Stockton College To Seek University Status

by Anthony Bellano

After years of growth, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is ready to take the next step.

The College’s Board of Trustees voted to authorize President Herman Saatkamp to petition the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to officially classify Stockton as a comprehensive university.

The College has already met the requirements for that designation for past five years, college officials said in a release issued on Wednesday.

College officials believe the upgrade in status would more accurately reflect Stockton’s current status.

“Stockton’s mission stresses excellence in teaching and dedication to learning, and that will continue to be the heart of the distinctive Stockton experience,” Saatkamp said. “Stockton’s tradition of community service will also remain strong as we transition into our next phase as a pre-eminent institution of higher education.”

The estimated costs of a name change, which are expected to be phased in over five or more years, range from $654,208 to $956,082, depending on what is included.

Saatkamp will submit a petition for the change to Office of the Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks for review by the state Office of Academic Affairs staff, with the assistance of external consultants.

Hendricks would provide the New Jersey Presidents Council with all materials related to the petition for a name change, and seek a recommendation.

The New Jersey Presidents Council represents the state’s public, private, religious and community colleges and universities.

After reviewing the Presidents Council recommendation, the Office of Academic Affairs staff and consultants’ findings, and all reports and recommendations related to the petition, Hendricks would make a determination.

The estimated price range includes replacing signage and updating institutional and marketing materials such as stationery, business cards, flags, seals and banners. Some of those materials are updated and reprinted annually and their costs would be absorbed in existing budgets.

Some items of historical significance may not be changed.

There are many more steps to changing a college’s name. For a complete list, clickor visit Stockton.edu/universitystatus.

Comprehensive universities emphasize teaching, and offer master’s degrees in a variety of academic disciplines and professional fields.

Research universities place more emphasis on faculty members’ research publications in refereed journals and books for promotion and tenure.

Nearby Rowan University in Glassboro achieved research university last summer following the passage of 2012’s New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Education Restructuring Act.

Stockton College already has comprehensive university status in its classifications by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, U.S. News and World Report and Princeton Review,Saatkamp said.

“Alumni, faculty, staff, students, and of course, we board members, are enthusiastic about taking this distinctive step in Stockton’s impressive academic evolution,” Stockton College Board of Trustees Chairman Curtis Bashaw said.

He added that the Board is pleased with the Stockton Community’s support for the change.

Stockton is ranked ninth among public Regional Universities of the North by U.S. News & World Reportin its 2015 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” Stockton also is ranked No. 41 overall out of 135 public and private Northern universities by U.S. News & World Report. Stockton advanced in both categories this year, continuing its top tier designation.

The number of Stockton’s graduate programs has grown to 13 since the first master’s degree program, the Master of Physical Therapy, was approved in 1994. The first doctoral program, the Doctor of Physical Therapy was approved in 2006.

Stockton has expanded physically as well, including a $28.62 million expansion project to double the size of the College’s Unified Science Center.

Prior to the decision to seek university designation, college officials studied the subject for nearly two years.

Faculty, staff, students, prospective students and parents, alumni and over 1,400 members of the public in South Jersey were surveyed, and “town hall” discussions were held for the Stockton community.

The results of the surveys, independent research and other feedback led the Pan-College Task Force on University Status resulted in the recommendation on Sept. 3 that the president ask the Board of Trustees to pursue the change.

The Task Force was made up of faculty, staff, students, alumni and members of the community.

Its full report and related information is available at Stockton.edu/universitystatus.

The Task Force concluded the change would be beneficial because it would align with Stockton’s current reality, it reaffirms the college’s mission and culture of high quality teaching, and it would showcase Stockton’s accomplishments.

Stockton’s current reality is reinforced by its Middle States and Carnegie Foundation designations, both of which already consider the college a university and measure it against other such institutions in their rankings.

Other potential benefits outlined in a report presented to the full Faculty Senate earlier this year, included:

· the enhancement of the potential for recruitment, particularly among international students and faculty, where the word “college” causes confusion. The change would also benefit Stockton in forging partnerships with institutions in other countries;

· the enhancement of the potential to attract more graduate students to Stockton’s growing programs;

· capitalizing on the perceived increase in status that the name “university” confers within higher education and among the general public. This may aid in fundraising as well as recruitment.

The change also would highlight Stockton’s tremendous growth in academic achievements and new programs as well as its new facilities, including instructional sites in three counties, including Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean.

Potential considerations included the implications for the college’s self-definition as “distinctive” and different from other state institutions, a report to the Faculty Senate noted.

Stockton’s culture as a community committed to student-centered education would remain intact, a consensus concluded.

“Changing the school’s designation to a university would not alter expectations for teaching, scholarship, and service,” a Task Force subcommittee concluded.

The attached photo was taken by Margot Alten and provided by the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey: Members of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey Board of Trustees and the Stockton community applaud the move to seek a change in the college’s status to that of a university.