What’s New This Semester? Glad You Asked 

“We’ve been extremely busy this summer, getting ready for the fall semester, and we’re eagerly anticipating this academic year,” President Frank Mertz said. “The actions that have been initiated have us very optimistic as we look to this year and beyond.” 
 

More New Students

Many programs have been stimulated by an influx of new and dynamic students. The new bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice has gone from 0 to 65 majors in just six months. Also, this fall the second group of environmental science majors from Barcelona, Spain, arrived on the Teaneck-Hackensack Campus. This group of 40 strong will be at FDU for the entire academic year. And, just this summer, the first contingent of students arrived from our branch campus in Tel Aviv, Israel.
 

New Leaders

“I’m very optimistic about the new semester,” Falley said. “With the enrollment up, the budget picture improving, and the new residence hall being built, we have a great future ahead of us.” 

Joining Mayhew at Teaneck-Hackensack is the assistant provost, Rona Ostrow, formerly chief librarian and an academic administrator at Marymount Manhattan College. Mayhew said of her colleague, “She is one of the most competent people I know, with broad experience in budgeting, professional collaboration and grant writing. Her skills in educational technology and faculty development will prove especially valuable as we move towards expanded and innovative uses of technology in the classroom.” 

One of Mayhew’s first official responsibilities was welcoming a new athletic director, J. Stevens Hurlbut, to the campus. “We’re very excited about beginning a new era for FDU sports,” Mayhew said. “Steve brings tremendous experience to the position.”

Most recently serving as the associate commissioner of the Northeast Conference, Hurlbut has been involved in athletic administration on both a national and international level, including the 1994 Goodwill Games and the 1992 Summer Olympics. 

“I am very excited about the opportunity FDU has afforded me,” said Hurlbut, who also will serve as the director of the Rothman Center. “I believe the entire University is poised to take a major step forward, and I feel fortunate to be on board at this time.”  
 

New Programs

Any time, any day, from any place in the world, FDU’s master of science in electrical engineering degree can now be earned by simply logging on the Internet. For engineering professionals who find it difficult to attend conventional classes, the On-Line MSEE has the same high academic standards as the traditional program, which has been offered for 30 years. Integral to the program are posted lecture notes, homework assignments, electronic forums with fellow students, and regular communication with faculty via e-mail, phone and fax. This semester, courses in Linear Systems, Digital Signal Processing, and Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic are available. 

A new MBA in management for health systems executives, uniquely focused on managing change in the business of health care, begins this fall. This 21-month weekend program is designed for individuals in health care administration and clinical management, purchasers of health care services, evaluators of services provided, and executives in health-related fields. 

The new doctor of psychology (PsyD) in school psychology program also began this September and is one of only nine in the nation. The School of Psychology has admitted the first 17 students to the program, which prepares students to be leaders in the design, evaluation, provision and supervision of comprehensive mental health and psychoeducational services to children, youths and families. 
 

New Facilities

On the Teaneck-Hackensack Campus, the Interfaith Chapel will undergo a relocation and renovation this fall in response to the growing interest among students and other members of the University community in spirituality. Located at 848 River Road, close to the Student Union Building and residence halls, the new facility will double the worship and meeting space. The building also will contain a lounge-kitchen area, individual offices for the chaplains, and bathrooms.

Also on the Teaneck-Hackensack Campus, faculty offices, audio tape and computer facilities, conference areas and a lounge are part of the refurbished Foreign Language House. The house, across from the Student Union Building, gives students of foreign languages a gathering place for learning, faculty/student interaction and conversation. 
A newly installed sculpture, designed by Paul Buneá, engineering technology, T-H, now resides outside Muscarelle Center. Titled “Scarecrow,” the sculpture is not only attractive but is also a learning tool that teaches students to think in three dimensions and shows how steel elements are connected. 

By the start of classes this fall, every computer in the computer labs, 330 in total, were replaced with new 350MHz Pentium II computers. The Pentium-level computers that were in the labs will be distributed to faculty and staff. Assistant Provost for Educational Technology Michael Sperling said the new computers “represent a leap forward for computing resources and allow us to focus on support and educational applications for the hardware.”  

In addition to the computer laboratories, the libraries also have enhanced computer capability. These initiatives are part of the University’s commitment to upgrading its technological facilities. 
This summer, a number of academic units were awarded bond funds to support various hardware, software and networking projects that enhance the ability to integrate technology into the curriculum. Under the New Jersey Infrastructure Bond Fund, a portion of $60,000 was awarded to the Samuel J. Silberman College of Business Administration; the psychology and modern languages and literature departments of the Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences; and the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, the School of Psychology, the undergraduate program in criminal justice, the School of Computer Science and Information Systems, the Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health, and the School of Natural Sciences, all of University College: Arts • Sciences • Professional Studies. 
 

 
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