Chancellor Tonya Smith-Jackson Looks Back on Her First Year at Rutgers-Newark

Since she arrived at Rutgers University–Newark last year, Chancellor Tonya Smith-Jackson has navigated a new school, a new city, a new state, and the relationship between all three.

As she begins a new academic year, Smith-Jackson, who was previously provost of North Carolina A&T State University, is fully acclimated. She has leveraged RU-N's role as part of the Rutgers brand with its own distinct identity. She's gotten to know the city of Newark, becoming part of its cultural and social ecosystem. And she's adapted to the politics, and overall zeitgeist, of New Jersey.

That includes subzero temperatures, allowing gas station attendants to pump her gas instead of doing it herself, and discovering that America's perception of New Jerseyans isn't entirely true."People warned me that people in New Jersey are not as friendly. But that stereotype went right out the window, specifically in Newark. When I walk around, I see people with smiles on their faces. It's been very welcoming," she said.

In the past year, Smith-Jackson has dedicated herself to building upon Rutgers-Newark's reputation as a place where students from all walks of life can succeed. It's ranked No. 1 in New Jersey for Social Mobility and No. 5 in the nation. 

This year, Rutgers-Newark was designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and the American Council on Education as one of the nation’s first Opportunity Colleges and Universities, which recognizes schools providing both broad access for students and strong post-graduation earnings outcomes. Rutgers-Newark was chosen out of more than 3,000 institutions.  

Smith-Jackson has also focused on its pivotal role in Newark as a deeply embedded collaborator and economic engine that has the potential to be even more powerful with an increased emphasis on research.

“Expanding research, including community-engaged research, attracts more external funding, innovation, patents and tech transfer,’’ said the chancellor.  “In turn, more family-sustaining jobs and businesses are generated in Newark. This link between research expansion and economic growth is often overlooked. The partnership between the city and the university positions our community to bring an inclusive lens to advance research and innovation.”

Her goal is to move Rutgers-Newark  from an R2 institution to an R1, which represents the highest classification for institutional research activity.

But she has also found her voice as an eloquent champion for RU-N, stressing the value of school spirit--especially as it's manifested through sports and milestones like homecoming and the school's 80th anniversary--and strengthening its connection with alumni.

Smith-Jackson has been an ubiquitous presence at campus events, on social media and at events in Newark and Essex County, including those where she has been invited as a keynote speaker and guest of honor. "People need to see me because I'm there to represent the university as an ambassador. They need to know that I'm a real partner, and partners who care show up," she said.

In her first year, Smith-Jackson has advanced the RU-N Roadmap, the school's new strategic planning framework. She has invested in resources to support teaching, learning, research and community engagement. But when asked to name her greatest accomplishment of the past year, she answered "listening and learning" from staff, faculty and students, who have shared their thoughts on RU-N's strengths and what could be improved.

In an interview marking her one-year anniversary, Smith-Jackson reflected on what she's discovered, what she's accomplished, and how she envisions the future. Her thoughts will be presented in a four-part Q&A series. Here are Parts 2, 3, and 4. 

How has Rutgers-Newark become so successful at helping students find jobs in their field and pathways to advanced degrees?

We have a secret sauce where folks who complete a degree, five or 10 years later, they've moved up significantly in socioeconomic status. We're opening our doors and we're not using an elite model to do so. Many of our students are low-income in terms of socioeconomic status. We've built a system that has been helping students get to that finish line and get that degree. They leave transformed by the experience. 

Our graduates make $20,752 above the median for graduates of four-year colleges and universities nationally, according to Department of Education statistics. Ninety-two percent of Rutgers-Newark graduates were working full time or continuing their postsecondary education within six months of graduation. Student success and academic excellence occur when you design a system that works for all students, whether you're a commuter, single parent or first-year student coming out of high school. We also attract faculty and staff who truly value opportunities for all. When you have a critical mass of people committed to access and excellence, you're going to be successful at providing opportunities for all. We attract people who truly care about building a climate that aligns with our students' needs.

How have you worked to help students overcome challenges and obstacles they might face?

We have a student journey perspective that considers them from the time they get to campus every day to the time they leave. We're building support systems that match the barriers students face, whether it is transportation or food insecurity. We look at the whole student. They're not just a mind coming in the door, they're a mind, body and soul. Some of the things we've done to support them include removing the stigma around food insecurity through Pantry+. We have lockers available on any given day so they can take out food. They don't have to walk into the pantry, even on weekends. We know how hard it is for families with young kids, so students can pick up a whole set of food items for a family to survive over the weekend.

This year we asked the National Institute for Student Success to examine our student success practices, how our students were performing and how we handled assessments and pedagogy. We needed to be more data informed. It revealed a lot of things. We found certain core courses that were blocking student progress and had more withdrawals and failures than others. We weren't trying to blame anyone, but now faculty are creating plans to improve those courses. Also, there were still students having to walk the campus to get signatures for certain administrative requirements, such as changing majors. Paper-based procedures were undermining student experience. Now we have an online tracking tool that moves the request for signatures from one person to another and saves information.