On the evening of Sept. 16, 2024, the Rowan Student Government Association (SGA) held its first meeting of the semester in Pfleeger Concert Hall. President Ali A. Houshmand and Glassboro Mayor John E. Wallace III addressed the progress the university has made, and Recording Secretary Justus French gave an update on the Student Center expansion. 

Zachary Brown, SGA’s President, called the meeting to order and introduced Mayor John Wallace of Glassboro.

“This is kind of exciting for me because, over the past couple of years, I’ve been doing my best to try to get before you – the student body just so you can put a name to the face, know that you are welcome here around town. I’m here to tell you that if you are a student of Rowan University and are in the borough of Glassboro you are a member of the Glassboro family and will always be a member of the Glassboro family,” said Wallace. 

Mayor Wallace also encouraged students to get involved in the political happenings around the borough of Glassboro.

“As a student and with regard to government I invite you all to come out and see how we do and how we govern, come to our council meetings if you’d like, get involved and touch base with us about the committees, how we can better suit you all as students and how you as a student could better help integrate between the students and the borough,” said Wallace. “We have a wonderful town-and-gown relationship and I want to continue it forward. I again commend all of you who are in service to the university to keep up the good work.”

Ezekiel Abrams, SGA’s Executive Vice President, spoke to first-year students becoming involved in the on-campus events and club meetings before he introduced President Hushmand. He also praised the SGA for giving out $316,000 in student emergency funding in the first two weeks of the semester. 

“First-year students have been phenomenal coming out and participating in events. We had a great orientation and we had a great first flight,” said Abrams. “SGA should be very proud– we have now given out in student emergency funds just this semester alone for the first two weeks $316,000. I want to recognize the student government for that but I also want to recognize Dr. Houshmand and the board of trustees- it truly is student voice speaking and visionary leadership listening.”

President Ali Houshmand addressed the SGA and the student body with praise and a strong call to action. He started by sharing where the University has been, and how far it has come in the last 18 years since he has been President.

President Houshmand spoke about the lack of safety in the Glassboro area, especially where Rowan Boulevard stands today. He explained that there were only five or six businesses around Glassboro 22 years ago. 

“It wasn’t safe. That’s all I can tell you, and it wasn’t generating any revenue for the town. It was a bad situation. We bought all of those homes, leveled them, and began a half-a-million-dollar project we call Rowan Boulevard. And that was the birth of this institution,” said President Houshmand. 

At the time President Houshmand started eighteen years ago, Rowan only offered up to a master’s level of education. 

“I was second or third choice for many students in the state,” President Houshmand said. “18 years later it is now I think ranked 88 in the nation amongst the public research universities. This year we have achieved the schools for the research one of the highest classifications of Carnegie.”

According to Rowan Today, Rowan is currently ranked a “Carnegie R2 Doctoral University with high research activity.”

“I told you these things so that you can feel the power of progress and collaboration. I learned from that that if you work together and you find like-minded people who are willing to work with you for the public good great things happen,” said President Houshmand. “I am standing here and I see more than 200 of you and I am so enormously delighted because that tells me that you care about your own life and your own education. you are in this institution- the reason that we exist, the reason that I have a job is because of you. So really I want you to think that much of yourself. Demand excellence from us. You are my boss. If you don’t show up we have a university except it is not a functioning university without you we don’t exist so think very highly of yourself and demand the best.” 

The meeting then switched gears to Awards of Commendation which are awards given to on-campus organizations and clubs that serve the Rowan community and some business affairs. 

Some of the groups recognized for Awards of Commendation included The Whit, The Men of Color Alliance (MOCA), Rowan’s Chapter of the NAACP, and SOUL (Shades of Unified Love).

SGA’s Recording Secretary Justus French also gave students a hopeful update on the expansion of the Student Center.

“Next, the construction of the Student Center Expansion is progressing well, and we expect to be able to use the space during this semester prior to the end of it,” said French.

SGA’s next Senate meeting will take place on Monday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Eynon Ballroom.

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