Caldwell College President Nancy Blattner, Ph.D., OPA, has announced that the college’s Board of Trustees has unanimously passed a resolution charging the college to move forward with the necessary steps towards achievement of university status.
“This is certainly a defining moment in the history of Caldwell College and in its future,” Blattner said. “The campus community is excited about the possibility of claiming the designation of university, a name that many of us believe already describes Caldwell College with the offering of our first doctoral program in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2009, our strong master’s degrees in multiple disciplinary areas, and our diversity and growth.”
A task force has been charged and is working to compile the proposal that will be submitted ultimately for approval to the Office of the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education. The process is expected to take at least two years to complete. The college is hopeful that the announcement for the change in status from college to university will occur during Caldwell’s 75th anniversary year of 2014-2015.
The college has seen significant growth over the last few years with the opening of the state-of-the-art Center for Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis and the receiving of several national accreditations for its counseling, business, education and nursing programs.
Becoming a university has been part of the vision of President Blattner since her arrival at Caldwell in July 2009. In her remarks to the college’s Strategic Planning Committee in spring 2010, Dr. Blattner first announced this vision, and subsequently, university status became part of Caldwell College’s five-year strategic plan.
Caldwell College is a private, Catholic co-ed four-year college with a strong liberal arts core curriculum that enhances critical thinking and analytical reasoning. Its 25 undergraduate programs, 28 graduate programs and one Ph.D. program, including online and distance learning options, prepare students for today’s global marketplace. Students enjoy 12 NCAA Division II athletic teams and numerous clubs, fraternities, sororities and activities on a beautiful 70-acre campus. The college was founded by the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell. The college’s core values of respect, integrity, community and excellence influence academic and campus life.
