The Record: RVCC's Student Newspaper

By Matt DeBlass

Casey Crabill took over as president of Raritan Valley Community College at the onset of what promises to be one of the busiest years in its history.

With full-time enrollment at an all-time high, parking lots overflowing and extensive construction across the campus, Raritan Valley’s seventh president still feels the most important thing the school can build is a sense of community.

Dr. Crabill, originally from Albany, N.Y., came to Raritan Valley in August after a seven-year presidency at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka, Calif.

Although happy to return to the Northeast, Dr. Crabill says that what really drew her to RVCC was the quality of the faculty and the school’s commitment to a personal learning experience. She says her mission is to “move us forward from an excellent school to whatever the next level is” and “make this the top choice for students in Somerset and Hunterdon counties.”

As the cost of four-year colleges increases, more students ages 18-24 are choosing community college as their first stop. However, many two-year schools do not offer the same chance for social interaction as campuses where students live full-time. Dr. Crabill wants to see more opportunities for Raritan Valley students to connect with each other and to have meaningful college experiences that extend outside the classroom.

“When you go to college, typically those friendships you make are lifelong friendships,” she said. “We want to nurture them. That’s part of the college experience, and that takes space and activity.”

Raritan Valley’s first female president has already made an impression among students as someone who is truly interested in what they have to say. Casey Maliszewski, co-president of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, says, “She really listens to students, and when she says her office is always open, it means that her office is literally always open.”

Maliszewski described how impressed she was during the president’s Meet and Greet session by the value Dr. Crabill places on student opinions. Dr. Crabill scheduled two “listening sessions” to ask students a series of questions to help the administration understand the student perspective on the challenges the college must plan for.

The first was held Oct. 5; the second is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Dr. Crabill feels that student input is very important and that the college needs to be “focused on what we can do to make this the most student-friendly school it can be.”

Of course, the continued growth of RVCC brings with it certain logistical problems, of which Dr. Crabill is well aware. She agrees that parking is “a nightmare” and says that she and her staff are working on the problem.

“We have the largest full-time enrollment in [the school’s] history, so it looks to us like it’s the beginning of a trend” she said. “If this semester feels bad in terms of parking, we think next semester it might even push a little more.” While there are several short-term solutions in the works, it does not look like the issue is going to go away anytime soon.

Dr. Crabill says a logical solution is to build a parking deck over one of the existing lots. However, doing so would require the college to take that parking lot offline for the entire academic year.

Dr. Crabill stresses the need to find long-term solutions that involve more than simply paving more of the campus grounds. “From an environmentally conscious standpoint, too, part of the answer for us, and everyone else in this part of the world, is: What can we do to improve public transportation?”

Dr. Casey Crabill faces a lot of challenges as the president of RVCC, but she remains focused on keeping students involved and providing them with the best possible experience, both in and out of the classroom.

“We want to be flexible, but we want to make sure that we’re multi dimensional, she says. “Your not just a student, you’re a person, and we’re about developing the whole person as part of the community.”
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New President Opens Door to Opportunity
By Matt DeBlass Casey Crabill took over as president of Raritan Valley Community College at the onset of what promises to be one of the busiest years in its history. With full-time enrollment at an all-time high, parking lots overflowing and extensive construction across the campus, Raritan Valley’s seventh president still feels the most important thing the school can build is a sense of community. Dr. Crabill, originally from Albany, N.Y., came to Raritan Valley in August after a seven-year presidency at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka, Calif. Although happy to return to the Northeast, Dr. Crabill says that what really drew her to RVCC was the quality of the faculty and the school’s commitment to a personal learning experience. She says her mission is to “move us forward from an excellent school to whatever the next level is” and “make this the top choice for students in Somerset and Hunterdon counties.” As the cost of four-year colleges increases, more students ages 18-24 are choosing community college as their first stop. However, many two-year schools do not offer the same chance for social interaction as campuses where students live full-time. Dr. Crabill wants to see more opportunities for Raritan Valley students to connect with each other and to have meaningful college experiences that extend outside the classroom. “When you go to college, typically those friendships you make are lifelong friendships,” she said. “We want to nurture them. That’s part of the college experience, and that takes space and activity.” Raritan Valley’s first female president has already made an impression among students as someone who is truly interested in what they have to say. Casey Maliszewski, co-president of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, says, “She really listens to students, and when she says her office is always open, it means that her office is literally always open.” Maliszewski described how impressed she was during the president’s Meet and Greet session by the value Dr. Crabill places on student opinions. Dr. Crabill scheduled two “listening sessions” to ask students a series of questions to help the administration understand the student perspective on the challenges the college must plan for. The first was held Oct. 5; the second is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Dr. Crabill feels that student input is very important and that the college needs to be “focused on what we can do to make this the most student-friendly school it can be.” Of course, the continued growth of RVCC brings with it certain logistical problems, of which Dr. Crabill is well aware. She agrees that parking is “a nightmare” and says that she and her staff are working on the problem. “We have the largest full-time enrollment in [the school’s] history, so it looks to us like it’s the beginning of a trend” she said. “If this semester feels bad in terms of parking, we think next semester it might even push a little more.” While there are several short-term solutions in the works, it does not look like the issue is going to go away anytime soon. Dr. Crabill says a logical solution is to build a parking deck over one of the existing lots. However, doing so would require the college to take that parking lot offline for the entire academic year. Dr. Crabill stresses the need to find long-term solutions that involve more than simply paving more of the campus grounds. “From an environmentally conscious standpoint, too, part of the answer for us, and everyone else in this part of the world, is: What can we do to improve public transportation?” Dr. Casey Crabill faces a lot of challenges as the president of RVCC, but she remains focused on keeping students involved and providing them with the best possible experience, both in and out of the classroom. “We want to be flexible, but we want to make sure that we’re multi dimensional, she says. “Your not just a student, you’re a person, and we’re about developing the whole person as part of the community.” .
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