Stockton and Gloucester County College Sign Dual Degree Program Agreement

Gloucester County College representatives Dominick J. Burzichelli, vice president and chief operating officer, Randee Davidson, assistant director of the Career and Academic Planning Center, and Judith Atkinson, vice president of Student Services, join Stockton's Provost and Executive Vice President Harvey Kesselman, and President Herman Saatkamp during a signing of the agreement between the institutions at Stockton's Feb. 19 Board of Trustees meeting.

Stockton and Gloucester County College have entered into an agreement for a new Dual Degree Program (DDP) that promises to benefit students by increasing degrees earned from both institutions, and reducing the cost of their education.

Students who complete their associate degrees at Gloucester County College (GCC) will be guaranteed admission to Stockton under the agreement.

“Stockton is proud to partner with Gloucester County College to offer a Dual Degree Program to students and provide another cost-effective way to obtain a college education,” said President Herman Saatkamp. “This program will ease the transfer and admission processes, and provide credit to Gloucester County College for work completed there before transferring to Stockton College. This program provides the opportunity to earn degrees from both institutions.”

Students who successfully complete the Dual Degree Program will earn two degrees, their associate from GCC and their bachelor's from Stockton. They will pay the lower GCC tuition rate for all or part of their lower division coursework and Stockton’s tuition rate once they transition.

Stockton also has a Dual Degree agreement with Atlantic Cape Community College and a similar guaranteed admissions agreement with Burlington County College.

The college has a variety of other Dual Degree programs, including those with 13 area high schools, allowing students to take college courses while still in high school and transfer those credits to Stockton; also with Rutgers and NJIT in Engineering, and with the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers in Pharmacy.

For more detailed information on the Dual Degree Program, click here.
 

College Foundation Assets Reach Record $27.1 Million as of Dec. 31, 2013 Report

Total assets for the College Foundation reached a new record of $27.1 million as of an unaudited Dec. 31, 2013 financial report, according to Dr. Philip T. Ellmore, chief development officer.

Dr. Ellmore credited leadership by President Herman Saatkamp and the efforts of the Foundation’s board members with helping the fund grow from less than $3 million in 2003.

“With an emphasis on endowment and providing funds both now and in perpetuity, the Foundation has grown considerably,” Dr. Ellmore said. “This growth has come from additional gifts as well as prudent investing.”

For FY 13, the Foundation distributed $1.1 million for scholarships, academic and facilities support, and other types of program support. More than $400,000 of this amount went to scholarships, Dr. Ellmore said. The Foundation has awarded just over $500,000 for scholarships for FY 14, he said          

To learn more about the Stockton Foundation, click here.
 

Nursing Program Celebrates Graduates’ High Licensure Pass Rate

Stockton’s Nursing Program recently announced excellent results in the college’s nursing graduate licensure pass rate for 2013. The pass rate for first-time test-takers who took the exam in 2013 was 96.55 percent, with a total of 29 students taking the exam.

“It is indeed a pleasure to work with such talented faculty and students. All of this translates to the wonderful passing rates we have enjoyed since the beginning. Just last year our passing rate was 100 percent,” said Dr. Linda Aaronson, coordinator of the Nursing Program.

For entry into the nursing program, students undergo a rigorous application process. The program receives hundreds of applicants for 36 seats per year. The program’s curriculum focuses on advancing skills necessary to practice as a professional nurse. Stockton’s program draws students from throughout the state and graduates are employed all over New Jersey and in other states. Most students are employed within weeks of seeking a job.

To view Stockton’s Nursing Program brochure, click here.

Hammonton, Manahawkin Sites Mark Achievements in First Year

Kramer Hall Instructional Site, located at 30 Front St.,  Hammonton, NJ.

Stockton’s Kramer Hall and Manahawkin Instructional Sites reported significant achievements in their first year in operation, including doubling enrollment and numerous community engagement initiatives.

In its first semester, Spring 2013, Kramer Hall offered 11 courses that yielded over 100 student enrollments, according to Dr. Eileen Conran-Folks, manager of Instructional Sites.

The Summer 2013 sessions brought another success, yielding 113 students enrolled in six different courses. By Fall 2013, with the addition of several graduate and hybrid courses, enrollment more than doubled to 265 students, Dr. Conran-Folks said.

In addition to academics, Kramer Hall hosted over 200 programs and events that spanned educational, cultural, community and professional development seminars.

Manahawkin Instructional Site, located at 712 East Bay Ave.,  Manahawkin, NJ.

The college looks forward to continued opportunities for growth in Hammonton:

• A formal partnership with Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC) is scheduled to commence in Fall 2014, allowing ACCC students to take academic courses at Kramer Hall.
   
• Kramer Hall also plans to expand its “Miniversity” program, a non-credit life skills session designed for local high school students. Workshop topics will be shaped from focus groups currently scheduled with students from Hammonton High School.
   
• Michael Cagno, executive director of the Noyes Museum of Art, and Denise McGarvey, professional services specialist with the School of Arts and Humanities, oversee the installation of art exhibits at Kramer Hall’s Art Gallery. “The exhibits are a true magnet, routinely drawing in local Hammontonians, emerging artists from Philadelphia and Delaware, as well as local high school and college students interested in the art,” Dr. Conran-Folks said.

The Manahawkin Instructional Site significantly increased enrollment in the 2012-2013 school year.

Under the direction of Michele Collins-Davies, operations manager, the site offered seven courses with 130 students enrolled. Following Superstorm Sandy, the Spring 2013 semester still managed to enroll 121 students in 10 different courses. By Fall of 2013, Manahawkin enrollment increased to 230 students registered in 13 courses.

In addition to academic offerings, the site hosted over 100 programs and events that spanned co-curricular, continuing education, professional seminars and community-based events.

The Manahawkin Instructional Site partners with nearly a dozen external organizations, including the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, Meridian Health and Ocean County College.

“We accomplish this collaboration through educational programs offered on site, as well as service learning, volunteer efforts and guest speakers throughout the year,” said Collins-Davies. “With the commitment of our dedicated faculty, staff and students, we are able to bring Stockton’s talents into our surrounding community.”

To view the 2012-2013 Annual Report for the Kramer Hall and Manahawkin Instructional Sites, click here.
 

Stockton Partners with AtlantiCare to Create New MBA Program

The School of Business and the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies have kicked off a new Master’s in Business Administration program aimed at AtlantiCare managers.

“AtlantiCare wanted a cohort based, on-site program targeted to their managers,” explained Dean Janet Wagner of the School of Business. She added that this is a first for a grad program.

The first group of 16 AtlantiCare managers is taking two MBA classes a semester for six semesters starting this spring and finishing in Fall 2015. Each class meets once a week at 6 p.m. in the Mainland AtlantiCare facility.

“The AtlantiCare program is a great example of what can come out of a community partnership,” said Dean Wagner. “We are providing Stockton’s tried-and-true MBA program, with the instructors all customizing their content to the particular health-care setting.”

The MBA program will be jointly managed by Graduate Studies and the School of Business. Dean Wagner, Dean Lewis Leitner of Graduate and Continuing Studies, Esther Lawrence, assistant dean, School of Business, and Amy Beth Glass, assistant dean, Graduate and Continuing Studies will work together to oversee the program.

“Working within one specific institution, will mean that what’s learned in the classroom on Monday may well show up in practice by Wednesday,” Dean Wagner said. “We’re very pleased that AtlantiCare picked Stockton for this exciting initiative.”

To learn more, visit the School of Business and School of Graduate and Continuing Studies websites.

Noyes Museum Earns Grant for Children’s MosAiC Mural Project

The Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton College has been awarded a $15,000 grant by the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey in support of its “MosAiC Peace Project.”  The project will bring together southern New Jersey artists and children from the Boys and Girls Club, Covenant House and schools in Atlantic City, to create a series of large-scale mosaic murals centered on the theme of bringing peace to the city. 

The murals will be installed at The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton College, located at 2200 Fairmount Ave., in the heart of the new Atlantic City Arts District.  

In a series of workshops scheduled to take place between February and June this year, children will have significant input into the design of their murals, and will work together in small groups with the artist and other volunteers to create them, according to Noyes Executive Director Michael Cagno. 

The Noyes Museum plans to have completed murals installed and on-view for the public in June.
 

College Participates in American Heart Association’s 'Go Red for Women' in February

Members of the Stockton community participate in the AHA’s 'National Wear Red Day' to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke.

Stockton participated in the American Heart Association’s national awareness campaign, "Go Red for Women" in February, holding a variety of events from Feb. 4-20 for members of the college community and the public.

“Stockton has been involved in the American Heart Association’s 'Go Red for Women' efforts for the past three years,” said Mrs. Dot Saatkamp, who spearheaded the college’s efforts. “Our goal is to help raise awareness in the fight against heart disease and stroke. If we save just one life, our efforts will have been worthwhile.”

More American women die from heart disease than from all forms of cancer combined. 

For more than 10 years, the American Heart Association has sponsored "National Wear Red Day." This year it was held on Feb. 7, when members of the Stockton community wore red and formed a heart shape for a photo taken in the Campus Center.

That day, Stockton offered free fitness tests and blood pressure screenings. Other events for the “Go Red for Women” campaign included: “Taking Control of Your Health,” an introductory session conducted by Angela A. Bailey of the Cape Atlantic Coalition for Healthand, “Staying Happy and Healthy as You Age,” conducted by Maryann Prudhomme, R.N., and “Managing Stress Through Meditation,” conducted by Stockton health educator Luanne Anton.

Stockton was recently named by U.S. News & World Report as among the top 6 “Up and Coming” universities in the North and recognized for “making the most promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, and student life.” To view the U.S News and World Report rankings, click here.