Student Services Student Affairs Career Center Athletics & Recreational Services Campus Center & Conference Services Hispanic Affairs Admissions Learning Center EOF Program Financial Aid Paul Robeson Library Public Information Registrar's Office Teaching Excellence Center Summer Session & Winterim

OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Mary Beth Daisey, Associate Provost

Two New Student Orientations on August 27, 2002 and August 29, 2002 brought a record number of new students and their families to campus. One hundred seventy-two students and family members were present on Tuesday evening while 375 students and 115 friends and family members were present on Thursday. The evaluations showed that 54% rated this Tuesday Orientation as Very Good while 30% of students and 75% of family and friends ranked the Thursday Orientation as Very Good.

Express Registration, a new initiative for new freshman students, was well received. Survey results indicated that respondents were generally pleased as 41% indicated that Express Registration was a good idea. Thirty-one percent of the respondents indicated the process was made easier as a result of Express Registration.

Academic Affairs and Student Affairs worked together to advise and register new transfer students through several scheduled group sessions. The size of group sessions averaged approximately eighty-five students.

The Early Alert Program sought to improve retention by alerting students to early academic problems; students received warnings while only seventy-nine kept scheduled appointments. Twenty-two students withdrew from the courses in which warnings were received, nine withdrew from other courses, and four withdrew from school.

For Senior Reviews, 751 seniors (557 full-time; 194 part-time) received early reviews in September to inform them of their progress toward degree completion and to encourage resolution of any problems in a timely fashion.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS SERVICES

New international students were welcomed to the campus by an Orientation Program held on Friday, September 6, 2002. During the program students were introduced to the campus and the services available to them such as Student Affairs, Health Services, Financial Aid, Computing Services, and Student Billing. A representative from the Cherry Hill Social Security office was present to discuss reasons international students would need a social security card, as well as the process for obtaining the card. The International Student Handbook was updated to assist international students with issues relating to college, personal matters, immigration regulations, and general American customs and ways of living. Throughout the year there were several Optional Practical Training Workshops (OPT) to assist international students with their employment authorization applications. In addition, Curricular Practical Training Workshops were held to assist students with applications for paid internships. A new software system was introduced to track international students. The Student Exchange Visitor and Information System (SEVIS) was mandated by the federal government for all colleges and universities to keep track of international students and make sure they are in compliance with INS rules and regulations. Several information sessions were held to update students on the effects SEVIS will have on their educational careers. During the year international students received personal and individual assistance with changing or renewing their visa status, traveling, banking, academic planning, and personal counseling. The International Student Association (ISA) sponsored a few programs designed to educate the general university population about international affairs, as well as to provide an effective networking environment to international students. These events included the following: World Taste Food Event, International Film Nights, and International Luau and Cultural Night. The key objective of this association is to provide valuable programs that contribute to the social, educational, and cultural aspects of life for Camden students.

The Camden Campus has an increasing population of International Students. There are approximately eighty-three students engaged in undergraduate and graduate study and research on campus, representing twenty-nine countries.

There are thirty-three undergraduate students, thirty-eight graduate students, and eleven professional studies students. The following table indicates the majors represented on the Camden Campus:

Undergraduate International Majors Number of Students:

Biology 2
Business Mgt. & related Studies 13
Computer Science 7
Engineering 1
Foreign Language/Literature 1
Science Technologies 2
Health Profession/Related Sciences 2
Undeclared 5

Graduate International Majors Number of Students:

Business Management 32
Law 11
Mathematics 3
Public Administration 1
Science Technologies 1
Health Profession/Related Studies 1

ACADEMIC ADVISING AND COUNSELING
Academic, career, financial, and personal advisement/counseling was provided to meet the needs of Camden College of Arts and Sciences, University College, and School of Business students. Accurate records were maintained of student advisement/counseling sessions. Students were informed of current and revised college and departmental requirements. Follow-up was conducted on matters relating to students during advisement/counseling sessions, and students were referred to the appropriate departments for service when needed. In addition to the duties stated above, on-line and telephone advisement was provided to students; 1468 students received advisement in the following areas: International Regulations (510 students), Academic Advisement (754 students), Career Counseling (89 students), Personal Counseling (55 students), and Financial Counseling (60 students).

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY 2003

The Commencement Ceremony was held at the Tweeter Center on Friday, May 23. Dean Margaret Marsh presided over the ceremony; Dr. E. Roger Cowley was the Grand Marshal and Associate Dean Marie Cornelia the reader.

President Richard McCormick greeted the graduates for the first time as the 19th president of Rutgers University. He presented an honorary Doctor of Science degree to Dr. Benjamin Carson, the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Carson is a prominent surgeon, best selling author and recipient of the American Black Achievement Award.

Karin Phillips, KYW’s community affairs reporter, gave the Commencement Speech. A bachelor’s and master’s degree recipient of Rutgers–Camden’s English program, Ms. Phillips was honored as one of the 50 finest graduates of the campus in 2000. She reflected on her years as a student and urged graduates to get involved in their communities.

President McCormick congratulated the Class of 2003 as he conferred the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Dean Margaret Marsh recognized student and faculty accomplishments. Three students received the Dean’s Undergraduate Research Awards. Those honored for their research were: Christine Evans in Philosophy and Religion directed by Dr. John Wall, Anne Loyle in Chemistry directed by Dr. Alex Roche and Robert Wuilfe, Bruce Massey and Shaun B. Jennings in Art directed by LiQuin Tan and Dr. Roberta Tarbell. Seven hundred and ninety-seven graduates received degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences/University College (611), the Graduate School-Camden (113) the School of Nursing-Newark (17), and the School of Social Work-New Brunswick (56). Martin Dillon and the Repertory Singers concluded the ceremony with the singing of Bob Dylan’s Forever Young and the Rutgers Alma Mater, On the Banks of the Old Raritan.

RESIDENCE LIFE

Residence Life at Rutgers Camden this past year has been a memorable experience. Residents could take advantage of a variety of programs, events, and activities offered to the residents. These events included day trips to New York to see live performances of Def Poetry Jam, Blue Man Group, and Aida and an excursion to Maryland for a day of wine tasting, strolling the boardwalk, and visiting museum.
Motivational and educational speakers, such as author Amiri Baka and a group from Planned Parenthood were invited to speak in the towers lounge about various issues that affect young people.

CAREER CENTER
James A. Marino, Director

Five major on-campus career events brought together over 200 organizations and over 2000 candidates for employment and graduate school opportunities. These included the Annual Fall Career Day, Graduate/Professional School Fair, Business Internship Fair with the School of Business, Public Service Career Fair, and Employment Opportunity Day, a major community wide event held in the Spring.

The “Backpack to Briefcase” program continued this year and resulted in four major seminars designed to develop key skills for graduating seniors. Topics included Business Dining, Networking, Job Search Strategies for Liberal Arts Majors (a nationally broadcast program), a Mock Interview Program with area Employers, and Professionalism in the Workplace-College to Career Program with RUC Alumni. Speakers included Rutgers alumni and guest consultants.

Over 800 students and alumni continued to seek out assistance with career planning through individual appointments, averaging forty-five minutes per session.

Student interest in applying to graduate/professional schools remained high. Two hundred thirty-five sets of references were mailed to graduate/professional schools throughout the U.S. Jobs, especially gaining practical experience, also remained high on students' priority lists. Staff job development efforts resulted in listings of over a thousand professional level jobs in the areas of business, education, health/social sciences, math/science, and research/arts/communications.

The first year of the Arts & Sciences Internship course facilitated by the Career Staff was a success. Sixteen students in the Fall and twenty-two students in the Spring completed the internship course. Students secured a variety of internships in the Arts, Communications, Business, Education, Legal and Social Services fields. Feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive.

Fifty employers provided 237 on-campus recruiting interviews for the Class of 2003. One hundred nineteen students took part in the regular on-campus recruiting program. In addition, the Career Center expanded recruiting for teacher candidates. Twelve school districts provided fifty-four interviews for twenty-six teacher candidates.

Overall results for the College of Arts & Sciences (Class of 2002) showed: 77% were employed, 20% were enrolled in graduate school. Seventeen percent were employed in the business world, 34 % in Public/Social Service/Healthcare, 34% in teaching, 12% in life sciences and 3 % in the arts.

The average salary was $36,300 (a 7% increase over the Class of 2001). Seventy-six percent of the graduates were employed in Southern New Jersey, 19% in Philadelphia.

Community outreach by staff to area schools and community services agencies continued throughout the year. Special seminars were held for the GEMS program, Leap Academy, alumni gatherings, Big Brothers/Big Sisters Family Services of Camden County, and admissions open houses/programs.

Cheryl Hallman, Assistant Director successfully passed the National Counselor's Exam making her a Nationally Board Certified Counselor.

ATHLETICS AND RECREATIONAL SERVICES
Jeffrey L. Dean, Director

Athletics and Recreational Services is an administrative unit within the Office of Student Life. Its mission is to conduct intercollegiate sports programs within the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and the NCAA Division III. Recreational Services is responsible for providing recreational, intramural and club sports programs and events for the campus community, which includes students, faculty, staff and alumni. In addition, Recreational Services extends its facilities and manpower to the South Jersey community.

For the first time in its 50 plus year existence, a Rutgers Camden athletics team captured a prestigious NJAC championship and NCAA championship tournament appearance.

Collectively, this past year was one of the most successful in Rutgers Camden history. The following are highlights from 2002-2003.

• Women’s basketball won their first NJAC championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA championship tournament.
  
• Baseball captured its first ECAC championship.
  
• Women’s softball made its first appearance in NJAC playoffs and finished as runner-up in ECAC championship tournament. Set school record for wins with 28.
  
• Women’s soccer made its first post-season appearance in program history with an ECAC bid.
  
• Women’s softball coach, Carl Taylor, achieved his 100th career coaching victory.
  
• Twenty-nine athletes (eleven males and eighteen females) earned conference, state, regional and/or national acclaim in their respective sport.

The following recipients received the highest awards given each year by intercollegiate athletics at the annual end of the year sports banquet. Dan Panetta (Golf) received the William P. Carty Memorial Award as the Most Courageous Athlete. Cheryl Kulesa (Basketball) was named as Athlete of the Year. Jackie Trakimas (Basketball) was honored as Coach of the Year. The Wilbur W. Wilson Scholar Athlete Award went to Lisa Boisvert (Soccer).

Recreational Services also enjoyed much success in 2002-2003. Over 700 students, faculty, staff and alumni participated in sixteen different offerings throughout the year. Eight club sports involving more than 100 members were sponsored by Recreational Services. The newly formed Crew Club sailed successfully in their first competitive events. The Women’s crew team enjoyed its first ever event win at the Knecht Cup on April 13th. The Ice Hockey club was invited to compete for its National Championship in Michigan, after posting a 2nd place regional ranking.

During each semester, Recreational Services conducted four eight-week, non-credit activity classes. The classes included step aerobics, yoga, ballroom dancing and karate.

Many different community groups used used of the indoor and outdoor facilities managed by Recreational Services. Highlights included hosting the Men and Women’s Al Carino All Star Basketball games, The American Cheerleading Classic, South Jersey High School Soccer All Star games, South Jersey Barons soccer team, and the Camden County All Star Softball game sponsored by the Camden County Clerks Office.

CAMDEN CAMPUS CENTER & CONFERENCE SERVICES
Thomas J. DiValero, Associate Dean & Director

Thomas J. DiValerio, Associate Dean & Director

The Campus Center and Conference Services is a division of the Student Affairs Office and includes: student activities, dining services, conference services, facilities use, student fund, campus - wide IDs, the information booth and building operations. The Campus Center serves the college campus community as a multi use facility. In addition, the members of the Campus Center strive to work together as a team to provide quality student services, quality student programming and events, quality daily and weekend food services, and quality catering services.

There were many departmental highlights for this academic year. High watermarks for the department included:

• grand opening of Starbucks Coffee, October 2002
  
• opening of Sandellas Wraps & Bowls (a branded food concept)
  
• opening of food court weeknights until 11:00pm
  
• extension of selected food court stations afternoons from 2:00 - 4:00pm

CONFERENCE SERVICES

The Campus Center is responsible for coordinating conference services for the University community and its guests. The following groups utilized the conference services during the summer: Admissions, Americorps, J. Robinson Wrestling, Arts Horizons, Urban Promise and Shenendehowa, NY HS Rowers.

DINING SERVICES

Daily sales and catering sales are up. There was some restructuring and a concession manager for Deliberations Snacks, Armitage Hall Snacks and Freshens satellite services was hired. Food court hours were expanded with the introduction of "Late Night at the Food Court" and "Sandellas Wraps & Bowls.”

FACILITIES USE

To date, the Facilities Use office planned, compiled, coordinated, issued catering, setup and instructions, performed billing and collection for over 7000 contracts, almost 3000 changes and 700 cancellations this fiscal year. In addition to daily in-house distribution of reports, weekly mailings of master reports are sent to twenty-three separate campus areas. Contracts supporting all campus buildings and grounds are generated - running the gamut from meetings and workshops to major performances, galas, conferences and graduation events.

The Facilities Use Office has worked on converting the Welber reservation system to EMS Professional, a windows driven, web accessible scheduling and event management system software. Plans are to go online with the scheduling component in Fall 2003.

ID CENTER

The Campus ID Center, located at the Impact Information Booth in the lobby of the Campus Center, provides student, faculty and staff IDs through the RapIDcard video imagining system. The RapIDcard system, in conjunction with the RUConnection Office in New Brunswick, provides IDs for use in all Rutgers University-Camden areas and access through a debit system for meal purchases, bookstore, vending and laundry use. The Campus ID card is also used as the library card. The ID Center maintains regular business hours and special hours for law, graduate and undergraduate orientation, and evening hours for law, graduate and undergraduate night students and conferences. In addition to the meal plan, commuting students and staff can sign up for the Commuter Cash Card plan.

The information booth provides the campus and community with information, multimedia support, programming/activities information, concert ticket sales and a pleasant smile for campus and community visitors to our building. The IMPACT Booth is staffed and managed by students for students and assisted thousands of individuals with questions, ticket/event sales as well as on campus directions.

STARBUCKS COFFEE

Starbucks Coffee, the campus' first major branded food service operation, opened on October 17, 2002. Starbucks is a full service store featuring coffee, blended beverages, merchandise, and whole bean products. The store was constructed on the site of the former Gallery Café coffee shop. To date, Starbucks revenues are exceeding expectations. The store is staffed by a concession manger and student baristas. All store managers undergo a rigorous two-week training certification program conducted by the Starbucks management team. All student baristas undergo a one-week certification program conducted by Starbucks and the store manager. Secret shopper reports conducted by an independent firm under the direction of Starbucks Coffee Corporate have averaged above 95%. The campus store has received three 100% snap shot scores and a Five Star Service award from January 2003 to date.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

This area continues to be our anchor. Last year, the activities office sponsored or cosponsored and supported approximately 400 programs and events that included but were not limited to: lectures; concerts; comedy shows; cultural events; leadership development; and recreational, social, and educational experiences.

In the middle of the spring semester, the assistant director for activities was called upon by the University to serve in an acting director's capacity for the housing and residence life departments.

STUDENT FUND RECORD KEEPING

The Rutgers Student Fund Office maintains the accounts for all undergraduate student organizations and the Student Activities Office. The office oversees the distribution of fee money to over eighty student accounts. The Campus Center also provides assistance to all student organizations’ treasurers and reviews expenditures for compliance with fee expenditure guidelines. The Campus Center has embarked on a yearlong effort to convert the system to a computer based QuickBooks Pro book keeping system for Fall 2003.

HISPANIC AFFAIRS
Mike Greenup, Director

The primary goal of the Hispanic Affairs Office is to plan and coordinate educational programs to improve the academic and personal development of Hispanic students and to serve as a liaison between the university and the Hispanic community. The office helps students with academic advising, scholarship information/applications and periodic mailings and communications to keep Hispanic students updated on issues that may affect them.

The Hispanic Affairs Office provided personal counseling and academic advising to Hispanic students throughout the year. The office also works with the Latino organizations on campus regarding various issues.

The Hispanic Affairs Advisory Committee meets several times throughout the year to discuss various issues which impact Hispanic students on the Camden Campus. The committee works closely with the Spanish Department to update the existing Latin American Studies minor consisting of 18 credits. The committee includes faculty, administrators and staff who work closely with the Hispanic students.

The Director of Hispanic Affairs is part of several campus and university wide committees including the Multicultural and Orientation committees as well as being a member of the Latino Arts and Culture Board.

ADMISSIONS
Deborah E. Bowles, Director

The Office of Admissions continued to expand recruitment efforts during the past year. The number of off-campus recruitment events was increased and we sponsored more events on campus as well. We contacted our prospective and admitted students earlier and more often. Many of our mailings were sent electronically so that students received many communications from our office via email. The number of graduate and undergraduate students who submitted electronic applications continues to increase; most of our undergraduate applicants applied using the one online application. Greater use of technology has enhanced both the undergraduate and graduate application process and enabled us to serve students in a more timely and efficient manner. Undergraduate students are able to monitor the progress of their applications through our status screen and, once admitted, our electronic enrollment pathway, which provides links to other offices, will provide services to our admitted students.

The Admissions Office expanded its efforts to recruit and enroll Provost Scholars. The enrollment of additional students has strengthened and diversified the Honors Program. The Admissions Office sponsored two undergraduate open house programs and two graduate open house programs. These programs brought many visitors to the campus. Our weekly tour and information session continues to grow in popularity.

Our campus received more undergraduate and graduate applications this past year and the quality of our enrolling students improved as well. The 2+2 Engineering program and the 2+4 Pharmacy program, through which students spend the first two years at Rutgers Camden, have expanded. Those students who have continued with their education in New Brunswick have been served well by these programs. These and other initiatives have resulted in an increase in the number of applications and enrolling students.

CAMDEN LEARNING CENTER
Valerie Smith Stephens, Director

The Camden Learning Center celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. Since 1992, the Center expanded its services from primarily first and second year courses to upper level courses for Rutgers- Camden Students. A new Learning Specialist joined the staff in January 2002. Students had access to Center services by using a swipe card monitor. This allowed students to quickly meet with their tutor or academic coach instead of manually logging in at the front desk.

The Center experienced an increase in student usage. Tutoring, Academic Coaching, and Course Support have had a record number of student participation. The number of student staff doubled since last year.

The Center engaged in both ongoing and new collaborations in the faculty, academic departments, colleges, and schools, and other student support services. Supplemental Instruction (SI) has been very successful. New courses added to the roster included: Chemical Principles, History of Ghettoes and Slums, Nursing II and Physics. These courses were well attended and well received. Psychology and World Masterpieces continued to enjoy high marks from student participants and the faculty.

Students preparing for the Teacher Preparation Examination have the opportunity to practice their essay with an Academic Coach. A new collaboration with the Honors College resulted in expanded student usage by Honors College students. Services designed exclusively for the Nursing and Chemistry students assisted them in their coursework.

Graduate students were encouraged to use the Center. The Center provided writing assistance to law students who needed to enhance their basic writing skills. The Learning Specialist and the Writing Assistants worked with law students on grammar, mechanics and syntax. The Director and Learning Specialist met with graduate students from the school of Social Work regarding a variety of academic issues. The Director also presented at the New Student Orientation for Social Work students.

The Director and Learning Specialist served on various campus committees and represented the university at Open Houses for the Admissions office. The Director participated in America Reads Program in Camden and read to elementary school children. She also gave presentations to Zeta Phi Beta, a national women’s service organization and served on a panel for Career Day at Burlington City High School. The Director gave a presentation at the 35th Annual College Reading and Learning Association in Minneapolis, MN. The Director was appointed to the position of national chairperson for Awards and Scholarships committee for this organization.

The Center was a frequent stop for the Athletic Department when giving tours of the Camden campus. Highly recruited athletes learned about the campus’ academic support services. The students from Cooper’s Poynt elementary school in Camden visited the Center to experience a college environment. A number of the Center’s student staff participated in community projects.

A number of student staff have graduated and are ready to move on to the next level of their academic careers or enter the workforce. As they leave the Center, they are recruiting their classmates to become tutors, academic coaches or to work in other key positions at the Center before they graduate from Rutgers Camden.

Future plans for the Camden Learning Center include increasing the number of collaborations with academic departments, expanding tutoring accessibility for upper level courses and investigating new learning assistance materials that will use the latest technology. The Center plans to continue the current programs with academic departments such as the Teacher Preparation Program, the Law School, EOF and Honors College.

The Director was named national Awards and Scholarships Chairperson of the College Reading and Learning Association and was asked to serve on the programming committee for the 36th Annual College Reading and Learning Association Conference. In addition, the Director was asked to author a chapter on minority retention for a textbook by the University of Kentucky (Lexington). She received a Community Service Award by Zeta Phi Beta, Sorority, Inc. a national women’s service organization.

EOF PROGRAM
Leland Butler, Director

The mission of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program is to meet the intent and spirit of EOF as it was originally designed and to provide opportunity and assistance to those who have been most disenfranchised and disadvantaged and the tools necessary to met the challenges of the future. The Camden Campus EOF Program has been in the forefront of providing educational access and overall support to underserved populations on campus for over thirty years. The Program has been an advocate for diversity and multiculturalism in higher education, educational dialogue with the local urban community and with the educational institutions with in that community.

We can be justly proud of our students’ accomplishments, as they come to Rutgers without the credentials of regularly admitted students, and overcome tremendous obstacles; yet, with hard work and commitment on their part and on the part of staff and faculty we see credible results. The average GPA for the 270 students was 2.702 with 19 students being placed on the Deans List. The freshmen class (53 students) earned a GPA of 2.663. The EOF Program was also given the responsibility of providing advising/counseling and support to the University College Academic Transition Program. There were thirty-seven freshmen in this program who earned a GPA of 2.650.

EOF has continued its commitment to community involvement by hosting a Minority Male Conference on campus in conjunction with the Camden County Prosecutors Office and the Minority Educational Development Organization. Over 90 students from nine area high schools participated. Additionally, EOF developed a Minority Male Mentoring Program with 30 students from two area high schools, who were matched with twenty mentors, many of which were former Rutgers-Camden EOF students. In November 2002, EOF in conjunction with Family Counseling Services hosted Family Day, a daylong event where over 300 families participated in a series of activities. Thirty social agencies and businesses provided information to families concerning their services. Further, the Director serves as Board President of the Camden County Council On Economic Opportunity, the largest community action program in the State of New Jersey. He also serves on the Camden Neighborhood Technology Center Partners. EOF is also involved with One Hundred Percent Graduation, a minority male program designed to increase graduation rates at two local high schools.

FINANCIAL AID
Richard L. Woodland, Director

The Financial Aid Office provided financial assistance to 2,570 undergraduates in Arts and Sciences and University College in 2002-03. Undergraduate students received over $21.5 million in assistance from federal, state and university sources. Undergraduate students financed their education primarily through student loans, accounting for 53% of all aid received. Forty five percent (45%) of their financial aid was from grants and scholarships while 2% was from student employment. The New Jersey Tuition Aid Grant Program (TAG) continues to be our largest source of grant funding, providing over $3.9 million in direct tuition assistance. At the federal level, the Pell Grant program provided almost $2.9 million in grants to students. Undergraduates received over $1.77 million in scholarships and grants from private and university sources. Our primary scholarship programs continue to be the Provost Scholars Program (198 students) and the Carr Scholars Program (38 students).

In the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 203 students received over $2.4 million in financial assistance. Student loans accounted for 81%, grants and scholarships another 15% and Federal Work Study 2.5%. Various university and private scholarship programs provided over $375,900 to graduate students in 2002-03.

PAUL ROBESON LIBRARY
Gary A. Golden, Director

COLLECTIONS

During the past year, the Paul Robeson Library continued to enhance its ability to provide for the research and instructional support of faculty, staff, and students. The NewsBank database of New Jersey newspapers and the Philadelphia Inquirer provides full-text access to eleven newspapers. American Periodicals Series Online 1740-1900 (APS Online) provides the full text of articles, advertisements, illustrations etc., from American magazines and journals that began publication between 1741, (when Benjamin Franklin’s General Magazine first appeared), and 1900. The ProQuest Historical Newspapers: the New York Times provides the full image of articles published in the New York Times from its first issue in 1851. The Columbia Gazetteer of the World is an encyclopedic directory of world place names. The database provides descriptive information on places including historical, economic, and demographic information

Using the Libraries expanded 'Alert Services' options, Rutgers scholars and researchers can arrange to receive alerts automatically, via email, if articles relevant to their area of interest are published anywhere in thousands of scholarly journals.

The Eagleton Poll Archive was developed by the Libraries as an interactive website providing access to the survey data and questionnaires from Eagleton's quarterly statewide polls of New Jersey residents on matters of political and social interest. On the site you can view Eagleton polls and question responses from 1971 to the present.

The CamdenBase Database of citations and abstracts about the city of Camden and Rutgers Camden continued to grow and had a new interface and revised subject headings. This database contains selected citations of journal, book, and newspaper articles about Camden, New Jersey with over 6,500 items. The documents cover economic, political, and social events in the city from 1945 to the present. For newspaper articles, we received permission from the Camden Courier Post to use their first paragraph as our abstract. Searching is done by keyword or by browsing the holdings by specific themes.

Two major enhancements occurred in our Interlibrary Loan Services to both speed up delivery of articles and to provide access to many more monographs. Articles received from other libraries are put on a web page for patrons to access anywhere they have a computer with an Internet connection. This means that as we receive articles, patrons are alerted and can pick them from our web site. We also joined the E-Z Borrow program which is an expedited book delivery service from PALCI (Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc.) that allows Rutgers students, faculty, and staff to request books directly from Pennsylvania academic libraries. Any book not owned by Rutgers or checked out can be requested from a PALCI school and sent to Rutgers in three to five days

FACULTY RESEARCH & PRESENTATIONS

Susan Beck presented papers at the

• Conference Proceedings ACRL 11th National Conference Learning to Make a Difference Charlotte, North Carolina, April 10-13, 2003
  
• ARL New Ways of Listening to Users: LibQUAL+ Charlotte, North Carolina, Thursday, April 10, 2003.
  
• Virtual Reference Desk Conference, Chartering the Course of Reference: Toward a Preferred Future, The 4th Annual Digital Reference Conference, sponsored by U.S. Department of Education, OCLC Institute, Syracuse University’s School of Information Science, ALA’s Reference and User Services Association, Chicago IL November 11-12, 2002
  
Vib Bowman published the following research

• Bowman, Vibiana, “Reading Between the Line: An Analysis of Utilizing WindowEyes Screen Reader Software with Full-Text Databases,” Library Hi Tech, 20, No. 2 (2002): 162-168.
  
• Bowman, Vibiana, “The Virtual Librarian and the Electric Library,” Internet Reference Service Quarterly, 7, No. 3 (2002): 3-14.

Julie Still was the editor for the newsletter for the ACRL Literatures in English section.

PERSONNEL

-Julie Still was invited to participate in Presidents’ Bush Economic Summit in Waco, Texas during August of 2002. She was on a panel discussing corporate responsibility.
-Three employees with over 85 years of experience retired late last FY and early this FY
-Adrian Butler, a Library Assistant II in Access Services, for over twenty years was promoted to Library Supervisor III.
-Katie Anderson was hired as a Library Supervisor II, in charge of all day time operations at the Circulation Desk, RDS, and ILL.
-Addie Fuller was hired as a Library Associate in Access Services. Her primary responsibilities will be oversight of all equipment used by patrons and developing our library display programs and community outreach.
-Theresa Macklin was hired as a Library Assistant III for nights and weekends and will have responsibility for the Rutgers Delivery Services.
-John Gibson was hired as an Instructional Technologist and will assist the Library faculty with the development of online instruction modules and interactive training guides. He will also be responsible for our Digital Development Lab with equipment to produce various types of digital instructional projects.
-Julie Still is on the CCAS Faculty Senate and is on their Curriculum Reform Committee

BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT

-This was the sixth year of our grant, to provide library and information services to the Rowan/Camden County College Camden Urban Campus. Under the terms of the $105,000 contract, we provide library services for over 2,000 students, faculty, and staff. We have registered over 50% for a library card and the number of instructions sessions presented to the students increased. Donna Wertheimer and several circulation department staff attend all of the Urban Campus registration fairs and other information programs and assure that the students know that Robeson is their library.
-Teleconferencing equipment was purchased for libraries on all three campuses using ELF dollars and installed in December. By the end of June, there were 106 meetings or software training sessions teleconferenced with 159 Robeson faculty and staff attending. If we use 3 hours as an average round trip travel time, there was a savings of 477 unproductive travel hours in only six months of usage. In addition, this equipment has allowed more Library staff to participate in activities throughout the RULS.
-RUNET 2000 wiring was completed and patrons will be able to hook up their laptops to the Internet throughout the building.
-The building was surveyed and wireless access points will be added in strategic locations next fiscal year.
-With ELF funding of over $23,000, our electronic classroom was upgraded with 20 Pentium IV personal computers, flat panel monitors, a dual overhead projection system, and electric screens.
-Additional ELF funding of $45,000, enabled us to establish a new digital lab to facilitate advanced development of instructional tools for faculty and to promote new technologies on campus. This funding purchased a high-end digital video and still camera, two fully loaded personal computers, 2 laptop computers, and the proper software to use this equipment.

FUND RAISING

-For the fifth year, several Robeson faculty and staff participated in a project to send personalized holiday greeting cards to the 125 donors who pledged more than $75 to the Robeson Library in 2001.
-Personalized thank you cards are sent monthly to every donor of at least $50.

OUTREACH

-Utilizing the Rutgers Automated Mass-mailing System (RAMS), e-mail announcements of new databases and other resources were sent on a routine basis to students, faculty, and staff.
-We are leading an effort to develop a CDROM product to be sent to all freshmen entitled: Everything you need to succeed. This will be sent to them and later placed on the web for additional access.
-The Robeson Library was a participant in Project Vote Smart for the third year. This is a project supported by the Pew, Ford, and Carnegie Foundations, which has a goal of getting more college age youth involved in voting and the political process. We made materials available in print and on our web page to facilitate the goals of this worthwhile project.
-A letter of welcome and a packet of materials about the Rutgers University Libraries were sent to every incoming freshman before the Fall Semester
-Two Camden schools, Morgan Village Middle School English class and Woodrow Wilson High School AP English classes, had ten hours of instruction in our electronic classroom. In addition, they have been encouraged to use our resources when doing their research papers.
-John Maxymuk, Donna Wertheimer, and Vib Bowman participated in the Camden County Math and Science Fair for over 200 area high school students. We designed a web page and held training session in our lab.
-Our sixth annual toy drive for the Camden Mission Christmas party resulted in eight large bags of toys being collected.
-Gary Golden and Vib Bowman volunteered for the Rutgers Academic Challenge and were a judge and proctor for this event.
-The LEAP Academy Computer Club used our electronic classroom weekly during the fall semester for their programs.
-The Camden County Historical Society had a need to network some computers to share a database and did not have the expertise or the money to do so. John Gibson and Eric Fizur, a student, went there and during the course of a morning configured their pc’s and instructed them on how to use their new network.
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT
-The Paul Robeson Library developed an interactive instructional CDROM to help students’ access library resources from home. This module is intended as an aid in the set up configuration of the library proxy process from home. -There were 202 instruction sessions to 175 different classes. We taught 5,155 students, 1,375 of whom were coming in for a second, or follow-up, session for the same class. -As part of our Rowan/Camden County College Urban campus responsibilities, we taught seven Rowan and thirty-one Camden County College classes. -To facilitate users of our instructional classroom, we developed a software program that allows access to the Rutgers University Computing Services student directory. This allows students to access their saved materials anywhere on campus. -The Robeson Library website continues to provide a portal to student services and offers library staff a quick access point to internal information specific to the Camden Campus, while also directing the students to information developed and maintained at other locations. Numerous pages were updated and new information was added.

PUBLIC INFORMATION
Mike Sepanic, Director

The Office of Public Information works closely with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to heighten external, campus and University awareness of FAS’s student, faculty, and programmatic advancements.

During FY03, the public information office placed numerous FAS-oriented stories in regional, statewide and national media outlets. FAS faculty helped the campus to retain its dominance as a premier source for expert opinion among metro Philadelphia and New Jersey statewide newspapers, radio stations, television stations, and Web-based news outlets.

The public information office connected numerous FAS faculty with community organizations through the Rutgers-Camden Speakers Bureau, which increases external appreciation of the high caliber of Rutgers-Camden’s professors. FAS educators also participated in the Rutgers-Camden Cappuccino Academy, a monthly lecture series at Barnes & Noble in Marlton.

FAS activities were represented smartly in such University-wide venues as the Rutgers magazine, Rutgers Focus, Web sites, and more, thanks to the efforts of the public information office. The office worked with campus representatives to develop a new Rutgers-Camden Web presence, which will launch during the summer of 2003.

REGISTRAR'S OFFICE
Terry Richartz, Registrar

During the past year, the Camden Registrar’s Office provided a variety of registration services and support to students, faculty, and administrators. Several Web-based registration services have been developed over the past several years and continue to be expanded to meet the needs of the Rutgers community. Commencing with the Summer 2000 semester, students could register for classes on-line at http://webreg.rutgers.edu. Students have embraced this technology and are now registering for classes and making changes to their schedules on-line in significant numbers. Only those students with a cumulative average of less than 2.000 are excluded from using the Web registration system in Camden. The outlook for WEBREG is extremely positive as more and more students realize the convenience of registering on-line at home or by using one of the many computers on the campus. By all accounts, the implementation and operation of the web registration system has been a resounding success.

Students also have the ability to view their class schedules on-line, with meeting times and rooms noted, thereby keeping themselves up-to-date on the status of their classes. Students can now see when room assignments are made and can tell if their class has been cancelled. At the end of the semester, students can view their grades, cumulative average, etc., and have the ability to print the information from their PC’s. Students have the ability to process an address change on-line, providing them a convenient way to keep their addresses current without having to fill out forms or wait in line. Also, the Registrar’s Office has added three computers specifically for student use locally. Students visiting the office can register for classes, confirm grades on these computers, or download transcript or verification request forms using the available printers.

The touch-tone registration system (RTTRS) offers the same services as WEBREG and continues to be utilized by many students, although its popularity is waning with the growth of web-based registration activities. The systems are available from 6:30 am to midnight, Monday through Friday, and from 6:30 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays, with expanded hours during peak registration periods.

Automated grade reporting, which was initiated with RTTRS, is now available on-line at the Registrar’s website at http://registrar.rutgers.edu, has eliminated the practice of posting grades. Printed term grade reports are no longer automatically mailed to students each semester because the grades are readily available on-line. The touch-tone system allows student requests for unofficial transcripts of grades and grade reports. “One semester” term grade reports are possible for those students who need them for their employers or for other reasons.

For several semesters now, departments have been permitted to submit grades using a web-based system. Instructors are able to enter grades on-line without having to make a special trip into the Registrar’s Office. This new system will eventually obviate the current practice of manual grade input.

The wide variety of services provided by the Registrar’s Office requires that the office continue to grow in order to meet the needs of its customers. As a result, the Registrar’s Office is constantly looking toward the future.

TEACHING EXCELLENCE CENTER
Nancy Omaha Boy, Director

The Camden Teaching Excellence Center consults with faculty and holds training sessions to improve teaching as well as oversees the student evaluation process. It also sponsors an annual Teaching Portfolio Workshop under the leadership of Lindback Distinguished Professor Roger Cowley.

In keeping with a tradition of offering courses to enhance the knowledge base of teaching to faculty, the first two modules of the Effective College Teaching Course were offered. Another course was offered for Honors and Freshman Seminar instructors focusing on Student-Centered learning.

In the spring a new project on self-evaluation of instruction was instituted. Video-taping of faculty was piloted in the School of Business, but will be available across the campus in the coming year. Faculty self-rate their performance and follow up with assistance from the Teaching Excellence Center and content peers. This is a new piece in the current Student/Peer/Self evaluation of teaching.

Excellent teaching is rewarded through an awards process set up and overseen by the TEC. The three winners of the Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence were Joe Schiavo of Fine Arts, Dr. Rafey Habib in English, and Dr. John Broussard in the School of Business. Dr. Gayle Porter of the School of Business won the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award which is a lifetime achievement award for teaching excellence.

SUMMER SESSION 2002 and WINTERIM 2003
Thomas J. Venables, Director

For the 2002-2003 academic year the Summer Session Office sponsored a wide range of exciting courses and special events. The challenging courses were complemented by extra-curricular activities that peaked students’ interests and encouraged them to make Rutgers-Camden their academic
diversity results in an enthusiastic and creative classroom mix that teachers and students find very rewarding. The Summer Session had 2,722 students in attendance with $2,826,389 in revenue generated. Profit returned to the campus in 2002 was $770,692.

We have increased our print-media advertising and find continued success with the transit billboards posted in the commuter stations on the PATCO line between Philadelphia and New Jersey. A direct mail campaign with colorful mail backs resulted in an increase of over 1100 inquiries for Summer Session and Winterim courses. The cooperative cover theme and expanded catalog format have increased our advertising exposure statewide. The addition of a combined university summer catalog produced by the centrally administered Vice-president’s Office on Continuing Education results in a unified, concise, state-wide impression.

The 16th Annual Summer Writers’ Conference and Summer Music Festival provide a welcome exposure to the arts for students and faculty alike. Local writers and performers are able to spend quality time with artists visiting with us from across the country and around the world. Ample space and comfortable accommodations present our campus well to those participating faculty and students. Battleship New Jersey tours, Rivershark baseball games and lunchtime musical recitals provide broad cultural venues at our summer session. A wide variety of laboratory sciences were held this summer including biology, chemistry, and physics in order to give pre-med students a jump ahead of the competition while focusing on science in a concentrated course.

We have continued our off-campus offerings at Atlantic Cape Community College, and Mt. Laurel corporate facilities in Burlington County. On-line courses and our off-campus locations attract potential students to our colleges and programs offered in Camden. The highly regarded MBA and Arts and Sciences graduate courses continue to grow and attract highly qualified students from all over Southern New Jersey.

The Winterim 2003 session has demonstrated strong growth in enrollments during its fifth successful year. Selected courses have been offered by the Arts and Sciences faculty (49) and the School of Business (7). This year 795 students were in attendance with overall revenue generation of $529,522. Our campus garnered $218,635 after all related expenses.