Toward a future of distinction Lawrence announces plan for 2010 Archived article from Sep 28, 2001 By Douglas Frank   As we begin a new academic year, Rutgers renews its commitment to serve this state and its people in effective new ways," President Francis L. Lawrence told the University Senate in his State of the University address Sept. 21. Rutgers, he said, has come closer to its goals in the past 12 months and, guided by the priorities established in the strategic plan, is now enjoying "unprecedented momentum toward a future of distinction." This renewed commitment will require the Rutgers community to join with its institutional partners and with government in major new initiatives to confront the coming enrollment increases, to expand the physical infrastructure and to meet the demand for educational programs outside of the traditional classroom setting. President Lawrence delivered the State of the University address Sept. 21 Photo by Nick Romanenko Currently, several different enrollment projections are being evaluated. One conservative estimate projects an overall increase of just over 10 percent of the total on-campus enrollment by 2010, with this happening mostly at the undergraduate level and mostly on the Newark and Camden campuses, the president said. That would require a concomitant increase in the number of faculty and about a 10 percent increase in the number of state-supported graduate students, he said. <>For facilities, a master plan is being developed with a leading national consulting firm to review how Rutgers compares with its peers and to ensure that the growth of campus facilities will be in line with the strategic plan. "At present, we are in the early phases of developing a report and an overall plan. But in our early comparisons with our AAU peers, we have seen that Rutgers has significant needs in terms of both academic and residential space," Lawrence said On the New Brunswick campus, capital projects under discussion would serve such areas as information science and technology, biomedical engineering, human genetics, biomaterials and psychology. Additional classrooms, laboratories and faculty offices, along with expanded student centers, residence halls and parking decks, would also be needed to accommodate projected enrollment increases. On the Newark campus, facilities being discussed include new classrooms and office space, quarters for the business school, a general classroom and office building, renovations to the student center and expansion of recreational facilities, as well as additional residential and parking facilities. Similarly, the Camden campus expansion could include an addition to the law school building, a new academic facility, a residence hall, renovations to the gymnasium and student center, and increased parking. Turning to nontraditional education, Lawrence noted that the nationwide demand for such programs is rapidly increasing. In New Jersey, total enrollment in continuous education courses offered by Rutgers alone approximated 75,000 in the 1999-2000 academic year. Approximately 25,000 New Jerseyans have already enrolled in distance-learning courses, with enrollments expected to grow substantially. "This calls for us to have an off-campus strategy that would complement traditional on-campus programs and reach across the state to those who cannot travel to Rutgers," the president suggested. Accordingly, a new unit is being considered that would align academic planning and program delivery with rapidly changing workforce developments and utilize innovative business models to ensure cost-effective delivery of programs, the president related. Such a unit would respond to shifts in student interest, faculty assessments of proposed programs and changing labor-market trends. These new plans will require a "greater state investment, one that will make Rutgers an even more effective engine for economic growth in New Jersey," Lawrence said. "Toward that end, we will continue to seek state support and other revenue sources so that we may meet our facilities needs, remain competitive with our peers and grow for tomorrow." The president cited state investment in higher education in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, California and Connecticut as reaching into the many billions of dollars. Such investments "recognize the fact that university growth fuels greater economic development as well as greater cultural enrichment, and that universities provide the comprehensive educational opportunities and specialized, high-technology training a rapidly changing workforce requires in order to succeed," he asserted. "Here in New Jersey, our plan for the Rutgers of 2010 will allow us to realize our bold vision of excellence, accessibility and service," Lawrence affirmed. In other areas, the president reported: In the past four years, more than 2,900 talented young people received scholarships through the Outstanding Scholars program, which has been important in addressing New Jersey's "brain drain." The caliber of first-year students overall continues to climb, as demonstrated by a 17-point increase in composite SAT scores in the last five years. During the same period, the enrollment of underrepresented first-year minority students increased 25 percent. Under RUNet 2000, internal wiring is complete in 57 academic buildings and 109 residence halls on all campuses, twice last September's total. By the end of this calendar year, nearly 200 buildings are scheduled to be wired. Access to the RU-TV Network is now available to more than 10,000 resident students throughout the campuses in New Brunswick and Piscataway. The Rutgers Integrated Administrative System project will be coming online in segments, beginning with purchasing and accounts payable July 1. The faculty brought in more than $222 million in support for research in the last fiscal year -- "a new record and another cause for celebration." After five rounds of funding for a total of $20 million in 125 projects, the faculty has generated more than $275 million in external funding through the Strategic Resource and Opportunity Analysis program. Private fund-raising for the 2000-2001 fiscal year reached a record-setting $123 million, a 43 percent increase over last year. The Rutgers Campaign total, as of June 30, stood at $324 million. Rutgers' overall annual economic impact on the state exceeds $2 billion, and most of the 10,000 new Rutgers graduates each year go on to live and work in the state.

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