Rider Reimagined next steps

Dear Rider community,

Over the past week, we have been surveying faculty and staff about the March to Sustainability Plan, and as I share the results with you, I also want to share information about the kinds of initiatives our community has suggested and how we will begin working together to Reimagine Rider. 

Much more than any plan, Rider’s success depends upon this community rallying together to ensure a sustainable and bright future for our students and the Rider community that serves them. My thanks to the over 425 faculty and staff who shared their views in the recent survey on the March to Sustainability Plan. Over 70% of our community voted in favor of the plan, an important sign of clarity, togetherness and unity. You join SGA, the Alumni Board, the business college advisory board, our most generous donors and many others in supporting the complex decisions that we must make now to realize Rider’s bright future. Your individual commitment to the Rider community will become the foundation upon which we build a Reimagined Rider.

I also want to thank and commend the dozens of students, staff and faculty who provided critical input to help shape the final implementation approach for the March to Sustainability Plan. This valued feedback allowed us to examine changes we could make to the soundness and effectiveness of the plan. Among other changes, your insights guided us in making certain adjustments to ensure that every Rider employee receives a living wage through the plan’s implementation and preserve other critical components you named, while still achieving the required savings to stabilize Rider’s financial situation. I appreciate very much how this community helped us achieve these critically important goals and the candor and participation we have seen throughout the recent weeks of intensive discussions. 

We will share your ideas and support with the Board of Trustees this coming Sunday afternoon, November 30, as part of their final deliberations as we ready the steps necessary to implement the plan, and will be sharing the results of the Board’s discussions with all faculty, staff and students next week, following related necessary union communications. 

As we prepare for the Board’s decision on Sunday, allow me to underscore that the plan is not only about Rider’s near-term viability—it is, as importantly, about taking the next steps to create a stronger, stable and growing Reimagined Rider. We will be implementing numerous ideas that we have all been discussing since my arrival in July, many of which faculty, staff and students themselves helpfully and thoughtfully offered during our discussions and listening sessions. The kinds of objectives we will be considering touch upon every aspect of the student experience and Rider’s standing and success. We look forward to kicking off these and many initiatives in the spring semester and working with all of you to ensure successful implementation. These initiatives include work across these areas: 

Academics and Student Life 

• Numerous ideas to achieve our goal of making Rider the experiential learning hub for first-generation college students in New Jersey, including expanded co-op programs, more internships and new community non-profit partnerships that give students additional hands-on learning opportunities. 
• Exploring opportunities to develop new academic programs aligned with our strengths in business and education and identifying areas to expand our footprint in health sciences and technology. 
• Reimagining Westminster and the arts to build on this world-renowned brand and enrich the value of the arts to the student experience. We also have begun discussions with Westminster alumni to work through past issues so together we can help Westminster achieve its full potential. 
• Adding consistent weekend activities, enhancing Greek life and strengthening student-led traditions to make Rider even more of a home and less a so-called suitcase school. 
• Improving the quality of the student-athlete experience and our athletics programs, including by securing new revenue sources to make related investments. 
• Expanding programmatic offerings that meet the needs of working adults. 

Resources and Operations 

• Leverage the nearly $2 million raised so far through the creation of the Presidential Hope Fund to nurture students and make sure they meet their goals of degree completion. 
• Working together to build the necessary partnerships to ensure Rider has the resources to achieve our shared vision. 
• Exploring collaborations with peers across IT, HR, payroll and procurement that could reduce costs. 
• Securing resources for targeted investments to upgrade residence halls and increase single-room options. 
• Expanding our 2+2 and housing partnerships with community colleges. 
• Continuing the investments already underway to enhance student navigation of administrative and support systems (e.g., Registrar, Residence Life, counseling) and improve physical and mental health wellness programs. 
• Upgrading Rider’s brand and presentation of the brand, through new messaging, a modernized website, marketing our Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation and bringing more attention to the qualities of community that make Rider special. 

Speaking of Rider’s reputation, I hope you are participating in the newly launched I Believe in Rider campaign. To join the effort, you can use these social media graphics on your own channels with the hashtag #IBelieveinRider. I especially encourage students to share your own inspiring Rider story. Everyone is also welcome to pick up I Believe in Rider stickers and posters at the Student Recreation Center (SRC)—and encouraged to post pictures of them on social media with #IBelieveinRider. 

While we all are sharing in the painful and real sacrifices being made to revive Rider, we can now share in the ideas and implementation of the ideas that will ensure Rider is here for generations, providing the life-changing opportunities to the students we serve. My personal thanks to our faculty, staff and students for all the ideas and support through this exceedingly difficult process. Together we can and we will build a Reimagined Rider. 

My warmest wishes to you for Thanksgiving and for meaningful time with your friends and family on the break ahead.

Sincerely,

John R. Loyack, CPA, MBA
President