Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences | Rutgers-New Brunswick
Office of Special Programs

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Office of Special Programs/Educational Opportunity Fund (OSP/EOF) believes that students possess the capacity to make positive, adaptive changes in their educational development. This office serves as a supportive and professional resource that assists students in navigating the complexities of life at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS).

OSP/EOF services and activities foster the student's understanding of what is required to succeed in college. They also encourage students to assess and realize their personal skills, abilities, strengths, and capacities. The role of the staff is to guide, inform and instruct, while encouraging students' academic, personal and professional success.

Our Mission:

OSP/EOF staff are educators who work to facilitate the academic, personal and career growth of students by promoting lifelong learning through services to local and global communities. We exist to ensure access to quality higher education, especially for students who encounter economic and educational challenges.

OSP/EOF is funded through the Commission of Higher Education and SEBS Dean's Office. Using a holistic approach to academic support and a progressive network of programs and services, our philosophy on education is adopted from a Chinese proverb from Sun Tzu:

-If you are planning for a year, plant rice
-If you are planning for a decade, plant a tree

-If you are planning for a lifetime, educate a person

Therefore, OSP works to:

  • Facilitate transition from high school graduate to college student
  • Assist students to clarify their academic and career goals
  • Promote students' academic achievement
  • Support students' persistence to graduation
  • Steer students toward advanced and professional studies
  • Help students accept responsibility for their educational development
  • Encourage students to perform service to the broader community

The academic programs that support the holistic approach of OSP are demonstrated by the illustration of "The Cycle of Student Learning" and "How the Cycle of Learning Drives Academic Student Support."

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