| WHAT: | Signing ceremony establishing the U.S. Navy’s only Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) in New Jersey at Rutgers in New Brunswick |
| WHO: | U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick will lead the dignitaries at the ceremony. |
| WHEN: | 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, March 21 |
| WHERE: | President McCormick’s outer office, second floor, Old Queens, 83 Somerset St., New Brunswick. Visitors parking available; enter through gate at the corner of George and Somerset streets. |
| BACKGROUND: |
In October 2011, Rutgers’ Board of Governors approved the establishment of an academic Department of Naval Science to be staffed by naval personnel and to offer a four-year course of naval science instruction. The program, expected to begin in fall 2012, was one of the provisions set forth by the Secretary of the Navy for approval of Rutgers’ application to bring a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps to the New Brunswick Campus. Rutgers has long hosted Army and Air Force ROTC programs. The NROTC program would be the only one offered in New Jersey. The New Brunswick Faculty Council originally passed a resolution supporting the NROTC program in February 2010 that was endorsed by Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Richard Edwards and McCormick. Both supported the creation of the new academic department. The Committee on Academic and Student Affairs recommended establishing the Department of Naval Science to the Board of Governors. There are currently 60 NROTC programs available to students at more than 150 U.S. colleges and universities. |
Media Contact: Steve Manas
732-932-7084, ext. 612
E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu
