New Jersey City University

New Jersey City University
Motto	Ineamus Ad Disendum Exeamus Ad Merendum Enter to Learn, Exit to Serve
Established	1929
Type	Public
Endowment	US$ $7.02 million [1]
President	Carlos Hernández
Undergraduates	6,300
Postgraduates	2,000
Location	Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
Campus	Urban, 46 acres
Athletics	NCAA Division III
Colors	Green and Gold
Nickname	Gothic Knights
Mascot	Knights
Website	www.njcu.edu

New Jersey City University (NJCU) is a public university in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. It is a member of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Opened in 1929 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Jersey City, the institution was renamed New Jersey State Teachers College at Jersey City in 1935 and Jersey City State College in 1958, becoming a liberal arts college in 1968. In 1998, the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education approved a change of institutional status and accepted the present name.^[2][3]

Campus

The university's main campus is located on Kennedy Boulevard. The oldest building on the campus is Hepburn Hall. Designed by Guilbert and Betelle and completed in 1930, the Gothic structure serves as the symbol of the university and features prominently in the school's publications. A new seven-story Arts and Sciences building designed by architect Michael Graves is at the center of the campus. The 77,000-square-foot (7,200 m²) building, which replaced for Grossnickle Hall houses 14 classrooms, 10 computer labs, faculty offices for nine departments, and the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences. The Fine Arts building on Culver Avenue features a Maya Lin sculpture in the entrance garden area. There are also renovated buildings on West Side Avenue that are part of the school, including the West Side Theater, used theatrical productions and community events. Another houses the Business Development Incubator program. The University's Athletic Complex is located near Hackensack RiverWalk on Droyer's Point at Newark Bay. Between these facilities and the main campus, construction has begun on the new "West Campus" between West Side Avenue and Bayfront on Route 440 that will more than double the campus's total area. The West Campus will include academic buildings, residences, retail spaces, parking, and a "University Promenade."^[4]

Hepburn Hall

West Side Avenue

Transportation

NJCU serves a large commuter population. There is frequent bus service on Kennedy Boulevard along routes 10 and 99 south to Bayonne or north to Journal Square (JSQ) and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Along West Side Avenue, New Jersey Transit #80 ^[5] and other local buses provide frequent service to JSQ. At Journal Square Transporation Center transfer is available to points in Hudson County, Manhattan, Newark, and suburban New Jersey via frequent bus service provided by New Jersey Transit or train service on the PATH rail system.

Hudson Bergen Light Rail is accessible at West Side Avenue to Downtown Jersey City, Hoboken, and North Hudson and alternative PATH connections.

The University also provides shuttle bus transportation, that takes students back and forth from the different parking lot, on Westside Avenue, to the main campus. Also the shuttle buses will drop students and faculty members off near the university gym, and the art building on Culver Avenue.

Campus living

The University operates three residence halls: Co-op Hall, a corridor-style facility with common area bathrooms and study lounges for freshmen; Vodra Hall, a traditional dormitory with shared baths between rooms for upper-class students and special needs individuals; and 2040 University Apartments, a residence for seniors and mature students consisting of apartment-style suites for two and three individuals.

History

1927: The New Jersey State Normal School at Jersey City was chartered. The institution was built to accommodate 1,000 students and an eight-room demonstration school in its one building, Hepburn Hall, on 10 acres (40,000 m²) on what was then Hudson Boulevard.

1935: The name was changed to New Jersey State Teachers College at Jersey City. The institution was authorized to offer a four-year teacher education program and award the bachelor of science degree in education.

1936: A degree program in health education and nursing was initiated in cooperation with the Jersey City Medical Center for the training of school nurses.

1958: New Jersey State Teachers College at Jersey City became Jersey City State College and was authorized to award the bachelor of arts degree.

1959: The institution began to offer the master of arts in elementary education.

1968: Jersey City State College became a multipurpose institution, authorized to develop a liberal arts program and to enlarge its teacher preparation programs.

1985: The institution was awarded a $5.7 million Governor’s Challenge Grant for an expanded Cooperative Education Program, which would serve all academic majors. From that time, Jersey City State College was known as New Jersey’s premier cooperative education college.

1998: The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education approved a petition submitted by the JCSC Board of Trustees requesting that the institution be granted university status and renamed New Jersey City University. The University was restructured into three colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, and Professional Studies.^{[citation needed]}

2003: NJCU joined with the City of Jersey City, the Jersey City Board of Education, and New Jersey Transit to collaborate on Jersey City Bayfront Plan. New Jersey City University West Campus Redevelopment Plan is a part of this huge project and NJCU is a major player in this University-Community Partnership.

Academics

University rankings (overall)
National
U.S. News & World Report[6]	NR
Washington Monthly[7]	NR

NJCU is organized into three colleges offering 32 undergraduate study and 19 graduate degree programs.

Athletics

See also: List of college athletic programs in New Jersey, USA#Division III

The John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) is the home of the Gothic Knight basketball and volleyball teams and the focal point for the NJCU athletic department and recreation and intramural activities. The 72,000-square-foot (6,700 m²) JMAC opened in the fall of 1994, giving the University one of the finest indoor recreational facilities in the area. The state-of-the-art building features a 2,000-seat basketball and volleyball arena, a fully equipped exercise and fitness center, a 25-yard swimming and diving pool with adjacent sauna, three racquetball courts, a tenth-of-a-mile elevated jogging track, a multi-purpose room for aerobics and classes, and locker room space for teams, students, faculty and staff.

NJCU currently sponsors 12 intercollegiate athletic programs in: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's cross country, men's golf (debuting in Fall 2010), men's and women's soccer, softball and men's and women's volleyball.

The women's bowling team has qualified for all seven NCAA National Collegiate Championship events since the first one was held in 2004. The Gothic Knights have advanced to the national semifinals four times, always coming in even-numbered years: 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, finishing third nationally in 2004 and 2008. NJCU hosted the 2010 NCAA Championship.

The men's basketball team is the oldest and most storied program, having reached the Final Four in 1986 and 1992.

Greek Life

New Jersey City University offers various organizations that students can attend such as :

• Alpha Phi Omega fraternity
• Iota Phi Theta fraternity
• Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity
• Lambda Sigma Upsilon Fraternity
• Lambda Tau Omega sorority
• Lambda Theta Alpha sorority
• Lambda Theta Phi fraternity
• Omega Phi Chi sorority
• Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity

Faculty and Alumni

• NJCU faculty
• NJCU alumni

See also

• Bayfront, Jersey City
• Hudson County Community College

References

1. ^ "New Jersey City University Division of University Advancement - Year in Review, p. 17". April 9, 2009. 
2. ^ "NJCU Historical Time", NJCU.
3. ^ http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Pages/N_Pages/New_Jersey_City_University.htm
4. ^ "Want to cook? Be a nurse? Start a tech firm?", Hoboken Reporter, March 5, 2006.
5. ^ http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0080.pdf New Jersey Transit bus route 80
6. ^ "National Universities Rankings". America's Best Colleges 2012. U.S. News & World Report. September 13, 2011. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges. Retrieved September 25, 2011. 
7. ^ "The Washington Monthly National University Rankings". The Washington Monthly. 2011. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2011/national_university_rank.php. Retrieved August 30, 2011. 

External links

• New Jersey City University is at coordinates 40°42′34″N 74°05′19″W / 40.709548°N 74.088664°W / 40.709548; -74.088664 (New Jersey City University)Coordinates: 40°42′34″N 74°05′19″W / 40.709548°N 74.088664°W / 40.709548; -74.088664 (New Jersey City University)
• New Jersey City University
• Black Maria Film Festival