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Rutgers University–Camden said Monday that Chancellor Phoebe Haddon will step down on July 1 and return to the faculty as a law professor.

“Leading this institution has been – and remains – one of the defining honors of my life,” said Haddon, who was named the university’s first African-American woman chancellor in 2014. “Rutgers University–Camden is a place of optimism, creativity, and determination. I am forever grateful to be a member of this great community.”  

Haddon launched her tenure at Rutgers University–Camden by spearheading its first comprehensive strategic plan. During the plan’s five-year period, Rutgers–Camden set new enrollment records annually, in part through the introduction of the Bridging the Gap tuition reduction program in 2015. The program has helped reverse New Jersey’s brain drain of young people leaving the state to attend college by helping to make higher education more accessible for New Jersey families. The Rutgers–Camden program is the subject of a multi-year study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia – where Haddon serves as a Class C director and chair – and has been replicated in some form by other higher education institutions nationwide.

According to Rutgers-Camden, under Haddon’s time as chancellor, the university added high-demand graduate programs, including New Jersey’s first master’s program in forensic science, along with programs in nursing practice, business analytics, investments, private wealth management, and digital marketing. Undergraduate opportunities have expanded with the addition of digital studies, health studies, global studies, and Spanish for the health professions certificate.

“It has been my great pleasure to serve alongside Chancellor Haddon since the day she joined the Rutgers–Camden community six years ago and to witness the inspiring leadership she has provided at a pivotal time,” Rutgers President Robert Barchi said. “Championing excellence, access, and engagement, Phoebe Haddon has moved Rutgers University–Camden forward in vital ways, and we are a better and stronger institution because of her.”

Under Haddon’s direction, student success remained a top priority, the university said. Opportunities for students to engage in original research with Rutgers University–Camden’s research faculty were elevated, and a new Office of Scholar Development and Fellowship Advising was launched to help students secure national and international awards, including Fulbright fellowships. Haddon strengthened student support systems for undergraduate and graduate students in order to help them achieve their goals and their degrees.