Stockton University

Stockton University
Former names
 Stockton State College (1968–1993)
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (1993–2015)
Motto An Environment for Excellence
Type Public
Established 1969
Endowment $23,868,346 (2014)
President Harvey Kesselman
Academic staff
 310 (2014)
Undergraduates 7,714 (2014)
Postgraduates 856 (2014)
Location Galloway, New Jersey, United States
Campus Suburban, 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) [1]
Alma Mater "Ospreys on Parade"
Colors Black, White, & Columbia Blue
              
Athletics NCAA Division III-NJAC
Nickname The Ospreys
Mascot Talon the Osprey
Website www.stockton.edu

Stockton University, located in Galloway Township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, is an undergraduate and graduate university of the arts, sciences and professional studies of the New Jersey state system of higher education. The University was named for Richard Stockton, one of the New Jersey signers of the Declaration of Independence. Founded in 1969, Stockton accepted its charter class in 1971. At its opening in 1971, classes were held at the Mayflower Hotel in Atlantic City; the campus in Galloway Township began operating late in 1971. Some 8,570 students are enrolled at Stockton, which provides distinctive traditional and alternative approaches to education.

Stockton was granted University status in 2015. Stockton had met the requirements for such a designation for over five years, and already was classified as a comprehensive university by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review.

The university has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1975 and accreditation was reaffirmed in 2012.[2]

History

In November 1968, New Jersey approved a $202.5 million capital construction bond issue with an earmarked $15 million designated for the construction of a new state college in Southern New Jersey. In 1969, a 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) tract was selected for the campus in the heart of the Pine Barrens in Galloway Township. Trustees originally named the school South Jersey State College; they later renamed it as Stockton State College, to avoid confusion with Rutgers College of South Jersey.[3]

As construction began to run behind schedule, in 1970 Trustees realized they needed an alternative location for the first class in 1971. They selected the historic Mayflower Hotel in Atlantic City as the temporary campus.[3] Classes began on schedule with the commencement of the first academic year in September 1971. The College officially took shape as 1,000 students, 50 of whom were Educational Opportunity Fund students; 97 staff, and 60 full-time faculty took over the former resort hotel. By December, occupancy of the first phase of the new campus construction took place, with the transfer of classes and offices to Galloway Township during the winter holiday period.

Accreditation of Stockton State College by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools was first granted in December 1975.[2] In July 1991, the College was re-accredited unconditionally for another 10 years by the Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education and Middle States accreditation was reaffirmed most recently in 2012.

In 1978 the US Congress passed legislation creating the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, the first such designation in the nation, to protect the area's ecology and aquifer, which serves the large metropolitan region. In 1988, the United Nations designated it an International Biosphere Reserve, in recognition of its importance.[4]

Over the next few years, Stockton continued to grow rapidly as additional buildings and wings were constructed to meet the rising demand in college admissions. Around the same time that enrollment surpassed 5,000 students, Housing II opened in November 1981. With the opening of the N-Wing College Center & Housing III in February 1983, Stockton State College achieved a high student-residency rate among New Jersey state colleges.

In 1993, the College name was changed to The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Rochelle Hendricks, New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education, approved Stockton’s petition to become a university on February 13, 2015. On February 18, 2015, Stockton’s Board of Trustees voted to change the former college’s seal to reflect the new name, Stockton University. The Executive Committee of the New Jersey Presidents Council, which represents the presidents of the state's public, private and community colleges and universities that receive state aid, had also voted for the change. The Class of 2015 and future classes will receive their diplomas from Stockton University.[5]

Campus

In the 21st century, the university has completed several major building projects and other initiatives.

The new Campus Center opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 7, 2011. The 154,000-square-foot building was designed as a green, sustainable building that would be an inviting, inclusive and exciting gathering place for the entire community.[6]

Stockton opened a new $39.5 million Unified Science Center with state-of-the-art equipment in September 2013. The 66,350-square-foot, three-story facility expands Stockton’s School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NAMS), which graduates over 20 percent of all the math and science majors at New Jersey’s public colleges and universities. The university has broken ground for an $28.6 million expansion, the Unified Science Center2, expected to open in Spring 2017.[7]

In Atlantic City, the university operates the Dante Hall Theater and the Carnegie Library Center.

Seaview Resort

In August 2010, as part of its expansion of its tourism and hotel management program in the School of Business, Stockton announced plans to purchase the nearby Seaview Resort & Golf Course. On September 1, 2010, Stockton completed the deal for $20 million.[8] In 2010, Stockton established the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT), part of the Stockton School of Business in Atlantic City at Stockton's Carnegie Center.[9]

In September 2011, the first students moved into Seaview, which is operated as a hotel by Dolce Hotels and Resorts, an international hospitality organization. The two golf courses are managed by Troon Golf. Students in Stockton's Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies program as well as other students may live there and work and learn from top professionals in the hospitality and tourism field, which is integral to the Southern New Jersey economy.

Atlantic City Campus

The university is currently planning to develop a residential Atlantic City campus at the intersection of Atlantic, Albany, and Pacific avenues, with student residences overlooking the beach and Boardwalk. The project is a public-private partnership with Atlantic City Development Corp., or AC Devco, a non-profit modeled off of New Brunswick Development Corp., which expanded Rutgers' New Brunswick campus. The campus will include a housing and student center on the Boardwalk for about 520 students; a parking garage topped by new offices for South Jersey Gas, with 879 parking spaces for use by the university, South Jersey Gas and the public; and an academic building that can accommodate up to 1,800 students. The university plans to open the Atlantic City campus in 2018 with about 1,000 students and grow from there.

Funding sources for the Atlantic City campus include $50.4 million in bonds from the Atlantic County Improvement Authority from proceeds of almost $70 million in tax credits issued by the N.J. Economic Development Authority; $17 million from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA); state bond funds for higher education construction; and $18 million from Stockton.

In December 2014, Stockton had purchased the shuttered Showboat Atlantic City hotel and casino for $18 million, with plans to develop a full-service residential campus awarding undergraduate and graduate degrees and other professional training programs.[10][11] The former resort, dubbed the "Island Campus", would have been converted casino and employee spaces into classrooms, cafeteria space and offices for faculty and staff. Several floors of hotel rooms would be renovated into student housing, while the remaining rooms would be operated as a hotel. The House of Blues would be modified to house the school's performing arts programs.[12]

Soon after, it was publicly disclosed that Trump Entertainment Resorts held a covenant to the property, preventing the site from being used as anything other than a casino. It was through this covenant that Trump Entertainment Resorts prevented Stockton's plans to open an Atlantic City campus on the Showboat property. President Saatkamp came under fire for making the purchase despite knowing about the covenant.[13][14][15] The university reached a deal to lease the property from investor Glenn Straub, who planned to purchase the Showboat. Straub later sued the university to prevent Stockton from backing out of the deal.[16][17] Stockton has since sold the Showboat property to Bart Blatstein in January 2016.[18]

Presidents

Academic studies

Stockton's academic programs provide opportunities for study in fields including Criminal Justice, Psychology, Environmental Science, Biology, Business, Historical Studies, and Literature. Additionally, courses are offered in emerging fields such as Computational Science, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Homeland Security. Stockton also offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The Division of Continuing Studies in the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies provides credit-bearing and non-credit certificate programs, CE approved continuing professional education for health sciences, human services and business professionals, and a growing number and variety of community education offerings.

Stockton's academic programs and faculty have been recognized by such nationally recognized organizations as the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, the National Science Foundation, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Pulitzer Prize committee, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Fulbright Program.

Student life

Stockton’s Division of Student Affairs is organized to provide comprehensive programs and services to more than 8,500 students, including about 2,900 students who reside in university facilities. These programs and services are intended to enhance campus life and enrich the academic programs of Stockton.[27]

Stockton University is home to more than 130 official student clubs and organizations including a Student Senate. The Office of Student Development oversees all student clubs and organizations.

There are student media organizations, including the Argo, a student-produced newspaper. WLFR 91.7 (Lake Fred Radio) is the FM radio station licensed to Stockton in 1984. SSTV Ch. 14, Stockton Student Television, is Stockton’s on-campus television station. Stockpot Literary Magazine is an annual literary publication featuring art, poetry and writing of Stockton students and alumni. The Stockton Yearbook (The Path) is an historical record of the academic year. For a list of all student organizations, visit Student Development.

Greek life

Housing

Stockton has six housing units on campus. Housing II and III are complexes of traditional three-story residence halls, while Housing I, IV and V are all apartment-style complexes of varying architectural character.

The Housing I, IV, & V apartment style complexes all vary in layout, furnishings, sizes, pricing, and student privacy. Rooms in all residences are completely furnished and include beds, desks, bureaus, wastebaskets, lamps, telephones, air conditioning, carpeting, and curtains. Cable TV and telephone service are also provided. Single rooms are open to new students on a limited basis.

Ranking and special recognition

Stockton University has been ranked in tier 1 among the nation’s top public colleges and universities in the 2015 survey of America's Best Colleges, for the seventh year in a row. In the annual survey by U.S. News & World Report, Stockton University is ranked as 9th among public Regional Universities of the North and 41st among private and public Regional Universities of the North.[28]

In the past, Stockton had been classified as a national liberal arts college. U.S. News & World Report revised its categories early in 2007 and classified it among Regional Universities and Public Schools.

U.S. News & World Report also named Stockton as one of the top six Up and Coming Regional Universities in the North as part of its 2014 report.

Stockton was cited as one of the “Best in the Northeast” in 2015 by The Princeton Review and featured in The Princeton Review’s 2014 Guide to Green Colleges.[29]

U.S. News & World Report also named Stockton as among the “Best Colleges for Veterans” in its 2015 edition, ranking it as #15 out of 49 regional universities in the north.

Military Times, an organization comprising the Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times, named Stockton in its “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” listing, ranking it #22 on the list of four-year schools.[30]

Academic

Architecture

Green initiatives

Stockton is an environmentally friendly campus featuring a geothermal heat pump, fuel cells, and photovoltaic panels. In 2002, Stockton installed a 200 kW fuel cell at an initial cost of $1.3 million. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities provided a grant to cover most of the cost of the unit, with Stockton paying only $305,000. South Jersey Industries (SJI) also provided a rebate of $710,000 for the unit. The fuel cell provides just under 10% of the total energy for the campus; Stockton has the lowest energy cost per student among universities in New Jersey.

Stockton achieved national LEED certification for its new sustainable design. In 2006, the F-Wing expansion, including classrooms, offices and an atrium received the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Stockton’s commitment to environmentally responsible design has resulted in "green" initiatives that have both saved energy and decreased greenhouse gas emissions. These include the development on campus of one of the largest geothermal heating and cooling systems in the world.[36] The geothermal systems incorporate seasonal thermal energy storage so that waste heat or winter cold can be collected when seasonally available and stored for use in the opposing seasons. A borehole thermal energy storage system (BTES) was installed in 1994 and is used for heating the older half of campus, with waste heat collected from air conditioning equipment there.[37] In 1995 a fuel cell and photovoltaic panels were installed buildings to generate energy.

An aquifer thermal energy storage system (ATES), the first of its kind in the United States, began operation in 2008.[38] The ATES system reduces the amount of energy used to cool Stockton’s newer buildings by storing the chill of winter air in the water and rock of an underground aquifer, and withdrawing it in the summer for cooling. (Because building insulation standards have changed over time, the older buildings have a higher heating than cooling need, and the opposite is true for the newer buildings.)

In 2008, Stockton approved an agreement with Marina Energy LLC for the installation of solar panels on The Big Blue athletic center roof to generate electricity. Marina Energy is a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries. Stockton paid nothing for the equipment and signed a 10-year agreement to buy the generated power. In 2009 the job was completed.

As part of the capital plan, Housing V was built in 2009 to accommodate the rising demand for student housing. It incorporates geothermal heating and cooling using closed-loop technology, for a total of 450 tons cooling capacity. To eliminate the possibility of groundwater contamination in the event of a leak, freeze protection is provided in the circulating fluid. The design accommodates future solar thermal heating systems. Sustainable design includes landscaping: upper-story deciduous trees were planted along the south-facing facades of the residence halls to provide shade during the summer months, but allow the warmth of the sun to reach the buildings during the winter. This design received the "Green Project of Distinction" award from Education Design Showcase.

Stockton's next green project was the largest single building project in its history. Designed and built according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Gold Standard in sustainable design, the new Campus Center, completed in 2011, provides 153,000 square feet (14,200 m2) of space for dining, bookstore, pool, theater, lounges and offices.

It will use 25% less energy than standard construction, and 40% less water. Other features include low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings. Additional "green" features of the building include a storm water-collection system to irrigate an on-site "rain garden" landscaped with indigenous and adapted plant species. It also has a sophisticated energy management system for heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting.

In 2013, Stockton received approval from the New Jersey Pinelands Commission to administer the state’s first comprehensive forest management plan on public land.[39] Stockton actively manages more than 1,500 acres of forest on its campus, benefiting the local wildlife populations, protecting the campus against fire and pathogens and providing recreation such as hiking and wildlife viewing.

Athletics

Official athletics logo

Team mascot is the Osprey

Honors

Notable people

Faculty and staff

Alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Office of the President – President's Message". stockton.edu.
  2. 1 2 Stockton University Accreditation, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Accessed April 8, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Strauss, Robert (September 9, 2001), "BRIEFING: EDUCATION; ATLANTIC CITY BRANCH", The New York Times, retrieved 2011-10-12
  4. ↑ jmott. "New Jersey Pinelands Commission – The Pinelands National Reserve". nj.gov.
  5. ↑ "Richard Stockton College awarded university status". pressofAtlanticCity.com.
  6. ↑ "Event Services and Campus Center Operations – Campus Center Operations and Event Services/About the Campus Center". stockton.edu.
  7. ↑ Press Release
  8. ↑ "Stockton College closes $20 million Seaview purchase; talks planned with Galloway Twp. on how to make up lost taxes", The Press of Atlantic City, September 1, 2010
  9. ↑ "Dedication of Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism", School of Business, Stockton College of New Jersey, December 13, 2010, accessed March 26, 2013
  10. ↑ Forand, Rebecca (December 12, 2014). "Stockton buys Showboat for $18 million, creating 'Island campus'". South Jersey Times. Retrieved 2014-12-12.
  11. ↑ http://www.nj.com/south/index.ssf/2015/03/trump_taj_mahal_blocking_stockton_university_move.html#incart_river
  12. ↑ D'Amico, Diane (February 23, 2015). "Stockton empire: Island Campus marks university's biggest conquest". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Casino workers, students blast Icahn". Philly.com. April 4, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Stockton President Resigns Over Purchase of Bankrupt Showboat Casino". Philly.com. April 23, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  15. ↑ http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20150916_Report_faults_many__but_mainly_es-Stockton_leader__for_Showboat_fiasco.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ Lai, Jonathan (July 2, 2015). "Straub, Stockton try to get out of Showboat deal". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Stockton sells Showboat to developer, reports former president misled trustees on purchase". Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  18. ↑ D'Amico, Diane (January 15, 2016). "Stockton completes Showboat sale, plans for new Island Campus". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Stockton College – Highlights in Our History", Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, 2013, accessed March 26, 2013
  20. ↑ "Friends, family remember Farris' faith and dedication", Press of Atlantic City, December 4, 2009, accessed March 26, 2013
  21. ↑ Stockton’s ‘You Make the Difference’ Campaign Raises $25.36 Million, Exceeding Goals. Accessed November 3, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Stockton completes purchase of Showboat". philly-archives. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Stockton faculty condemn president". Philly.com. April 27, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Embattled Stockton president, citing health, leaving immediately". philly-archives. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Stockton's interim head strikes hopeful notes". philly-archives. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Amid turmoil, Stockton's acting president drops plan to leave". philly-archives. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  27. ↑ Stockton Student Affairs website. Accessed November 3, 2014.
  28. ↑ US News and World Report: Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, U.S. News & World Report. Accessed November 2014.
  29. ↑ The Princeton Review: Stockton College. Accessed November 3, 2014.
  30. ↑ Best for Vets: Colleges 2015. Accessed November 17, 2014.
  31. ↑ "School – Stockton University Academic Buildings (A-N Wings), Pomona", photos, Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham Architects, at New Jersey Arts, accessed March 26, 2013
  32. ↑ "Arts and Sciences Building, Richard Stockton College", Michael Graves & Associates
  33. ↑ Past Projects: Housing V, Green Project of Distinction Winner, 2008, Education Design Showcase, accessed March 26, 2013
  34. ↑ Press of Atlantic City video. Accessed November 3, 2014.
  35. ↑ Christie attends groundbreaking for science center addition at Richard Stockton College. Accessed November 3, 2014.
  36. ↑ Chrisopherson E.G. (2009). "Green Builders". Documentary, PBS & NJN Public Television.
  37. ↑ Stiles L. (1998). "Underground Thermal Energy Storage in the US". IEA Heat Pump Centre Newsletter 16:2 pp. 22–23.
  38. ↑ Paksoy H., Snijders A., Stiles L. (2009). "Aquifer Thermal Energy Cold Storage System at Richard Stockton College". Effstock Conference – Thermal Energy Storage for Efficiency and Sustainability (11th International Conf.).
  39. ↑ NJ Pinelands Commission Approves First Forest Stewardship Plan in the State on Public Land. Accessed November 3, 2014.
  40. ↑ Stockholm International Forum Conference on the Holocaust, The Swedish Government's Human Rights Website
  41. ↑ Litsky, Frank. "G. Larry James, Olympic Gold Medalist, Dies at 61", The New York Times, November 7, 2008. Accessed November 8, 2008.
  42. ↑ International Scientific and Professional Advisory Council of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme. Accessed November 5, 2014.
  43. ↑ Fifty Key Thinkers on the Holocaust and Genocide. Accessed November 3, 2014.
  44. ↑ Stockton Dedicates Dr. Demetrios Constantelos Hellenic Collection and Reading Room. Accessed November 5, 2014.
  45. ↑ Wendel White's website. Accessed November 5, 2014.
  46. ↑ Stockton Professor Elected President of American Association of Suicidology. Accessed November 5, 2014.

Coordinates: 39°29′25″N 74°32′21″W / 39.4903°N 74.5392°W / 39.4903; -74.5392

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