Welcome Back Students

January 20, 2026

Dear Students,

Welcome back. I hope your break was restful and that you're ready for what's ahead.

Something's happening here. You can feel it on campus, in the caliber of your classmates, in the recognition Rutgers is earning nationally. Before the semester gets busy, I want to tell you directly: you're at the center of it.

This fall, Rutgers–New Brunswick welcomed its largest incoming class ever—one marked by extraordinary talent, ambition, and promise. Our momentum continues in other areas of the university as well: research funding has reached record levels, and our national rankings have risen significantly over the last four years. Even more important, our success occurred as we deepened our commitment to access and opportunity. We remain one of the most diverse flagship universities in the country, with more than a quarter of students receiving Pell Grants—a reflection of our commitment to academic excellence and our public mission.

This means something concrete for you: an elite education built on rigor, not exclusivity, and a degree that's worth more today than it was four years ago.

You're part of what's driving this momentum. Every time you push yourself in the classroom, engage in undergraduate research, serve communities across New Jersey, or help a fellow student find their footing, you strengthen New Jersey's flagship university.

This semester, we're continuing to invest in your success. For example:

• Through the Student Success Innovation Hub, we're identifying who needs support earlier and connecting them with completion coaches, emergency funding, and clearer pathways to graduation;
• We’re expanding research opportunities in areas where Rutgers is building national leadership—AI and data science, life sciences, climate and energy, behavioral health;
• And we're building more communities of belonging, spaces where you can connect, thrive, and graduate into lives of meaning and impact.

Rutgers is rising. And you're rising with it.

So, here's my challenge: make the most of this semester. Take the class that stretches you. Seek out the research opportunity, the internship, the conversation with a professor. Show up for each other.

What you do this spring becomes part of the story we're telling—about what's possible when a university refuses to choose between access and excellence.

I can’t wait to see what you accomplish.

Warmly,

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