Rowan University

Infobox University


name = Rowan University
motto = Eruditio spes mundi ("Education, hope of the world")
established = 1923
type = Public
head_label = President
head = Donald J. Farish
city = Glassboro
state = New Jersey
country = USA
undergrad = 8,912
postgrad = 1,218
postgrad_label = graduate, doctorate and post-bac
faculty = ~650
campus = Suburban, about convert|200|acre|km2
mascot = WHO R. U (Owl)
free_label = Athletics
free = 16 NCAA Division III sports teams
website = [http://www.rowan.edu www.rowan.edu]

Rowan University is a public university located in Glassboro, New Jersey comprising 49 buildings. There is also a satellite campus in Camden, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1923. as Glassboro Normal School with the mission to train public school teachers. The land tract originally belonged in part to the family who owned the Whitney Glass Works during the 1800s. It opened with more than 200 young women entering to begin their training. The school became New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro in the 1930s, and later became Glassboro State College in 1958, gaining a national reputation in the fields of reading and special education. Starting in the 1970s, it grew into a multi-purpose institution, adding programs in business, communications, and by the 1990s, engineering. It was renamed Rowan College of New Jersey in 1992, after Henry Rowan and his wife Betty gave $100 million to the school, at the time the largest gift to a public college. [Gurney, Kaitlin. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0F4AE72930ABDD06&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=B48D4FNGMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "10 years later, Rowan still reaps gift's rewards - Rowan Milestones"] , "The Philadelphia Inquirer", July 9, 2002. Accessed August 1, 2007. "Rowan University catapulted onto the national stage a decade ago when industrialist Henry Rowan gave sleepy Glassboro State College $100 million, the largest single sum ever donated to a public institution.... Rowan and his late wife, Betty, gave the money on July 6, 1992, with just one requirement: that a first-rate engineering school be built. In gratitude, Glassboro State changed its name to Rowan College."] It became Rowan University on March 21, 1997, when it won approval for university status from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education. [O'Brien, Gina. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0EAEACDF96615254&p_docnum=14&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=B48D4FNGMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "R U READY? / ROWAN CELEBRATES ITS NEW STATUS AS A UNIVERSITY"] , "The Press of Atlantic City", {April 8, 1997. Accessed August 1, 2007. "For years, Rowan had the makings of a university, but it just recently applied for university status, achieving it with a nod of approval from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education on March 21."]

chool

Enrollment at Rowan from the fall semester of 2005 shows 8,120 undergraduates (6,853 full-time, 1,267 part-time), 1,218 graduate students, 59 doctoral students and 89 post-baccelaurate certification candidates. [ [http://www.rowan.edu/open/irp/RBSpring06/RBSpring06a.pdf] Dead link|date=March 2008] It is divided into a Graduate School and seven academic colleges: Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Professional & Continuing Education. A moderately-priced, high-quality institution, Rowan is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the "Top Tier" of northern regional universities. Kiplinger's named Rowan one of the "100 Best Buys in Public Colleges and Universities" and the Princeton Review included Rowan in "The Best Northeastern Colleges."

Acceptance

For the class of 2011, 51.7% of applicants were accepted. [http://www.rowan.edu/open/irp/documents/CDS07.pdf]

outh Jersey Technology Park

On April 10, 2006, the school along with private organization, Lincoln Property Company, will break ground as the newest installment of the school's West Campus. The convert|188|acre|km2|sing=on site will be reserved for the South Jersey Technology Park which will serve as an establishment for science and technology companies. [ [http://www.sjtechpark.com/about/overview/ About : Overview ] ]

Athletics

A member of the NCAA in Division III, the sports teams at Rowan University have been moderately successful on a national level. The football team is regularly a contender for the national title, having gone to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl five times (1999, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1993) and the national semifinals in 2005, 2004, 2001, 1997 and 1992. The women's field hockey team won the national championship in 2002 and had a perfect season of 21 wins and no losses. The men's basketball team has made the Division III National Championship Tournament 12 times, winning the national title in 1996. The men's soccer team has made the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament 24 times, resulting in seven trips to the national semifinals. Rowan men's soccer has won national titles in both 1981 and 1990, finished second in 1979 and 2000, and third in 1980, 1985 and 1998. Rowan hosted the Division III National Championship Tournament Final Four for men's soccer in 2000 and Women's Lacrosse in 2002. Rowan competes in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

West campus

On March 20, 2006, President Donald Farish announced a joint venture between the university and Major League Soccer to construct a new athletic complex based around a 20,000 seat soccer-specific stadium on property owned by the campus at the intersection of U.S. Route 322 and Route 55. The stadium itself was planned to be complete for the start of the 2009 MLS season. The plan fell through and the stadium project was relocated to nearby Chester, Pennsylvania. 2006 budget problems in New Jersey resulted in cutbacks, including funding for infrastructure upgrades required to handle increased traffic that would have come with an MLS team. [http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15418323.htm] The West Campus remains under development.

tudent Life

Media Publications

There are two main publications on Rowan's campus, "The Whit" and "Venue". "The Whit" is in the classic newspaper format and gets published weekly except during exams [http://www.thewhitonline.com/home/generalinformation/] . "Venue" is a more "off the wall" publication that focuses on campus opinions and humor. Initial formed in 1968, "Venue" was a very serious publication that only later changed its format. "Venue" puts out four issues a year in full color and is run completely by students. [http://media.www.thewhitonline.com/media/storage/paper291/news/2002/11/21/Opinion/The-Yin.And.Yang.Of.Rowan.Press-329763-page2.shtml] In addition to newspapers Rowan also has a student run radio station, Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-fm, which found its beginnings in 1977 on a $6,000 budget [http://wgls.rowan.edu/archives.php/Main/GloucesterCountyTimes-CollegeRadioBroadcastingStereoSignal-April11977] . Rowan also has it's own closed-circuit television channel, RTN, which got it's start in 1992 [http://rtnch5.tv/aboutus.html] .

Housing

*Chestnut Hall - A freshman hall which houses up to 390 students on three floors. The rooms are arranged in suits that all share a bathroom and lounge.

University student organizations

12% of men and 7% of women belong to a fraternity or sorority at Rowan University. There are over 75 University sanctioned student clubs and organizations on campus, underneath the Student Government Association.

National Fraternities: * Alpha Chi Rho (NIC) * Alpha Phi Alpha (NPHC) * Alpha Phi Omega (Service - Co-ed) * Delta Chi (NIC) * Kappa Alpha Psi (NPHC) * Lambda Theta Phi (NIC), NALFO) * Omega Psi Phi (NPHC) * Phi Kappa Psi (NIC) * Phi Mu Alpha (North-American Interfraternity Conference NIC) * Sigma Pi (NIC) * Phi Beta Sigma (NPHC) * Tau Kappa Epsilon (NIC)

National Sororities: * Alpha Epsilon Phi (NPC) * Alpha Kappa Alpha (NPHC) * Alpha Sigma Alpha (NPC) * Delta Phi Epsilon (NPC) * Delta Sigma Theta (NPHC) * Lambda Theta Alpha (NALFO)a] * Sigma Sigma Sigma (NPC) * Theta Phi Alpha (NPC) * Zeta Phi Beta (NPHC)

There are a myriad of other [http://www.rowansga.com Chartered Clubs] , all of which report to the Student Government Association including national award-winning programs such as the local PRSSA, and The Student University Programmers (SUP) The University also has the award-winning [ [http://wgls.rowan.edu/awards.html Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM - The Music That Matters ] ] Rowan Radio, 89.7 WGLS-FM. Rowan University's Student Publications include the weekly newspaper, "The Whit", and a periodical humor magazine called "Venue". Cinema Workshop, the University's student film club, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007 [ [http://cinemaworkshop.com/30thanniversary.shtml Cinema Workshop at Rowan University: 30th Anniversary ] ] , and The Rowan Television Network, the campus' very own Closed Circuit TV station [ [http://rtnch5.tv RTN :: Rowan Television Network ] ]

Admissions

Students entering the University in 2008 had a mean SAT I range between 1090 and 1260 (math/critical reading only), and average GPA of 3.6, and were ranked in the top 21% of their high school classes. [ [http://www.rowan.edu/pdf/factsheet20062007.pdf 2005-07 Rowan University Fact Sheet] ]

Famous events

The Cold War Glassboro Summit Conference between U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin took place on June 23-25, 1967, in Hollybush Mansion at Glassboro State College. The college was chosen because of its location equidistant between New York City, where Kosygin was making a speech at the U.N., and Washington, D.C.

While not occurring on University grounds, a significant event occurred in 1986 at Glassboro High School (which exists on the outskirts of the campus). Ronald Reagan spoke at the Glassboro High School graduation. [ [http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/61986e.htm Remarks at the High School Commencement Exercises in Glassboro, New Jersey ] ] This was the first time in American history that a sitting President spoke at a high school graduation ceremony. In the speech, Reagan reflected on the Glassboro Summit Conference and offered an optimistic analysis of the future of the Cold War. The event brought a high level of media attention.

Black Sabbath's first American gig was played at Glassboro State College on October 30, 1970. [ [http://www.black-sabbath.com/tourdates/1971.html Black Sabbath Online: Tour Dates 1971 ] ]

In March 2006, Omarosa from the TV show The Apprentice appeared at Rowan to give an hour-long presentation entitled "Being Successful." Roughly 35 minutes into the lecture, a student named Ian Dorety threw water balloons at her from the third floor. [ [http://media.www.thewhitonline.com/media/storage/paper291/news/2006/03/09/News/Omarosa.Lecture.All.Washed.Up-1661602.shtml] ] The balloons missed her but Omarosa walked off, cancelling the rest of the presentation. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YLxb_NROP4] ]

ocial climate

Riots took place during Spring Weekend 1986, primarily off campus (though dominated by students) around the Beau Rivage townhomes and the Crossings apartment complex. As a result, Glassboro State College was ranked as the #28 Party School in the nation in the January 1987 issue of "Playboy" magazine. [ [http://www.snopes.com/college/admin/playboy.asp Urban Legends Reference Pages: Playboy's Party Schools ] ] Coincidentally, in the Greek section of that same issue of Playboy, the Epsilon Eta chapter of Zeta Beta Tau was also named one of the Animal House Contenders. [GLASSBORO STATE: The Zeta Beta Tau boys who like to trash their living quarters were evicted 4 times in 3 years, Playboy Magazine, January 1987. [http://www.totse.com/en/ego/literary_genius/party40.html] ]

Though the alcohol-fueled Spring Weekend was cancelled by then-President Herman James (a non-alcoholic version continued for several years), Glassboro State College remained known for its hard partying culture. However in 1988, there began one of the biggest crackdowns in school history. As result of the drinking death of freshman James Callahan at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, Herman James decided to make GSC an example for the rest of the State colleges and universities to follow. He invited the NJ Alcoholic Beverage Control commission (ABC) to the school and began shutting down off-campus parties, and placing undercover agents in the local liquor establishments. This prompted Morton Downey, Jr., who was based in Secaucus, New Jersey, and very popular at the time, to do an untelevised show focusing on the drinking age and the classic argument that an eighteen year old can go off to war and die for their country, but they cannot legally buy and consume a beer. Needless to say, he sided with the student opinion on this issue. The following year, the ABC did not return, and the partying atmosphere that Glassboro State College was known for, returned in earnest and continued into the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Presidency of Donald J. Farish was noted for a continued crackdown on this partying culture which declined alongside a rise in SAT scores and class rank among the incoming freshman classes. The crackdown on the partying culture began in earnest in 2002 with the official banning of kegs for use by Greek letter organizations. [ [http://www.thewhitonline.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=cafa34b5-a397-4b3c-aab0-59c62978c0a6 The Whit - University bans kegs from Greek life ] ] In 2006, two Rowan University students were found guilty for serving alcohol to minors that resulted in the death of a 16-year old male at an off campus party, with Rowan promising to follow up with its own penalties. [ [http://www.thewhitonline.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=c81d6b55-8a3b-4618-a48a-79e6653c4a16 The Whit - Students sentenced in underage drinking death ] ]

Campus violence

On October 27, 2007 (during Homecoming festivities) 19-year old sophomore Donald Farrell was robbed and beaten to death by unknown assailants while walking behind the Triad dormitory. [ [http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20071029_One_punch_killed_Rowan_University_student__prosecutor_says.html "Rowan killing was ‘robbery, pure and simple’ says prosecutor"] , "The Philadelphia Inquirer", October 29, 2007] Farrell was leaving a local convenience store with a group of friends when he was approached by three individuals. After asking Farrell where there was a party, the assailants then began punching and kicking him, knocking him down. They took his wallet, got into their car and drove away. University and local police arrived on-scene in less than 90 seconds [ [http://www.rowan.edu/today/documents/GET/rowan_family_newslet Rowan Family Newsletter] , Fall 2007] and Farrell was rushed to Cooper University Hospital. En route, EMTs revived Farrell multiple times but he died in the hospital the next morning. Autopsy reports show that he died of blunt force trauma to the right side of his neck. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/nyregion/05rowan.html?ref=education Fatal Beating Unnerves University in Quiet Town] , "The New York Times", November 5, 2007] A reward of $100,000 has been offered for information leading to the capture, arrest of conviction of the assailants. [ [http://www.rowan.edu/today/documents/GET/homicidereward $50,000 Reward in Homicide Investigation] , Rowan University publication, October 2007]

In January, 1998 Lynn Darren was found dead in her off-campus apartment in what was investigated as a homicide. Ms. Darren's body was found at the Park Crest Village, an apartment complex two miles north of the campus, after the police were contacted by her mother, who was concerned because she had not been able to reach her. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E2D61F3BF93BA15752C0A96E958260 Murder Is Suspected In Student's Death] , The New York Times, January 28, 1998]

On August 12, 1996 22-year old Cindy Nannay was fatally shot by her estranged boyfriend, who then killed himself. Nannay was so afraid of Scott Lonabaugh, 27, that when he arrived on the campus to see her, she asked friends to accompany her to the parking lot, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's office said. As her friends looked on, Mr. Lonabaugh shot Ms. Nannay twice with a shotgun and then shot himself in the head, prosecutors said. Both died at the scene. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E0DF1731F930A2575BC0A960958260 Murder-Suicide at Rowan] , The New York Times, August 13, 1996]

Notable alumni

*Jessica Boyington, Miss New Jersey USA 2006
*Steven Calakos, First undergraduate to ever sing the National Anthem at a Graduation for the School of Education, Semi-Finalist contestant on NBC's Grease: You're The One That I Want (2007), advocate for education and theater
*Kyle Cassidy, photojournalist
*Betty Castor, Florida politician and former president of the University of South Florida
*Joseph Checkler, journalist for Dow Jones and publisher of the popular baseball blog Liners, Sliders and Scoops]
*Jack Collins, college basketball coach and Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
*Julie Ann Dawson, horror fiction writer and small press publisher
*Jamie Ginn, Miss Delaware 2006
*Robert Hegyes, actor and former co-star of "Welcome Back, Kotter" known for his role as Juan Epstein. Robert was a professor at his alma mater in the early-to-mid 1990s.
*Michael Iaconelli, Professional bass fisherman.
*Fred H. Madden (born 1954), New Jersey State Senator and former superintendent of the New Jersey State Police
*Soraida Martinez, Painter, Creator of Verdadism art
*Mary Previte (born 1932), author of "Hungry Ghosts", served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 6th legislative district from 1998 to 2006.
*Patti Smith, American musician, singer, and poet [ [http://www.arista.com/psmith/smithbio.html Patti Smith biography] , Arista Records]
*James L. Usry (M.A., 1971), first African American Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey
* John Wiessner (class of 1965, GSC), pen name Jay Dubya, author of 32 books.

References

External links

* http://www.rowan.edu/
* [http://www.rowan.edu/library/ Keith and Shirley Campbell Library]
* [http://www.rufoundation.org/ Rowan University Foundation]
* [http://www.rowan.edu/clubs/ Rowan University Clubs]
* [http://www.rowan.edu/pdf/factsheet.pdf Rowan University Fact Sheet (PDF)]
* [http://www.rowan.edu/westcampus/ West Campus Plan]
* [http://www.thewhitonline.com The Whit]
* [http://www.rowansup.com/ The Student University Programmers]
* [http://www.venue-magazine.com Venue Magazine]
* [http://www.cinemaworkshop.com/ Cinema Workshop]
* [http://www.rtnch5.tv/ Rowan Television Network]