Rutgers University–Newark

History

Rutgers–Newark officially came into existence in 1946, when the New Jersey State Legislature voted to make the University of Newark part of Rutgers University. The roots of Rutgers University, Newark, however, date back to 1908 when the New Jersey Law School first opened its doors. That law school, along with four other educational institutions in Newark — Dana College, the Newark Institute of Arts & Sciences, the Seth Boyden School of Business, and the Mercer Beasley School of Law — formed a series of alliances over the years. A final merger in 1936 resulted in the establishment of the University of Newark. A decade later, the University of Newark was absorbed into Rutgers University and became the school's Newark campus.

Leadership

As a constituent unit of Rutgers University, ultimate authority for Rutgers–Newark rests with the central administration of the university, including its president and governing boards.

However, the campus has its own chief executive (Nancy Cantor). Up until 2008, the chief executive was known as the provost, but then-president Richard L. McCormick changed the title of the chief executive to chancellor.

The deans of each school are:

Constituent colleges and professional schools

Rutgers–Newark is located on a campus of 38 acres in Newark's University Heights neighborhood. This neighborhood is within blocks of the commercial center of the city and located near mass transit (bus, rail, and light rail stations). The campus consists of seven degree-granting undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, including: Newark College of Arts and Sciences, University College, School of Criminal Justice, Graduate School-Newark, School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, and Rutgers School of Law – Newark.

The Newark College of Arts and Sciences (NCAS) enrolls more than 60 percent of the undergraduates at Rutgers University in Newark and is the largest school on campus. With majors in almost 40 fields offering BA, BS, and BFA degrees, the curricula at NCAS combine the advantages of a liberal arts foundation with the specialized training necessary for a specific career.

University College—Newark offers undergraduate programs that cater to non-traditional or part-time adult students who have obligations during the day and attend class in the evening or on Saturday.

The Graduate School—Newark is dedicated to the advancement of scientific and human knowledge in an environment that encourages scholarly inquiry and intellectual growth. Graduate students are expected to develop the analytical and creative skills required for original scholarship, research, and problem solving, as well as a thorough understanding of an academic discipline. Rutgers–Newark offers MA, MS, MFA, and Ph.D. degrees.

Rated highly by U.S. News & World Report in both the public affairs and management administration categories, the School of Public Affairs and Administration offers masters and doctoral degrees in public administration (MPA, Ph.D.).

Founded in 1929, Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick offers extensive undergraduate and graduate business programs on the Newark and New Brunswick campuses. Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, Rutgers Business School has received high rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Business Week and The Wall Street Journal. It awards B.S., Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) (including international executive and executive MBAs), and doctoral degrees in management.

The School of Criminal Justice is a major national and international center for scholarly research on all aspects of policing, delinquency, crime, and criminal justice administration. The school also provides educational programs that fulfill public service obligations by helping to address the needs of criminal justice agencies within the city, state, nation, and world.

The Rutgers School of Law – Newark is the oldest law school in New Jersey. Through its commitment to eight clinics and pro bono activities, its faculty and students are at the forefront of resolving the complex legal issues facing a global society. Prominent graduates include United States senators and congressmen, New Jersey Supreme Court justices, and leaders in the fields of law, business, and the public sector.

Academics and research

As of 2014, Rutgers–Newark enrolls more than 11,000 students (more than 7,000 undergraduate, nearly 4,000 graduate). Rutgers–Newark awards approximately 80 doctoral degrees, 250 juris doctor degrees, 1,050 master's degrees, and 1,500 baccalaureate degrees each year and was ranked 12th in the nation for quality among small research universities by the 2005 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education classifies the Rutgers–Newark campus as an institution with "high research activity."

Rankings and statistics

Faculty

There are more than 500 full-time faculty members at Rutgers–Newark, 99 percent of whom hold doctor of philosophy or juris doctor degrees. Faculty on the Newark campus include or have included Pulitzer Prize recipients and members of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the New York Academy of Medicine Fellow. A number of Rutgers–Newark faculty members have been awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship and named as Fulbright Fellows. Other faculty honors include the National Book Award, Japan's Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, the Grete Lundbeck European Brain Research Foundation Award ("The Brain Prize"), the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Research

Rutgers–Newark supports the institution's mission of creating new knowledge, providing top-quality education to its students, and sharing academic and intellectual resources with New Jersey’s residents. Rutgers University, Newark, accomplishes the mission not only through the classroom and through the research initiatives of individual faculty members but also through a variety of centers and institutes where faculty are involved in cutting edge research, faculty and students are actively engaged in community outreach, and students engage in interactive, experiential learning opportunities to complement classroom work.

Select centers and institutes at Rutgers–Newark:

Libraries

Galleries

Community engagement

Throughout its 100-plus years of providing higher education in the city of Newark, Rutgers–Newark has continually fostered deep connections to its home city and its surrounding communities. Through the plethora of business, civic and not-for-profit institutions that serve the people of Newark and northern New Jersey, the faculty, staff and students of Rutgers apply their skills and expertise while demonstrating their strong commitment to civic/community engagement. In that regard, in 2006, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected Rutgers–Newark as one of among a small pool of U.S. colleges and universities for the foundation’s Community Engagement Classification. Specifically, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching placed Rutgers–Newark in the foundation’s Outreach and Partnerships category, recognizing the university for its ability to apply and provide collaboratively institutional resources that benefit both campus and community. In 2010, the foundation expanded the university’s classification to include the category of Curricular Engagement for the school’s ability to foster a teaching, learning and scholarship environment that engages faculty, students and community in mutually beneficial and respectful collaboration.

Diversity

U.S. News & World Report "Best Colleges" has named Rutgers University's Newark campus, the most diverse national university in the United States since 1997. Twenty-four percent of full-time undergraduate students enrolled in the fall of 2011 were white, 23 percent Asian, 23 percent Latino, 20 percent African American, 7 percent multiracial, multi-ethnic or unknown, and 2 percent foreign. More than 100 nations are represented in the student body.

Admissions and financial aid

Undergraduate admissions to Rutgers–Newark are classified as “selective” by U.S. News & World Report. Rutgers University in Newark receives almost 17,000 freshman and transfer applications and enrolls about 1,700 new students each year. Admissions decisions are based on academic potential as demonstrated by grades, grade-point average, class rank and test scores as well as extracurricular activities and demonstrated leadership such as volunteer work, school clubs and organizations, community service and paid employment. Merit scholarships are offered at the acceptance stage to students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement.

Tuition for full-time, New Jersey residents attending Rutgers University in Newark is $10,954; for non-residents it is $25,732. Fees are $2,343, and the cost of room and board is $12,509.

Typically, nearly 75 percent of the entering class received an offer of financial aid from Rutgers–Newark. Using a student’s Free Application for Financial Student Aid, Rutgers develops a customized financial-aid package based on the student’s qualifications, financial need, and funds available to the university. A financial aid package may include any or a combination of these major financial aid sources: gift aid (e.g., grants, scholarships, and awards), loans, and work-study. Offers typically range from $500 to $24,000, with the average financial aid package reaching $16,000.

Student housing

Freshman students living on campus are assigned to Woodward Hall. These suite style accommodations are non-cooking and contain three double bedrooms, as well as a bathroom. The rooms and suites are fully furnished, and the building includes a 24-hour computer lab and laundry room.

Returning and transfer students under the age of 21 are assigned to University Square while returning and transfer students who are at least 21 years old are assigned to Talbott Apartments. Both complexes offer single rooms in either a 3-person or 4-person shared apartment and include a computer lab, study/social lounges, television lounges, a laundry room, and vending area.

Attached to Woodward Hall is Stonsby Commons & Eatery for residents who are on a meal plan. While Woodward Hall residents are required to be on a meal plan, any student may purchase a meal plan and eat in all campus dining halls.

A limited number of family apartment options are available for married/domestic partners and students with children in university-owned brownstones.

The American Insurance Company Building at 15 Washington Park now provides graduate student housing and includes public performance spaces and a penthouse for the school's chancellor.

Student media

The Observer is the independent, student-run newspaper of the Newark Campus. Covering the Newark campus and surrounding University Heights community since 1936, the newspaper publishes every Tuesday morning during the fall and spring semesters.

Encore is the student yearbook of the Rutgers Newark Campus. It has published a yearbook for the graduating senior class since 1936.

WRNU radio station is located in the Paul Robeson Campus Center. It offers a variety of diverse musical and talk-show programs and can be enjoyed by residents in student housing on radio dial 103.9 FM.

The Newark Metro, a multimedia web magazine, covers metropolitan life from Newark and North Jersey to New York City. It is produced by students at Rutgers–Newark under the direction of Professor Robert W. Snyder.

Safety and security

Rutgers–Newark maintains a comprehensive safety program to promote a crime-free campus environment. Residence halls operate on electronic lock systems requiring card access 24 hours a day or are staffed 24 hours a day by security guards. Security cameras in residence halls, parking lots, and in other locations act as a deterrent to criminal behavior and serve as an investigative tool. Commissioned police officers supported by other trained personnel patrol regularly.

Each year, the Division of Public Safety conducts workshops for students at orientation, in residence halls, and through “RU Safe” events, which are broadcast over the Rutgers television network. More detailed information on safety procedures is available through the Safety Matters newsletter published annually.

Athletics

The Rutgers–Newark Scarlet Raiders field teams for NCAA competition in 14 Division III sports (7 each for men and women): men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's volleyball, baseball (men) and softball (women). The Scarlet Raiders are members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) for all sports except men's volleyball, which the NJAC does not sponsor. In that sport, the Scarlet Raiders are members of the Continental Volleyball Conference.

Built in 1977, the Golden Dome Athletic Center is the hub of Rutgers–Newark athletics, seating 2,000. Soccer and softball games are held on Alumni Field, while the Rutgers–Newark baseball team plays at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, a 6,200-seat ballpark that was home to the Newark Bears, a minor-league professional baseball franchise.

Alumni