Just one year after its centennial, Rowan University proudly welcomed over 3,100 freshman students and over 5,300 transfer students to its Glassboro campus this fall. This marks the largest class in the university’s history, especially significant considering that 101 years ago, Glassboro Normal School, at the time a small teachers’ college, welcomed only 236 women into their first freshman class.

As students grow, so do campus buildings, programs, and expansion within the university. Between the new construction of the new Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine last spring, and the donations and development of the Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing & Health Professions. The university also has expanded from its original home in Glassboro to several branch campuses throughout the South Jersey region. 

Just this summer, just across the bridge, The University of the Arts in Philadelphia experienced the opposite effect, closing down entirely. To have a record number of students is unique and impressive, and Rowan is lucky to be able to bring new students, new ideas, and diverse perspectives to the table.

While this feat is an accomplishment that brings great pride to the Rowan community, the rapid growth may simultaneously bring along some unprecedented challenges. Challenges that the university should be prepared to address. 

With construction being done on both the Campbell Library and Chamberlain Student Center, the center of campus is still largely inaccessible to students. Both buildings are placed in the center of campus– having the space in between buildings blocked off eliminates several walking routes to class buildings and campus amenities like the Rec Center or dining halls. 

As far as the Student Center goes– with initial promises of completion being done by Fall 2023, which then shifted to the beginning of Fall 2024, the building is still far from finished. Additional dining options, such as a second Saxbys location, are also a part of this renovation. More students means more meal plans and larger quantities of food needed to accommodate them. However, currently, the university has yet to open these new dining options that come with the renovation, while having a larger volume of students. 

As reported in Rowan Today, approximately 2,450 of these freshman students are residing on campus, in first-year dormitories and residence halls. With more students to accommodate, previously closed residence halls are now open and housing the freshman class. These include Mullica Hall and Evergreen Hall, which have received mixed reviews from freshman students. 

As far as students who commute to campus are concerned, with a larger number of students attending in-person classes, this leads to an influx of cars that need parking spots. Not only does this increase traffic, but it leads to fewer spots in university commuter lots. Last semester, it was also reported that Glassboro would eliminate all of its free parking spaces, making street parking for commuters less accessible as well.

With a larger number of students, Rowan should also be prepared when it comes to mental health, and resources for students especially as we enter “The Red Zone,” which is the period of time from the beginning of the fall semester to Thanksgiving break, when over 50% of collegiate sexual assault cases occur. Freshmen are typically the most vulnerable– and with more first-year students this number will likely increase as well.

Despite the downsides that come with a spike in enrollment, there are also several plus sides. With more students, new viewpoints will be brought to class discussion, new innovative ideas will develop as a result of higher education, and collaboration between peers will flourish. As the campus grows, so will the people attending– inside and outside of the classroom. 

There are also a number of resources and solutions that may pacify the scale at which some of the obstacles will impact the average student experience. These include but are not limited to: 

• The Wellness Center’s counseling options, one of which is Uwill, a virtual platform free and available to all students.
• Glassboro businesses that accept Rowan Bucks for students with meal plans. 
• Rowan’s chapter of It’s on Us, a student organization dedicated to preventing sexual assault and providing support to survivors. 

With any type of expansion, new challenges and setbacks will arise. Some can be anticipated and some cannot. At the end of the day, it is the opinion of The Whit Staff that the growth of our campus is an exciting advancement– one which should be celebrated, but in order to enjoy all of the benefits that this growth offers, it’s important that students know the resources available to them.

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