Welcome Back to Campus

January 21, 2008

Members of the Rutgers Community:

Welcome back—and to those who are new this semester, welcome to Rutgers! As 2008 begins to unfold, I hope the spring semester and the coming year will be successful and rewarding for everyone at Rutgers.

While this year will bring many new challenges and initiatives across the university, I want to bring to your attention two items of particular interest:

• Rutgers–Newark’s Centennial: We mark a major milestone this year—the centennial of Rutgers–Newark, which traces its roots to the opening of the New Jersey Law School in 1908. See http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/history to learn about the history of the schools at Rutgers–Newark and find out about centennial events.
   
• Middle States: The university's reaccreditation process moves forward with the visit of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaccreditation team March 9-12. This process, which takes place every ten years, is required for maintaining the university's eligibility for federal research funds and student aid. It is also critical for Rutgers' reputation and for ensuring the high value of a Rutgers diploma. The national dialogue on accountability makes this year's process, including our plans for assessment of student learning, especially important. We have chosen to focus our institutional self-study on undergraduate education and will take advantage of this opportunity for reflection and improvement as we work to enhance the undergraduate experience. Visit http://middlestates.rutgers.edu for more information.

Again, you have my best wishes for a productive and enjoyable semester.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey