Ramapo College
Encyclopedia
Ramapo College of New Jersey is a public liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...

 and professional studies institution of the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 system of higher education.

Location

A 300 acres (1.2 km²) campus at 505 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 25,890. The name Mahwah is derived from the Lenni Lenape word "mawewi" which means "Meeting Place" or "Place Where Paths Meet".The area that is now Mahwah was...

 (Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...

), one mile (1.6 km) from the intersection of Route 17, U.S. 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....

 and Interstate 287
Interstate 287
Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...

.

History of the College


In the late 19th century the Ramapo Valley became the site for development of estates by many wealthy families. One prominent family was the Havemeyer family who arrived in the 1870s. Theodore, a founder of the American Sugar Company, purchased and renovated a home on Route 202 across from what is now the college and turned his one thousand plus acres into a farm. He then built a mansion for one of his daughters which was completed in 1889. The mansion and about 700 acres were later purchased by Stephen Birch
Stephen Birch
Stephen Birch was the President of the Kennecott Copper Company and one of the most revered business men of his time. “Stephen Birch was one of the thousands who came north in 1898 seeking their fortunes. He found his high in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska. Most sought wealth in gold; Birch...

, President of the Kennecott Copper Company, and eventually became an administration building for Ramapo College.

The Department of Higher Education authorized the decision to establish a new college in Bergen County, due to its increasing population and suburban setting. The criteria for the new college's location, within Bergen County, was that: there needed to be a sufficient amount of land for the construction at the present time as well as for future expansion, and be in close proximity to at least one major highway. The location of existing public and private institutions in the state were also taken into consideration. In addition to middle, upper middle, and lower middle class families, the college would also cater to economically deprived students from urban areas.

With these factors in mind, the choosing of a location for the new college proved to be a difficult task. In fact, George Potter was appointed the first President of the college before a location had been selected. Just as all possible sites seemed to fall through, William Dator, a Mahwah real estate agent, proposed that the estate of Stephen Birch be considered as a possible site for the new college. After many board meetings it was decided that Mahwah would be the location for the new college. Although, the location of the land was a bit more north than originally desired, close access to routes 17 and 287 made the Birch Estate a prime destination.

The site decision had finally been made, but the purchase process ended up taking longer than had been anticipated. "The final settlement on all of the Birch property was not concluded until November 1972 for $3,133,000 or a little over $10,000 an acre (with $215,000 of total going toward the mansion and other site improvements). Thus, the total cost of the land acquisition was nearly $4,000,000 out of the $15,000,000 allocated for building Ramapo College."

The site for the new college was located in scenic and historic Ramapo River Valley with mountains in the background. On the property was the small 18th century Dutch colonial home of pioneer settler Lucas Kiersted which became the residence of President Potter. Running through the college site was Route 202, a road used during the Revolutionary War by Washington and the Continental Army on several occasions and by the French Army en route to the Battle of Yorktown from New England.

Background/Accreditation

Established in 1968 as a state-supported, co-educational, four-year College of liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...

 in 1975. Reaccredited in 1981, 1990, 2000 and 2010. The Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
Council on Social Work Education
The Council on Social Work Education is the national association for social work education in the United States of America.The CSWE sets and maintains standards of courses and accreditation of bachelor's degree's and Master's degree programs in social work.The CSWE specifies foundation social work...

. The Chemistry Program is approved by the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...

 (ACS). The Nursing Program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and the New Jersey Board of Nursing. The Teacher Certification program is approved by the State of New Jersey. Ramapo College is a founding member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges or COPLAC is a consortium of 26 public colleges and universities in 24 states and one Canadian province...

, a national alliance of leading liberal arts colleges in the public sector. The Anisfield School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Enrollment

In fall 2009, nearly 6,026 students attended Ramapo College, including 250 graduate students and 158 undergraduate international students.

Faculty

Ramapo has 213 full-time faculty, of which 95 percent have doctorate or terminal degrees. This faculty is supplemented by adjunct specialists and other visiting scholars.

Degrees offered

Organized into five interdisciplinary schools offering more than 40 programs, the Public College’s offerings are complemented by lectures, performances, and off-campus experiences. Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, the humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences, as well as in professional studies programs such as nursing and social work. Five programs are offered leading to a master’s degree: Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS), Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Master of Science in Educational Technology, Master’s of Science in Nursing Education and a Master of Arts in Sustainability Studies. The college also offers a physician assistant (B.S./M.S.) and physical therapy (B.S./D.P.T.) with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is the state-run health sciences institution of New Jersey, United States. It has eight distinct academic units...

; a B.S./graduate degree program in chemistry with Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

; a B.S./Doctor of Chiropractic with New York Chiropractic College
New York Chiropractic College
New York Chiropractic College is a leading natural healthcare academic institution located in Seneca Falls, NY. It is one of 18 Chiropractic Colleges in the United States. The school was founded in New York City as Columbia Institute of Chiropractic by Dr. Frank Dean in 1919...

; a B.S./D.D.S. and a B.S./D.M.D. with the New York University College of Dentistry
New York University College of Dentistry
The New York University College of Dentistry is one of 14 schools and divisions at New York University. It is located near Manhattan's Midtown area...

 and UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School; a B.S./Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) with SUNY State College of Optometry; and a B.S./Doctor of Osteopathic medicine (D.O.) through UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine
UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine
The School of Osteopathic Medicine is one of eight schools that form the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The school is located in Stratford, New Jersey, United States...

 (SOM).

Facilities

The campus includes modern academic buildings with computer centers, a student life building with an FM radio station, student offices, cafeteria, entertainment and meeting rooms; a library with electronic research facilities; an administration building; athletic playing fields and 12 lighted tennis courts.

The Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts houses performance theaters, art galleries and specialized spaces devoted to fine arts, computer art, photography, theater, dance and music. The Berrie Center includes a number of art galleries that are aligned with the School of Contemporary Arts and display a wide variety of art including faculty artwork and international collections. The visual arts faculty uses the exhibitions as an educational tool to illustrate the creative process to students. The art galleries include the Kresge Gallery, Pascal Gallery, Selden Rodman Gallery, Potter Library Gallery, and the Photo Lounge Gallery. The Potter Library Galleries showcase regional artists and student work.

A campus-wide building program during recent years has resulted in the completion of the Anisfield School of Business
Anisfield School of Business
The Anisfield School of Business is a business education institution located at Ramapo College of New Jersey. By educating students through business disciplines and liberal arts, the school has been a fixture at Ramapo College since 1979....

, designed by local firm SNS Architects & Engineers, PC http://www.sns-arch-eng.com, which opened in Fall 2007 and the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation center with its 2,200-seat arena, fitness center, climbing wall, dance/aerobics studio, gymnasium and indoor swimming pool. The center has also been used for live music. A new synthetic outdoor running track was laid down in the summer of 2008, and further refurbishments to the main athletic stadium are ongoing. Three residence halls, the Overlook and Laurel Hall, and the Village, an apartment-style complex, were also completed. A groundbreaking ceremony took place for the Sustainability Education Center. The Salameno Spiritual Center is now open.

Dr. Peter Philip Mercer became the College’s fourth president on July 1, 2005. The College is governed by a Board of Trustees who are appointed by the Governor of the State. A. J. Sabath '93 is the chairman of the board.

The school has an independent FM radio station, WRPR 90.3 FM
WRPR
WRPR is a freeform student radio station. Licensed to Mahwah, New Jersey, United States. The station is currently owned by Ramapo College of New Jersey.Its calls were assigned on October 9, 1979, and it began broadcasting on 1980-07-15....

, a free-form station featuring numerous genres and talk shows.

The Roukema Center for International Education is located in the Anisfield School of Business. Here, advisement is given for those students who want to study abroad. There are more than 50 countries in Ramapo's study abroad program.

Athletics

Ramapo College boasts 8 men's teams and 12 woman's teams. The college is Division III. Men's sports include baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

, soccer, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

. Ramapo College hosted the 2009 Molten Division III Men's Invitational Volleyball Championship last year, seeded fourth in the country and hosted the top 3 Division III volleyball teams in the country. The tournament included Ramapo College of New Jersey (4), UC Santa Cruz (3), Stevens Tech (2), and Juniata
Juniata College
Juniata College is a private liberal arts college located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It is named after the Juniata River — one of the principal tributaries of the Susquehanna River. In 1876 it became the first college founded by the Church of the Brethren and has been co-educational since...

 (1). Women's athletic teams at Ramapo College consist of basketball, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...

, cross country running, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...

, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...

, soccer, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Student supporters of Ramapo College's athletic teams are known as the Ramapo Rowdies.

Affiliations

  • NCAA Division III, ECAC
  • New Jersey Athletic Conference
    New Jersey Athletic Conference
    The New Jersey Athletic Conference , formerly the New Jersey State Athletic Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Full members are located in New Jersey, track-only and football-only members are located in Connecticut and New York.-Member...

     (NJAC)
  • North East Collegiate Volleyball Association
    North East Collegiate Volleyball Association
    The North East Collegiate Volleyball Association is a men's volleyball collegiate association founded in 1995. It is the largest known single-sport conference in the United States...

     (NECVA)
  • Skyline Conference
    Skyline Conference
    The Mountain States Conference, also known as the Skyline Conference, was a college athletic conference based in the Western United States. The league was established in 1938 when the seven charter members pulled out of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.From 1938 to 1946, the conference was...

  • Metro (NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship|NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Division III)

Men's tennis

The Ramapo College Men's Tennis team first emerged in 1974 as a club sport, but eventually became an affiliated sport with the college in 1977. In its history, the team has captured only two NJAC Championships, which were won under the direction of Coach Juan Arroyo in 1986 and 1988. This past season (2010–2011), the team produced a record of 7-2 with Raza Baig as head coach. The Roadrunner roster consisted of Prasanna Fernando at first, Sam Klein at second, Evan Clayton at third, Frank Osolnick at fourth, Matt Giuliari at fifth and Doug Gromack at sixth. The only teams the Roadrunners fell to in the spring were Saint Thomas Aquinas and College of Staten Island.

Notable alumni

  • Don La Greca - Sports radio host
  • Todd Lowber
    Todd Lowber
    Todd Lowber is a professional American and Canadian football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...

    - Former NFL/current CFL professional football player
  • Patrick Stickles of the band Titus Andronicus
    Titus Andronicus (band)
    Titus Andronicus is a punk/indie rock band from Glen Rock, New Jersey, USA, formed in 2005. The group takes its name from the Shakespeare play Titus Andronicus, and has cited musical and stylistic influences as diverse as Neutral Milk Hotel and Pulp...

  • Grace Helbig
    Grace Helbig
    Grace Anne Helbig is an American comedienne, actress and internet personality. She is best known for creating the My Damn Channel web series Daily Grace and as a correspondent on Attack of the Show! on the G4 network....

     - Creator and Host of web series Daily Grace
  • Fox News Journalist Eben Brown
  • Igor Pusenjak - creator of the mobile app game Doodle Jump
    Doodle Jump
    Doodle Jump is a video game developed and published by Lima Sky for Windows Phone, iOS, BlackBerry, Android, and Nokia Symbian and soon on the Xbox 360 for the Kinect platform. It was released worldwide for iOS on April 6, 2009, and was later released for Android and Blackberry on March 2, 2010,...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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