President's Post #155: Welcome to the Spring 2020 Semester

Dear Students, Colleagues and Friends,

Welcome and welcome back to campus.

It was a joy to welcome 231 new Roadrunners to our College during the Winter Arching Ceremony last week. These new students join us from across the State and region and I am most pleased that they have selected Ramapo College for their undergraduate education because our College continues to achieve great things, to name a few:

• Last week we launched the Ramapo Roadrunner Express, a free service providing the College’s first direct link to public transit hubs at the Garden State Plaza and Bergen Community College.
• Earlier this month, we were recognized by Applied Behavior Analysis Programs as one of the best small colleges in the nation – and the only New Jersey institution – for students on the Autism Spectrum.
• Later this evening, the Board of Trustees is scheduled to approve a series of new academic programs: new minors in Human Resources Management and in Sports Management, a new concentration in Higher Education in the Master of Education Leadership Program, and a new Master of Fine Arts in Creative Music Technology.
• Our Dean of Students, Melissa Van Der Wall, was among those honored by the YWCA of Northern New Jersey during its annual Tribute to Women of Influence ceremony. Dean Van Der Wall was commended for developing a vibrant, resourceful and inclusive community within her direct areas of supervision, which include Residence Life, Student Conduct, Specialized Services, Violence Prevention, Health and Counseling Services, and the Center for Student Involvement.
• Our Center for Health and Counseling Services has launched a Multicultural Student Advisory Committee focused on fostering attentiveness to the unique issues faced by culturally diverse students.
• Our College earned a Gold Seal from the All In Campus Challenge for having a 2018 campus voting rate between 40-49% in the 2018 midterm election (up significantly from 15.6% in 2014) The College was honored at the Newseum in D.C.

These achievements are apropos given that we are at the halfway point of our yearlong 50th Anniversary celebration. Please join the festivities at our February 5 Spring Kick Off in the Konica Minolta Spectator Lobby of the Bill Bradley Recreation Center beginning at 4:30 p.m. where activities will abound for the family and stick around to cheer on the women’s and men’s basketball teams as they tip off against Kean University (5:30 and 7:30 respectively). At halftime, applaud the introduction of our new fight song!

I encourage your participation not only at the Spring Kickoff, but in as many of the 50th Anniversary programs as possible. The 50^th Anniversary Task Force has worked to create a thoughtful schedule of events that will be appealing and informative for all of us.  Additional activities are highlighted below and more details can be found on our website:  www.ramapo.edu/50/calendar .

Last but not least, our Middle States self-study efforts will come to a crescendo February 23-26. Our visiting team, led by Dr. Ron Nowaczyk, looks forward to meeting in small groups and large forums with representatives from across our campus. Please take some time to review our Self Study, acquaint yourself with our General Education curriculum, and take stock of our progress under our Strategic Plan: Fulfilling Our Promise by visiting Dashboard 2021.

Best wishes for a fruitful semester.

Peter P. Mercer
President

Colloquium Series – The School of Social Science and Human Services
February 13, 2020 @ 4:00 p.m.- Padovano Commons
Join Professor Howard Horowitz for his lecture, “Making Sense of Place at Ramapo and in the West.” As a geographer, Professor Horowitz has always worked on developing an appreciation for “place.” This has included focusing on the local area through the Ramapo River Watershed Conferences, learning about the American West through 25 unique field programs, and examining cultures through the shared interdisciplinary course “The West Discovers the World.”

50th Anniversary Millicent G. Anisfield Lecture Series
March 11, 2020 @ 4:30 p.m. -Trustees Pavilion
Join William F. Dator, Chair of the Ramapo College Board of Trustees, Thomas W. Dunn, member of Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors, and Edward Saiff, Dean of the School of Theoretical and Applied Science and 50^th Anniversary Task Force Co-Chair, for this conversational program, “Ramapo College and Mahwah: 50 Years Together.”  In March 1970, Mahwah was selected as the site for Ramapo College.  Hear our panelists share their stories about this special fifty-year relationship between the community and the College. Audience participation is highly encouraged in this program.

Learning Commons Topping Off Ceremony
March 25, 2020 @ 4:00 p.m. – Learning Commons Construction Site
From the groundbreaking ceremony to placing the last beam of new steel, join us for these milestone occasions to herald in the new Learning Commons.

Colloquium Series – The Anisfield School of Business
March 26, 2020- Padovano Commons
Details forthcoming.

Day of Giving
April 13, 2020- The Grove
Build picnic tables that will be donated to local community organizations. The first 100 volunteers will receive a free t-shirt.

Colloquium Series – The School of Contemporary Arts
April 23, 2020- Padovano Commons
Details forthcoming.

50^th Anniversary Dinner Celebration
April 29, 2020 @ 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – Indian Trail Club, Franklin Lakes
Celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Ramapo College! $50 tickets available beginning February 5.

Colloquium Series – The School of Theoretical and Applied Science
May 5, 2020-Padovano Commons
Details forthcoming.

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