Stockton News - Jan. 31, 2025
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
$70,000 Grants Create Arts Programs for Those with Disabilities
The Noyes Museum of Art at Stockton University has created a new art outreach program supporting people with disabilities thanks to two recent grants totaling $70,000 from an Atlantic County nonprofit.
The Access to Art program, which hosted more than 100 workshops at 13 different sites last fall, was funded by a $40,000 grant from the Atlantic Center for Independent Living (ACIL), a Galloway-based nonprofit that advocates and provides life skills training and services for people with disabilities. The program was such a success that ACIL donated another $30,000 to the Noyes in December to continue programming in 2025.
“We get money from the state every year to increase our independent living services,” said Donald Campbell, ACIL’s executive director, who’s also a 2013 graduate of Stockton. “Because we are a smaller agency, partnerships are really important because it's hard to do everything you want to do when you are small. This partnership with Stockton is awesome. They really get it.”
Michael Cagno, the executive director of the Noyes Museum, said he has always done arts programming for individuals with disabilities, but this funding allowed him to create and formalize a new and consistent program.
Students, Faculty and Staff Encouraged to Show Off Stockton Pride
When asked to tap into the school spirit and pride within Stockton students, faculty, staff and alumni, Candace Mitchell and Ian Bouie of Student Affairs embarked on a mission.
This mission – aptly named the Activate & Motivate Pride or AMP Initiative – seeks to elevate Stockton’s various campus experiences that center appreciation, motivation and pride for the university. These experiences include Stockton staples such as home basketball games, April’s Inclusive Leadership Conference and Student Development’s annual Woodstockton concert in May.
"The vision for AMP is based upon initiatives I have launched at my previous institutions, that focused on developing school pride via collaborative events and projects," William Latham, interim vice president for Student Affairs, shared. "These initiatives had great success in rebranding the culture of the institution and fostering belonging for both students and staff, and we look forward to creating that experience here at Stockton.”
STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY
Holocaust Center Partners with A.C. Casinos to Light Up Yellow
The Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University partnered with the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) on Monday, Jan. 27 to light up Atlantic City yellow to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Seven of the city’s nine casinos — Bally’s Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, Golden Nugget Atlantic City, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City, Resorts Atlantic City, Ocean Casino Resort and Tropicana Atlantic City — changed their outside lighting to yellow at dusk as part of a nationwide awareness campaign that includes the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.
Yellow symbolizes Holocaust awareness because it was the color of the Star of David badges Jews were forced to wear by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Several other national locations, including the Empire State Building, Niagara Falls and Philadelphia International Airport, also took part in the commemoration.
Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez, the director of Stockton’s Holocaust Resource Center and a member of the New Jersey Commission, first approached Mark Giannantonio, the president and CEO of Resorts and the president of the casino association, with the idea earlier this month. Giannantonio is a Stockton graduate who took a Holocaust and Genocide Studies class while attending the University.
FRAME-WORTHY
Ospreys Get Involved
From rock climbing to acapella, 150+ clubs came out for students to check out during the Get Involved Fair this week in the Academic Spine and Campus Center.
WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU
Facebook: Cheer on Stockton’s Ice Hockey team this Friday at 7 p.m. vs. Montclair in their last home game of the season at the Atlantic City Skate Zone.
Instagram: Happy Birthday 🎉 Talon! 🦅
LinkedIn: It’s a cold winter day, the kind that makes you want to stay inside, but the feeders outside the Unified Science Center are the place to be for birds—and birders. A dozen middle school girls looked out a second-floor window to watch birds foraging on the ground, landing on feeders and creeping up tree trunks. Breanna Hawkins, a senior Environmental Studies and Language and Culture Studies major, narrated the busy performance unfolding before them.
FROM THE SIDELINES
Stockton Routs TCNJ 85-57
The men’s basketball team went up by double digits in the final minute of the first half and then dominated the second half for a convincing 85-57 victory on Jan. 29 over The College of New Jersey. Three-point shooting was key, with the Ospreys hitting at 51.9% (14-27) while the Lions went just 6-37 (16.2%).
EJ Matthews-Spratley surpassed the 30-point mark for the fourth time this season with a game-high 31 markers. Matthews-Spratley went 7-14 (50%) from outside the arc and tied for game-high honors with nine rebounds.
Freshman Logan Mckee returned after missing nearly a month due to injury and scored 12 points on 5-7 shooting (71.4%). Michael Evans came off the bench late in the game and went 3-3 from three-point range, tying his career high with 10 points.
Stockton will be home again at 1 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 1, to face Rutgers-Newark.
Stockton Ninth in Nazareth Challenge Cup
The women’s track & field team finished ninth in a field consisting entirely of NCAA Division III teams from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania on Jan. 25 at the Nazareth Challenge Cup with a team score of 25. The Ospreys scored in six of the 17 events at the meet.
Kayla Kass was the top individual finisher for Stockton with third place out of 25 runners in the 400m (1:00.00). Kayla Sullivan placed sixth with a personal best in the 400m (1:01.30) as she and Kass combined for nine team points in the event.
🦅 For more athletics news and upcoming game information, visit here.🦅
OSPREY NOTES
Cultivating Dignity at Stockton: Video Screening & Dialogue with the Ombuds Officer
Come view and have dialogue facilitated by the University Ombuds Officer around the first episode of Leading with Dignity, a video series educating the community about what it means to honor dignity in the workplace. In an era of culture shift here at Stockton, learn and provide feedback on how we're doing and share with your fellow employees.
The screenings are open to all employees and will be held in person from 1-2 p.m. on Mondays, Feb. 3, and March 3, in Campus Center Meeting Room 4; limited to 23 participants. A virtual option will be held 1-2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18, on Zoom. Register by emailing ombuds@stockton.edu.
It’s Time to Confirm Your Ospreys!
Welcome back, faculty! As the spring semester is underway, it's time to confirm your Ospreys!
Faculty are reminded to complete the Academic Engagement process by confirming student attendance/academic activity. The Academic Engagement process is to be completed by Monday, Feb. 3. The Office of Financial Aid will use this information to make adjustments to student financial aid disbursements based upon each student's confirmed number of credits.
Each instructor will be responsible for confirming student attendance or participation in an academic activity. For online courses, faculty are reminded to include an assignment or discussion activity during the add/drop period so that the student's attendance can be confirmed.
The link to complete the Academic Engagement process can be found under the faculty tab within the goStockton portal.
For more information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit stockton.edu/academicengagement.
2025-26 FAFSA is Available Now
Attention faculty & staff! The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available now at fafsa.gov. We ask that you please encourage your students and their families to not only complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA, but also utilize the resources and helpful information listed at stockton.edu/fafsa before they complete the application.
Any student or family member who needs assistance completing their section of the FAFSA is invited to attend one of two evening FAFSA Completion events hosted by the Office of Financial Aid this spring! Students and their family members will receive in-person assistance in completing their sections of the FAFSA during these events.
Please feel free to share the below registration links with your students. Please note that students will need to log in with their goStockton portal credentials to register.
March 1 is the deadline for students to complete the FAFSA to be considered for aid programs with limited funding for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters.
Fun Fact Friday: 🥳 On this 400th and final day of January, I am happy also to share it's National Fun at Work Day! It's no secret that we spend a lot of our time at work, and it's easy to get sucked into the same mundane routines of coming into our cubicles or offices, doing our jobs and going home. Being intentional about carving out time for a little fun in your day can boost your morale and also the morale of others around you.
UPCOMING EVENTS
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽February is Black History Month
👩💻 Professional Development Opportunities
🎭 Spring Programming at the PAC
Spring 2025 Art Gallery Exhibits, Events
Now - May 3: 'Academic Visions: Southern NJ University and College Art Professors Showcase'
Feb. 1: 🎶 Blind Boys of Alabama, 🏀Stockton vs. Rutgers-Newark Alumni Basketball Reception
Feb. 4: Black History Month Flag Raising
Feb. 4 - May 9: “Sweet Home Sweet: A Story of Survival, Memory and Returns”
Feb. 7: 🪭“Madama Butterfly” by the NJ Association of Verismo Opera
Feb. 13: Black Alumni Skate Party
Feb. 15: Second Saturdays in Atlantic City - Rhythm of Africa
Feb. 18: Discover Your Osprey Pathway
Feb. 28: A Hughes Center Conversation with Christy Bowe, acclaimed White House photojournalist and author
