A Message from Dean Meghan Rehbein
Season's Greetings
Dear Douglass Community,
Happy New Year!
For 107 years, Douglass has withstood the test of time, continually expanding, innovating, and adapting to meet the challenges and opportunities of the day. Throughout our long and storied history of propelling women to success, our mission has remained constant: to center women’s experiences, develop the feminist leaders of tomorrow, and inspire purpose-driven growth through an interdisciplinary education.
It is this mission that continues to resonate with current students and leadership at Rutgers. The incoming class of 2025 broke records, with more than 700 students electing to enroll in Douglass. Once at Douglass, these students consistently rank among the highest achievers at Rutgers University, earning prestigious awards, conducting innovative research, and taking up university-wide leadership positions.
Beyond academic success, Douglass is known for its strong and vibrant community. Our ten living-learning communities embody Chancellor Francine Conway’s Academic Master Plan, which seeks to invest in personalized learning communities (LLCs) for all first-year students. These LLCs bring students together to focus on topics ranging from pharmacy and nursing to engineering to global climate and sustainability to the fine arts and have been proven to help improve retention rates and create long-lasting bonds between students. We are planning to open new communities in partnership with Rutgers schools in 2026 and beyond, and look forward to continuing to exemplify community-based experiential learning at Rutgers.
All of this is possible because of the steadfast support we receive from our alumni and friends. This holiday season, please consider making an end-of-year gift in support of the Douglass Residential College Renewal and Innovation Fund. Gifts to this fund support core areas of student impact and are essential to supporting the Douglass community as we continue to grow, thrive, and make a profound impact on Rutgers-New Brunswick.
We look forward to a prosperous and expansive 2026 with your partnership!
Sincerely,
Meghan Rehbein, Ed.D.
Dean, Douglass Residential College
Director, Institute for Women's Leadership