Galloway, N.J. - On Feb. 18, 2015, there was standing room only in the Campus Center Grand Hall as the Stockton community gathered to celebrate their college becoming a university.  

Every phone camera was watching the second-floor balcony to capture history unfurling on a banner announcing the new name and logo. Rainbow confetti exploded like fireworks, Talon took selfies and baseball caps sporting the new name in embroidery were tossed into the crowd.  

As Stockton embraced its new name and designation, one thing did not change. Stockton would remain a place for students from all backgrounds to reach for their career aspirations in a friendly, academically challenging and socially engaged community. Stockton has always been a place large enough to explore the depth and breadth of each major and small enough for all voices and perspectives to be heard.

The "Stockton Idea" we were founded upon was to offer a first-rate, individualized liberal arts education at an affordable price, and that mission has stayed on course. Over the past decade, Stockton has made college dreams come true for first generation students, celebrated a 50th anniversary of teaching, built high impact experiences to prepare students for future success and expanded throughout the region to reach more students. 

Stockton brought higher education to Atlantic City, added more than a dozen new degrees, demonstrated resilience and adaptability during a global pandemic, nurtured advocacy and continues to be an environment for excellence in an ever-changing world.

The year after Stockton became a university under the leadership of President Herman J. Saatkamp Jr., one of its Mayflower students, Harvey Kesselman, was inaugurated as fifth president.

The year 2018 was defined by growth that brought beachfront living and learning to Atlantic City, more space and resources for the Nursing program in Manahawkin and two new buildings to the Academic Quad in Galloway. This expansion allowed for new academic programs to follow and opportunities like the "Live, Work, Learn" program that employs students in South Jersey during the summer and allows them to live at the beach while taking discounted summer classes. 

 

The generousity of successful leaders and philanthropists made it possible to support local students from Atlantic City and to continue to grow the academic programming offered in Atlantic City.  

In 2019, Alfred Engelberg, a prominent former New York attorney and philanthropist who grew up in Atlantic City, and his wife, Gail, made a $1 million gift commitment to start the Engelberg Leadership Scholarship Program (ELSP) that pays all college costs for a select group of students with connections to his hometown. The goal of ELSP is to encourage students to remain in Atlantic City and become its next community leaders after they graduate.

Later that year, entrepreneur and philanthropist John F. Scarpa pledged $8 million to the Stockton University Foundation, the largest gift in university history, to support Stockton’s expansion of academic programs in Atlantic City and the Health Sciences program in Galloway. 

When the global pandemic hit, Stockton adapted with creative solutions to enhance online learning. The sustainable campus farm became an outdoor classroom, dance classes practiced on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, clinical experiences typically taking place in hospitals were simulated in the Scarpa Health Sciences Center. The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics used Facebook live to offer tours of the campus forest and surrounding coastal environments. 

A March for Justice on June 19, 2020 was the first major event that united our community back on campus in person. More than 400 students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement gathered have their voices heard.

 

 

That winter, the Stockton Maple Project tapped its first red maple trees on campus with support from a $410,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to bring backyard maple syrup production to South Jersey. 

In 2023, Stockton's newest building, the Parkview Hall residential complex, opened in Atlantic City. The complex offers views of O'Donnell Park in the historic Chelsea neighborhood and can house just over 400 students. In Galloway, the Multicultural Center opened providing a space for students to connect and feel a sense of belonging in response to increasing diversity in the student body. The fall 2022 entering class was the most diverse in Stockton’s history at 46%, with more than 700 first-year students identifying as minority or mixed race.

That summer, Dr. Joe Bertolino became the sixth president bringing his background in social justice and passion for student success and access to higher education. 

The following slideshow shares highlights from President Joe's first 18 months at Stockton. 

Today, the Stockton community is working together to shape our next strategic plan. Five key themes will guide our next chapter. 

 

The Past Decade By the Numbers 

Reported by Susan Allen