Georgian Court University Magazine

Volume 14 | Winter 2016?2017

Georgian Court University Magazine

President's Annual Report & Honor Roll of Donors 2015?2016

Growing Enrollment & Opportunity through Partnerships

From the President

Dear Alumni and Friends,

If the next 12 months are anything like last year, then 2017 will be full of positive changes and exciting challenges.

Last year marked a great way to experience my first full term as president of Georgian Court University. As we usher in the new year, I hope you will take time to reflect on the many points of pride shared in this edition of GCU Magazine.

For example, we were especially pleased when more first-year students chose GCU last fall, boosting freshman enrollment by 46.3 percent (p. 2). There was significant growth in graduate enrollment, and we continue to draw more interest from prospective students during Open House events. (The Casino feels slightly smaller as the crowds grow larger.) We are gaining momentum with our community college and Catholic high school partnerships (p. 5). These initiatives, which carry generous scholarship offers, are generating media buzz, prompting other institutions to seek GCU out as a partner that is committed to ensuring college access and affordability. We had steadfast support from alumni, staff, students, our academic partners, and friends of the university. The impact they have on GCU is clear: students benefited the most by receiving more than $15 million in scholarships, and the general community was better off because we invested more than 80,000 volunteer hours in service to our neighbors. Your commitment to Georgian Court was strong, and throughout the year I was privileged to meet hundreds of supporters during my Inauguration, Commencement, Reunion, GCU Night at the BlueClaws, New Student Orientation, Open House, Homecoming, the annual Scholarship Brunch, and at Critical Concerns programs. Our GCU Lions--who have a solid academic reputation--embody the spirit of Georgian Court at all times, especially when they win championships (p. 19)! The men's soccer team, only in its fourth year, secured the CACC title during a dramatic win against Post University. They joined the men's and women's track and field teams as our other conference champions. We were equally proud of former softball standout Heather Walker '08, '10, who joined the CACC Hall of Fame Class of 2016. Georgian Court's reputation as a values-driven, value-added institution is represented by the success of our alumni, the commitment of our faculty, and the generosity of our donors. One particularly moving example of the power of the GCU experience is found in Rebekah James '17, who put her accounting savvy to use as a volunteer at the Open Door food pantry (p. 10). While 2016 will be remembered for its achievements, I hope you see the new year as I do--as a time of renewed promise and opportunity to make a positive impact for GCU.

Go Lions!

Joseph R. Marbach, Ph.D. President, Georgian Court University P.S. Connect with me on Twitter at @DrJosephMarbach

On the cover: Students from the Georgian Court?Meridian Health School of Nursing performed a clinical rotation in the oncology unit at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, New Jersey, with Mary Brandsema, RN, OCN?, CHPN, clinical nurse educator (left).

THE MERCY UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY

GEORGIAN COURT UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

VOLUME 14 WINTER 2016?2017

Joseph R. Marbach, Ph.D University President Gail H. Towns Managing Editor Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Tara M. Strickland Editor Assistant Editorial Director Richard Berardi Multimedia Producer Web Administrator Laura Liesman Athletics Editor Design Edyta Kuciapa Buffy Hill Photographers Steve Belkowitz Richard Berardi JoAnn D'Anton Russ DeSantis Tim Edwards Laura Egles '14 Robert Fitzpatrick Florence M. Cook School of Medical

Laboratory Science Edyta Kuciapa Dan Massa Mount Saint Mary Academy Phyllis Schiavone David Schofield Jeff Schaffer Tara M. Strickland Gail H. Towns Judy Ward, RSM, '67

Contributors Laura Egles '14 Michelle Giles Rebekah James '17 Megan Kelly '15 Edyta Kuciapa Christopher McKibben Gwen Moran Maria Cordis Richey, RSM, Ph.D., '50 Jennifer Shufran Tara M. Strickland Gail H. Towns Xena Valenzuela '18

Georgian Court

University Magazine

President's Annual Report 2015?2016 & Honor Roll of Donors

2 GCU'S ENROLLMENT GROWS Though enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities has been largely on the decline in recent years, Georgian Court's Fall 2016 enrollment is growing, thanks to a number of key initiatives and partnerships.

5 GCU ATTRACTS NEW PARTNERS Partnerships with Catholic high schools and community colleges create clear pathways for more students to earn a values-based, value-based education at Georgian Court.

6 PARTNERS IN ALUMNI SUCCESS Formal partnerships with health care providers and other schools with health care programs provided a world of opportunities for two recent alumni, and they continue to expand possibility for current and future students.

IN EVERY ISSUE

8

Faculty

10 Student

11

At The Court

President's Annual Report 2015?2016 & Honor Roll of Donors

22 Athletics

24 Alumni

Reunion Around Town Jubilarians Class Notes Announcements

Georgian Court University Magazine is published semi-annually by the Office of Public Information and University Communications. QIPOFrGBY e-mail: GCUNews@georgian.edu

This icon indicates that you can explore the story further through multimedia content on Georgian Court's Web site and other sites.

Through Pathways and Partnerships, GCU's Enrollment Grows

By Gwen Moran

After reaching an all-time high in 2010, enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities has been largely on the decline in recent years. But getting a clearer picture requires a closer look at the numbers. Overall Spring 2016 enrollment (the latest data available) was down 1.4 percent from the previous year, but students opting to attend fouryear private nonprofit institutions were up 0.7 percent--the highest of any sector--according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. In Fall 2015, four-year private institutions had a 0.3 percent decline--the lowest of any sector.

(Above) GCU welcomed over 700 new undergraduate and graduate students this fall, including the new transfers and freshmen shown here at New Student Orientation.

2 | WINTER 2016--2017

While that's good news among bleak headlines announcing the closure of private liberal arts institutions like Dowling College and Marian Court College, Georgian Court University is besting those numbers and then some. For the 2016?2017 academic year, the university boasted

s a 46.3 percent increase in full-time freshman enrollment,

s a 20 percent increase in graduate enrollment, and

s a 20.5 percent increase in the number of high school students taking GCU classes for college credit.

How is Georgian Court's enrollment surging ahead so significantly? It's a combination of factors, says Justin G. Roy, dean of admissions. In addition to a tuition freeze that capped 2016 tuition and fees at 2015 levels and helped both enrollment and retention, the university has launched a number of initiatives to increase outreach and help more students be aware of the value of a Georgian Court education as well as all that the campus has to offer.

Georgian Court's Enrollment Growth

711

711

594

590

2015 2016 Graduate students

221 151

2015 2016 Full-time freshmen

2015 2016 High school

students taking GCU classes for college credit

Justin Roy (third from left) with members of the Class of 2020 at Convocation on September 1. From left are Sean Clarkson, Zach Daradar, Seleena Ramos, Adrian Javier, and Daniel Smoke.

Full Court Press

Since Dean Roy took over his post in November 2015, he has been focused on finding ways to get the word out about Georgian Court, increase accessibility to admissions staff, and encourage more prospective students to visit the campus. As a result, Georgian Court now holds two Open Houses each semester instead of one, as well as more evening sessions for transfer and graduate students. The admissions office is

now open on Saturdays to improve access for students who work or whose parents work and who need to visit during weekends. In addition, the campus--including the financial aid and registrar's offices--are open until 7:00 PM on Tuesday evenings.

"We're now more accessible for families to be able to research and visit the school. The expanded hours also allow families to come in and speak to someone after work, so they don't need to take time off," Dean Roy says.

.

GEORGIAN COURT UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | 3

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