Rowan College at Burlington County Breaks Ground On New Student Center

Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) marked the beginning of the fall 2016 semester by breaking ground on its new Student Success Center on Monday, college officials announced.

“We are transforming into the model of high-quality affordable education in the 21st century and in less than a year our students will have a state-of-the-art facility that they deserve,” Rowan College at Burlington County President Paul Drayton said. “Our Student Success Center is a symbol of Rowan College at Burlington County’s transformation and our ‘Students first’ culture.”

Drayton, Rowan University President Dr. Ali Houshmand, Burlington County Freeholder Mary Ann O’Brien, RCBC Board Chair George Nyikita, Rowan College at Burlington County Foundation Chair Tony Mahon and Student Government Association President Christina Cover held the ceremonial groundbreaking with the college’s faculty and staff.

The groundbreaking was held as the college welcomed the fall semester, roughly a year after the college unveiled its new identity in celebration of its historic partnership with Rowan University.

“It’s amazing to see all the changes underway at Rowan College at Burlington County since we entered into our partnership a little more than a year ago,” Houshmand said. “This new building is a giant step for RCBC and will provide a wonderful facility for students on the path to associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.”

Preparation of the construction site of the 78,000-square-foot Student Success Center and 320-car parking lot began earlier this month. The center is expected to open before the fall 2017 semester, according to college officials.

“The Student Success Center is a beautiful addition to our county that the entire community can be proud of,” O’Brien said. “As a Rowan College at Burlington County alumna, I am very proud to see the future of workforce development and higher education opportunities in Burlington County.”

All student services will be accessible in one place.

“It’s going to be exciting watching this building rise throughout the year, especially thinking about the better service that students will receive,” SGA President Christina Cover said. “Students will want to spend more time on campus once this center arrives whether to study, grab a bite to eat or just relax between classes.”
“This marks an important milestone in our goal of transforming Rowan College at Burlington County into the nation’s leading model of affordable, high-quality higher education,” Nyikita said. “From this spot, we will quickly see tangible evidence of our commitment to students and affirmation of all the great change we have made in a short period of time.”

“Our upcoming Celebration of Philanthropy fundraiser is on track to be the most successful in our history because of the transformative initiatives occurring at the college,” Rowan College at Burlington County Foundation Chair Tony Mahon said. “The RCBC Foundation is working very hard to support students and our board and donors are very excited about this dynamic new facility that will better serve students in the future.”

The center, parking lot and the completion of the College Circle loop are being built by Terminal Construction Corporation. The building was designed by USA Architects in collaboration with Moody Nolan.