Rowan University is one of two schools in the country with three medical schools. It has a highly regarded business school. And it may be best known for its engineering school —which is behind the history of its name.
All of this makes the school and academic force and economic development driver in South Jersey.
The school’s reach, however, goes far beyond that.
Rowan prides itself on the wide variety of degrees and certificate programs. And it has long worked to have impact — and draw students — from all over the state.
Last week, Rowan representatives could be found in Edison, at the Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey’s annual Construction Industry Career Day — and in Morristown, at the N.J. Utilities Association’s annual conference.
Bob Bullard, the associate vice president of external engagement and economic development, said the school has great aspirations while serving as a speaker on a workforce development at the NJUA event.
“We want to be good stewards of the state,” he told the audience. “We’re a state institution, and we want to make sure that we can train highly qualified individuals to learn work and thrive here in the state.”
Bullard said the school is constantly working to create opportunities for its students — of all ages. Putting an emphasis on lifelong learning is key, he said.
“Something we think about a lot is that the students that are leaving high school now are going to work until the year 2070 or 2080,” he said. “It’s naive that we think that a four-year institution or a two-year institution can impart all the knowledge you need in a short window, and you’re good for your life.
“We’re trying to teach our newest professionals how to learn.”
Since its founding in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School, Rowan University has evolved from a teacher preparation college to a public research institution ranked among the top 100 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
It now offers bachelor through doctoral degrees and professional certificates in person and online to 22,000 students through its main campus in Glassboro, its medical school campuses in Camden, Stratford and Sewell, and on the campuses of partner community colleges.
A Carnegie-classified R2 (high research activity) institution, Rowan focuses on practical research at the intersection of engineering, medicine, science, and business while ensuring excellence in undergraduate education.
But not every student will be a doctor or an engineer. Bullard said working with the trades and local utilities has opened up numerous career paths for its students.
It’s the reason Rowan is now the national educational partner for NABTU, North America’s Building Trades Unions.
“We’re working with our unions,” he said. “We’re working with IBEW here in North Jersey and Philadelphia, the carpenters in Central Jersey. We see this as a major play.
“For us, it really comes down to, ‘How can we help make sure that we are keeping our best and brightest in the state, training them well, and making sure that they have not only a job, but a career down the line.’
“That’s why we’re at events like this. We know it’s not just about today, it’s about tomorrow. We’re going to need workers 10, 20, 30, 40 years from now, with skillsets that we don’t even know yet.”
Bullard said the ability to shift its focus of learning is key – and something the school seeks out.
“We are nimble as possible to make sure that at the end of the day we are training the new leaders for tomorrow,” he said. “I know sometimes we don’t think traditional four-year higher ed is doing that. We are the ivory tower. I can tell you that Rowan University has made an absolute commitment to not only increasing access, but quality.”
The effort has helped Rowan rise in the rankings and in enrollment. It has become a model for the rest of the state and the rest of the country.
“We’re the third-fastest growing public university in the country,” Bullard said. “We are one of two schools in the country with three medical schools, but we also want to make sure that we’re supporting our trades – and to make sure that we can have stackable credentials with all of our educational partners to make sure that industry is thriving here, because if it’s not wind, it could be data centers or it could be whatever is coming next.
