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| Rozanski, Senior Staff Report Solid Progress at Town Hall Meeting
During Rider University’s town hall meeting last Thursday, President Rozanski and senior staff reported on progress achieved to date in the context of the Strategic Plan. Updates were provided regarding academic initiatives, enrollment, fundraising, marketing, facilities and accreditation. In his opening remarks to the 300 members of the University community gathered in the Bart Luedeke Center Cavalla Room and via direct video feed at Talbott Library on the Princeton campus, President Rozanski took a serious tone as he discussed the recent tragedies that struck Rider and Virginia Tech and the proactive measures the University is taking to ensure the safety of its community. “A university campus should, and in most cases does, provide students a safe and exciting environment, a place to experience the joy and wonder of learning and personal growth…But occasionally, a harsher world intrudes,” he said, citing the tragic death of Gary DeVercelly to alcohol poisoning and the senseless tragedy at Virginia Tech. “We must move beyond our feelings of horror, shock and sadness to act proactively to do all we can to ensure that our Rider community on both campuses has a safe and healthy living, learning and work environment for all our students, faculty, staff and administrators,” President Rozanski said. “There is no trust more sacred or obligation more fundamental than the safety of our community. That is my commitment as President to you.” He reported that the Task Force on Alcohol, Personal Responsibility and Student Life, led by Provost Donald Steven and Associate Vice President Debbie Stasolla, is currently reviewing the effectiveness of Rider’s alcohol policies, enforcement, education, outreach and Greek life in the context of national best practices. President Rozanski has set June 1 as the date for receiving the task force recommendations so they can be enacted for the fall semester. The President noted that Rider is reviewing its Emergency Response Plan, which was developed after 9/11, updated in 2006, and audited last summer as part of a peer review process. He indicated that the plan is printed in the Campus Phone Directory and posted on Rider’s Web site. “I’ve initiated a review of our emergency response procedures on both campuses with Tony Campbell (Student Affairs), Vickie Weaver (Public Safety), Carol Kondrach (Information Technology) and others,” President Rozanski added. “Following an initial review of these procedures, we have added a section to the plan reflecting some of the lessons learned from Virginia Tech. We have also begun planning for enhancements, including university-wide training and an instant emergency notification system.” Selection of a system will be completed by May 11 for implementation by the fall semester. President Rozanski stressed the need for a multi-pronged emergency communication approach that combines both high and low technology capability. Before he turned the podium over to his vice presidents for progress reports, President Rozanski said he is encouraged by the University community’s continued dedication to Rider’s renewal as revealed in a recently completed climate survey. He noted that 67 percent of all employees responded, including 74 percent of full-time faculty, staff and administrators. Although results are preliminary, the survey revealed that 97 percent of faculty, staff and administrators are committed to Rider’s renewal and success, 89 percent are proud to be a Rider employee, and 88 percent believe the institution is effectively positioned for the future. Following are synopses of the senior staff reports. Academic Initiatives
Donald Steven, provost and vice president for academic affairs, focused on four key areas: academic program development, strategic development in the arts, task force work, and investments in Rider’s faculty and academic facilities. He stressed the importance of programmatic offerings that are consistent with Rider’s strategic vision and relevant and attractive to prospective students. Currently, new programs are being developed in business forensics and security, graphic design, arts administration and European studies. As part of the University’s commitment to the broader community, Rider is also reaching out to area high schools through such innovative programs as The Leadership Through Business program in the College of Business Administration and The Program for Advanced Scholastic Standing, a department of communication and journalism initiative. Another major aspect of Rider’s ongoing program development has been the planning and discussions in support of the strategic development of the arts. Through the work of many dedicated faculty and administrators, the Board of Trustees approved last November the establishment of a new college dedicated to music and the fine and performing arts. The new college will be formally announced this fall following completion of additional work in the areas of mission and governance, library needs, facilities planning, and enrollment. “Built on the heritage and traditions of our renowned Westminster Choir College and on our distinguished programs in theater, the fine arts, music and dance in Lawrenceville, this new college will enable us to pursue a broader national reputation in the arts and secure and enhance the University’s commitment to the centrality of the arts to a liberal arts education,” said Steven. As part of the implementation of the Strategic Plan, a number of task forces were established to make recommendations in support of several of Rider’s strategic directions. Six of these – learning objectives, first year experience, University Studies, honors, advising and mentoring, and experiential learning – have completed their work. Their recommendations are being further discussed by faculty and staff and will be presented to the appropriate governance bodies. Three other recently established task forces – internationalization, faculty mentoring and freshman year – are currently engaged in their work. Steven added, “The programmatic and procedural impact of this work will be very important to the ongoing development of the University.” Steven continued by recognizing Rider’s faculty. “You have heard me say on a number of occasions that our faculty are the heart and soul of the University.” He announced the hiring of 17 full-time tenure-track faculty for next fall including five new lines. Another four full-time, tenure-track lines will be added by fall 2008. The nine new lines will support the development of programs in the new college as well as needs in biochemistry, psychology, Chinese and the Executive MBA. As part of Rider’s efforts to support faculty and the teaching and learning process, several major investments will be made in academic facilities over the next several years on both campuses and in all colleges. These include construction and renovation of faculty offices, classrooms, rehearsal spaces, practice rooms, keyboard and science labs. Steven concluded his presentation by congratulating Dean Newman and the entire College of Business Administration on the achievement of full accreditation by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). Rider is the only college or university in New Jersey to hold dual AACSB accreditation in business administration and accounting. Enrollment Management
Jamie O’Hara, vice president for enrollment management, provided an overview of fall and summer 2007 enrollments and recent initiatives involving the division. Prior to the May 1 deposit deadline, Rider is running 23 percent ahead in fall applications over this time last year with deposits trending comparably to the same timeframe. “This has allowed us to work on selectivity in support of the Strategic Plan,” said Mr. O’Hara. The freshman acceptance rate is currently running at 74 percent, down from 79 percent last year and 84 percent in 2004, toward a goal of 72 percent by 2010. “In addition,” O’Hara added, “we are experiencing increases in both GPA and SAT averages on deposited students.” O’Hara also announced the greater geographic diversity of the incoming class. This year’s out of state enrollment is running 29 to 30 percent, up from 22 percent in 2004, and within reach of the goal of 30 percent by 2010. A total of 36 states and 12 countries are represented in the admission pool with close to 25 new international students expected to arrive in September beyond those enrolled from Sanda University in Shanghai, China. With regard to this summer, the College of Continuing Studies has exceeded Summer I undergraduate and graduate enrollment goals and is well on its way to meeting or exceeding those for Summer II. Following the successful introduction last summer of online courses, the College doubled the number of such courses to 18, all of which are fully enrolled. In addition, Lawrenceville will again host Italian and other European high school students later this summer. A total of about 1,000 students are expected, up from 450 last year. O’Hara concluded his overview with updates regarding the Web site and Rider One Stop. With the input of approximately 125 prospective and current students and faculty and staff, improvements will be made to Rider’s homepage, template designs, navigation and content. Completion of this Web site facelift is anticipated by mid-August. With regard to Rider One Stop, O’Hara announced the launch last week of eCommerce through which electronic tuition payments can be made via Rider’s web site. The system will be expanded within the year to accept deposit payments and other transactions. Advancement
Jonathan Meer, vice president for advancement, highlighted fundraising progress to date, preparations for the next capital campaign, and the implementation of Rider’s new graphic identity. Meer announced that Annual Fund gifts through March 31 for both campuses stand at a little over $879,000, up from almost $722,000 this time last year. “We have four primary engines driving our improved performance – alumni, Trustees, faculty and staff, and the senior class,” he said. The number of alumni donors has increased 11 percent over last year and Trustee giving is up $139,000 compared to this time last year. Faculty and staff commitments to the Annual Fund have exceeded $100,000, an increase of more than $17,000 over last year at this time. Graduating seniors have made 218 Annual Fund commitments to date, eclipsing the 1992 record of 214, and representing 29 percent of the senior class, also a record. Total gifts and pledges received this year through March 31 stands at $3.91 million, an increase of 29 percent over last year. “I am also pleased to report a very significant increase in endowment giving,” Meer said. “We are currently at $1.18 million in new endowment gifts compared to $675,000 this time last year, a 74 percent increase.” Meer summarized the preparatory work required for Rider’s next capital campaign. A University-wide needs assessment will determine campaign funding priorities in support of the Strategic Plan and will incorporate the input of the entire Rider community. The campaign will be publicly announced when 40 to 50 percent of the overall goal is attained following a quiet phase during which fundraising goals and policies are established and volunteer and staff recruitment secured. Meer added, “The development team is working with our Trustees, deans, and major donors to dramatically expand the pipeline of potential gifts that will be solicited during our next campaign – all in support of Rider’s Strategic Plan.” Meer recognized the work of the University marketing committee in establishing Rider’s new graphic identity late last fall. Soft launch of the new logo, word mark and seal began earlier this year. With the completion of a style guide later this spring, all new symbols will be officially launched in September. In addition, a new athletics logo will be finalized this summer. Facilities Update
Julie Karns, vice president for finance, provided an overview of the facilities investments to be made over the next several years in the quality of the living and learning environments on both campuses. Significant among these is the $22 million bond issue approved by the Board of Trustees in February and planned for this coming June. “It will provide much needed funding in support of student and academic needs and prepare us for the full potential of the new arts college,” she said. Planning is under way for a new residence hall complex to be built near Maurer Gym and Poyda residence hall. With an anticipated opening in fall 2009, the project will include apartment and suite style housing for a total of 152 new beds. Components of the project also include parking, electrical and other infrastructure improvements. “We anticipate adding 300 new parking spaces,” added Karns. Additional investments on both campuses include expansion of Daly dining hall, renovation of residence halls and Greek houses, expansion of wireless access to all residences, 37 additional emergency blue lights, roof repairs and sidewalk and paving projects on both campuses. In all, about 45 percent of facilities funding over the next three years will be earmarked for each of the academic and student life areas with the remainder of the funding, and perhaps more, reserved for safety initiatives in response to task force recommendations and the review this summer of Rider’s emergency response plan. “In developing our project plans, we considered input from students on both campuses and were guided by the Strategic Plan and new college and campus master planning,” said Karns. Middle States Accreditation
Ms. Stasolla, associate vice president for planning, reported on the success of Rider’s peer evaluation team visit early this past March as part of the Middle States accreditation process. She thanked her co-chair, Robbie Sethi, professor of English, as well as the rest of the Middle States steering committee for all its hard work and effort over the past year and a half. While official word from the Middle States Commission will not be known until this summer, it is anticipated that Rider will be fully accredited and that no recommendations will be made that require follow up action. The evaluation team report affirmed Rider’s compliance with all 14 accreditation standards and congratulated the University for its “…impressive commitment to planning and assessment, poising it for new levels of achievement and excellence.”
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