A Comprehensive Look at Rowan University Athletics History

Rowan University is a public research university with campuses in Glassboro, Stratford, and Camden, New Jersey. The university's athletic program has a rich and evolving history, reflecting the institution's overall growth and transformation. This article delves into the athletic history of Rowan University, tracing its evolution and highlighting key achievements.

Early Years and Transformation

Originally known as Glassboro Normal School (1923-1937), the institution was established to address a shortage of adequately trained teachers in New Jersey. Glassboro was chosen as the location due to its accessibility via passenger rail and the donation of 25 acres of land. The institution underwent several name changes, becoming New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro (1937-1958) and Glassboro State College (1958-1992), before finally becoming Rowan College of New Jersey (1992-1997) and ultimately Rowan University.

Rowan University's athletic program has grown in prominence alongside the academic expansion. As a member of the NCAA in Division III, competing in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), the sports teams at Rowan University have achieved success on a national level.

Key Moments and Achievements

Several key moments define Rowan University's athletic history:

Early Successes: The college was one of the first in the country to begin programs for teachers for reading disabilities and physical therapy in 1935 and 1944, respectively. Glassboro State began to develop a reputation as a leader in special education.

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Name Change and Expansion: In 1992, president Herman James oversaw the development of Glassboro State College into what would eventually become Rowan University. Industrialist Henry M. Rowan, Jr., and his wife donated $100 million to the college, which later changed its name to Rowan College of New Jersey in his honor. The gift stipulated that the college open a College of Engineering, allowing the college to expand its course and curriculum offerings to the point that it became a full-fledged university, achieving that status in 1997.
National Championships: The women's field hockey team won the national championship in 2002 and had a perfect season of 21 wins and no losses. The men's basketball team won the national title in 1996. The baseball team has won the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1978 and 1979.
Men's Soccer Dominance: The men's soccer team has made the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament 24 times, resulting in seven trips to the national semifinals. Rowan men's soccer has won national titles in both 1981 and 1990, finished second in 1979 and 2000, and third in 1980, 1985, and 1998.
Baseball Team Success: The baseball team has made appearances in the NCAA Division III World Series in 2004, 2005, and 2021.

Athletic Facilities

Rowan University provides dedicated facilities for its various sports teams:

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The football, field hockey, and track & field teams compete at John Page Memorial Field at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium.
The basketball, volleyball, and swimming & diving teams call Esbjornson Gymnasium home.
Women's lacrosse and the men's and women's soccer teams play at the Rowan Soccer and Lacrosse Complex.
The baseball and softball teams have their own, dedicated facilities on campus.

The northern portion of the West Campus expansion currently contains the South Jersey Technology Park as well as room for future expansion; the southern portion of the West Campus expansion will accommodate both academic and athletic facilities. Rowan University broke ground for the South Jersey Technology Park (SJTP) on April 10, 2006. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) gave Rowan University $5.8 million to combine with $1.5 million from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, $1 million from Samuel H. Jones, and $1 million from Rowan itself. SJTP is planned to be a 188 acres (76 ha) site which will serve as an establishment for science and technology companies as well as academics. It is planned to have 25 buildings to provide competitively priced Class "A" facilities for budding entrepreneurs, start-up and established companies. The first building, the Samuel H.

Transformation to Rowan University

In 1992, president Herman James oversaw the development of Glassboro State College into what would eventually become Rowan University. This transformation came about because of what was then the largest single gift to a public college or University in history. Industrialist Henry M. Rowan, Jr., a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology class of 1947, and his wife donated $100 million to the college, which later changed its name to Rowan College of New Jersey in his honor. The gift stipulated that the college open a College of Engineering, allowing the college to expand its course and curriculum offerings to the point that it became a full-fledged university, achieving that status in 1997. This status was given by the State of New Jersey based on Rowan University's doctoral degree program, the Ed.D.

Following James' retirement as president in 1998, Donald J. Farish was chosen to succeed him and began further expansion on the Glassboro campus, opening a modern Science Hall in 2003 and a building to house the College of Education in 2005. The presidency of Donald Farish was noted for a continued crackdown on the university's partying culture, which declined alongside a rise in SAT scores and class rank among the incoming freshman classes. The crackdown on the partying culture began in earnest in 2002 with the official banning of kegs for use by Greek letter organizations.

Campus Life and Student Activities

Rowan University offers a vibrant campus life with a variety of activities and organizations:

Dining: The Chamberlain Student Center is the main location for dining on campus. Dining options include the Owl's Nest restaurant, Peet's Coffee, Grill Nation, Jersey Mike's Subs, Freshens, Sono, Crust, Chef Jet, Smoked, Breakfast & Co., Bowl Life, Pop Up, and the Marketplace convenience store.
Media: Rowan University hosts the award-winning Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM, which began in 1964. Additionally, the Rowan Television Network (RTN) is a student-run closed-circuit television station. The Whit has served as the campus newspaper since 1938. Another mainstay campus publication is Avant, a student-led literary magazine. Image is the annual Rowan yearbook. Other campus publications include Halftone, an online magazine focusing on entertainment and pop culture, and At My Whit's End, a zine published by the Writing Arts Club. Venue was a long-running alternative, uncensored student publication focusing on campus opinions and humor, initially formed in 1968 with a heavy political focus.
Housing: Rowan provides housing for over 6,500 students in 13 University owned housing complexes and 5 affiliated housing units. Students have a choice between halls, apartments, or townhouses. Full-time, non-commuter students are required to live in on-campus until the completion of their sophomore year, and are thus guaranteed on-campus housing during this time. There are seven freshman residence halls and five for upperclassmen.
Clubs and Organizations: Other chartered clubs report to the Student Government Association including the Rowan Television Network, the local PRSSA, the Rowan College Republicans, the Rowan Democratic Club, and The Student University Programmers (SUP).

Continued Growth and Expansion

Dr. Donald J. Farish was appointed Rowan’s sixth president in July 1998. Major construction projects included the University townhouses; Science Hall; Education Hall; and the Samuel H. During his tenure, the University also entered into a public-private partnership that led to the construction of Rowan Boulevard, a $400-million, mixed-use redevelopment project that links the campus with Glassboro’s historic downtown. The corridor features student and market-rate housing, a Barnes & Noble collegiate superstore, a Courtyard at Marriott Hotel, an urgent care center and numerous retail and dining outlets. Rowan continues to expand its programs and partnerships. Among the most recent-and vital to higher education in New Jersey-was its June 2015 partnership with Burlington County College (now Rowan College at Burlington County) to improve access to affordable four-year undergraduate degrees.

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Academics and Rankings

Enrollment at Rowan from the fall semester of 2017 shows 15,401 undergraduates and 2,045 graduate students from 38 states and 34 countries. The overall admission rate is 53.0%. Undergraduates submitting statistics for a data set in 2017 had scores of 530 at the 25th percentile and 630 at the 75th percentile in SAT critical reading and 510 at the 25th percentile and 620 at the 75th percentile for SAT Math.

News & World Report consistently ranks Rowan among the top tier Northern Regional Universities and among the top three public institutions in the category, and includes the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering among the best institutions where the highest engineering degree offered is a bachelor's or master's. The Princeton Review includes the William G.

Safety and Security

On August 12, 1996, 22-year-old Cindy Nannay was fatally shot outside Bozorth Hall by her estranged boyfriend, who then killed himself. Eleven years later, in 2007, another student was murdered on campus. Following Farrell's murder a new campus security initiative was undertaken, starting with a 14-point plan proposed by President Farish.

Medical School Expansion

It was announced on June 26, 2009, that Rowan would be partnering with Cooper University Hospital to create a new four-year medical school to reside on Broadway in Camden. The new school would require no new funding as $28 million would be diverted from UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, which will no longer be associated with Cooper University Hospital after the opening of Cooper Medical School. Rowan University acquired the University of Medicine and Dentistry's (UMDNJ) Stratford-based School of Osteopathic Medicine. Rowan joined Michigan State University as the only institutions in the country to operate both a DO and an MD medical school.

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