Rutgers University in Newark is a Good Neighbor
Do you live near Rutgers University in Newark? Last week, the university was named as one of the 25 “best neighbor schools” in the country. The ranking recognizes colleges and universities that work to expand the economy, renew the culture, and perform other improvements in their host cities.
Rutgers Newark was ranked 23rd in the “Saviors of Our Cities: A Survey of Best College and University Civic Partnerships”. The survey praised Rutgers for its contributions to local arts, supporting small businesses, giving local residents more access to university programs, and establishing other programs that are coordinated by community clinics and the Center for Information Management, Integration, and Connectivity. Rutgers is also working towards transforming Newark’s Washington Square into a contemporary “Greenwich Village”.
The university is definitely planning some big changes for the local community!
The rankings were announced in Philadelphia at the 15th annual conference of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.
“Colleges and universities are doing more and more to support their local communities, and it’s a win-win situation,” said Evan S. Dobelle, president of Westfield State College in Massachusetts, who conducted the survey. “More sophisticated partnerships are emerging that are addressing complex issues such as homelessness and health care, and are serving as catalysts for community change.”
Dobelle conducted the first survey in 2006. He later followed it up with another study this year to evaluate the impact of the recession and to chart the progress of the universities’ efforts to improve the quality of life for their city’s residents. Congratulations, Rutgers, and keep up the good work!
If you’re a resident of Newark, weigh in on the issue. Is Rutgers University really a good neighbor?
Filed in: Local Community Edition.
Rutgers-Newark was built in an “Urban Renewal” site 50 years ago, surrounded by a declining city. Its immediate neighborhood, a national and state historic site, was turned into mostly surface parking lots for the university’s short-sighted land banking practice. Fortunately, in the past a few years, under the leadership of Chancellor Steve Diner, the university has increasingly paid more attention to its urban mission, including the economic revitalization of Newark. It has become clear that Rutgers-Newark’s future depends largely on prosperity of its urban community. However, it still has a long way to go to become a good neighbor like UPenn to its West Philadelphia community. Its culture of a neighborhood bully can still be observed daily from its trucks parked on busy sidewalks outside its physical plant. Its planning still routinely disregards the host city’s ordinances.