As undergrad enrollment slips, Rutgers-Camden plans to push harder with potential area students.

Facing declining undergraduate enrollment, Rutgers University in Camden, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026, will push to recruit more students from area schools, according to the university's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan released last week.

The goal is to increase overall enrollment by 9.5% over the five-year period to 6,334 from 5,784 today, the plan notes.

Undergraduates totaled 3,928 in 2023, down 32% from a seven-year peak of 5,776 in 2018, according to a separate university report. The number of graduate students is at the highest in seven years: 1,854.

A goal toward "internationalization" of the campus will restructure international admissions to more aggressively recruit students from other countries.

Rutgers will work over the next five years to "build a culture in which all students can grow and thrive," including fostering a sense of belonging, according to the plan. 

Retention will be targeted with a best-practices, first-year course including peer ambassador assistance from other students. Part of the plan is to "develop traditions that engage students and alumni."

An emphasis on "career readiness" includes maintaining an inventory of businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and other employers to explore more student internships and adding increased opportunities for study abroad, the plan states.

Among the most-requested academic changes from those who participated in information-gathering for the plan was a desire for more Ph.D programs, including one in computer science. Many asked for more online courses. Others mentioned a need for dental and pharmacy programs. 

The plan cites the affordability of Rutgers-Camden.

"With an ardent dedication to making education affordable, students successfully completing our undergraduate, academic graduate, and professional degree granting programs do so, comparatively, with little to no debt," Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis wrote in his strategic plan message.

In the 2023-24 school year, Rutgers University-Camden's full-year tuition for commuting undergraduates is $13,674 plus $3,405 in fees — a total of $17,079, according to the school's website. About nine out of 10 students receive some level of financial aid, the website notes.

The university reported that 77.8% of the students who apply are accepted and that the graduation rate for first-year undergraduates is 38.7%. For transfer students, it is much higher at 70.7%.

Jane Siegel, a professor of criminal justice, and Marsha Lowery, vice chancellor for student academic success, co-chaired the Strategic Planning Committee, which consisted of faculty, students and staff. The research process began in September 2022.

The five "pillars," or value propositions, in the plan are: 

• Innovation in academic excellence
• Transformative student success
• Holistic student experience
• Beloved Camden community
• Internationalism