Welcome to Fall 2023!

August 29, 2023

Dear Rutgers–New Brunswick Community,

Welcome (back) to the Banks of the Old Raritan!

The start of the academic year offers opportunities for renewal and reflection. It is a time to set new goals for personal and professional growth, make new connections, discover new knowledge and skills, and help improve the world through our mission of education, research, and service.

To our new students: Congratulations on joining Rutgers–New Brunswick! You have entered a community of some 46,000 students—and upon graduation, will join our distinguished alums who are Scarlet Knights forever. You have earned your place here, and you belong. I invite you to make the best of this new beginning by joining our Welcome Week activities, which include New Student Convocation and Scarlet Carnivale on Thursday, August 31, and more special events through Friday, September 8.

To all community members—faculty, staff, and students: This is a community in which each of us—each of you—can thrive and feel that same sense of belonging. Each individual contributes uniquely to our inclusive community, a mosaic of diverse interests, academic aspirations, and engagement for a better tomorrow.

I invite all community members to join me in a one-week Chancellor’s Compassion Challenge starting Friday, September 1.

How? It’s simple: Each day, for the next seven days, show one act of kindness to someone and note how you feel. Offer to help a student or colleague in need. Forgive someone who has wronged you. Notice and express gratitude for someone’s hard work. Once you look, you will find many opportunities to give kindness in large and small ways. Feel free to share your stories with me at nbchancellor@rutgers.edu.

And why? Also simple: Developing a compassionate mindset and prosocial attitudes is associated with reduced stress and a greater sense of contentment, purpose, and well-being. Situations that bother you will become less bothersome—and you’ll discover new insights to resolve them.

If you are ever in need, remember that Rutgers–New Brunswick is committed to fostering a healthy campus and community. Students can click here for health and wellness resources—and find the full breadth of our Student Success resources here. Faculty and staff can find well-being resources here. Our ScarletWell initiative, noted below, will include a sharper focus on mental health and wellness.

This year, I look forward to sharing with you the progress we have made toward realizing the initiatives of the Academic Master Plan (AMP)—our roadmap to the future based on the strengths, opportunities, and values expressed by our campus community across Four Pillars of Excellence: Scholarly Leadership, Innovative Research, Student Success, and Community Engagement.

AMP implementation teams of faculty, staff, students, and administrators have shown steadfast dedication to developing our strategic priorities and initiatives, including those listed below. We will update you on their progress in the coming weeks and welcome your input.

• Discovery Advantage is an AMP initiative that will holistically reimagine the student experience—from enrollment to retention and graduation—to ensure students are supported in their well-being and sense of belonging; and are prepared to succeed in their academic and co-curricular pursuits and the real world.
• ScarletWell is a public health and prevention-focused approach to mental health and wellness for students, faculty, and staff; and a strategy for establishing our institution as a center of excellence in behavioral health.
• Our Faculty Development initiatives include the Center for Faculty Success, which will soon open its new physical center at 24 College Avenue, and the ongoing analysis of our 2023 faculty job satisfaction survey conducted in partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE).
• The Chancellor Challenge invites members of our scholarly community to propose transformational, campus-wide, and interdisciplinary research initiatives. The Chancellor will invest $15 million over five years to build interdisciplinary scholarship and scholarly communities to serve the common good.
• Our Student Success initiatives connect students with the support they need to achieve on-time graduation with minimal debt. They also expand access to higher education through programs such as the Garden State Guarantee and Scarlet Guarantee.

I could not serve our institution without you—our faculty, students, staff, and administrators. As we reflect on our goals during this renewal season, let us all strive to make positive impacts for our mission of excellence in education, research, and service.

I wish every Scarlet Knight a joyful, fulfilling, and transformative academic year. I look forward to seeing how your ideas and voices will enrich our community.

Sincerely,

Francine Conway, Ph.D.
Chancellor and Distinguished Professor
Rutgers University–New Brunswick