Student Groups and Communities

The Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for all students at Rutgers University by providing cultural, social, and educational programs and initiatives focusing on issues relevant to the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community. We envision a vibrant community of students committed to learning, preserving, and embracing the unique histories, traditions, cultural identities, and experiences of the APIDA diaspora at Rutgers and the community at large. The center provides a supportive environment for all students, encouraging academic and professional excellence through internship opportunities, peer-to-peer mentorship, leadership and professional development, and exploration of identity.

The Office of Career Exploration and Success uses a career development model focused on career communities. This model allows students to break out of the confines of viewing career opportunities based on majors and opens the door to more career options. Events, job/internship postings, alumni mentors, post-graduation career outcomes, and news blogs are structured around our career communities.

Visit careers.rutgers.edu/communities to view a full list of our communities.

After you review the career communities, log in to your Rutgers Handshake account. Go to your profile section, choose ‘Career Interests,’ and select 1-5 career communities to join. Scroll down and click ‘Save.’

The Eagleton Institute of Politics’ Center for Youth Political Participation at Rutgers–New Brunswick advances the political learning and engagement of young people and equips them to be active citizens and leaders. For young people to assume their place in the political process, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of political participation must be taught. Through education, research, and public service, the Center for Youth Political Participation plays a lead role locally, regionally, and nationally in fostering and promoting the active citizenship and leadership of future generations.

The Collaborative Center for Community Engagement is dedicated to supporting campus-community partnerships to advance the public good in our New Brunswick and Piscataway communities, throughout the state of New Jersey, and beyond. The Collaborative oversees programs like Advancing Community Development (a competitive semester-long program for up to 16 students who do research in the area of health in the New Brunswick community and receive mentors from Johnson & Johnson which is funded by a gift from J&J); the Bonner Leaders program (a highly selective program for 50 Federal Work-Study students who do their hours at partners on and off-campus working on special projects); a Community Walking Tour that examines food, architecture, and the cultural communities of New Brunswick; oversight of the RCommunity Engagement platform; and, the giving of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for New Brunswick students who meet the criteria.

Rutgers University Alternative Break (RUAB) trips offer all Rutgers students the opportunity to serve communities around the United States and abroad to combat a variety of prevailing social issues, such as homelessness, systemic oppression, environmental sustainability, disability rights, immigration reform, LGBTQIA+ equality, animal welfare, and more. These service learning trips take place over the course of a week during the University’s academic break periods, and allow students to learn more about the communities we serve and explore the culture of their local areas. Each trip is designed and coordinated by Alternative Break Site Leaders, undergraduate students who are trained and prepared to provide a holistic and meaningful experience for their participants.

Rutgers offers events and amenities for commuter students. Each Student Center has lounges and microwaves. In the Busch and Douglass Centers, there are designated commuter lounges to relax in and meet other students, while enjoying amenities including a refrigerator (Busch) and kitchen (Douglass). Commuter lockers can be found at the College Avenue Student Center, Douglass Student Center, and Livingston Student Center. Students are able to store items for a few hours or for the entire day based on their schedules and needs. Lockers are free of charge and come in various sizes for ease and convenience.

Commuter students are invited to attend welcome events and other opportunities throughout the year to connect with other students. In addition, the Rutgers Commuter Student Association (RCSA) is an inclusive student organization whose primary role is to serve commuter students’ needs and interests while building a community on campus. RCSA promotes engagement through programming and advocacy. Email: information.rcsa@gmail.com