Citing his “strong leadership during a time of unprecedented opportunity and challenge,” the Board of Governors of Rutgers reaffirmed the leadership of Richard L. McCormick as university president.

At the board’s regularly scheduled meeting on the Newark Campus February 9, board members approved a resolution expressing their “complete confidence in President McCormick’s leadership and his ability to realize the university’s highest aspirations as a top-tier institution of higher education.” The board also praised the president for nurturing and promoting Rutgers’ core values of learning, discovery, and service and creating a new sense of pride in the university and its many accomplishments.

“Since President McCormick’s return to Rutgers more than four years ago, the university has faced a number of historic challenges, including unprecedented reductions in state support as well as a wide-ranging discussion about the structure and accountability of the higher education system across New Jersey. Despite these challenges, Rutgers continues to excel under the president’s leadership,” said Albert R. Gamper Jr., chairman of the Board of Governors. “We have witnessed the transformation of undergraduate education, more effective and efficient student services, and a renewed commitment to serving New Jersey’s needs and contributing to the state’s economic growth.”

In a letter accompanying the resolution, Gamper wrote that McCormick “will continue to hold office indefinitely at the pleasure of the Board of Governors.” “It is truly an honor to receive this strong demonstration of support from the Board of Governors,” President McCormick said. “Rutgers has made great strides in recent years, but our efforts are far from complete. Working together, we can raise Rutgers to even higher levels of excellence in the coming years.”

McCormick took office as the university’s 19th president December 1, 2002. The board commended McCormick for setting the highest standards of excellence in all university endeavors and acknowledged the accomplishments of his presidency to date. These include:

• Broadening opportunities for all undergraduates to take full advantage of Rutgers’ many outstanding educational programs
• Expanding academic programs, including a new School of Public Affairs and Administration on the Newark Campus and the nation’s first doctoral degree program in childhood studies, which will be offered at Rutgers–Camden beginning this fall
• Overseeing success by Rutgers’ student athletes in the classroom and on the field – including the football team’s first bowl victory in the program’s 137-year history
• Establishing new centers for research collaboration across various disciplines in such areas as nanotechnology, transportation, nutrition and stem cells that are gaining Rutgers national prominence while solving real-world problems
• Working diligently to preserve state funding while pursuing private, corporate, federal, and foundation support to benefit Rutgers’ students and programs

“From the beginning, Richard McCormick set forth clear administrative values that have propelled Rutgers toward its goal of becoming one of the very best public research universities in the nation,” Gamper said. “The Board of Governors looks forward to continuing to work with President McCormick to advance this great institution.”