The gift will provide $7,500 to sponsor Rider's Orienting Women Leaders (OWL) program, $6,000 to bolster the College of Business Administration's CREW program, and $1,500 for coordination of a Student Leadership Development Conference. All money allocated will be utilized during the 1997-98 academic year.

Instrumental in providing the gift was Joan C. Mazzotti (left), associate general counsel of the Philadelphia-based corporation. Mazzotti, a resident of Haverford, PA, is a 1972 graduate of Rider and currently serves on the University's Board of Trustees.

"It is critical that students today graduate college with the leadership skills they will need to compete in the global marketplace," said Mazzotti. "I am delighted that ARAMARK is supporting Rider's programs aimed at developing these skills in its students."

OWL is an extracurricular program that fosters leadership skills and develops self-esteem in female students. It utilizes seminars and workshops to motivate and support women at Rider. Program objectives include connecting students to on- and off-campus student and professional women leaders in areas of the students' interests, providing workshops on self-esteem, helping students discover opportunities at Rider to promote personal and professional growth, and bringing students together for mutual support.

CREW is a growing, innovative venture into experiential learning and an important dimension to Rider's business program. Led by specially-trained faculty members, CREW is a six-semester program designed to build and refine students' interpersonal skills. Students support each other in learning specific career and life skills, including conflict resolution, observing others' behavior, and interviewing skills. In addition, participating students have special opportunities to interact with corporate leaders and business practitioners.

The Student Leadership Development Conference helps students develop the traits and knowledge that will enable them to lead productive lives. The conference will kick-off an ongoing leadership and management education program for students, student organizations, and advisors, and will feature a keynote speaker and four educational sessions. The objectives of the program are to develop student leadership skills, provide programs to assist students in achieving academic success, and promote leadership through extracurricular experiences.

This latest gift is the second such contribution to the University from ARAMARK in recent months. Last year, ARAMARK pledged $15,000 for stimulation of Rider's giving program, specifically in regard to women donors. The result of that grant was more than $150,000 in new gifts from women alumni and friends of Rider.

"Our corporate grant program is structured to encourage employees to bring to us programs in which they are involved, and the corporation will try to back their efforts with resources," said Donna Irvin, director of corporate contributions for ARAMARK. "Joan brought good leadership initiatives to us that reflect her personal vision of leadership, particularly among women. Rider was clearly ready to implement these programs, and in many cases had the pieces already in place."

ARAMARK Corporation is a world leader in managed services: food and clothing, health and child care, sports and entertainment, and magazine and book distribution. ARAMARK has over 140,000 employees serving 15 million people at 500,000 locations in 11 countries every day. The employee-owned corporation recorded sales exceeding $5.6 billion in 1995. ARAMARK prides itself on a philosophy of "unlimited customer participation."

Rider University is an independent, coeducational, nonsectarian institution with a 353-acre campus in Lawrenceville, NJ, and a 23-acre campus in Princeton, NJ. The University offers 57 undergraduate programs and 15 graduate programs in business, liberal arts, science, education, and music. Ninety-five percent of Rider's faculty members hold doctorate or other appropriate advanced degrees. U.S. News and World Report has again ranked Rider in the top tier of northern universities based on the quality of its programs.