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(05/03/16 5:05pm)
By Megan Kelly
Staff Writer
The Committee on Academic Programs (CAP) held a series of fora in room 230 of the Social Sciences Building on Tuesday, April 26, to discuss recently proposed changes to the College’s Program Approval Policy, Graduate Certificate Programs, the Undergraduate Internship Policy and the Change of Major Policy.
The fora, which were lead by CAP Chair Mike Marino, began with a short discussion on the Program Approval Policy. The revisions to this policy were mainly to make the process more efficient and amend the policy to match the requirements set by the state of New Jersey.
The only real issue with CAP’s Preliminary Recommendation on Program Approval Policy that was brought up was with the wording of “Step 1” of the proposed policy, which reads: “In all cases, the initiating entity should identify the academic unit that will house the program, which will then be responsible for developing the proposal.”
Mathematics Professor Cynthia Curtis worried that the phrase “the initiating entity” sounds coercive — something that is supposed to be corrected in the new policy.
In the next forum, those in attendance had no comment on the proposed changes to the approval process for Graduate Certificate Programs.
According to CAP’s Preliminary Graduate Certificate Programs document, CAP received a charge from the Steering Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 3, that quoted a memo from Assistant Provost Jennifer Palmgren. In the memo, she brought up that the former policy stated the approval process for proposals for both a graduate certificate and a degree program are the same. It was suggested by Palmgren that CAP should distinguish between the approval processes for each, as the state requirements for the two are different.
The forum about the proposed changes to the College’s Undergraduate Internship Policy began next. In CAP’s Preliminary Undergraduate Internships Policy document, CAP proposes to change the minimum required GPA from 2.5 to 2.0 and to include that a minimum of three course units from the College must be completed prior to the internship. In the same document, CAP also suggests lowering the minimum number of required on-the-job hours from 50 to 45. In addition, CAP argues that all internships should include specific learning goals and objectives, as well as that a representative of the department pertaining to the student’s major should make contact with the on-site supervisor to establish those learning goals. CAP representatives also encourage students and their faculty sponsors to provide feedback on the internship quality at the end of the semester.
Curtis began the discussion by voicing a concern that the new policy suggested all of the student’s required courses have to be completed before they can participate in an internship, but that is not necessarily true.
“I think we should change ‘after theory education’ to ‘after some theory education has been completed…’ It really is not an end-of-education experience,” Curtis said. “I think we would not want to imply that (the students) had to finish all of their coursework (before getting an internship).”
Biology Associate Professor Amanda Norvell suggested that the policy should also include institutions as part of the list of places where students can carry out internships, since many biology students, for example, complete their internships at institutions. Norvell then addressed that the policy doesn’t mention syllabi, as internships are technically courses.
Director of the Career Staff Debra Kelly said that the syllabi could include what is expected from students in a professional setting, since an internship is often a student’s first experience in an office.
“I think we should have something… preparing the expectations of students that are leaving our institution (and) what some of those expectations should be, like, just professionally what they should be doing,” Kelly said. “That could a part of the syllabus or blending learning.”
Curtis then brought up her concern that the policy requires an intensive written assignment. The policy states that a “substantial written assignment (or portfolio) requiring research and/or creative work should be required,” but Curtis is concerned that mathematics is not something that students learn at an internship and that a research paper wouldn’t be about mathematics.
Norvell suggested that the policy should state that different course levels should require different assignments at the end of the internships.
It was then brought up by Marketing and Interdisciplinary Business Chair and Business Professor John McCarty that many companies require students to obtain credit for their internships because they are not being paid. McCarty said that he gives students 0.25 units when he can.
“I just don’t feel right being a part of that scam that the companies are doing,” he said. This opened up a discussion about considering the level of the internship and the course units being given to determine the final assignment, whether it’s an intensive written assignment or a reflective paper.
McCarty pointed out that students can receive up to three units for internships, which is about 10 percent of the required units to get a degree.
“Three seems like a lot for a 32-unit degree,” he said.
The group moved onto the last forum of discussion: the Change of Major policy. In CAP’s Preliminary Recommendation on Change of Major Policy document, CAP recommends to combine the Change of Major Request and the Change of Major policies to include that all change of major requests must be received by Admissions no later than May 15 each year.
In this document, CAP also suggests that a performance standard be established in a maximum of three foundation courses for entry into a new major and to state that programs may require an audition, portfolio, essay or interview, but no more than three performance standards can be required of a student. It is also recommended that all programs are required to publish these entrance requirements and standards. The College also acknowledges its responsibility to expedite the change of major requests for students, but that some departments have certain space and enrollment requirements.
According to Curtis, the new policy implies that a student must complete five requirements, including up to three foundation courses, when a student must only complete three requirements that could potentially be foundation courses. She suggested that the very last sentence be changed to inform students that they could possibly force themselves into taking more than the minimum required credits for a degree by starting a new program after already being enrolled at the College.
The forum then addressed the fact that when students change their majors, it can significantly lengthen the time they spend at the College, as some majors’ foundation courses require prerequisites. Students could spend a year taking these prerequisites and then find that they didn’t perform well enough to enter that major.
“We talked about that a lot and wondered how firm we should be on limiting those things,” School of Arts and Communications Assistant Dean James Day said. “Right now, we know that there are problems with students having too long to go through a process only to find that there is still no guarantee.”
(04/12/16 4:22pm)
By Megan Kelly
Staff Writer
Three groups of students at the College competed in the Mayo Business Plan Competition Finale on Wednesday, April 6, in the Library Auditorium at 7 p.m. The groups presented their ideas to a panel of judges that included notable alumni.
First place, along with $30,000, went to senior philosophy and physics double major Nic Freschi and senior physics major Cody Combs for their business idea called Solar Divide. The company specializes in retrofitting traditional photovoltaic solar energy panels with a transparent trough that would put wasted heat energy to good use.
Second place was awarded to Lions’ Laundry — a laundry pickup and delivery service geared toward students at the College that was created by junior economics major Andrew Goodman, junior finance major Peter Heltzel and junior finance major Greg Donohue. They were presented with $14,000.
Third place went to Elementary Robotics, which was composed of a team of freshmen. Business open options major Sarah Sleiman, electrical engineering major Skylar Maxwell, business open options major Megha Rathi and management major Dominic Edward Clark were awarded $6,000 for their idea for a non-profit organization that would allow elementary students to build robots to complete certain tasks and compete in a robotics competition.
The members of Elementary Robotics presented their idea to the judges first. They showed the importance of robotics by playing a short video featuring 10 significant robotic innovations in recent years and exemplified that robotics can be fun by inviting a judge to try her luck at using a robot to push as many ping pong balls across a wooden box as she could. Sleimen then explained the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors and inspiring younger children to pursue interests such as robotics.
“According to the U.S. Department of Labor, STEM jobs take up 5 percent of the work force,” Sleiman said. “However, these fields are projected to take up more than 50 percent of the U.S. economic expansion.”
The group went on to explain that interest in a STEM major is much higher when people are exposed to these topics at a young age.
“This is where Elementary Robotics comes in,” Sleiman said.
They then listed the benefits of Elementary Robotics and the positive effect the organization could have on many adolescents, as the competitions are extended to fourth- and fifth-grade students.
“This program will introduce elementary school students to basic computer programming and building while having fun,” Maxwell said. “Students also learn crucial life skills, such as cooperation, responsibility, communication and sportsmanship.”
The group outlined its market achievement plan and explained how the members would expand the company. Of the 15 schools to which they spoke, 13 endorsed the idea. Jonathan Ponds, the superintendent of Moonachie school district, also supports the idea, according to the team.
“He’s very, very excited about Elementary Robotics,” Sleiman said. “And he wants to start Elementary Robotics in his school district in September.”
Elementary Robotics finished its presentation with a tour of its Website, projected finances and information packets for the judges.
Lions’ Laundry was up next. The group began by explaining to the judges how frustrating doing laundry at the College is, as students deal with broken appliances, stolen laundry and crowded laundry rooms. Members then elaborated on their business idea and described how Lions’ Laundry would work.
“The Lions’ Laundry solution is wash and fold operations,” Goodman said. “What that entails — us going to the residence halls, picking students’ clothes up, washing, drying and folding them and returning then in just a couple days.”
Lions’ Laundry would operate mainly out of Hamilton Washery in Hamilton, N.J., giving 75 percent of its business to that business’ owner, Stephanie Anderson. The group chose Laundry Experience in Ewing, N.J., as its backup business with which to partner. Drop-off and pick-up services would be on Sundays and Wednesdays, with designated spots for each residence hall.
The group then showed a video of three Lions’ Laundry employees clad in khakis and royal blue polos entering Hamilton Washery, picking up three bags of laundry, loading them into a car and driving away. These three employees then entered the Library Auditorium with their laundry bags, walking up on stage.
Solar Divide presented its business plan last, with both a traditional solar panel and a panel fitted with the transparent trough on display. The group played a video showing the problems with fossil fuels and explaining why new energy sources, such as nuclear, wind and solar, are becoming more popular.
The video explained the concept of the two main forms of collecting solar energy — using photovoltaic panels to collect sunlight or solar thermal technology to harness the sun’s heat — and how Solar Divide combines them both.
“We are the only company that separates the sun’s spectrum into various energy applications. Because of this, we are able to produce the most efficient solar panel possible,” Combs said.
The duo then took the audience through its financial plans and business model, comparing the efficiency of traditional solar farms to the potential efficiency of the retrofitted solar farms. They were able to get a commitment from the Ben Franklin Technology Partners and a loan of $55,000, among other forms of funding. They also showed photos of the experiments used to develop the panel and determine that their panel could produce just as much electricity as a panel without their system, and that they were able to produce heat up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Solar Divide has been a work in progress for almost two years, according to Freschi.
“The amount that I’ve learned from doing this and the fact that we have funding and that I can graduate and be like, ‘Mom, I’m going to be an entrepreneur and start my own company,’ is just an amazing experience,” Freschi said.
Although the other groups were worthy competitors, Solar Divide stood out from the rest, according to Dean of the School of Business William Keep.
“I think what separated Solar Divide… was the originality and the innovation they had behind the idea,” Keep said. “They clearly have a passion. They communicated a very complex topic in a way that could be understood and they clearly have scale there.”
(03/08/16 5:44pm)
By Megan Kelly Correspondent
TCNJ Political Union held its “Students as Changemakers: The State of Campus Activism, 2016” panel on Friday, March 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in the Brower Student Center to discuss student activism on campus
The panel’s purpose was to discuss past political events run by various student organizations at the College, to come up with ideas for future events and to brainstorm ways to increase student participation.
Senior history and urban studies double major Sam Fogelgaren, director of TCNJ’s Political Union, was the moderator of the panel. Three other students were panelists representing their organizations: junior political science and Spanish double major and member of TCNJ College Republicans Ryan Jones, junior political science major and President of TCNJ College Democrats Ian Penrose and sophomore international studies major and Vice President of NAACP Vanessa Fiore.
The discussion began with the current level of student activism on campus, as observed by the members of the panel, and the difference between becoming politically involved on and off campus through internships and other professional opportunities.
“I think we do have a lot of venues when it comes to internships, but being an activist on campus is (more difficult)… I think as a campus, we probably do have to do a little bit more,” Penrose said.
The panel discussed how students need to get involved in politics not just through activism, but voting, as well.
Fogelgaren said it is important that discussions regarding topics like voter registration are held now to ensure that everyone is on the same page for the upcoming presidential election.
The panel talked about different ideas and theories on how to peak students’ interest in getting prepared for the election and voting.
“To get the attention of college students, we have to engage them in fun ways… I know speakers help a lot, but I’m like, ‘OK what can bring freshmen (to these events) and what can bring seniors, who have other things to worry about other than these events?’” sophomore nursing major Jhamillex Carmen said.
The panel also discussed the importance of networking as many groups have held political events before and found it difficult to spread the word.
“It’s hard to kind of get the word out or to get people to come because a lot of people sometimes feel like it’s not their place or like they might not be welcome,” senior psychology major Queneisha Jones said.
The group moved on to talk about how politics is a broad topic that most, if not all, students would be able to find an aspect of it that speaks to them.
“I think a lot of these national issues, or political issues in general, relate in some way to each of our interests and I think if people were to really pinpoint that, they could come out to these events and realize, ‘Oh, a little bit of what I’m interested in pertains to this,’” Jones said.
Fogelgaren expanded on this to discuss the connection between each student’s area of study and that it is important to show students how attending a political event could be interesting to them.
“Every student has a major,” Fogelgaren said. “Every student has an area in which they put 30 hours of their week to studying and doing research and learning about. So if we can find a way to identify the intersection between politics and different areas of study, then there would be a compelling reason for every student at TCNJ to participate, in one way or another.”
The panel considered the reasons behind the lack of student political involvement, including the fact that students are sometimes unfamiliar with the speakers that come to the College or that they have classes when these discussions are going on. Those in attendance mentioned a lack of effective advertising by the College.
“My freshman year, we had (New York Times columnist) Paul Krugman come here... The event was very well attended and the difference was that professors were advertising it themselves,” sophomore international studies major Precious Molokwu said.
The discussion came to a close with the students and panel members listing what they took away from the panel as well as creating a plan of action for the coming months to encourage activism among student organizations. The group will continue to meet and discuss activism as well as prepare for election time throughout the semester.
According to Fogelgaren, TCNJ Political Union was formed to get students to participate in politically-charged events, and they held the panel to get students’ opinions on how to do this.
“(TCNJ Political Union’s) goal is to engage all students with a particular focus on the substantial number of students who are politically engaged,” Fogelgaren said. “We will do this by meeting halfway — by identifying intersections between politics and common areas of student interest, and working with student groups, TCNJ faculty and administration, and off-campus partners to build effective programming.”