Rutgers to offer summer courses at Jersey Shore

Beginning this summer, Rutgers students can have some fun in the sun in between classes as the University unveils new hybrid summer courses at the Jersey Shore.

The summer courses will be offered at locations in Atlantic City, Avalon, Cape May and Point Pleasant Beach in a variety of subjects, said Elizabeth Beasley, director of New Brunswick Summer and Special Projects.

“For students who will be living, working or just visiting at the shore, they provide another way to complete major or minor requirements or fulfill electives toward their degrees,” Beasley said.

The inspiration for these summer courses was largely due to Atlantic City mayor Don Guardian and county executive Dennis Levinson approaching the University about the need for a greater Rutgers presence in Atlantic City, Beasley said.

More than 57,000 matriculated Rutgers students participated in an e-survey last May to determine student interest, she said.

“Of nearly 4,500 students who responded, 1,184 indicated that they would be at the Shore (during the) summer, and that they would be interested in taking a credit-bearing course while they were there,” Beasley said.

A handful of the courses offered have particular relevance to the Jersey Shore, such as “Intro to Oceanography,” “Drawing on Nature” and “Jerseyana: New Jersey As a Culture,” Beasley said.

The courses are offered in an intensive hybrid format, which consists of in-class and online sessions, according to Rutgers' Office of Winter and Summer Sessions website. Classes meet in-person once every week for four weeks.

The only exception to the hybrid format is “Drawing on Nature,” a one-week intensive course offered at Avalon, because Gerry Beegan, chair of the Department of Visual Arts, and faculty members felt the format would be more appropriate for a studio course, Beasley said.

Students will draw in black and white each morning, add color in the afternoon and have slide presentations about drawing techniques in the evening, Beasley said.

“(Students) will be required to submit a portfolio of the work they produce during this week, and additional pieces completed during the rest of the summer, for a final grade,” she said.

The University will also offer courses in subject areas requested by students, Beasley said.

There are 17 undergraduate courses being offered in total, ranging from topics such as American Studies to Management and Global Business, Beasley said. Most of the courses range from the 200-level to 300-level.

The University’s summer courses on the Jersey Shore are meant to assist with degree completion, said Christine Lenart, assistant director of the Office of Summer and Winter Sessions.

“We’re offering courses that are fulfilling major and minor course requirements,” Lenart said.

Alexandra Singh, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said she thinks the courses at the Jersey Shore will expand the University across the Garden State.

“I think it is really interesting because it seems like it would help span out Rutgers in general, and hopefully give more access to the students,” she said.

Students expressed the greatest interest in taking courses such as “Writing for Business & the Professions,” “Intro to Oceanography” and “Introduction to Managerial Accounting” over the summer, Beasley said.

Courses about shore-related topics offer additional benefits by being offered at shore locations, Beasley said. For example, “Drawing on Nature” will include opportunities to draw beach scenes en plein air, weather permitting.

“This is a new initiative that we think will both respond to a need in Atlantic City and better accommodate our own students throughout the summer,” Beasley said.

It’s more convenient for students, particularly those who live down the Shore, who can now take a course there instead commuting to New Brunswick, Lenart said.

Students take summer session courses to get ahead, focus on one particular concentration, graduate on time or catch up, Lenart said.

“I think it’s really helpful because I live down the shore and I would be interested in taking classes closer to home,” Singh said.

The University kick-started the new Jersey Shore courses to make Rutgers courses more convenient for students during the summer, Beasley said.

“Although the specific trigger for this program was the request from Atlantic County, we have been working to make Rutgers courses more accessible in summer to students for several years,” she said.