The College of New Jersey
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| The College of New Jersey | |
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| Motto: | Nothing Short of Excellence |
| Established: | 1855 |
| Type: | Public |
| Endowment: | $7.6 million[1] |
| President: | R. Barbara Gitenstein, Ph.D |
| Faculty: | 733[2] |
| Students: | 6,964 [2] |
| Undergraduates: | 6,205 [2] |
| Postgraduates: | 759 [2] |
| Location: |  Ewing, NJ, USA |
| Campus: | Suburban, 289 acres (1.2 km²)[3] |
| Colors: | TCNJ Blue and TCNJ Gold [4] |
| Nickname: |
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| Mascot: | Roscoe the Lion |
| Athletics: | NCAA Division III |
| Website: | www.tcnj.edu |
The College of New Jersey, abbreviated TCNJ, formerly Trenton State College, is a public, coeducational university[1] located in Ewing Township, New Jersey, a northern suburb of Trenton.
Established in 1855 by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, the institution was the first normal school in the state of New Jersey and the ninth in the United States[5]. Originally located in Trenton proper, the college was moved to its present location during the early to mid-1930s. Since its inception, TCNJ has undergone several name changes, the most recent being the controversial[6] 1996 change to its current name, from Trenton State College.
US News and World Reports ranks The College of New Jersey as the top master's degree level public university in the Northern United States[7], while Barron's Educational Series Profiles of American Colleges lists the college among its 75 "Most Competitive" institutions[8][9]. The college is also notable for its quality of life; it currently ranks 7th in The Princeton Review's "Happiest Students" list[10], and features a first-year retention rate of 95%[11].
TCNJ is organized into seven schools, all of which offer four-year bachelor's degree programs, and several of which offer master's degree programs. In Fall 2004, TCNJ became the first public institution in the United States use a four credit course system, in which students typically take four classes per semester, as opposed to the three credit system used at the majority of institutions[12]. Furthermore, a great deal of emphasis is placed on liberal arts education via the college's general education requirements[13].
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[edit] History
The College of New Jersey was established on February 9, 1855 by an act of the New Jersey Legislature mandating the creation of a state normal school, making the New Jersey State Normal School the first teacher training institution in New Jersey and the ninth in the United States. Prior to this, then-Governer Rodman McCamley Price had actively promoted the notion of founding a training institute for New Jersey's teachers, and helped to mobilize support among influential state leaders:
| “ | I recommend the establishment of a school for the education of teachers, similar to the schools established in many of the states, which are deemed to exert a most useful and beneficial influence in the cause of education in public estimation. | ” |
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—Rodman McCamley Price, statement, January 1855, [14] |
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For the first seventy-three years, the school was located in Trenton on Clinton Avenue. Beginning in 1925, the institution offered its first four-year baccalaureate degrees, and engaged on a transitional program of expansion. In 1928, a suburban tract of 210 acres (0.8 km²) was purchased in Ewing Township, New Jersey and preparations were underway to relocate the College. The first building erected on the new campus was Green Hall, built in traditional Georgian colonial style. The majority of buildings now on campus reflect Green Hall's architecture.
Programs in graduate study were instituted in 1947, followed by accreditation from various national associations in the 1950s. The enactment of the Higher Education Act of 1966 paved the way for TCNJ to become a comprehensive institution by expanding its degree programs into a variety of fields aside from the education of teachers. By 1972, seventy percent of entering students were selecting non-education majors. At this time, the college was known as Trenton State College.
In 1996, in a move spearheaded by Harold Eickhoff, The College of New Jersey adopted its current name in order to become more academically competitive on a national level. Alumni were unhappy with the change as they were proud being graduates of Trenton State College.[15] Some critics say that the college wanted to disassociate itself with the city of Trenton, which at the time had garnered a reputation for high crime and poverty, even though the city has since undergone a renaissance. This name change raised a heated debate with Princeton University which was known as the College of New Jersey from its founding in 1746 until 1896. Princeton University felt The College of New Jersey was attempting to associate itself with its history and reputation, and the name change would falsely indicate association between the two schools. In response, the administration at Princeton University sought injunctive and legal action to protect its claim on the name, but the action was subsequently dismissed.[16]
[edit] Names over the years
- 1855 — New Jersey State Normal School
- 1908 — New Jersey State Normal School in Trenton
- 1929 — New Jersey State Teachers College and State Normal School at Trenton
- 1937 — New Jersey State Teachers College at Trenton
- 1958 — Trenton State College
- 1996 — The College of New Jersey
When the name-change from Trenton State College to The College of New Jersey took place, workers misspelled the new name on the sign at the rear gate of the college. The new sign read "The College of New Jeresy". This was quickly corrected, but not before a photo of the incorrect sign was published on the cover of the Trentonian (a local daily newspaper).[17]
[edit] Academics
More than fifty liberal arts and professional programs are offered through The College's seven schools: Art, Media, and Music; Business; Culture and Society; Education; Engineering; Nursing; and Science.
The College of New Jersey offers degrees in over 50 liberal arts and professional programs, leading to one of the following undergraduate (baccalaureate) degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Science. It also offers graduate programs leading to the following degrees: Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Education, Master of Science, and Master of Science in Nursing. TCNJ also offers a 7 year combined B.S./M.D. (Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine) program for graduating high school students in conjunction with University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. This program offers guaranteed admission to UMDNJ upon completion of three years of undergraduate study at TCNJ and the maintenance of a minimum GPA (currently set at 3.5).
These programs are organized into one of seven departments:
- School of Arts and Communication
- School of Business
- School of Culture and Society
- School of Education
- School of Engineering
- School of Nursing, Health & Exercise Science
- School of Science
Since the 1990s, incoming students are required to participate in the TCNJ first year experience, a large component of the liberal arts curriculum at TCNJ.
Faculty at TCNJ have also put on a number of successful programs that have had an impact on the scholarly and New Jersey communities. In 2005, English professors David Blake and Michael Robertson hosted a symposium celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. Professor Lincoln Konkle will host an International Thornton Wilder Conference at TCNJ in 2008.
The College of New Jersey offers programs in the following Majors: Accounting, Art, Art History, Art Teacher Preparation, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Communication Studies, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Criminology, Digital Art, Early childhood education, Education of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Elementary Education, Engineering Management, English, English Teacher Preparation, Finance, General Business, Graphic Design, History, History Teacher Preparation, Interactive Multimedia, International Business, International Studies, Journalism, Management, Marketing, Mathematics & Statistics, Mechanical Engineering, Music Performance, Music Education, Nursing, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Sociology and Pre-Social Work, Spanish, Spanish Teaching, Technological Studies, and Women's & Gender Studies.
[edit] Global Programs
The College of New Jersey offers graduate programs in Education at a number of international locations. Currently students can complete a State of New Jersey Teacher Certification and earn a Master of Education degree while studying in Bangkok, Thailand, Mallorca, Spain, Frankfurt, Germany, or Johannesburg, South Africa.
[edit] Campus Life
[edit] Residence halls
First-year students almost exclusively live in the Travers/Wolfe towers, or Cromwell Hall. Second-year students live in New Residence, Allen Hall, Brewster Hall, Ely Hall, Norsworthy Hall, Decker Hall, or Centennial Hall, and upperclassmen typically live in Townhouses South, East, or West, or in Eickhoff Hall. While first-year and second-year students are guaranteed on-campus housing; a lottery system provides housing to juniors and seniors. As a result, the percentage of resident students dwindles from 95% of first-year students to 50% of upperclassmen living on campus. TCNJ has made moves to rectify this, most notably by attempting to build additional on-campus "apartments" across from the main commuter parking lots. Construction on these facilities, however, was halted after significant water damage was reported. In February of 2007, a protracted legal battle over the faulty apartments was fought between TCNJ and the contractors responsible for constructing the apartments. In the 2007-2008 academic year, deconstruction of the buildings and foundations was completed by a new contractor, and work began on rebuilding the complex. The residences are expected to be completed in 2009.
[edit] Student life
Nearby metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia and New York City are an hour or less away by train, and are regular student destinations for weekend entertainment. Nevertheless, while many students continue to return to their hometowns, surveys of the student population indicate that 80% of residential students remain on-campus for at least 3 weekends per month.[18] TCNJ also has a vibrant community of over 180 student organizations managed by the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development. Campus attempts at providing non-alcohol-related social events for students are numerous, including both on and off-campus activities such as musical and comedic performances (recent guests include George Carlin and Guster) and recent movie showings, many of which funded by the Student Finance Board. While TCNJ Athletics programs are consistently ranked in the division, few know that the institution's varsity teams are the top combined first- and second-place finishers of all 424 Division-III schools in the nation over more than 25 years.[19]
TCNJ is home to many student run organizations. The Signal has been the college's newspaper since 1885. The Siren and The Lion's Eye are the two major literary magazines on campus and are distributed each semester and funded by the Student Activity Fee.
[edit] Athletics
The College of New Jersey is affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association and participates in athletics events as a Division III school. It is a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The mascot of the College of New Jersey is Roscoe the Lion. The main athletic facility, Lions Stadium, holds 6,000 spectators and features an AstroTurf playing surface. Recent reports have indicated that the turf contained higher-than-acceptable levels of lead and was subsequently removed. It is said that the field will be ready for commencement 2008. The stadium has hosted multiple NCAA Tournaments and championship games, as well as the annual New Jersey Special Olympics and the annual USSBA Central Jersey Regional marching band competition.
The women's lacrosse team has played in the championship game 16 out of 20 possible times, winning 11 (though the 1992 title was later vacated) and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament 21 consecutive times through 2005, highlighted by a 93-1 record from 1991 to 1996. The women's field hockey team has won 9 Division III crowns.
The TCNJ wrestling team host the NCAA Championships regularly and has placed in the top 20 nationally for 30 consecutive years, including 5 National Championships, 5 Runner-up finishes, and numerous finishes in the top 5.
[edit] Greek Life
The Greek community[3] at The College of New Jersey comprises roughly 15% of the student body population. The Greek organizations at TCNJ are governed by the Inter-Greek Council. Its purpose is to unite the members of the Greek community in spirit of mutual interest. It organizes and governs activities, highlights goals and opens lines of communication between the members of the organizations and the rest of the campus community.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Holly Black (B.A., 1994) — Author of The Spiderwick Chronicles series, Valiant : A Modern Tale of Faerie, and Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale.
- Sheila Callaghan (B.A., 1995) — Award-winning playwright.
- Craige Champion (B.A.,1984 summa cum laude) Professor of History and Chair of History Department at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
- Jim Florio (B.A., 1962) — Governor of New Jersey, 1990 to 1994.
- Guy Chiarello (B.A., 1981) Former Managing Director/CIO of Morgan Stanley
- Derick Grant (B.A., 2005) — Globetrotters Player.[20]
- Charles M. Jochem — Superintendent of NJ School for the Deaf & founder of Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity, Inc.
- Tom McCarthy (1990) — Radio Play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Phillies.[21]
- Tom Scharpling — producer and radio host.
- Christopher Smith (B.S., 1975) — United States Congressman representing New Jersey's 4th congressional district.
- Ty Treadway — One Life to Live soap star and host of Soap Talk on Soapnet cable channel.
- The Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf (M.A., 1971) — Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.
- Gene Hart — Hockey Hall of Fame Announcer. Original "Voice of the Philadelphia Flyers".
- Joseph R. Malone (B.S. & M. Ed Industrial Arts Education) — Republican State Assemblyman for the 30th Legislative District.
[edit] Notable Faculty
- Christopher Klim — Journalism, Author
- Roman K. Kovalev — History
- Jess Row — English
- John Ruscio — Psychology
- David Hunt — Organic Chemistry
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b America's Best Colleges 2008: College of New Jersey: At a glance. US News and World Report (2008). Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
- ^ a b c d Fact Book 2007: Quick Facts (DOC). The College of New Jersey (2007-10-01). Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ TCNJ At A Glance. The College of New Jersey. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ TCNJ Official Colors. The College of New Jersey (November 2003). Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ Jarrold 1955: 1-6
- ^ Stout, David (Jun. 28, 1996). "Trenton State Gets New Name and a Battle". The New York Times, p.B8.
- ^ USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2008: Universities-Master's (North): Top Schools
- ^ The College of New Jersey Ranked with Nation's Elite. The College of New Jersey (2004-09-13). Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
- ^ Barron’s, Again, Ranks TCNJ with Nation’s Top Schools. The College of New Jersey (2006-08-09). Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
- ^ Quality of Life: Happiest Students. The Princeton Review (2008). Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
- ^ [http://www.tcnj.edu/~pa/news/2007/USNews2008.htm TCNJ Tops U.S. News List of Best Colleges For 16th Consecutive Year]. The College of New Jersey (2007-08-17). Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
- ^ Heyboer, Kelly (2003-01-19), “Revolution in classwork is brewing in Ewing”, The Star-Ledger: 001, <http://phobos.ramapo.edu/facassem/collegeofnewjerseycredits.html>
- ^ Liberal Learning :: The College of New Jersey. The College of New Jersey (2008-06-18). Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
- ^ Jarrold 1955: 6
- ^ Princeton Fights a Switch.
- ^ What's in a Name?
- ^ [1] "Always Check Your Work" photo.
- ^ TCNJ's Office of Residential and Community Development implemented the EBI/ACUHO-I targeted national benchmarking survey in the spring of 2003 (on file).
- ^ TCNJ Athletics Championship Records.
- ^ [2].
- ^ Tom McCarthy, WFAN. Accessed August 26, 2007.
[edit] References
- Jarrold, Rachel M.; Fromm, Glenn (1955). Time the Great Teacher. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
[edit] External links
[edit] Clubs and Organizations
- Student Government Association Student Governing Body and Student Advocacy Body
- Residence Hall Association Residence Hall Governing Body
- Asian American Association
- Music Educators National Convention
- Order of the Golden Lion, Medieval Re-enactment club
- TCNJ Manhunt
- All College Theatre, Student-run theatre club
- The Off Campus Student Organization
[edit] Maps
- The College of New Jersey is at coordinates Coordinates:
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