FROM THE PRESIDENT

am very proud of the achievements and milestones we have reached together over the past year, many of which are featured on the pages that follow.

Over the year, our campus has been enriched by the vital dialogue and visionary voices of distinguished authors, educators, and civic leaders—including three former governors of New Jersey on one panel—who have shared their expertise on critical topics such as climate change, sustainability, politics, and art. Our faculty continues to receive national recognition, including a prestigious four-year, $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, further advancing our research and academic excellence. We have also expanded our capabilities with the acquisition of the R/V Ocean Hawk, our fastest research vessel yet.

One initiative that blends academic excellence and community engagement is the ongoing development of the new home for the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. Last fall, we unveiled plans for a new building, which will serve as an educational and cultural hub for the region. This past spring, we hosted the Archives’ second annual American Music Honors, an event that brought global music icons to campus and helped raise vital funds for the project. We’ve also had the pleasure of welcoming acclaimed presidential historian and Archives Trustee Douglas Brinkley as the first speaker in the new President’s Lecture on Music History and Contemporary America series.

Independent evaluators continue to recognize the relative strength of Monmouth University compared to other four-year institutions. Last year, Monmouth moved to No. 17 on the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Colleges list in the Regional Universities North category and debuted at No. 22 on the Most Innovative Schools in the North list. Monmouth was also named to Money magazine’s 2024 Best Colleges in America list, which identifies and celebrates institutions that combine quality and affordability. We climbed 26 spots on Washington Monthly’s 2023 Best Bang for the Buck Colleges: Northeast list and ranked 19 points higher on the publication’s social mobility index. We were also featured on the publication’s 2023 College Rankings: Master’s Universities list. These accolades are a testament to the measurable success of our current strategic plan, which aims to make Monmouth a national leader at integrating excellence and access.

Many distinct areas of the University also earned recognition. In just under three years since its founding, Monmouth’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program has already earned national recognition, appearing on U.S. News & World Report’s roster of Best Occupational Therapy Programs, even before its first cohort graduated last May. And, our Music Industry Program has gained international acclaim, with Billboard magazine again naming Monmouth one of the Top Music Business Schools globally.

Last year, we achieved record-breaking fundraising levels, allowing us to significantly enhance our programs, facilities, and financial aid offerings. In the coming year, we have plans to launch the public phase of our latest, most comprehensive fundraising campaign. Designed to directly support our strategic plan of the same name—Excellence. Access. Ambition.—this will mark the largest fundraising campaign, by far, in our University’s history. Thanks to the generosity of so many to date, we are well on our way.

I remain incredibly grateful for your support of Monmouth University, these transformative initiatives, and the exceptional students that we serve.