Final draft of my Intership Journal for Rowan University.

1. SUPERVISED INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
FINAL JOURNAL
WEEKS OF: _ Fall 2011 _____ ORGANIZATION____ Rowan University____
NAME: ___Patrick Dunne__
INTERNSHIP POSITION: __Human Resources Intern____
This log should be used to record your learning experiences and the ideas you have about them. It should be completed for every week at your internship
and handed in at each regularly scheduled class meeting.
A. Record or list the projects, activities, and experiences you have been involved in this week.
1. Pension Project – I have been the banner system to input ABP pension applications for Rowan
University Faculty and Staff. I also found new 2012 forms on the New Jersey State website to
replace old forms from 2011.
2. Application Input and Overview – I looked over possible candidates’ applications for position
for hire and input data from there resume into an Excel Spreadsheet.
3. Student Employment Authorization Forms – I sort, input, and sent back all the Student
Employment Authorization Forms for all Student Workers, Federal Work Study, and
Institutional Work Study Students.
4. Past Employment Verification – I received, sorted, and looked over all Past Employment
Verification letters for all possible candidates for available positions.
5. Exit Interviews – I looked over Exit Interviews and Exit Surveys filled out by departing
employees. I used these interviews and surveys to fill out an Excel spreadsheet with comments
and overall results. I also called different departments to confirm that past employees had
returned their keys, ID cards, parking passes, and any other Rowan University property.
6. Service Awards – I had to locate the faculty that had worked at Rowan for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, etc.
years and make a list of people that will be receiving service awards for working for that long.
7. Faculty Surveys – I entered salary and personal information into 3 surveys. One was for the
state, one for the organization, and one for a research study.
8. Input Training Sessions – I entered training sessions onto employee’s banner account.
9. Service Awards Checklist – Reformatted the Service Awards Checklist.
10. Open Enrollment – Registered employees for open enrollment training.
11. PES Updates – Updated employment statuses on PES system.
12. OSHA Report – I researched differences between the regular OSHA guidelines and OSHA
guidelines for medical offices.
13. Worker’s Compensation Report – Researched medical schools in the NJ, DE, and PA area
and created a spreadsheet with their human resources professional in charge of worker’s comp,
phone number, e-mail, and if they had worker’s comp procedures online, I provided the
webpage.
14. PERS Retirement Audit – Found and recorded retirement date, past employment after
retirement, and annual salary after retirement.
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

2. B. Reflect upon the above, and explain those thoughts, ideas concepts or questions that have grown
out of the activities and experiences you have recorded. Consider the integration of your work
experiences to your academic learning. [Specifically, work on developing an understanding of
the industry structure in which your organization is embedded (use, cite Trade Journals), the
Business model of your organization and why it is profitable, how the work you are engaged in
is adding value, and critical knowledge and skills for success in the organization]. Also, how
do Sustainability issues impact your organization?
Company Information
Rowan University
Rowan University is a selective, medium sized public university based primarily out of
Glassboro, NJ, where the main campus is located. Rowan has colleges based in Business,
Communication, Education, Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts, Liberal Arts & Sciences,
Medicine, and Graduate & Continuing Education. Rowan also has a Camden Campus where some
of its classes are held. Rowan provides quality higher education at an affordable price for over
12,000 students and employs over 1,200 people. The university has over 130 clubs and
organizations that regularly get national recognition.
Vision Statement
Rowan University aspires to be recognized as a national leader among comprehensive
universities for achieving educational excellence in our residential undergraduate experiences
and in our innovative graduate programs. Our varied undergraduate majors combine liberal
education and professional preparation with a strong focus on collaborative, interdisciplinary
learning opportunities in real-world settings.
Available at http://www.rowan.edu/open/usp/strategic_plan_07_17.pdf
Mission Statement
A leading public institution, Rowan University combines liberal education with
professional preparation from the baccalaureate through the doctorate. Rowan provides a
collaborative, learning-centered environment in which highly qualified and diverse faculty, staff,
and students integrate teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, and community service.
Through intellectual, social and cultural contributions, the University enriches the lives of those
in the campus community and surrounding region.
Available at http://www.rowan.edu/subpages/about/#mission
Core Values
1. Open Communication
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

3. Rowan University embraces open and respectful communication among all members of our
community in all of our interactions. For our University to flourish, we must be committed to
both transparency and civility in discourse. This requires an atmosphere of mutual respect, even
in dissent, in which students, faculty, staff and administration feel free to openly express ideas,
concerns and questions.
2. Shared Governance
Rowan University prides itself on a longstanding tradition of shared governance. By providing
various avenues for collaboration and consultation (e.g. President's Cabinet, various
councils, University Senate, SGA, unions, committees, task forces, RU Engaged, open forums,
university assembled), we strive to involve all members of the University community in working
together to face the challenges and opportunities of the present and future.
3. Inclusivity
Rowan University embraces and celebrates the uniqueness of each member of our community
and is responsible for cultivating an atmosphere in which all members feel valued and welcomed
regardless of race; disability, gender; ethnicity; sexual orientation; political, religious or social
ideologies; or socio-economic status. The University must provide opportunities for safe,
constructive dialogue that will enable all members to move beyond mere tolerance to actively
embrace diversity in all forms as part of our daily interactions.
4. Engagement
Rowan University is committed to ensuring that all members of our community have the
opportunity to engage fully in the Rowan University experience. We will develop integrated
educational experiences for all Rowan students.
Available at http://www.rowan.edu/open/usp/strategic_plan_07_17.pdf
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

4. Financial Information
After looking over the Rowan University’s financial statements for the fiscal years ending in
June of 2009 through 2011, I have concluded that Rowan University is in the middle of a large
expansion. The chart below shows the total assets, total liabilities, and net assets of the University
by year from June 2008 until June 2011.
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
Total Assets
500,000
400,000 Total Liabilities
300,000 Total Net Assets
200,000
100,000
0
1 2 3 4
As you can see all three finances have increased significantly over the four year period with
the largest growth being over the last two years. The total assets have grown about 30% since 2009
which is about 200 million dollars. The total liabilities have also grown by a substantial amount of
180.5 million in the last two years which is over 35% totaling to just over 550 million in June 2011.
The net assets of the University have also increased about 32 million dollars which is about 20%
from June 2009.
The operating revenue for Rowan University comes primarily from student tuition payments
and state appropriations. The revenue amounts for student tuition payments for 09, 10, and 11 were
107, 116.3, and 127.8 million dollars, respectively. These amounts account for about 75% of the
overall revenue for the last three years. The other 25% consists of mostly state grants, which have
increased from 27 million to about 34.5 million since 2009, and about 5% of other revenue. The
overall operating revenue has increased about 17% since 2009.
However, operating expenses have also risen over 10% since 2009 from 204.5 million to
about 228 million creating an operating loss of just over 58.2 million in June 2011. The major
operating expense is instruction which has grown from 74.8 (36.6%) million in June 2009 to just
over 95.8 (42.1%) million in 2011. However, when also considering nonoperating revenues the
University came out a little over 8.5 million dollars in the black for fiscal year 2011. In June 2010
Rowan increased total assets by over 24 million and in 2009 lost about 3.4 million.
The current ratio which is current assets/current liabilities for June 2011 is 2.93. Rowan
University’s total assets sum up to over 900 million dollars and the total liabilities are about 558
million as of June 2011. That ratio equals about 1.62 which means Rowan’s assets exceed its
liabilities by about 40% which is over 440 million dollars. In June 2010 Rowan’s assets were 730
million with liabilities of 417 million. That means that Rowan’s assets grew by about 170 million in
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

5. the last year while the liabilities grew by 118 million. However, the ratio in 2010 was higher
equaling about 1.75. Here is a table with total assets, total liabilities, and net assets for the last four
fiscal years ending in June.
Rowan University Finances June 08-11 (in thousands)
Year 2008 2009 2010 2011
Total Assets 703,087 661,293 731,361 900,821
Total Liabilities 378,679 377,237 417,660 557,918
Total Net Assets 324,407 284,056 313,701 342,902
Available at http://www.rowan.edu/adminfinance/controller/accounting_services/statements.html
Business Model
Business Strategy
According to the Rowan University Strategic Planning Document created in February 2009,
there are four major themes behind Rowan University’s business strategy. The first is exceptional
academic and personal development. Goals within this theme consist of integrating academic and
personal development, providing opportunities for students for close interaction with dedicated and
diverse faculty and staff, promote active and collaborative learning in conjunction with innovative
use of technology, foster an appreciation of learning through synthesizing findings from
traditionally unrelated fields, and emphasizing oral and written communication, critical thinking,
global awareness, ethical responsibility and the development of multicultural competencies and
understanding of diversity.
The next theme is to create and maintain attractive and high quality campuses. The goals
of this theme are to substantially reduce deferred maintenance, expand and improve the system
for renewing all learning spaces, construct new buildings as appropriate, maintain sustainable
campuses, and ensure the safety, accessibility, and attractiveness of all campuses.
The third theme focuses on effective resource acquisition, utilization, and sustainability.
The goals of this theme are to initiate a focuses capital campaign by 2011, diversify revenue
streams, create new undergraduate and graduate academic programs to serve and attract potential
students, create a diverse campus community, meet the needs of New Jersey and satisfy the
mission of the University, institute effective enrollment management organizations and processes,
maintain academic quality of existing programs while providing for sustainability and growth, and
to create a culture of sustainability and stewardship.
The fourth and final theme focuses on economic and cultural vitality of the region. The
goals within this theme are to be responsive to the economic and cultural needs of the communities
surrounding the campuses, continue developing the West Campus, including the South Jersey
Technology Park, expand offerings in Camden commensurate with the needs of the city as well as
the University, encourage partnerships with our feeder institutions (county colleges, school districts,
and regional businesses), and be responsive to the needs of regional industries and other potential
employers of our graduates.
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

6. This entire business strategy is available on the Rowan University website and the document
explains these themes in goals much more in depth then I was able to do within this journal. If you
would like to know more about the Rowan University business strategy please visit the following
website: http://www.rowan.edu/open/usp/strategic_plan_07_17.pdf
Business Growth
Rowan just opened a new Cooper Medical School based in Camden. Rowan has also
recently expanded with a redevelopment project called Rowan Boulevard. The three hundred
million dollar project will add an apartment complex with 884 beds, the Whitney Center for the
Thomas N. Bantivoglio Honors Program, a Barnes & Noble’s Collegiate Superstore, Marriot
Courtyard Hotel & Conference Center, a Town Square, and more retail and residential living space.
Construction began in September 2010 and will continue for a few more years.
Product Offerings
Rowan offers a large range of majors and degrees in Business, Communication, Education,
Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Medicine, and Graduate &
Continuing Education.
The College of Business offers undergraduates Bachelor of Science degrees in the fields of
accounting, management, human resource management, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and
management information systems. Minors in business, management information systems, human
resources, and marketing are also available. Rowan also offers a MBA graduate program.
The College of Communication offers undergraduates Bachelor of Arts degrees in the fields
of communication studies, journalism, public relations, advertising, RTF (radio, television, and
film), and writing arts.
The College of Education offers undergraduates a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic
training as well as Bachelor of Arts in the fields of health & physical education and health
promotion & fitness management. In the field of teacher education, Rowan has three programs for
seven different subjects. The programs are early childhood education (P-3), elementary education
(K-5), and subject-matter education (K-12). The subject specializations offered are art, English,
mathematics, music, science, social studies, and foreign language. Rowan also offers a minor in
Education. Post Baccalaureate degrees in school nursing, reading, and students with disabilities are
also offered by this college. The graduate program offers fifteen different programs including
Masters in school psychology, counseling in educational settings, higher education (administrative),
higher education (instructional), school administration, wellness and lifestyle management, special
education, learning disabilities, and reading education. Lastly, the College of Education offers
thirty-seven certifications and endorsements in art education, biology, bicultural studies, chemistry,
elementary education, English, foreign language, mathematics, music, physics, physical science,
and social studies.
The College of Engineering offers undergraduates Bachelor of Science degrees in chemical,
civil & environmental, electrical & computer, and mechanical engineering. The only minors this
college offers are mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. Rowan also offers
specializations in bioengineering and systems engineering. The graduate program of this college
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

7. offers a Master of Science in Engineering degree (MSE) and a Master of Engineering Management
degree (MEM). The MSE program has six specializations and five focus areas available. The
specializations include chemical, civil, electrical & computer, engineering management,
environmental, and mechanical engineering. The focus programs include bioengineering, mechanics
& materials, sustainability, transportation engineering, and signals, systems, and computational
intelligence.
The College of Fine and Performing Arts is made up of only three departments; art, music,
and theatre. The art department offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. A
specialization in graphic design, dual major of art education, minor in art, and a minor in art history
is also offered. The music department offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in jazz studies, vocal
performance, instrumental performance, music education, composition, graduate, and conducting.
The theatre department offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in acting/directing, design/technical, musical
theatre, pre-teaching, and dance. There are also concentrations and minors in dance and theatre
design available. Theatre also has a graduate program that can provide a Master of Arts in theatre, a
certificate of graduate study in theatre practice, and a MST in theatre education.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has fourteen departments, six interdisciplinary
majors, and nine interdisciplinary concentrations. The departments are biological sciences,
chemistry, biochemistry, computer science, English, foreign languages & literatures, geography &
environmental studies, history, law & justice, mathematics, philosophy & religion, physics &
astronomy, political science & economics, psychology, and sociology & anthropology. The
interdisciplinary majors available are Africana studies, American studies, economics, environmental
studies, humanities/social science, and mathematics/science. The interdisciplinary concentrations
available are African American studies, Asian studies, environmental studies, ethics, geography
information systems & cartography, international studies, urban studies, women’s and gender
studies, and health professions. Lastly, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has a exploratory
studies program open to any undeclared student with under 60 credits.
The Cooper Medical School (CMSRU) is the newest addition to the Rowan University
curriculum. Cooper offers a MD Educational Program that provides students with the ability to
learn in a supportive environment that integrates fundamental knowledge of basics with exposure to
clinical patient centered care. The curriculum is separated into two phases. Phase I creates a
foundation for the student where he or she will learn the underlying framework for clinical care.
Phase II will focus on application, exploration, and advancement. This phase will mostly be
completed in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. Most of the care provided by the students
will be in the most underserved urban populations of Camden. CMSRU will also have a high-tech
simulation center that will provide students with computerized mannequins, standardized patients,
virtual reality, and many other technologies that will allow students to practice and develop their
skills as a medical professional.
All of this information is available on the Rowan University Website: www.rowan.edu
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

8. Service Products
Rowan has a security and police force for on campus incidents. They have a large range of
different professors and faculty that are all required to have office hours to help students that are
struggling in their courses.
Rowan University also has a very helpful and effective financial aid office that collected
financial aid for approximately 7,575 students in Fall 2010. More than $110 million was
awarded, with $89 million in loans, $24 million in grants and $5.8 million awarded in
scholarships to more than 70 percent of our students.
Here are the tuition rates per semester:
NJ Resident Non-Resident
Tuition $4,323.00 $8,113.00
University Fee $1,686.00 $1,686.00
Total $6,009.00 $9,799.00
Rowan University offers multiple student’s housing and meal plan options for students that
want to live on campus. Here are some rates for student housing and meal plans per semester.
Rowan also provides parking for all commuters and on campus students. These are the rates per
year. Rowan has doubled the rates for most students since Fall 2009.
Student Housing Price
Residence Hall (double) $3,346.00
Residence Hall (single) $3,913.00
Edgewood & Triad Apartments $3,502.00
Townhouse Complex $4,222.00
Rowan Boulevard $4,606.00
Whitney Center $4,650.00
Customers & Marketing
Rowan’s target customers are students graduating from high schools in New Jersey. They
also market to older students that want to come back to school for a graduate or undergraduate
degree. However, most of their focus is direct to high school graduates that want to attend college in
New Jersey. Rowan uses many different forms of marketing to attract new students. They use mail,
the internet, and campus tours to show future students and their parents what Rowan can offer as a
New Jersey state university. The recent expansion has created a good amount of interest and
publicity for the school and its partners.
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

9. Industry: Higher Education in New Jersey
Competition
Rowan’s major competition right now is the other state schools throughout New Jersey. The
largest competitor is Rutgers which is the State University of New Jersey. Rutgers has about 56,800
students enrolled as of Fall 2011 and 3 main locations based in New Brunswick, Newark, and
Camden. Rutgers has 28 different colleges including an Environmental & Biological Sciences,
School of Pharmacy, and College of Nursing.
Another competitor is Ramapo University which is based out of Mahwah, NJ. Ramapo has
about 6,000 students, 5 undergraduate programs, 6 Master’s programs, a Teacher Education
Program, and a nursing program. They offer over 700 courses, an 18:1 Student to Teacher ratio, and
an average class size of 23.
There are 12 state colleges in New Jersey as well as 19 Community Colleges and 14
Independent 4-Year Colleges. All of these can be considered competitors because they aim
marketing and advertising campaigns at New Jersey High School Graduates just like Rowan does.
Some other major competitors include Montclair State University, William Paterson University,
Monmouth University, and Rider University.
List Available at (http://www.nj.gov/highereducation/colleges/schools_sector.htm#scu)
Competitive Advantage
Rowan’s competitive advantage is its small class sizes and affordable price. Most other
Universities within New Jersey and the surrounding areas have large campuses with large class
sizes. Many of the courses are just lectures in enormous halls with no one-on-one interaction
between professors and students. Here at Rowan, professors are required to have office hours and
many professors feel an obligation to the students. Also the small campus allows for the Rowan
community allows for a more of a family-like atmosphere between students and the community.
Trends in Industry
Lately more people have been going to college as in the past. However, more students are
going home after graduation with tons of debt with no jobs available to help pay the loans they owe.
According to USA Today, in 2009, 63% of high school students went to college right after
graduation. That's up 11% from 1970 when 52% of high school students went to college
immediately after graduation.
Opportunities
The greatest opportunity that Rowan has right now is actually being taken advantage of. I
recently was asked within my internship to locate all the medical schools in the Pennsylvania, south
New Jersey, and Delaware regions and to my surprise there are not that many around this area.
There are none in Delaware and only one in south New Jersey. However, in Pennsylvania I found
multiple institutions ranging from Pittsburg to Philadelphia. This creates a great opportunity for
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

10. Rowan University to create a medical school which it has already begun to do. The CMSRU
program is underway and has created a major change within the Rowan organization already.
Trade Journals and Rowan University News
There are few trade journals available concerning Rowan University or higher education
in New Jersey as a whole but I was able to find some interesting articles concerning the possible
merger with Rutgers-Camden and UDMNJ. The first article I found came straight out of the
Rowan University newspaper, The Whit, entitled “Rowan merger questions in need of answers”.
Within the article published on November 2nd 2011, The Whit Editorial Staff expresses their
concern for questions about the merger going unanswered by Interim President Dr. Ali
Houshmoand. The only information that was confirmed by the Interim President was that the
merger process will begin in January after Governor Chris Christie issues an executive order.
Unanswered questions concerning the merger included, “What will happen to the Rowan
University name?”, “Where will the headquarters be located?”, and lastly “Who will be the board
members?” So with the merger closing in who will be answering these questions if not the
President of the university?
Available at http://www.thewhitonline.com/2011/11/02/rowan-merger-questions-in-need-of-answers/
Another interesting article I found was entitled, “Alyce Parker of Pittsgrove Township re-
elected Rowan University Foundation board chair”, and is available on NJ.com. The article
recognizes Alyce Parker for being re-elected to the position of Foundation Board Chair. Parker
graduated from Rowan in 1974 with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and
communications and continued her education at Rider University, earning a Master’s in
administration. She has also served on the Rowan’s Alumni Association Board. She established
Alyce Parker & Associates in 1983, which is a PR, business development, community relations,
and governmental relations firm that focuses on businesses in south New Jersey. The Foundation
Board always re-elected Lawrence Salva, who is a senior VP, chief accounting officer, and
controller at Comcast, to his fourth year in the Vice Chair position. Also re-elected was Paul
Tully as treasurer and Joseph Bottazzi as secretary. Tully is a registered principal, CFP of Eagle
Wealth Strategies and Bottazzi is an executive VP of business development at Edelman Financial
Services, LLC. This will be Tully’s fourth year as treasurer and Bottazzi’s second as secretary.
Available at http://www.nj.com/salem/index.ssf/2011/11/alyce_parker_of_pittsgrove_tow.html
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

11. C. In your final journal please describe and assess your progress with respect to each of your
learning goals.
My Learning Goals:
1. Learn more about the Americans Teachers Union and what is happening
between the Union and Rowan University.
I received some but very little experience with the AFT and CWA which are the
major unions used by Rowan University employees. I did receive both contracts
about each union and had some time to read them over which gave me a much
better idea about how each union worked and protected its members. I did
learn more about unions so I feel like this learning goal was completed.
2. Learn about the different kinds of pension plans available to Rowan employees
and what each entails.
I focused on two pension plans while working here, the PERS (Public
Employees Retirement System) and the ABP (Alternate Benefits Program). I
learned a lot about each program and how they affect employees within an
organization so I believe that this learning goal was completed.
3. Learn about the grievance procedure used within the Rowan University and
how different grievances are handled.
I spent a decent amount of time with Ken who is the Labor and Employee
Relations advocate here at Rowan and learned a lot about the grievance
procedure. Grievances need to go through many hands before they are actually
make a difference but here at Rowan many of the grievances are solve quickly
and efficiently. This goal was completed.
4. Get involved with the application, recruitment, and selection process of Rowan
employees.
This goal was definitely completed. Within the first week of being here I was
already sending out background checks and working with CHRI (fingerprint
checks). I saw a lot of different resumes and helped sort and process them.
5. Gain experience within the labor agreements sector of the Human Resource
Department and attend an arbitration or mediation between Rowan and
another organization.
This goal was not completed. I was never able to attend a mediation or
arbitration. I had some experiences with the labor agreements but nothing
really significant that could be considered for completion of this goal.
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011

12. 6. Learn how the benefit system works and what kinds of benefits are available to
different kinds of employees.
I did learn a lot about working with benefits but not much about benefits
themselves. When it comes to how the system works I feel that that goal was
completed. However, I did not learn much about what kinds of benefits are
available to the employees here and how it would actually affect the employees.
I learned about different kinds of employees but did not receive knowledge
about what benefits are associated with which group. I would have to consider
this goal half-completed.
7. Learn more about how the payroll system is controlled and monitored within
Rowan University.
I knew a lot about Rowan’s payroll system before I even started working here
because I have been a Rowan University Student Worker for about 3 years now.
I did not learn much more than what I already knew so I feel this goal was not
completed.
Dr. Mirchandani
Fall 2011