10. The rankings
It’s perhaps the greatest compliment to higher education in the state: Princeton University is named the No. 1 school in the country in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report rankings … and it just barely cracks the Top 10 of our Stories of the Year for higher education?
To be sure, it has happened for 15 consecutive years. An incredible feat.
Just as impressive is this: Five other schools made the Top 100 of the all-important U.S. News rankings: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers University – New Brunswick, Rutgers-Newark, Rutgers-Camden and Stevens Institute of Technology.
9. New leaders
Rutgers-Newark leads the list of schools with new leaders, as it named Tonya Smith-Jackson, the provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at North Carolina A&T, as its new chancellor in May.
It was another milestone moment at Rutgers-Newark, which celebrated record enrollment this fall.
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Rider University, which is struggling to find its financial footing, named John Loyack its new president in May. He has had an immediate impact. The Hope Fund he started — in an effort to raise extra money for students in danger of dropping out — already has secured more than $2 million in donations.
Then there’s Centenary University, which didn’t need a new president until newly named Dale Caldwell was elected to serve as lieutenant governor under Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill. The school announced Bishop John Schol, a highly respected faith, civic and organizational leader and longtime member of the school’s board, will serve as the new president.
And that doesn’t even count the biggest leadership change of the year … (See the No. 1 spot.)
8. New colleges — and courses
Higher ed has a well-deserved reputation for changing at a glacial pace. A few New Jersey schools are bucking that trend. Consider:
- Montclair State University launched an interdisciplinary school for social transformation.
- Drew University launched a new college aimed at radically reframing higher education.
- William Paterson University launched an entrepreneur’s meetup series in an effort aimed at bringing together entrepreneurs, small business owners and innovators to strengthen the local business community.
- Seton Hall University announced new majors in forensic accounting and wealth management, as well as an initiative to empower early-stage entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
And then, there’s this — and we can only hope this will put a smile on your face: Centenary introduced a Ph.D. program in happiness studies.
7. In and out at Rutgers
While William Tate IV being named Rutgers’ new president is the most impactful move of the year (see him in our No. 1 spot), the school made a number of other huge moves.
Highly regarded Bill Castner was named its general counsel. And rising star Keli Zinn was named its new athletic director — where she quickly addressed the changing nature of the job due to Name, Image & Likeness rules. Business leaders should be expecting to hear from her.
There were notable departures, too. Brian Strom is leaving his role as chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Services and Tony Calcado is stepping down as the chief operating officer. Replacing their skills — and the institutional knowledge they gained in decades of service — will be a top priority and a tough task.
There is, however, continuity with the Board of Governors, where highly regarded Amy Towers was elected to another term as chair.
6. New Jersey City University
NJCU had plenty of reasons to celebrate. The school, on the verge of bankruptcy just a few short years ago, received a credit rating upgrade from Fitch, which noted the school has made progress in stabilizing its financial operations — and placed NJCU on its “Rating Watch Positive” list, indicating further upgrades could be coming.
Plenty of people are noticing. The school had an incredible increase in transfer enrollment, which also is helping NJCU find its footing.
Of course, so much of that is due to the outstanding leadership of Andrés Acebo, who finally had the interim tag removed from his title of president.
5. Rowan University
In October, the school celebrated the opening of the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, marking a historic milestone as New Jersey’s first and only veterinary school, furthering Rowan’s status as one of the fastest-growing public research universities in the Northeast.
But that’s not all the South Jersey anchor institution did.
Rowan, with its willingness to embrace the entire state and all sectors, is a model for higher education.
The school joined forces with Fairleigh Dickinson University to increase access to health care education up and down the state. And it started a collaboration with Boilermakers Local 13 to establish a path through which workers can take discounted coursework leading to stackable certificates and/or bachelor’s or master’s degrees in construction management.
And, if that’s not all, Rowan appointed Garden State Venture Partners as the new management team for Rowan Innovation Venture Fund. The new leadership team will expand fund operations, deepen economic impact and engage new partners across New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem.
4. NJIT
NJIT always has been about the success of its students, touting its achievements in social mobility and affordability as some of its top features.
Of course, NJIT doesn’t mind touting its rankings, too. In addition to being named No. 80 overall by U.S. News, it was ranked as the No. 1 school in the state for value (by the Wall Street Journal) and No. 1 in the state for entrepreneurial education (by the Princeton Review).
NJIT also took strides to further its already-strong connections with the business community as its subsidiary, the New Jersey Innovation Institute, launched the NJII Venture Studio, one of the state’s dozen Strategic Innovation Centers.
3. Kean University
The school, which is quickly growing in size and stature, took a number of big steps in that direction this year. Its all-campus enrollment is quickly approaching 19,000 — a number it will soon leave in the distance once its merger with NJCU is complete.
Of course, the school is more than just about numbers. Under the steady leadership of Lamont Repollet, it has made increasing access and opportunities a key priority. Another aim: Working to ensure its students are well-trained in artificial intelligence.
Kean’s success is starting to attract students from outside of the state. The school just made that easier, too, announcing it will give “in-state” tuition to all students.
2. Artificial intelligence
The state made a big bet on AI when it announced that Princeton would be a leader in the NJ AI Hub, along with CoreWeave and Microsoft. It was an announcement that made news everywhere.
But it was just one of many AI-based programs and initiatives that were introduced by higher education institutions in New Jersey. Here are just a few:
- Rowan unveiled an AI-powered digital engineering hub to advance global manufacturing.
- The Rutgers Business School is ensuring AI integration in its classes to future-proof students for the ever-evolving workplace.
- NJIT announced a new bachelor’s degree blending AI and business.
- Kean announced it will put AI and innovation at the heart of everything it does.
- And Stockton is using a grant to bring AI and robotics into K-12 classrooms.
All of this comes at a time when AI adoption comes with concern. In fact, a recent study by Rutgers found some professors were pushing back on AI in the classroom — and students were admitting they were using it to cheat.
1. Rutgers hires Tate
When the flagship university hires a new leader, it’s always one of the biggest stories in the state. Such was the case when Rutgers announced it had lured William Tate IV from Louisiana State University (incredibly, doing so in secret).
Tate quickly revealed his intentions. In his introductory address, he talked about exploiting the “Rutgers Edge.”
He talked about how the school can and should elevate every student. And how the school must connect to Middlesex County and the business community to be a success.
Rutgers will need all of that and more: The school topped 50,000 in enrollment this year.
Now, that’s big news.
