The College of New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For information on the institution known as the "College of New Jersey" until 1896, see Princeton University.
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| Motto | Nothing Short of Excellence |
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| Established | 1855 |
| Type | Public |
| Endowment | $6.9 million [1] |
| President | R. Barbara Gitenstein, Ph.D |
| Faculty | 331 |
| Undergraduates | 5,930 |
| Postgraduates | 850 |
| Location | Ewing, New Jersey, USA |
| Campus | Suburban, 289 acres (1.2 km²) |
| Athletics | 21 sports teams |
| Nickname | Lions |
| Mascot | Roscoe |
| Website | www.tcnj.edu |
The College of New Jersey, commonly called TCNJ, is a four-year public institution located in Ewing Township, New Jersey, a northern suburb of Trenton. It is also known by the previous name, Trenton State College. It is ranked as the top public institution of higher learning in New Jersey whose highest degree is a Master's degree, and repeatedly ranks high in national surveys comparing institutions of higher learning [2]. The College of New Jersey has a four credit system where students take four classes a semester, and maintains a liberal arts curriculum with a combination of core classes and general education.
Contents |
[edit] About The College of New Jersey
[edit] Schools
More than fifty liberal arts and professional programs are now offered through The College's seven schools: Art Media & Music, Business, Culture & Society, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Science.
[edit] History
The College of New Jersey was established in 1855 by the New Jersey state legislature as the New Jersey State Normal School. Rodman McCamley Price, Governor of New Jersey, promoted the idea of a training institute for New Jersey's teachers and mobilized support among influential state leaders. Thus, the New Jersey State Normal School became the first teacher training institution in New Jersey, and the ninth in the United States.
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.
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 very unhappy with the change as they were proud being graduates of Trenton State College. [citation needed] Some critics say that the college wanted to disassociate itself with the city of Trenton, which of late has garnered a reputation for high crime and poverty, even though the city is currently undergoing 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.
In 2000, the college began a large renovation project that included the building of a new library and many new buildings. A parking deck was erected in the spring of 2004, to alleviate a severe parking shortage for students. This deck opened in time for the graduation of the class of 2004.
In 2004 the college was named among the 75 schools that Barron's Educational Series lists in its "Most Competitive" category. It was one of only seven public schools placed in this category.
[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
[edit] Logo change
In the fall of 2003, the college changed its logo from the clock tower[3] to the shield[4]. Some students and some faculty felt that the new logo was inferior to the old one. In response, the college administration put out an FAQ[5] explaining why the change was made. In short, the new logo was needed in order to create a better national identity for the college (by having the school's name in the logo), and to make the college's image more appealing to prospective applicants by making it more contemporary.
Critics of the move feel that the school's administration wants to portray an image that is at odds with what they feel is the school's true identity. Some students and faculty feel that the school fills a niche for being the premier public college in New Jersey. However, critics of the administration feel that they are trying to portray the school as being the next best thing to Princeton University by effectively adopting Princeton's former name and a similar logo. In doing so, critics believe that the administration is trying to foster a false sense of elitism in order to attract better applicants. The image change seems to be working, however, since the average SAT and GPA of the incoming freshman classes has been steadily increasing since the change[6]. Also, the college's students have been garnering higher amounts of financial aid[7] in the form of loans, federal grants, and state scholarships (such as the Bloustein scholarship).
[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. TCNJ athletics is a source of pride for the school, as the Lions have racked up more 1st and 2nd place finishes in Division III championship games than any other school. Especially of note is the women's lacrosse and field hockey programs. Both are coached by Sharon Pfluger (who graduated from the school in 1982). The women's lacrosse team has played in the championship game an astounding 16 out of 20 possible times, winning 11 (although the 1992 title was later vacated), and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament 21 consecutive times (through 2005). In fact, from 1991 to 1996 the team went 93-1, going five straight seasons without a loss and even longer without a loss at home. The women's field hockey team is equally as impressive, having won 9 Division III crowns. The school's main athletic rival is Rowan University; nowhere is the hatred more evident than the annual Friday night football game. Rowan holds a 29-15-2 edge in the series, however, much to the dismay of the Blue and Gold. Home games are held at Lions Stadium, one of the premier athletic facilities in Division III. It holds 6,000 spectators and features an AstroTurf playing surface. Lions 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.
[edit] Academics
The College of New Jersey offers a variety of 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 New Jersey Medical School. This program offers guaranteed admission to NJMS upon completion of three years of undergraduate study at TCNJ and the maintenance of a minimum GPA (currently set at 3.4).
From the 1990's until present, students are required to participate in the TCNJ first year experience, a large component of the liberal arts curriculum at TCNJ.
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 & Justice Studies, 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] Campus life
Freshman students almost exclusively live in the Travers/Wolfe towers, or Cromwell Hall. Sophomores live in New Residence, Allen Hall, Brewster Hall, Ely Hall, Norsworthy Hall, Decker Hall, or Centennial Hall, and juniors/seniors typically live in Townhouses and Eickhoff Hall, formerly known as Community Commons. 95% of freshmen live on campus, but this number dwindles to 50% for juniors and seniors due to the difficulty in getting on-campus housing. A lottery system provides housing to juniors and seniors. TCNJ has made moves to rectify this, most notably by attempting to build additional on-campus "apartments" across from the new parking deck (the former site of parking lots 5, 6, 7, and 8). Construction on these facilities, however, was halted after significant water damage was reported. Numerous lawsuits followed, and the half-completed apartments now stand derelict. As of 2006, the decrepit Centennial Hall still stands and is used for student housing, until a newer dormitory can be built.
[edit] TCNJ Neologisms
- The Git - The student body's affectionate name for R. Barbara Gitenstein, the college President.
- Transformation - The administration's euphemistic description of curricular changes.
- The Rat - Short for "Rathskellar," the on-campus bar.
- The Loop - Colloquial name for Metzger Drive - the road encircling the campus, often a popular jogging route.
- T-Dubs - Dining Facility located in the lower levels of Travers and Wolfe
- C-store - In common usage at other colleges and universities, refers to the campus convenience store.
- Sick at Eick - Term used when not feeling well after eating at Eickoff Hall Cafeteria
- Halo run - Going to Halo Farm, most commonly for pints of ice cream; although Halo does not have its own website, students have put up both a flavor list and directions
- The STUD- short for the Student Center where the school store, dining area, and lounging areas are located
- "24 hour study area"- very small area in the front of the library, actually only open until 2am
[edit] Greek Life
The Greek community at The College of New Jersey comprises 13% 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.
The recognized Greek organizations at TCNJ are: Alpha Chi Rho , Alpha Kappa Alpha , Alpha Psi Chi , Chi Upsilon Sigma, Delta Phi Epsilon , Delta Sima Pi, Delta Zeta , Kappa Alpha Psi, Kappa Delta, Lambda Sigma Upsilon, Lambda Tau Omega, Lambda Theta Alpha, Lambda Theta Phi, Mu Sigma Upsilon, Phi Alpha Delta, Phi Beta Sigma, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Tau, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Gamma Rho, Sigma Pi, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Theta Nu Xi, Theta Phi Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Zeta Tau Alpha.
[edit] Trivia
- 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). [8]
[edit] Notable alumni
- Jim Florio (B.A., 1962) — Governor of New Jersey, 1990 to 1994
- The Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf (M.A., 1971), Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island
- Christopher Smith (B.S., 1975) — United States Congressional Representative
- Tom McCarthy '90 — Radio Play-by-play voice of the New York Mets.
- Holly Black (B.A., 1994) — Author of The Spiderwick Chronicles series, Valiant : A Modern Tale of Faerie, and Tithe : A Modern Faerie Tale.
- Ty Treadway — One Life to Live soap star and host of Soap Talk on Soapnet cable channel.
- Jay Black (B.A., 1998) Comedian
[edit] External links
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
| New Jersey Athletic Conference |
|---|
| Buffalo State† • Kean • Montclair State • New Jersey • New Jersey City‡ • Ramapo‡ • Richard Stockton‡ • Rowan • Rutgers-Camden‡ • Rutgers-Newark‡ • SUNY Cortland† • Western Connecticut State† • William Paterson † football-only member ‡ non-football member |
| New Jersey state colleges and universities |
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| The College of New Jersey • Kean University • Montclair State University • New Jersey City University • New Jersey Institute of Technology • Ramapo College • Richard Stockton College of New Jersey • Rowan University • Rutgers (New Brunswick-Piscataway, Newark, Camden) • Thomas Edison State College • University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey • William Paterson University |
![[3]](http://web.archive.org/web/19971112224358/www.tcnj.edu/tcnj.gif){kind=link}