Nearly 2,000 students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered in the Campus Center on Feb. 18 to celebrate Stockton University. Click on photo to enlarge.

Stockton University held a campus-wide celebration in the Campus Center on Feb. 18 following the Stockton Board of Trustees’ vote to change Stockton’s official designation and name from that of a college to a university.

Stockton University students, faculty, staff and special guests eagerly watched President Herman Saatkamp, Board of Trustees and staff, standing on the balcony of the Campus Center, slowly unveil a large banner with the new university logo.

The crowd erupted into cheers as confetti drifted during the historic festivities. In between balloons, a sea of cameras and phones captured the first glimpse of the university’s new identity. A special video made for the occasion was aired and attendees received baseball caps with the new logo.

The new name and designation reflect Stockton University’s evolution as a distinguished institution of higher education and recognize Stockton’s growing academic programs of excellence at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels.

“Since its founding in 1969, Stockton has had many names, but one consistent mission: excellence in teaching, dedication to learning, and a tradition of community service,” said President Saatkamp. “In becoming a university, we honor those values while continuing our journey as an environment for excellence and a partner in New Jersey’s social and economic development.”

The change was approved by Rochelle Hendricks, New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education, after research and study by her office and outside consultants, who visited the campus and recommended that Stockton be recognized as a comprehensive university. The Executive Committee of the New Jersey Presidents Council, made up of the presidents of the state’s public, private and community colleges and universities that receive state aid, also voted for the change.

“It was with pleasure that I signed a letter approving Richard Stockton College’s petition to be granted university status and to change its name to Stockton University,” said New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks. “I congratulate the new university and know it will continue its strong commitment to academic excellence.”

Stockton had met the requirements to be designated a university for over five years and already was classified as such by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review.

“The Board of Trustees is very pleased that the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education recognizes Stockton’s academic achievements in designating the college now as Stockton University,” said Dean Pappas, chair of the board. “We are very proud of this milestone. We will continue to focus on providing the best possible education for our students in the most effective manner.”

Click here to access the video and webpage highlighting this historic step in Stockton University’s distinctive history.

Dr. Edward H. Salmon, chairman, Hughes Center Steering Committee; Ambassador William J. Hughes; retired Associate Justice John E. Wallace Jr., of the New Jersey Supreme Court; State Sen. Chris Connors of the 9th District; Carl Archut Jr., president of the Stockton Student Senate; former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean; and President Herman Saatkamp.

Dr. Edward H. Salmon, chairman, Hughes Center Steering Committee; Edward J. Graham, chairman and CEO of South Jersey Industries; and Sharon Schulman, chief executive officer for External Affairs and Institutional Research.

The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy recognized five outstanding New Jerseyans at the 2015 Hughes Center Honors on Feb. 6 at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, NJ.

The Honors are awarded for professional excellence and a commitment to public service, civility and bipartisanship which reflects the life and career of Ambassador William J. Hughes, who served as U.S. ambassador to Panama and as a U.S. congressman for 20 years.

The honorees included former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean who received the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award; retired Associate Justice John E. Wallace Jr., of the New Jersey Supreme Court, who received the Civility in Government and Politics Award; State Sen. Chris Connors of the 9th District, a 1978 Business Administration alumnus, who received the Distinctive Alumni Leadership Award; Edward J. Graham, chairman and CEO of South Jersey Industries, who received the Excellence in Civic Engagement Award; and Carl Archut Jr., president of the Stockton Student Senate and a junior pursuing a degree in Liberal Studies with concentrations in Leadership and Hospitality Management, who received the Distinctive Student Leadership Award.

“The Hughes Center promotes the civic life of our community through engagement, education and research. These five New Jerseyans are examples of civic engagement that others should look to for inspiration,” said Daniel Douglas, director of the Hughes Center. 

Emmanuel Anyanwu was also awarded the Hughes Center for Public Policy Washington Internship Scholarship for the spring semester. His internship is with the National Veterans Legal Service in Washington, D.C. Anyanwu is a Political Science major who will graduate this semester.

To view more photos from the Hughes Center Honors, click here.

A scene from the Stockton production of The Courtyard of Miracles. Clockwise: students Ryan Gorman, Nicole Clark, Sean McCoullough, Lynn Favazza and Anthony George.

Stockton University’s Theatre Program presented the world premiere of Demetrios P. Tryphonopoulos’ original translation of Iakovos Kambanellis’ The Courtyard of Miracles Feb. 18-22 on the Galloway campus.

The production of the modern Greek masterpiece was directed by Martha Frintzila, of Athens, Greece. Music for the production was arranged and performed each night by Panagiotis Tsevas, of Athens. Demetrios P. Tryphonopoulos is the dean of arts at Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada.

Written in 1957 by Kambanellis, The Courtyard of Miracles depicts a compelling portrayal of contemporary working-class Greek life, where each of the 11 characters waits for the fulfillment of a personal “miracle.”

One of the most prominent Greek writers of the 20th century, Kambanellis has been compared to Arthur Miller or Tennessee Williams for his use of social realism.

“This is really an amazing opportunity for all of us,” said Pamela Hendrick, professor of Theatre at Stockton, who performed in the production and was one of the producers. “It is a rare experience to be able to work with an original translation and with a director from Greece who can bring so much knowledge to the process.”

Last summer, Hendrick; Dr. Mark Mallett, professor of Theatre; and Dr. David Roessel, professor of Greek Language and Literature; and five students from Stockton’s Theatre and Literature programs traveled to Rhodes, Greece to participate in a script development workshop to review the first draft of the new translation by Tryphonopoulos.

The Stockton group spent six to eight hours a day analyzing the new translation for style and content while Tryphonopoulos made revisions based on the group’s analysis. The intensive process included reading the text out loud and discussing its consistency and playability in terms of character and tone.

Dr. Mallett said many of the students who participated in the script development workshop were also involved in the Stockton production. He said the students benefited enormously from the experience.

“They got a real sense that a script is not just handed to them. It goes through stages of revision just like the actors do each night of rehearsal,” Dr. Mallett said. “The other benefit was the international experience and finally, it’s extremely rare that students get to work with an artist of Martha Frintzila’s caliber. She’s an internationally recognized theatre artist.”

Dr. Mallett said he was honored to be part of the world premiere performance. 

“The production in many ways reflects Stockton Theatre and Stockton University’s commitment to innovation and to pushing the envelope,” said Dr. Mallett, who served as one of the show’s producers, and created the set and lighting design. “It was a wonderful experience to work on the show.”

Stockapella competed in the Varsity Vocals’ International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) Mid-Atlantic quarterfinals on Feb. 14, placing third out of 10 regional schools.

Stockton University hosted one of this year’s Varsity Vocals’ International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) Mid-Atlantic quarterfinals on Feb. 14. For a growing national a cappella community, the ICCA is the most significant yearly event.

“Stockton is relatively new to the ICCAs,” said Dr. Neil Aaronson, associate professor of Physics, who oversees Stockton University’s three student a cappella groups. “Over the past few years, we have been working hard to make a name for ourselves on the a cappella stage, and our work has been paying off.”

Stockapella competed in the event, placing third out of 10 regional schools. Stockton University’s other two a cappella ensembles, Stockata and the Stocktones, served as hosts and emcees.

The group received the Best Choreography award, with moves choreographed by Andrea Mychaels, adjunct instructor in the Dance Program.

“As a cappella becomes more popular at the high school level as well, we hope that our success will help attract new and talented students to Stockton,” Dr. Aaronson said.

The Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center (SRI&ETTC) consortium includes 89 organizations and represents 94,000 preK-12 students and more than 24,000 professional educators. 

During the 2013-2014 school year, a total of 12,664 individuals attended 660 SRI&ETTC workshops.

Housed in Stockton University’s School of Education, the SRI&ETTC provides professional development opportunities for preK-12 educators, technology coordinators, school administrators, and other professionals who offer support services to schools.

To read the entire SRI&ETTC 2013-2014 annual report, click here.