Welcome Back to Campus! A Message from Chancellor Tillis

Dear Members of the Rutgers University–Camden Community: 
 
Welcome back to Rutgers University in Camden and to a bright new year ahead! I hope each of you had an enjoyable and restorative winter break in the company of friends and family. As we start a new semester, I feel especially excited, as 2023 promises to be a year of growth and celebration. To achieve our goals and serve our mission fully, we must cultivate relationships with one another that spark innovation, discovery, and bold ventures. I am looking forward to building upon new traditions we enjoyed in 2022—including our inaugural Rites of Passage Ceremony and our first-ever Fall Convocation. This year, another new tradition will tip off on Wednesday, February 8, as we introduce “Homecoming,” where numerous activities will be held around our women’s and men’s basketball games against Kean University. We will share more about this celebration in the coming weeks.
 
As I begin to encounter more faculty, staff, and students on campus, I want you to know that I am overjoyed to have all of you back! I can already feel the collective energy and optimism sparked by a new year, new classes, and endless new possibilities. 
 
In 2023, we have already begun to welcome new leaders who share Rutgers–Camden’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, excellence in research, and educational access for all. As we start the year, our community will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and take time to observe Black History Month and Women’s History Month. I urge you to participate in these celebrations, in which we honor those who laid the groundwork for the research and scholarship we practice today.
 
This year, I challenge you to go out and experience all that Rutgers–Camden has to offer. Our student-athletes were busy practicing and competing throughout winter break, so I hope you will support them in person as they fight for victory and bring so much Scarlet Raptor pride to our campus. We continue to host a broad array of performances and speakers, whose talents and insights are sure to inspire. No matter your goals for growth and development this year, our university has resources and opportunities for you to reach and exceed them. I trust you will make the most of all the possibilities at your fingertips!
 
I hope you will join me in greeting the new academic year with gratitude for the resilience of our community and willingness to support one another. I proudly join you as we embark upon a new year and a new semester. Have a safe, successful, and memorable 2023! 

Sincerely,
 
Antonio D. Tillis, Ph.D.
Chancellor