Hazard Zet Forward - Seton Hall University Annual Report 2020-21

HAZARD ZET

Annual Report 2020-21

“While the pandemic has highlighted the cracks and fissures in our society and sectors, it has also shown that dedicated people can rise to the challenges of an extraordinary situation and achieve excellence.”

PRESIDENT JOSEPH E. NYRE, Ph.D.

Table of Contents n PRESIDENT’S LETTER n AT A GLANCE n STRATEGIC DECISIONS,

COLLECTIVE PLANNING AND SHARED ACTION n BEING NIMBLE n SUSTAINING VITAL

PARTNERSHIPS n SETON HALL VALUES

IN ACTION n AN EYE TOWARD

THE FUTURE

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Dear Friend of Seton Hall, Seton Hall’s annual report for 2020-21 tells the story of one of the most significant years in our history.

In these pages, you will learn how Setonians from across the University collaborated to meet and overcome the challenges of thriving during a pandemic. Faced with a year like no other, we engaged deeply in discussions about how to preserve the best of the Seton Hall experience. Consummate contingency modeling and innovative technological adaptations allowed us to deliver on the University’s timeless mission — safely and effectively — for new and returning students.

Perhaps our greatest achievement was avoiding pandemic paralysis. Rather than halt our strategic planning and abandon mid- and long-term goal setting, we relied on the planning process to inform our COVID-19 response while serving our comprehensive goals. We finalized and initiated a multiyear strategic plan, “Harvest Our Treasures,” shaped by hundreds of Setonians in an open and inclusive process. As Seton Hall and the rest of the world continue to address ongoing public health crises, we are making strides that will position the University as a leader for decades to come.

While this report captures only the most recent of Seton Hall’s 165 years, it also illuminates the timeless characteristics that were instilled in the University at its inception — qualities that have served us well through the decades and continue to animate us today. None of the successes outlined in this volume would have been possible without the uncommon cooperation and flexibility of Seton Hall’s people — students, families, faculty, administrators, staff members and priest community.

Their faith, determination, exhaustive planning and more than a little courage have brought us to this moment. We are proud to share our story.

Sincerely, Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D. President

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YEAR AT A GLANCE

$109M

CAPITAL MARKET FUNDING SECURED FOR LONG-TERM INVESTMENT

140+

27,000

FACULT Y, STAFF, STUDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS AND CLERGY MAPPED OUT SETON HALL’S REOPENING

SUPPORTERS ENGAGED WITH SETON HALL IN A VARIET Y OF WAYS

2,100+ VIEWPOINTS GATHERED FOR STRATEGIC PLAN

$750K

GRANT FROM STATE OF NEW JERSEY SUPPORTING INTERDISCIPLINARY, COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AMONG FACULT Y AND STUDENTS

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$22.8M RAISED IN GIF TS AND PLEDGES

11,500+

2020

PEOPLE ATTENDED 66 VIRTUAL MASSES DURING THE 2020-21 ACADEMIC YEAR

MEN’S SOCCER TEAM WON THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN’S SOCCER TOURNAMENT

5M

50,000+

MESSAGING TOUCHPOINTS WITH THE SETON HALL COMMUNIT Y DURING PANDEMIC

SERVICE HOURS TO COMMUNIT Y EACH YEAR

$1.6B

$149M

ECONOMIC IMPACT SETON HALL MAKES ON STATE OF NEW JERSEY ANNUALLY

AWARDED IN FINANCIAL AID

9

LIVE AND IN-PERSON COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES FOR THE CLASSES OF 2020 AND 2021

$1.3M

TRIO GRANT TO INCREASE PERSISTENCE/GRAD RATES FOR LOW-INCOME, FIRST-GENERATION OR DISABLED STUDENTS.

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STRATEGIC PLANNING, COLLECTIVE DECISIONS AND SHARED ACTION 6 | SETON HALL UNIVERSIT Y ANNUAL REPORT 2020-21

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Charting Seton Hall’s Future During the 2020-21 academic year, Seton Hall launched a new strategic plan for the first time in more than a decade. Rooted in Seton Hall’s 165-year-old commitments to faith and intellectual pursuits, “Harvest Our Treasures” honors the University’s past while charting its future.

2,100+ VIEWPOINTS GATHERED IN DEVELOPING PLAN

Through an open, inclusive process, hundreds of Setonians helped shape the initiative in town halls, focus groups and surveys. The resulting plan outlines five pivotal goals: n Provide a distinctive and rigorous education in the liberal arts

tradition that also informs curated professional and graduate programs n Support faculty in strengthening academic quality, advancing

100% ENDORSEMENT BY SETON HALL’S BOARD OF REGENTS

research and scholarship, and enhancing interdisciplinarity, equity and inclusion n Create a premier student experience that is equitable and

consistent, enhances student support and retention, and prepares students to be impactful global citizens n Further cultivate and nurture a trusting and collaborative Seton Hall

community that educates and empowers all its members to advance equity, inclusion and social justice on campus and in the wider world n Advance institutional sustainability by creating a nimble, responsive

and innovative operational infrastructure and by making strategic investments in people, programs and partnerships to ensure that Seton Hall can achieve its mission for current and future generations of students

At a time when American higher education is undergoing transformational changes, “Harvest Our Treasures” provides an elemental, forward-looking guide, building on Seton Hall’s key strengths and expressing timeless values in innovative ways, which allows the University to be ready to adapt and adjust to changing circumstances.

In fact, before it was even completed, the plan’s principles guided Seton Hall’s fall 2020 reopening efforts and formed a foundation for a successful year of on-campus and hybrid education.

Undeterred by the immense and immediate crises of 2020, Seton Hall avoided pandemic paralysis by pushing forward with its strategic planning process — understanding its critical value to the University’s future ambitions.

With the input of the entire Seton Hall community, the University has initiated a detailed plan that allows Seton Hall to continue to deliver on its tradition of excellence in Catholic higher education.

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“‘Harvest Our Treasures’ outlines Seton Hall’s vision, focuses our energies and reinforces strategic decision-making.

With it, the University can advance through the coming years with a clear pathway for progress.”

MICHELE NELSON, Ph.D., VICE PRESIDENT FOR BOARD AFFAIRS AND UNIVERSIT Y STRATEGY

Treasures HARVEST OUR

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“We moved to remote learning with very limited, and sometimes contradictory, government guidance. We knew it would be a significant impact on the budget, but we acted quickly in the best interest of our students and employees.”

PRESIDENT JOSEPH E. NYRE, Ph.D.

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Early Action/Strong Leadership From the moment COVID-19 swept into the U.S., Seton Hall responded with strategic thinking, decisive action and continued agility.

University leaders closely tracked public health intelligence, even as top experts’ understanding of the novel coronavirus seemed to evolve hour by hour. On Feb. 26, 2020, the University became among an early group of American schools to cancel all its study abroad trips. And on March 11, with just 23 reported cases of the virus in New Jersey, the University suspended all in-person classes.

By late February 2020, Seton Hall had already formed its own Health Intervention and Communication Team (HICT). Composed of healthcare experts, faculty and administrators from throughout the University, the HICT streamlined pandemic-related efforts and communication across Seton Hall.

The new team immediately began tracking the latest public health developments, making University-wide recommendations and sharing vital information with the entire Seton Hall community. They sent out weekly and sometimes daily updates, supplying not just facts, but also empathy and supportive resources.

By April, the University had convened three groups — and multiple sub-groups — of faculty, staff and administrators who were involved in contingency planning for the spring semester and beyond. The president’s executive cabinet met frequently, too, often multiple times each day, carefully reviewing and adopting health and safety recommendations.

5M

1M

52K

MESSAGING TOUCHPOINTS WITH THE SETON HALL COMMUNIT Y DURING PANDEMIC

EMAIL TOUCHPOINTS FROM THE HICT COMMITTEE

UNIQUE VISITORS TO HICT WEBSITE

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BEING NIMBLE

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“It was a furious pace of change and work that in the end allowed the faculty to teach and the students to learn.”

PAUL FISHER, ASSOCIATE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

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Powering Up HyFlex Seton Hall offered students the choice to stay remote, take in-person classes or follow a hybrid approach when they returned to campus in fall 2020. New HyFlex classes, which served both remote and in-person learners at the same time, relied heavily on technology. That meant the University had to plan and execute a massive tech rollout across all of its classrooms — and it had to do it fast.

To get Seton Hall’s classrooms tech-ready for the new HyFlex model, it took roughly $2 million plus thousands of hours from Facilities Engineering, Media Services and partner organizations. But ready they were.

Microphones and cameras went into every classroom, allowing remote students the full in-person experience. New speakers and large video screens let in-person learners see and hear their remote peers. And to connect both sets of students, Seton Hall faculty ran the Microsoft Teams program from a laptop or, in certain classrooms, straight from a high-tech wall panel.

To prep faculty, the Teaching, Learning and Technology Center offered a catalog of workshops on preparing for remote/HyFlex courses and mastering various technologies. They offered training sessions on course design and remote teaching with Blackboard, Echo360 Lecture Capture, and Microsoft Teams and developed a master directory that included the available technology, floor plans and photos for every classroom.

$7M

2.9M

2,800

INVESTED IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFET Y MEASURES

ELECTRONIC TOUCHPOINTS (SUCH AS CONFERENCE CALLS AND GROUP MEETINGS) DURING THE HYFLEX PERIOD

PARTICIPANTS IN HYFLEX TRAINING WORKSHOPS FOR FACULT Y

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Developing New Ways to Teach For Seton Hall’s faculty, 2020 and 2021 required major — and unexpected — changes to their teaching. But the University’s world-class instructors rose to the challenge, responding with innovations that will benefit Seton Hall classrooms for years to come.

Whether they started the year tech-savvy or tech-hesitant, Seton Hall faculty wholly embraced technology in all forms — from weaving movies, cartoons and animated graphics into lectures, to watching quieter students break out of their shells in the online class chat feature.

And the pivot to online classes allowed for virtual visits from other professors around the country.

Circumstances prompted creative research projects, pushing the boundaries of academic work beyond traditional papers. Students built websites, made videos, drew cartoons and even created faux dating site profiles — all with the same critical thinking typically constrained to a term paper.

Professors also strove to support their students personally as well as academically. Many carved out time before and after class for oneon-one chats. Others devoted the beginning of each class to students sharing their worries in a safe space. If anything, Seton Hall classrooms were livelier and closer-knit than ever before.

“Adapting to the pandemic in the present made us become more forwardthinking in our teaching and implement strategies we’re going to use going forward in the classroom.”

JONATHAN FARINA, Ph.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH; FORMER CHAIR OF THE FACULT Y SENATE

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Fostering a Vibrant and Engaged Campus Seton Hall campuses buzzed with energy and activity throughout the year — despite the pandemic — as students socialized, made connections and rallied to social causes (in compliance with the State of New Jersey health and safety guidance, of course). n The 271 programs and events hosted by the Office of Student

Engagement were attended by more than 25,000 people. n A Seton Hall fall tradition, the “First 56 Days” initiative, attracted more

than 800 first-year students. The series of events and programs — which included Wellness Wednesdays, Laundry 101, Pick-Up and Go Arts and Crafts, and Drive-in Movie Nights — engaged new students and helped them acclimate to campus.

n More than 1,200 students kicked off spring semester with a “First

40 Day Wellness Challenge,” focusing on a full-spectrum of activities that spanned community, finances, spiritual fitness and more. n During May’s Spring Fling, more than 800 students played boardwalk

games and enjoyed carnival rides. n Various student-organized vigils were held to remember victims of

violence and hate, and to call for greater compassion and justice.

100+

500K+

#1

DIVERSIT Y, EQUIT Y AND INCLUSION EVENTS, INCLUDING ANTI-RACISM TRAINING, HELD SINCE JANUARY 2021

SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS OF SETON HALL DIVERSIT Y, EQUIT Y AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES

SETON HALL STUDENTS WON FIRST PLACE IN NEW JERSEY’S 2020 BALLOT BOWL FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO GET OUT THE VOTE

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SUSTAINING VITAL PARTNERSHIPS 20 | SETON HALL UNIVERSIT Y ANNUAL REPORT 2020-21

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“The Center’s recent report documenting the rise in domestic violence in New Jersey during the pandemic — and outlining recommendations for lawmakers to consider to address the issue — typifies the valuable projects undertaken by our faculty and students that make lasting contributions to the community.”

LORI OUTZS BORGEN, J.D., DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AT SETON HALL LAW

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Community Partnerships The pandemic underscored how small our world really is, and how interconnected our lives are with those around us. That was especially true for Seton Hall, where the University’s multiple campuses make it a neighbor to residents of South Orange, Newark, Nutley and Clifton.

It’s a role that Seton Hall takes to heart, which is why, starting in November, it formed a partnership with the Village of South Orange and Essex County to become a local COVID-19 testing site. Later, when vaccines were available, the University also opened its clinic to the South Orange community.

COVID did not stop continuing efforts to serve others, as the University: n Helped save East Orange’s annual Summer Work Experience program

for teens, which had been threatened by COVID-19. By stepping in as the program’s co-director, assistant professor of social work Juan Rios was instrumental in connecting 300 local teens with paid virtual jobs for summer 2020. n Investigated the impact of COVID-19 on survivors of domestic violence

in New Jersey. Faculty and students from the Law School’s Center for Social Justice worked with the local nonprofit Partners for Women and Justice on this important project. n Supported the new Newark School of Global Studies magnet school,

through a partnership between the Newark Board of Education and Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations.

300

114

STUDENTS HELPED THROUGH ONLINE SUMMER WORK PROGRAM

STUDENTS SUPPORTED IN NEWARK’S SCHOOL OF GLOBAL STUDIES

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Advocacy for Higher Education and University Students As the effects of the pandemic on higher education became increasingly evident — with financial pressures forcing closure for some institutions — and the heavy financial, educational and mental health burdens weighing on college students, Seton Hall leadership took strong action to champion both the sector and students in need.

President Joseph E. Nyre, along with other university representatives, engaged numerous federal and state lawmakers, advocating tirelessly for aid to students and universities. They described the extraordinary challenges facing students and higher education, and making a clear case of the need for federal and state government to provide vital financial support at this critical time.

This spirit of fierce commitment did not stop with advocacy, however.

Once federal support was allocated, Seton Hall quickly got it into the hands of those who needed it.

The University distributed more than $10 million to students quickly through coronavirus relief funds. For example, with the CARES Act funds, a newly Student Emergency Fund Committee worked round-the-clock to review applications on a rolling basis and distribute the CARES checks in record time. The money swiftly reached students who were struggling to afford food, housing, course materials, technology, health care or child care due to the pandemic.

<3 WEEKS TO DISTRIBUTE FEDERAL CARES ACT FUNDS TO ELIGIBLE STUDENTS

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“In times of trouble, Pirates have always come together, and that’s just what we did here.”

JAVONDA ASANTE, DIRECTOR OF THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE AND STUDENT AFFAIRS EMERGENCY FUND COMMIT TEE MEMBER

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SETON HALL VALUES IN ACTION

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“In recent years, grants, scholarships and prestigious fellowships have begun piling up at Seton Hall’s doorstep. Accomplishments are mounting in every school and college as the rest of the world is learning what we already know: There are many great minds at Seton Hall.”

K ATIA PASSERINI, Ph.D. PROVOST AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Advancing Academic Excellence Seton Hall faculty continued to dedicate themselves to advancing scholarship. A few highlights include: College of Arts and Sciences The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science created an articulation agreement through which Seton Hall students can earn a tech-intensive graduate finance degree after one year of coursework at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Stillman School of Business Jay Liebowitz in the Department of Computing and Decision Sciences was awarded a U.S. Navy Summer Faculty Research Fellowship at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, in Potomac, Maryland.

College of Communication and the Arts Assistant Professor Matthew Pressman received the 2020 Rising Scholar Award from the American Journalism Historians Association.

School of Diplomacy and International Relations Global health expert Yanzhong Huang was prolific in his work related to the coronavirus. He published a book with Cambridge University Press, briefed the British House of Commons, and was featured in Time, NBC News, NPR and The New York Times.

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College of Education and Human Services The Council for the Accreditation of Education granted the College of Education and Human Services advanced accreditation effective fall 2021 through spring 2024.

University Libraries Christopher P. Duffy, associate dean of the Health Sciences Library, was honored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation as a 2021 Champion of Humanistic Care.

School of Health and Medical Sciences Brian B. Shulman, dean of the School of Health and Medical Sciences, was voted president-elect of the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

School of Law Professor Thomas Healy’s second book, Soul City: Race, Equality and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia, received significant acclaim, with reviews in The New York Times, The Atlantic and NPR. College of Nursing Mary Ellen Roberts, director of the Acute Care Adult Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Program and the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, was named senior editor of the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology Associate professor Patrick R. Manning, chair of pastoral theology, was awarded the Michael Pressley Award for a Promising Scholar in the Education Field by the Alliance for Catholic Education.

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Building on a Legacy: Seton Hall as a School of Opportunity Since 1856, Seton Hall has welcomed students seeking higher education, regardless of their socioeconomic status. This open reception has been marked by outreach and support of first-generation students, many of whom come from families of modest means. The University has reinforced its commitment to these students through programs that seek to sustain and retain them, so they may flourish.

The 2020-21 school year was no different; Seton Hall admitted a diverse group to its incoming fall class. Thirty-six percent of students hailed from out of state, 50 percent were female, 47 percent were students of color, and nearly 27 percent were Pell Grant-eligible and first generation.

What’s more, average GPA rose to 3.61, the average SAT score reached 1,229, and the ACT score average increased to 27.6.

Supplemental funding also allowed Seton Hall to enhance existing programs that support the success of first-generation and Pell-eligible students.

In September 2020, the University received a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to launch the Resilience, Integrity, Scholarship, and Excellence (RISE) program — an effort to empower undergraduates who come from low-income homes, are first-generation, or have disabilities. Through tutoring, mentoring, career counseling and other assistance, RISE will help these students persist in school and graduate from Seton Hall.

Additional funding arrived in 2021, when the University received a $750,000 grant from New Jersey’s Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge Grants program. Those funds will go toward Seton Hall’s First-Generation Forward initiative, which provides a systematic, interactive, comprehensive and multi-interventional plan for firstgeneration or Pell-eligible students that assesses student needs, monitors academic performance and provides increased and focused tutoring, advising, mentoring, supplemental instruction, and financial support.

27%

$149M

$2M+

PELL-ELIGIBLE OR FIRSTGENERATION STUDENTS (FALL 2020)

AWARDED IN FINANCIAL AID

IN NEW GRANTS FOR ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR PELL-ELIGIBLE OR FIRSTGENERATION STUDENTS

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“Having a diverse student body and supporting first-generation students is a Seton Hall hallmark.

We will continue to live out this important tenet of our Catholic mission.”

ALYSSA McCLOUD, Ph.D., SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

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“Through a pandemic and various national upheavals, Seton Hall students have continued to impress me with their resilience and collegial spirit. As a University, we are committed to nurturing their success inside and outside of the classroom while fostering a diverse, inclusive and supportive community.”

MONICA BURNETTE, Ph.D., INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT SERVICES

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Living Out ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ Seton Hall University is known for its strong sense of community.

Surveys indicate that the University feels like family for many students, and the Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE) provides students doing service work with T-shirts that read “Love Thy Neighbor.”

This tight-knit concern for others sustained Setonians throughout the past year. To prepare for a return to campus in fall 2020, University Restart teams developed a Seton Hall Pledge encouraging everyone to stay “safe, secure and Seton Hall strong.”

In part, that meant protecting oneself: through daily symptom tracking, frequent hand washing, quarantining when necessary, and receiving a flu shot. But in typical Seton Hall fashion, the rest of the pledge focused on serving the common good — in this case, helping others to stay healthy by wearing masks, following social distancing measures, staying home when sick and participating in contact tracing.

Yet Setonians have not just been looking out for one another’s physical well-being; they are also addressing mental health during a time of enormous stress and strain. The University secured $250,000 from the state’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services for Seton Hall’s Great Minds Dare to Care program. With an abundance of training and support programs plus special services, it tackles mental health issues head-on — building campus-wide awareness around mental health issues and suicide prevention.

$750K+

50,000+

RAISED FOR STUDENT SUPPORT THROUGH GIVING DAY PROGRAMS

SERVICE HOURS TO COMMUNIT Y EACH YEAR

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Keeping Faith Amid the turmoil and uncertainty of the past year, many turned to their faith for comfort, support and connection. Seton Hall’s Campus Ministry was ready to meet that call, swiftly putting Catholic values into action.

As early as March 2020, Campus Ministry pivoted to livestreamed Masses. Spiritual hikes became the perfect outdoor, socially distanced activity. And when in-person services could resume, the University held outdoor Masses and also began using the spacious Theatre-in-theRound and Main Lounge for services.

Campus missionaries continued to engage students in Bible study and prayer — in-person when possible and online when necessary — inviting them into a deeper relationship with Christ.

At the same time, Seton Hall’s Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE) managed to keep serving those in need, even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of its service work went virtual, including online tutoring, programs for senior centers, and Zoom story hours for children through the local library.

Once in-person service could start again, DOVE helped more than 280 local families at the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry in Newark. It also held targeted drives each month, raising $3,350 and collecting school supply kits for an orphanage in Haiti in September, holding a “Christmas in October” toy drive for Appalachian families and donating food to local missions through a Hunger and Homelessness Drive in November.

11,500+

230K+

2021

PEOPLE ATTENDED 66 VIRTUAL MASSES DURING THE 2020-21 ACADEMIC YEAR

PEOPLE LEARNED ABOUT SETON HALL’S MISSION AND MINISTRY EFFORTS DURING A “CBS 2 NEWS THIS MORNING” SEGMENT

YEAR SETON HALL WAS GRANTED ADMISSION TO THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES

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“My prayer for my staff and students has been one word: Open.

Eyes and ears, minds and hearts, wide open. Not just to the trouble. Not just to the stress. Not just to our sadness for those who are sick … but open to the gifts that are still all around us in our homes, in our hearts and all around us in the world.”

FATHER COLIN KAY, VICE PRESIDENT FOR MISSION AND MINISTRY

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“Thousands of alumni, students, parents, friends, faculty and staff stepped up to support our students at a time when they needed it the most.”

JON PAPARSENOS, VICE PRESIDENT, UNIVERSIT Y ADVANCEMENT

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Supporting Each Other The global health crisis dealt a serious financial blow to universities and their students. In response, our alumni and friends stepped up to offer their support — and in doing so, further embodied the University’s values of leading by example and helping those who need it most.

In April 2020, during the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey, 1,400 supporters donated a total of $366,000 to Seton Hall on its annual Giving Day. To help students who were hit hardest by the health crisis, those funds went directly into private scholarships and the Student Emergency Fund.

In the summer of 2020, the University launched a semester-long philanthropy effort to support the Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE).

Again, alumni and friends showed their commitment to Seton Hall’s values. The campaign raised $47,000 for DOVE from more than 600 donors, nearly doubling its original goal.

And when Giving Day 2021 was completed, 1,700 donors gave a total of $422,000 to the University to a variety of funds in support of our students.

Overall, the 2020-21 fiscal year marked an increase in the total number of alumni and friends supporting Seton Hall: Roughly 9,000 people donated to causes all over the University. The University raised $22.8 million in gifts and pledges from generous supporters who were also dealing with the pandemic’s challenges.

27,000

9,000

SUPPORTERS ENGAGED WITH SETON HALL IN A VARIET Y OF WAYS

DONORS SUPPORTED INITIATIVES ACROSS THE UNIVERSIT Y

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Showing Tenacity and Grit The 2020-21 season marked a high point in the history of Seton Hall’s men’s soccer program — a particularly impressive feat.

Thanks to its dedication and resilience, the team captured its first BIG EAST Tournament title since 1991 with a 2-1 victory over last year’s national champions, Georgetown. Then it advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals for only the second time ever, and the first time since 1988.

The Pirates finished their regular season with their first Top 10 national ranking since 2006, climbing as high as the No. 6 slot — the second-highest ranking they’ve ever had. And five players were selected for All-BIG EAST Teams, a tie for the most in program history.

But it wasn’t a smooth road to these triumphs. At one point, the team wasn’t sure whether its international players could return for the season due to COVID-19 restrictions. While grappling with a postponed fall season and preparing teammates who arrived back in South Orange just one month before the season started, the Pirates proved that even in severe adversity, with hard work and grit, you can win titles and set multi-decade records.

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3.62

11

MEN’S SOCCER GPA (2020-21) (HIGHEST AMONG MEN’S TEAMS)

BIG EAST REGULAR SEASON & TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS WON BY MEN’S SOCCER SINCE 1986

“Men’s soccer overcame adversity to not only win a BIG EAST Tournament championship, but also to become one of the nation’s best programs.

Their perseverance to achieve excellence during the difficult year is emblematic of how all our student-athletes approached 2020-21.”

BRYAN J. FELT, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION

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University Center

AN EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE

Making Long-term Investments Over the past year, Seton Hall has never lost sight of its future, even while addressing a pressing crisis. Just as the University moved ahead formulating its strategic plan, it also began laying the foundation for enhancing the student experience in myriad ways.

In 2020, the University moved to secure bond funding for several capital projects beyond the $165 million invested in new buildings and renovations over the previous decade. In May 2020, the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority approved two bonds totaling nearly $109 million for Seton Hall. Securing this financing for transformative long-term investment, amid the uncertainty of the pandemic, underscores Seton Hall’s deep commitment to its students and its clearsighted plan for its future.

A slate of ambitious projects started in early 2021: n A top-to-bottom renovation began for the 1960s-era Bishop

Dougherty University Center — kickstarting a transformation (inside and out) of the geographic heart of our South Orange campus. Upgrades will include brand-new spaces, among them a TV/radio studio, an event room and a prayer room. n Boland Hall — the University’s largest freshman residence

constructed in the 1950s — underwent major renovations. A new 1,600-foot, glass-enclosed front lobby will welcome students to the building and house an enhanced security station. Inside, student living spaces in Boland South received their first major renovations in nearly 20 years. n Work was completed to update our historic and iconic Walsh Gym,

home to Seton Hall’s basketball and volleyball teams. The facelift includes new seats, a center-hung scoreboard, a new sound system, and a brand-new hardwood court with Seton Hall branding.

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“Seton Hall is moving forward into a bright future. We invite others — inside our community and out — to join us. Continued support will allow Seton Hall to extend the momentum that emerged this past year and prepare for the excitement that lies ahead… Together.

Hazard Zet Forward.”

PRESIDENT JOSEPH E. NYRE, Ph.D.

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44 | SETON HALL UNIVERSIT Y ANNUAL REPORT 2020-21

Please note that some photos included in the report were taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What great minds can do.

SHU-136-21

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