80 years young
By Sabatino Mangini ’01

Eighty years is a fairly generous lifespan for a human. But humans’ best accomplishments in life are those that unite them in a common purpose, benefit others and live beyond them.

Rowan University has lived long beyond the men and women who founded it and built it with bricks and mortar, example and inspiration, inquiry and discovery. In its eight decades, the institution has grown and matured far beyond what it was in 1923, much like a baby barely resembles the adult he will become.

But for all the progress and maturity we see today, it’s certain that, even at 80, Rowan’s future appears rich with opportunity and promise. Consider just a few vignettes from our first 80 years—and what we have yet to envision.

a lovely location then and now
In 1911, then-New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, a former college professor who was not satisfied with the state’s quality of teachers, convinced the State Board of Education to build a teacher training school in South Jersey. Local towns competed to be the site. But it wouldn’t be until 1917 that the members finally decided to award Glassboro the rights to build the facility.

During the six-year struggle for site selection, the Glassboro advocates’ main argument was that the town was situated in a perfect area: Glassboro had a leading railroad center, a landscape of natural, wooded beauty and, as a Glassboro spokesman said during a Board meeting on June 2, 1917, “(Glassboro) has the advantage of being in the center of South Jersey, an advantage not to be overlooked in terms of where high school seniors make their homes…Glassboro (also) is in close proximity to two large cities…where students preparing to teach can cheaply visit schools.”

Years later, Glassboro’s midway location between Washington D. C. and New York would also make it an ideal, strategic setting for an internationally historic campus event. In June 1967, President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin held a summit conference on the Glassboro campus to discuss the implications of the Cold War. Overall, the world leaders had an amiable conference, with Kosygin even remarking to Johnson, “You have chosen a beautiful place.” Kosygin went on to say in his farewell speech, “I think altogether we’ve spent and worked here about eight or nine hours, and we’ve become accustomed to the place and we like the town. We think the people of Glassboro are very good people. We’ve been favorably impressed with the time we’ve spent here.”

Even today, students choose Rowan for its location, consistently one of the top three reasons—along with reputation and cost—for undergrads to come here. “I think it’s a huge benefit to attend a school near big cities,” says Eric Springer ’04, a current graduate student in the public relations program. “As an undergraduate, I went to school in Maryland, but by going to Rowan, I’m that much closer to getting a well-paying job in New York.”

the gift of giving
Throughout its history, Rowan has benefited from the vision and generosity of many people. In fact, when the State Board of Education had yet to pick a suitable location for the new teacher’s school, 107 Glassboro residents helped to sway the decision by raising $7,066 to purchase 25 acres of the proposed site, and then donating the land to the state. The state couldn’t ignore such initiative and Glassboro was chosen as the school site.

While the residents’ land donation helped to establish a new school in Glassboro, Henry Rowan’s $100-million donation in 1992 helped Glassboro State College establish a new vision for the public college. “I’ve been a consistent giver to my alma mater because I know how significant private support is, whether it’s a small or large gift,” said Associate Provost Bob Zazzali ’72, ’74. “But the Rowan gift made me look at the institution in a different light. Henry Rowan believes in public education and he recognized the traditional foundation and ambitious goals we have. He reaffirmed for me the importance of giving because he believes this University has a great deal of promise.”

Much of the evolution and awareness of the University can be attributed to the College of Engineering. “The Rowan gift gave us the means to make the College of Engineering a reality,” said Dianne Dorland, dean of the College of Engineering. “It was the catalyst that prompted the University’s great talent and resources to accomplish even more, especially encouraging multidisciplinary partnerships among the colleges.”
The engineering program—ranked 27th overall in the nation—along with the progressive advancement of Rowan’s entire curriculum, has inspired more contributors to invest in Rowan. Rowan’s current capital campaign, Building Bridges to Opportunity: The Campaign for Rowan University, has raised more than $23 million, surpassing its goal of $22 million more than a year ahead of schedule.

Campaign funds will help improve student programs, academic development and campus facilities. Overall, 8,265 alumni and 497 employees have contributed to the Campaign.
“We owe a special thanks to the campaign’s leadership and to all those who have supported the University in this ambitious effort,” said Phillip Tumminia M’69, executive director of the Rowan University Foundation. “The money we have raised is truly making educational dreams a reality.”

it’s a credit to you
“When I decided to pursue a career in teaching, it was a no-brainer to attend Rowan,” says Mike D’Alessandro ’03, a math teacher at Gateway Regional High School. “I researched the school and saw that it had such an awesome reputation with teaching, not to mention a competitive listing of education accreditations, which proves that it is a strong, successful program.”

Although the College of Education isn’t the only University program to receive accreditation, it did get the ball rolling in 1938 when the American Association of Teachers Colleges first approved the school as an accredited institution. Since then, Rowan has gained 10 accreditations, with the School of Engineering achieving that status only five years from its inception. “We take great pride in knowing that all four of our engineering degree programs have been fully accredited,” said Dorland.

And last year, Rowan’s College of Business joined an elite 18 percent of schools in the nation which have earned accrediation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. It’s a milestone achievement for both the College and University.

“AACSB International is the premier accrediting body for business programs throughout the world,” says Ted Schoen, dean of the College of Business. “Our attainment of AACSB accreditation reinforces our position among the leading business schools globally.”

Each accreditation proves that Rowan is providing a rigorous and thorough education. “I originally looked at Rowan as a local school that I would go to if all else fell through,” says Kelly Menna ’03, an accounting professional at Cendant Mortgage. “But I saw how its reputation was improving and that it was growing into a great school. I decided to major in business at Rowan and it was a wise decision.”

glassboro’s college goes global
While Rowan was once considered a South Jersey school for South Jersey students, those days are gone. Now, Rowan not only receives numerous nationwide enrollments from top-tier students, it also attracts an ever-growing population of international students. “More than 30 countries are represented by our international students from Argentina to Zimbabwe,” says Craig Katz, director of International Student Services. “We recognize the enormous value of these students in terms of the diversity and unique perspectives they bring to the Rowan community.”

In 1960, Rowan’s faculty already included professors from seven foreign countries. Although Rowan began welcoming international students in 1961, the school still had to earn recognition as a world-class institute of higher learning. It seems Rowan is beginning to achieve that recognition.

Rowan has also received a global boost in reputation from international alumni who are leading successful careers abroad. “I still have a Rowan sticker on my car—see how enthusiastic I am about my college?” said Umut Urfali ’96, a business graduate and strategy and business development supervisor for Efes Beverage Group in Istanbul, Turkey, his native country. “Overall, as an international student, attending Rowan was a great experience. Rowan has great professors and has well-organized academic offerings.”

Jihane Ben Khedher ’03, born in Tunisia, is another international student who is making the most of her Rowan education. Last year, she served as an intern at the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Kheder is continuing her Rowan education as a public relations graduate student. “Since I speak four languages,” Kheder says, “it’s a good decision to combine my economics degree with a public relations degree.” Kheder’s relationship with Rowan professors, faculty and students helped make it an easy decision to further her education at Rowan. “I like a lot of the professors, and I really appreciate what Craig Katz has done for international students,” says Kheder. “International students can get homesick or bored. He organizes events and trips to make sure we’re busy and having fun—and if you’re American, you can come also. It helps brings people together.”

from “safe” to selective
Students have always considered the college in Glassboro a good educational option because of its location, low tuition cost and academic reputation. Now, selective students put Rowan at the top of their list. The “safe” choice has become the school of choice.

In fact, over the last four years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rowan one of the best institutions in American higher education, at 33rd of 165 colleges and universities in the northern region and fourth among the region’s public schools. Not coincidentally, over the last nine years, applications, student enrollment and the average SAT score have all increased. These trends have led to even more competitive admissions: the University now receives five times as many applications as it can accommodate.

The prestige and value of a Rowan degree have risen with each passing year. Prospective students expect to be challenged from the moment they apply for admission and throughout their academic career. “I was confident about being accepted because I had a very good high school record, but maybe I was overconfident,” says Kiley Grammer, a math and secondary education junior. “Students graduating after I did are having a harder time getting in. Now that I’m here it’s still very competitive. The professors expect a lot and I’m learning a tremendous amount.

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Sabatino Mangini ’01 works as a copywriter for Voveo Marketing Group while pursuing a M.A. in writing at Rowan and teaching writing at Camden County College. He lives in Wenonah.