3+1 To Save Students Up To $30,000

Beginning in September, a new “3+1” option with Rowan University and premier partner Rowan College at Gloucester County (RCGC) offers yet another viable alternative for students seeking to earn a bachelor’s degree and save money.

Approved by the N.J. Presidents’ Council in June and granted full regulatory authorization in July, the “3+1” option now allows students to take 300-level classes at RCGC. Students complete three years of coursework at RCGC and their senior year at Rowan University, earning a four-year degree for less than $30,000. Junior-year courses —with a community college price tag—are taught by advanced–degree faculty. Both Rowan University President Ali Houshmand and RCGC President Frederick Keating, chair of the State’s College Affordability Study Commission, continue to investigate innovative ways to help reduce college debt.

“These partnerships were formed in the best interest of students and there is no better example than this new ‘3+1’ opportunity that reduces the total cost of a bachelor’s degree to far less than what many universities charge for a single year,” said Houshmand. “We are bringing high quality education within reach to many families in our region.”

For more stories about RCGC, scroll down:

“Horsing Around” Leads Alumna Fallon Duffy To Veterinary School
RCGC Process Technology Associate Degree And Scholarship

RCGC became the University’s premier partner in 2014 with the forethought to create high-quality, affordable paths to a bachelor’s degree. The Rowan “3+1” option is the latest in a series of partnership programs designed to help save students money. Eligible programs offered include Communications (Radio/Television/Film), Law and Justice, Liberal Studies, Nursing and Psychology. In January, the Rowan “3+1” option was featured in Money Magazine as one of the top college affordability initiatives in the country.

“RCGC has worked very closely to align our curriculum with Rowan University to ensure that these degrees can be completed in four years. Students will be prepared to enter their careers more quickly, and without the burden of high college debt,” stated Keating. “Highly-qualified faculty with master’s and doctoral degrees will provide superior instruction from freshman to senior year.”

“This is an amazing opportunity for students to earn a degree from a highly respected research university. At a cost more comparable to a car payment than a mortgage, the new ‘3+1’ option is an excellent investment for students looking to the future,” noted Vice President of Academic Services Dr. Linda Hurlburt.

“Horsing Around” Leads Alumna Fallon Duffy To Veterinary School

Fallon Duffy has been “horsing around” for years. In January, it will have all paid off. The Rowan College at Gloucester County (RCGC) graduate will achieve her childhood dream when she travels to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts to begin her studies at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Duffy, who grew up surrounded by animals — dogs, cats, horses, goats and rabbits — was a 4-H member, a regular at local horse shows and knows her way around a barn. At her parents’ four-acre home in Sewell, her twice-a-day routine still includes feeding and watering her two horses.

“I was raised around horses,” said Duffy, a 2013 RCGC equine science major and 2015 Rowan University biology graduate. “After high school, I was accepted to other private universities and wanted to go away to school. Lucky for me, my mother told me about the College’s new Equine Science program and encouraged me to try it out. I really loved the program.”

RCGC’s associate degree in equine science provides students with instruction and practical experience in the management, nutrition, physiology and care of horses with a strong foundation in biological, chemical and business principles. Part of the program’s popular appeal is much of the classroom learning takes place with live animals. Coursework is taught at boarding and show facilities offering students the opportunity for hands-on experiences. Classes meet for laboratory activities at the Gloucester County DREAM Park and other horse farms and facilities, including the South Jersey Thoroughbred Rescue & Adoption, Acadia Farm in Mannington and Ryder’s Lane Farm at Rutgers New Brunswick. Students have direct contact with the horses learning about anatomy and biomechanics, applying leg wraps, giving vaccines, taking temperatures and listening to their heart. Class lab assignments also include dissecting a horse leg and the gastrointestinal tract. Having experience with horses is not a requirement of the program.

“RCGC is a great place to start the journey to veterinary school in an affordable manner, combined with our small class number, distinguished science faculty and firsthand experience with horses,” said Emily Allen, assistant professor of biology. “The College also provides an accessible pathway to veterinary school through our articulation agreement with Ross University.”

“It’s a great program. I have learned so much,” said Duffy, a past recipient of the RCGC Lisa Smalley Equine Science Scholarship. “I recommend RCGC’s Equine Science program to a lot of people who are interested in equine science or going pre-vet but not quite sure. It’s an ideal way to get a feel for it and not pay crazy tuition prices. Professor Allen is a good teacher who cares about this program and is very supportive of her students.”

In July, Duffy traveled to Ross University to tour the school and explore the tropical campus where she will live for seven semesters. After completing 130-credit hours of coursework, she will then transfer for three semesters of clinical training to an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited school in the U.S., Europe or Australia affiliated with Ross University.

Although horses continue to hold a special place in her heart, after volunteering and shadowing at a number of veterinary clinics and animal hospitals Duffy has decided to focus her studies on small animals where there is more of a demand. She currently works at the Regional Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center in Turnersville.

“Fallon has always wanted to become a veterinarian,” said Allen. “It’s wonderful to be a part of her path and to help make her dream a reality.”

RCGC Process Technology Associate Degree And Scholarship

Faculty and staff from Rowan College at Gloucester County (RCGC) and Gloucester County officials joined representatives at the Paulsboro Refining Company to announce a partnership between the organizations that will launch a scholarship and internship program along with a new Process Technology associate degree program.

“Today’s announcement of both the new degree program and the scholarship is the culmination of two years of effort by many different people and it is a fantastic partnership,” remarked Gloucester County Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger. “We are thrilled that a degreed Process Technology program will be available to students for careers in the petroleum and chemical process industries and that Paulsboro Refinery will offer four full scholarships to our residents.”

The partnership is part of a new Process Technology degree program that combines classes taught at RCGC with a hands-on scholarship and internship program made available through the refinery to qualifying students pursing the new degree program. Four scholarships offering 100 percent tuition, fees and books for two academic years will be accessible to RCGC students majoring in Process Technology. Those receiving scholarships will also participate in a 10-week paid summer internship at Paulsboro Refining Company. Non-scholarship students will also be eligible to apply for the internship.

“It has long been our focus at RCGC to not only provide an high-quality, affordable education, but also to ease the transition for our students into the next phase of their lives – be it a continuation of their education at a four-year college or a direct pathway to their chosen career,” said RCGC President Frederick Keating. “This collaboration will provide education and hands-on experience in a field within our local economy, as well as a cost-free education for those selected to receive the scholarship.”

The collaboration between RCGC, Gloucester County and the Paulsboro Refinery was the result of conversations and planning over a period of several years, explained Freeholder Heather Simmons: “When the County’s Workforce Development Board learned that there was a need for this type of training and education in our region, we brought RCGC and Paulsboro Refinery together. The county is grateful to work with RCGC and companies like Paulsboro Refinery because they meet our residents need for quality jobs and access to quality education. Having a trained and skilled workforce is the ingredient to the economic success of our county.”

The Process Technology program is the most recent addition to RCGC’s rapidly-growing selection of majors, options and certification programs. It is designed to prepare students for careers in the petroleum and chemical process industries. The program curriculum will provide students exposure to a scientific background emphasizing hands-on work and critical thinking skills. Students will be able to enroll in the program starting September 2016.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Rowan College at Gloucester County for the purpose of launching the new Process Technology associate degree program,” said Michael Capone, Operations Manager at the refinery. “With this program we can now offer a clear path to great refinery careers without ever leaving Gloucester County. And with the available scholarships, there are very real opportunities to get great paying jobs with outstanding benefits and in a very economical way.”