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Rutgers-Camden 5-Year Plan: Increase City Enrollment
CAMDEN – Rutgers University in Camden intends to work to attract more Camden City students to learn on its campus over the next five years, the university reported Wednesday as it unveiled its 2023-28 strategic plan.
The university plans to develop a recruitment strategy for Camden City residents, as well as international students and those who could transfer from county colleges, the plan notes.
“The focus over the next five years will be to increase the number of enrolled students from Camden City,” Rutgers-Camden Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis wrote in his strategic plan message. “Enrollment data reflects a paucity of student applications from Camden City schools. Through a partnership with city schools, we hope to increase the number of students from Camden City and county schools over the next five years.”
Students, educators, staff and members of the public filled a meeting room at the school’s Campus Center to hear the plan, which features five pillars, or value propositions, in strategic planning parlance: innovation in academic excellence, transformative student success, holistic student experience, beloved Camden community and internationalism.
The campus has seen a continuing undergraduate enrollment decline since 2017, although its graduate student count is at its highest level since 2017. The six-year high for undergraduates was 5,776 in 2018 and this year's total of 3,928 is a 32% decline.
Jane Siegel, a professor of criminal justice who co-chaired the Strategic Planning Committee with Marsha Lowery, vice chancellor for student academic success, spoke of the importance of the internationalism pillar at Wednesday’s celebration, which bathed the audience in Rutgers red and shot confetti from cannons when the chancellor kicked off the plan.
“Internationalism is a North Star for our compass and a priority for our future,” Siegel explained. The strategic plan, she said, calls for Rutgers-Camden to “enhance and expand” its “global footprint.”
The school already has partnerships in Africa and South America and expects one soon in Asia. However, it wants to recruit beyond its current presence elsewhere in the world.
Under the plan, international recruitment and admissions will be restructured, the campus will work to increase its global visibility and raise brand awareness.
Rutgers-Camden's goal is to increase overall enrollment by 9.5% to 6,334 over the five years of the plan. Graduate student enrollment would grow 13% to 2,100, international student enrollment would more than double to 548 from 264 and transfer student enrollment would grow 39% to 708 from 509.
In 2023, Rutgers-Camden had 655 Camden City residents enrolled: 506 undergraduates and 149 graduate students. Five years ago, Camden City residents totaled 662, of which 550 were undergraduates and 112 graduate students, according to the university.
The 655 Camden students account for about 11% of the school's total enrollment.
Nearly 78% of students who apply are accepted, according to the university. The four-year graduation rate for undergraduates who started in their first year is 39% and 71% for transfer students.
A focus in recruiting will be on students who have “stopped out” – those who have not finished their studies and left college.
The academic part of the strategic plan calls for expanding the school’s undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.
Developing a strong foundation for student success includes creating “a sense of belonging through culturally competent activities beginning at admission and continuing throughout the college experience,” according to the plan.
The plan also says Rutgers-Camden will work more closely with local businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, including developing an inventory of its current partnerships to boost the number of student internships.
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Source : https://www.tapinto.net/towns/camden/sections/education/articles/rutgers-camden-5-year-plan-increase-city-enrollment