Just six months after signing its partnership agreement, Rowan College at Burlington County welcomed the first onsite presence of Rowan University to Mt. Laurel where it will begin onsite classes in January.
“Our teams have been working every day to make this partnership a success,” RCBC President Paul Drayton said. “The first Rowan University courses in Mt. Laurel will begin next month and we are proud to name the first Rowan Relations Coordinator who will be responsible for ensuring students seamlessly connect from Rowan College at Burlington County to Rowan University.”
The Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees appointed Alexandra O’Neil the first Rowan Relations Coordinator at its November meeting. The position is jointly funded by the college and university to advise students interested in the Rowan connection and serve as liaison between the two institutions.
“The success of the partnership relies on students flowing smoothly from Rowan College at Burlington County to Rowan University,” said Rowan University President Dr. Ali Houshmand. “We are very pleased with the enormous progress the joint RCBC/Rowan University implementation team has have made in a few months. We look forward beginning instruction next month and bringing many more outstanding Rowan University degree programs to Mt. Laurel as quickly as possible.”
The connection between RCBC and Rowan University is the latest student success initiative implemented by the new division of Enrollment Management and Student Success under the leadership of Vice President Michael Cioce.
O’Neil has served in the division as a transfer advisor — a position she has held since 2009 and has helped countless students continue their education from RCBC to outstanding four-year colleges such as Rowan University.
“Students need the correct academic, transfer and financial advising from the moment they walk in the door through graduation,” Cioce said. “Alexandra possesses the right mix of experience, knowledge and creativity and will be a large reason why this partnership will be so successful.”
O’Neil is a National Certified Counselor, a member of the National Academic Advising Association, and holds certification in K-12 New Jersey School Counseling. She earned her Master of Arts in counseling from The College of New Jersey, where she was a member of the Chi Sigma Iota honor society for students, professional counselors and counselor educators. She also has a psychology degree from Rutgers University.
Starting January 2016, the university’s Bachelor of General Studies program — aimed toward working adults seeking to return to college — will be the first program offered on campus, with courses on business ethics and writing in the workplace. Bachelor’s degree completion programs in psychology, and law and justice are also available now in online formats. Those areas are also two of 11 programs available completely online from RCBC’s award-winning distance learning program.
Registration information for the Rowan Connection, can be found at rcbc.edu/rowan.
Future Rowan University programs slated to come to Mt. Laurel include electrical and computer engineering, computing and informatics, mechanical engineering, liberal studies, nursing and a master’s in STEM education with certifications in math or physical science.
As part of the historic agreement, RCBC students can be accepted into most university programs upon graduation. The university is offering a 15 percent discount to programs offered online and on the Mt. Laurel campus that makes it possible to earn Rowan University degree for around $30,000, or less after financial aid and scholarships.
The university’s onsite office is currently located in the TEC building. In 2017, Rowan University and all other onsite university partners will be included in the new student success center, which is being built as the centerpiece of the modernized Mt. Laurel campus.
