The Inside Track

Susan A. Cole President Montclair State University Albert Einstein said nothing moves faster than the speed of light. At Montclair State University, we may just prove him wrong. I hyperbolize to illustrate the rapid pace of development and comprehensive growth at Montclair State. Construction projects abound on campus, with our new 1,100-space parking garage nearly 70 percent complete. The garage, one of three planned for campus, is expected to open in January, and will be a giant—and handsome—step in relieving one of our persistent problems: too many vehicles for too few parking spaces. As the final touches are put on the parking garage, work on the 500-seat Alexander Kasser Theater starts next month, with an expected completion date of spring 2004. This $27.5 million state-of-the-art project will allow the University’s theater, music and dance programs to perform in a site worthy of their talents. The theater is named in honor of the late Alexander Kasser, an international philanthropist and art lover whose family made a $4 million leadership gift to the project. Work is also well underway on our new residential village on Clove Road. The $77.7 million project will provide 850 beds and 550 parking spaces for our students whencompleted in August 2003. Wheels are turning right across the street from those new residence halls: We were joined by New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey on Sept. 30 as we celebrated an agreement to build a New Jersey Transit train station that will accommodate the new MidTOWN Direct line into New York’s Penn Station. Next month, construction will begin on an affiliated 1,500-space parking garage and pedestrian walkway. When the station opens in 2004, MSU and the Big Apple will only be a short train ride apart, a linkage that will be an exciting asset for our students. I haven’t even mentioned our new academic building, which will be the University’s largest building when it opens in 2005, the continuing infusion of technology in our learning programs, or a host of other developments. If you would like a more complete look at all that is happening on campus, I urge you to visit our lively and informative Web site at www.montclair.edu. Click on the image of the Red Hawk in the hard hat to follow the progress of our construction activities. On a less noticeable, but nevertheless important, front, we now have sprinklers in 100 percent of our residence halls and by spring we will have completed an upgrade of all electrical and water utilities, repairs that were long overdue. This bustle greeted a large, diverse and highly qualified freshman class this year. Undergraduate enrollment is up by 8 percent while our graduate school enrollment tops 3,700 students, a 7-percent increase. We also welcomed 38 new faculty members who bring outstanding academic credentials to the University. Memorial Auditorium was filled to capacity on Opening Day as the University community gathered to inaugurate an exciting academic year and to reaffirm our commitment to assuring that Montclair State University is a recognized center for excellence in teaching and learning, serves as a resource to the region, and fosters an environment in which each student is challenged to attain his or her full potential. You don’t have to be an Einstein to know that MSU is on the move!

Wayne DeFeo ’80 ’82 M.A. President, Alumni Association In keeping with the theme of families, which I spoke about in the summer issue, I am pleased to welcome the newest addition to the Montclair State University Alumni Association (MSUAA) family -- our first chapter. About five years ago, Ronald Naples, then president of the MSUAA, began exploring ways of accommodating the increasing diversity at Montclair State. After much discussion, our bylaws were amended to include the establishment of chapters. Chartered by the MSUAA, chapters allow divergent groups of alumni to come together and function under the Alumni Association banner and bylaws. Some of you may wonder why there is a need for a special mechanism to allow people with similar interests and experiences to come together. After all, aren’t we all part of the same MSU family? The answer is yes and no. If you graduated before 1960, you more than likely identify solely with the University. In my class year, 1980, I certainly identified with the University (or college at the time), but I was more interested in my department, Biology. In fact, I became involved in the MSUAA at the request of one of my biology professors. The University is made up not only of different colleges, schools and departments; there are social and ethnically based clubs and organizations as well. While all alumni are a part of the University family, many have different interests and experiences. Chapters allow the Alumni Association to bring these graduates together. On June 5, the MSUAA Board received its first formal chapter proposal. It was to establish a Black Alumni Chapter (BAC). The BAC already has helped the Association grow by nearly 18 newly active members, and has planned social activities as well as fund-raising activities for expansion of the James Harris Book Scholarship. This chapter has hit the ground running. That is the ultimate goal: active members in an active and ever-growing Alumni Association family. Again, I welcome the Black Alumni Chapter and hope many more chapters will follow. As we continue to grow into the 21st century, I believe the Association, its chapters and the University will continue to grow. I invite you to be a part of that growth. [back to main page]