• Date: Tuesday, August 25th, 2026

• Time: 

9:30 am to 4:30 pm (in person event)

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (virtual event)

• Venue: Tohill Auditorium in Bunce Hall, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028

• Theme: Your Graduate Journey: Balance. Belonging. Becoming.

• Link to the Campus Map is here .  Bunce Hall is Building #16 on the Campus Map.

• 9:30 am - 10:00 am: Arrival & Registration

• 10:00 am - 10:45 am: Breakfast with Your Deans: Meet your Deans and Associate Deans for Breakfast (Bunce Hall, Rooms 201, 202, and 203)

• 10:45am - 10:50 : Welcome Remarks by the Provost's Office reprented by Dr. Jennifer Tole

• 10:50 am - 11:30 am: Panel Discussion with the Deans and Associate Deans (Bunce Hall, Tohill Auditorium)

• 11:30 am - 12:00 pm: Your Graduate Journey: Balance. Belonging. Becoming

Keynote Address by Dr. Leslie Spencer (Bunce Hall, Tohill Auditorium)

• 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm: Your Academic Journey: Spend time with your Degree Program Faculty and Students

• 1:45pm: Return to Tohill Auditorium for the 2:pm Programming

• 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm: Getting to Know Rowan (Overview of Resources such as RSN Success Plans, RowanSAFE App, Program Handbooks, Graduate Policies and Guidelines, Financial Aid- and new guidance for GradPlus Loans)

• 2:30 pm - 4:00: Resource Fair and Ice Cream Social (Meet other Graduate Students in your Cohort)

• 4:00 pm : All Adjourn

Join us for breakfast, tabling with many of our campus support offices and a panel discussion with several deans.

10:am Meet (and Mingle with) the Deans in Bunce Hall, Rooms 201, 202, and 203

Please have a seat inside of Tohill Auditorium for on-stage programming at 10:45.

10:45 am Welcome - Dr. Jennifer Tole, Associate Provost for Academic Program Quality and Compliance

10:50 am - 11:30 am: Panel Discussion with the Deans and Associate Deans (Bunce Hall, Tohill Auditorium)

• • Panel 1 (10:50 to 11:10):

    1. Dr. Darren Boehning - Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

    2. Dr. Brent Elder - College of Education

    3. Dr. Jennifer Maden - Rohrer College of Business

    4. Dr. Elisabeth Morlino - College of Science and Mathematics

    5. Dr. Amy Reed - Ric Edelmann College of Communications, Humanities, and Social Sciences

    6. Dr. Sheri Rodriguez - School of Professional Studies

  • Panel 2 (11:10 to 11:30):

    1. Dr. Vincent Beachley - Rowan Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences

    2. Dr. Scott Dankel - Rita and Larry Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions (representing Health Professions)

    3. Dr. Peter Galie - Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

    4. Dr. Carmen McDonald  - Rita and Larry Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions (representing Nursing)

    5. Dr. Nora Jean Nealon - Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine

Moderator:  Dr. Tabbetha Dobbins, Dean, School of Graduate Studies

Keynote Address
Balance. Belonging. Becoming: The Foundation for Wellbeing and Effectiveness as a Graduate Student
Dr. Leslie Spencer, Chair, Department of Health and Exercise Science; Program Coordinator, M.S. in Wellness and Lifestyle Management

Graduate school is a time of growth, discovery, and challenge—and success depends not only on academic skills but also on personal well-being. In this keynote, Dr. Leslie Spencer explores the foundations of wellness and effectiveness through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Drawing on the work of Charles Vogl (The Art of Connection), she highlights the power of forming authentic connections based on shared values and the importance of choosing communities that support one’s goals. She also emphasizes the role of rest in sustaining balance and productivity, guided by Sandra Dalton-Smith’s insights on the different dimensions of rest. Students will leave this session with practical strategies for cultivating meaningful relationships, setting boundaries, and prioritizing self-care—tools essential for thriving in graduate school and beyond.

Speaker Bio 

Leslie Spencer, Ph.D., NBC-HWC

​​Leslie Spencer earned a PhD in Health Education from Temple University and started her academic career at Rowan University the fall of 2025.   In addition, she is a National Board-Certified Wellness Coach through the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches.  She serves as the Chair of the Health and Exercise Science Department and faculty coordinator of three academic programs at the University: the B.A. in Wellness Management, the M.A. in Wellness and Lifestyle Management, and the Certificate of Graduate Study in Wellness Coaching.  Her research interests are in two primary areas:  1) Motivational Interviewing, wellness coaching and behavior change and 2) Improving wellness for people with disabilities, particularly those that are intellectual or developmental in nature. 

She is the founder and Director of Get FIT @ Rowan, a fitness and nutrition intervention for adults with disabilities that serves approximately 65 clients with disabilities and utilizes over 100 Rowan students as volunteer trainers each year. She has led a project to create and sustain inclusive community gardens and group home gardens in four South Jersey counties.  Dr. Spencer is the founder and leader of Snack, Chat & Chill, a virtual program for people with disabilities that provides socialization, relaxation, and an opportunity to make and enjoy a healthy snack.  Dr. Spencer is also the Lead Trainer of the Student Success Coaching program in partnership with Student Support Services at the University, in which Rowan staff and students are trained to use Motivational Interviewing strategies to coach undergraduate students who are academically at-risk.  Dr. Spencer has been awarded funding from the Horizon Foundation, New Jersey Health Initiatives, the NJ Division of Disability Services, and the South Jersey Institute for Population Health to support these programs.

Dr. Spencer has developed and taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, both in person and online.  She was the recipient of the University’s Lindback Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2023.  Dr. Spencer has developed and taught an Honors course and more recently developed and currently teaches a Writing Intensive course.  She has also led 3 study abroad courses, including a 5-week internship in London with a community agency serving at-risk youth.

Dr. Spencer is the founding advisor of the Health and Wellness Careers Club, a Rowan student club promoting wellness among future health professionals.  

At home, she is the coordinator of a church-based cooperative garden with a mission of serving food-insecure people in her hometown and is part of a team to assist refugee families as they build a life in the United States. 

LUNCH AND COLLEGE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

(please return to Bunce Hall, Tohill Auditorium by 2:pm for Getting to Know Rowan and the Resource Fair)

College of Education:

Lunch and meet and greet will be in Bunce Hall - Room 203 (16 on the  map)

Ric Edelman College of Communication, Humanities, and Social Sciences:

Lunch and meet and greet will be in Bozorth Hall - Room 118 (15 on the map) 

Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering & Sciences (RV-TBES):

Lunch and meet and greet will be in Bunce Hall - Room 105 (16 on the map) 

Rita and Larry Salva School of Health Professions (Nursing & Wellness & Lifestyle Management):

Lunch and meet and greet will be in Bunce Hall - Room 201 (16 on the  map) 

College of the Arts:

Lunch Off Campus (picked up by Graduate Program Coordinators from Bunce Hall -- outside of Room 201)

 
College of Science & Mathematics  &

School of Earth & Environment:

Lunch and meet and greet will be in the Science Hall Atrium (#13 on the map)

Henry M College of Engineering:

Lunch and meet and greet will be in the Engineering Hall, Rooms 319-321 (#10 on the map)

Rohrer College of Business:

Lunch and meet and greet will be in the Business Hall – Room 427 (#11 on the map)

Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine (SSVM):

Lunch and meet and greet will be in Bunce Hall - Room 202 (16 on the  map)

School of Professional Studies:

Lunch and meet and greet will be in Bunce Hall - Room 201 (16 on the  map)

Link to the Campus Map is here.

Return to Tohi Auditorium for an Overview of Resources at Rowan

List of Resource Supporting Units Present

• Bursar's OFfice

• Office of Student Equity and Compliance (OSEC)

• Graduate Student Government Association (GSGA)

• International Center (IC)

• School of Graduate Studies (SGS)

• Libraries

• Office of Socieal Justice, Inclusion, and Conflict Resolution (SJICR)

• Writing Center

• Accessibility Services

• Military Services

• Career Services

• Student Activities

• Wellness Center

• Office of Graduate Student Services (OGSS)

• Parking Office

• Rowan ID Office

This concludes the activities for the in-person orientation event.  For those who could not attend in-person orientation, there will be an evening virtual orientation event starting at 6:30pm.  The virtual event will provide a fun re-cap of the exciting day.