Welcome to Edition 57 of This Week at NJCU for February 6, 2023. This once-weekly Monday publication will inform the university community about all events happening each week over the next eight days on campus and offer important announcements. To submit your event or announcement for the February 13, 2023 edition, please use the form at the bottom of this communication.

All listed times are Eastern Standard Time (EST). All events are in-person unless otherwise noted as online, via Zoom, or hybrid.

Please scroll down to the end of this message to see our sections highlighting current faculty, staff, student and alumni news and an In Memoriam section to honor those alumni, faculty, staff, or students, who have passed.

Share your news with us at communications@njcu.edu.

Apply today to guide and inspire our incoming freshman class.

OSP summer staff selection, onboarding, and training will take place throughout the spring semester. Application deadline is midnight on Friday, February 10.

▶️ Questions? Email us: osp@njcu.edu
▶️ Follow us on Instagram: @ospnjcu

NJCU and TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college and career success program for undocumented immigrant students, announced a new partnership to provide scholarships for New Jersey immigrant youth to achieve their higher education dreams.

Through the new partnership, New Jersey’s immigrant youth will be eligible to apply for TheDream.US National Scholarship. The National Scholarship is for Dreamers who are about to graduate high school or earn a GED; current community college students; and current university students, including current NJCU students.

Full eligibility information for the National Scholarship available HERE. The award is for tuition and fees of up to $33,000 total for a bachelor’s degree. | Read More in NJCU News

We would like to invite you to a crucial discussion on the challenges and opportunities of using ChatGPT in higher education. As a cutting-edge language generation model, ChatGPT has the potential to reshape the way we teach and learn, but it also raises some questions and concerns.

During this discussion, we will delve into the potential challenges and opportunities of using ChatGPT in college classrooms, such as:

We believe that this conversation is crucial to understanding the role of ChatGPT in higher education, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on this important topic.

This bi-weekly drop-in group aims to create a safe space where currently enrolled students can identify potential stressors and set goals for the upcoming week, engage in conversations around wellness and connect with other students by giving and receiving support and feedback.

Representatives from Medical Essential Diagnostics will be on campus to answer questions and register state employees and students who qualify for upcoming cardiovascular testing.

Refreshments will be served.

To RSVP, please contact the Health and Wellness Center at 201-200-3456 or visit Hepburn Hall, Gothic Lounge Room 202.

Vaccinations and boosters provided by our partners at Hudson Regional. Pre-registration is available! 

Join TLC for a conversation about your freshman experience!

Light refreshments will be served.

The Pre-Medical Club will hold its Welcome Back Meeting on Wednesday, February 8 from 2-4 p.m. in Gilligan Student Union 317.

We will update you on future events and have a great time. Everyone is welcome to attend, so don’t forget to bring your
peers 🤝.

Free food and beverages will be provided.

Follow on Instagram @NJCUPreMed

For more info, contact the club at NJCUPreMed@gmail.com

NJCU, Rowan, and Kean are locked in a three-way tie for first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference at 11-4. Come out and support the two-time defending NJAC champions in their question to sweep the season series from Rowan.

NJCU takes on first-place and No. 23 ranked Rowan University in an exciting home match-up against the Profs.

Thyquel Halley and Foday Koroma will share their experiences from their trip to Ghana.

Featuring Venida Rodman Jenkins,
Dr. Jermaine McCalpin and
Ms. Dominique Smith.

This exhibition presents the artist Danielle Scott’s dedication to social commentary and ancestral storytelling. | Learn more. 

View Announcements for more information.

Students will receive wisdom from Andre Gray, Chief Creative Officer of Annex 88. His portfolio includes work with adidas, Uber, and Gatorade.

In addition, students will learn about the impact of their virtual presence and brand from Ron Baines, former NFL Player Social Marketing employee and current Director of Career Engagement and Program Development for NJCU Athletics.

The event will culminate in a rotating networking opportunity where students will link up with industry leaders from multiple backgrounds in such fields as STEM, finance, education, media, entertainment, real estate, law, law enforcement and more. Students will have the chance to learn what a day in the life of their industry entails.

Register by Thursday, February 9 for access.

No events scheduled

No events scheduled

Join TLC for a workshop hosted by Tylra Lee-Cummings, from the School of Business to discuss the best ways to market yourself for future jobs.

The University Advisement Center has launched our new Instagram account! This page will be the best way to keep up to date with all that’s happening in the UAC Office!

Please be sure to follow us @NJCU_UAC

Earn a Certificate in Digital Skills Training for FREE

The Grow with Google HSI Career Readiness Program allows NJCU students to gain the digital skills they need to find and land jobs and internships that they need to be successful. Once they complete a module, students will receive an official Google certificate that they can put on their resume as well as a Google Swag Bag. The program is 100% free for NJCU students! Sign up today!

If you have any questions, please contact Career Success Lab Graduate Assistant Camila Saez at csaez@njcu.edu or visit Grossnickle Room 103.

If you are a freshman or sophomore looking for a support system on campus, TLC is the community you've been searching for! To qualify you must be a first-generation student, income eligible, or a student with disabilities, and a US citizen or US resident. Enter for a chance to win a gift card!

We have updated the Faculty & Staff Directory templates so that you can now add your profile picture, CV/resume, a bio, your educational background, professional affiliations—and anything else that you feel is important for people to know about you.

Providing more profile information is a way you can show that you care about providing personal support to our students, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of these new features. Our Interim President's profile is a great example of what you can do with yours.

We have refreshed the NJCU logos and formalized our branding guidelines. By presenting our brand consistently, we can positively influence how people think and feel about NJCU. In the long run, this helps us recruit more students and faculty and raise more money to support programs and student scholarships.

As a part of that work, we've provided photos, email footers, Zoom backgrounds, PowerPoint templates, and more that you are free to use when you communicate about NJCU. 

Keep an eye out for announcements about Brand Ambassador Trainings. We'll be offering Zoom sessions on branding best practices soon.

Danielle Scott, Athena, 2022  Photo: @Mdphotoandink

Curated by Doris Cacoilo

This exhibition presents the artist Danielle Scott’s dedication to social commentary and ancestral storytelling. The artist spent over a year visiting plantations in the United States sourcing materials and historical documentation in order to connect to these stories and visualize them in these works. She feels a calling to tell the stories of ancestors, of warriors, of love, of sadness and of resilience. This collection integrates photographs, delicate papers, reprinted documents, fabrics and objects to create layered portraits of the lineage of black families across generations. 

This exhibition stems from an exhibition, Ancestral Call, presented by Gallery Aferro from October 7, 2022 to January 21, 2023, and originally curated by Anthony E. Boone and Bryant Small. Special thanks to Gallery Aferro directors and the artists for their collaboration.

Firoz Mahmud, Transited Dream, 2020/19, mixed media on homemade paper, 30 x 23 inches (left), 30 x 18 inches (right), courtesy of the artist

Due to unforeseen maintenance issues in the Visual Arts Building, we will have a delayed opening of Firoz Mahmud’s exhibition. Will update when we know more. We are sorry for any inconveniences.

But please save the date Tuesday, February 21 for his artist talk at 5:30 p.m., with reception to follow.

This solo exhibition of mixed media works on paper by Bangladesh-born, New York-based artist Firoz Mahmud, engages his cultural and political heritage, touching on themes like war and conflict, legacies of the Bengal region, and dreams of immigrant families in new lands. The Drawing Reverberation series of mixed media drawings on homemade papers delineate how foreign rulers from Persia came to greater Bengal for trading and preaching Islam. The socio-political issues during the Mughal era and the British East India company’s strategic colonial past are the core of this series of works on paper.

The earlier version of the exhibition was presented at the York College in York, Pennsylvania.

Stop by throughout the week to learn about the services provided by the office of Tutoring and Academic Support Services. During your visit, we will show you how to register and self-schedule appointments for tutoring, academic coaching, and academic workshops.

Want to register and book appointments now? Visit the Tutoring and Academic Support Services course found on Blackboard. All students have access. 

Contact:
Dr. John Blicharz, Director
Tutoring and Academic Support Services
The Hub, Guarini Library, 1st Floor
201-200-3513
thehub@njcu.edu

Looking for an internship or job? The State of New Jersey is a top employer looking for new talent. Find out what opportunities are available and show the State how our students and alumni are the best group of diverse workers and leaders around.

You are invited to join us for the Department of Educational Technology 2023 Winter Webinar Series. The series is geared towards public educators, administrators, school library media specialists, technology directors, and paraprofessionals. Sessions are 60 minutes, interactive, and engaging, and offer plenty of time for all participants to ask questions.

Webinar registration is ongoing, and best of all, it is free for all registered participants. Webinars are running during January and February.

Particularly recruiting for instructors in the areas of High School Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), High School Math (Algebra II and Geometry), and High School ELA (11th and 12th grade).

Job Qualifications

For any questions, please reach out to njcuprecollege@gmail.com.

If your answer is yes, consider joining us for Child-Parent-Relationship (C-P-R) Training in early February 2023.

C-P-R Training is a 10-session program for parents of children ages 3-10 years. 

Training Highlights: 
In 10 weeks, you will learn how to:

In 10 weeks, you will see a noticeable difference in:

As a bonus, The Children’s Learning Center (CLC) will provide a free play kit to NJCU student-parents who attend the sessions with their child or children. The CLC will also enter student-parents into a gift card raffle!

Learn More:
To enroll for this program or learn more, email yogawa@njcu.edu or LYungWei@njcu.edu 

Register today for the 75-Hour Real Estate Sales Person course with NJCU’s Division of Professional Education and Lifelong Learning (PELL) and learn from industry experts the knowledge needed to pass the NJ Real Estate Commission Exam to become a licensed NJ Real Estate Sales Agent.

A Real Estate Agent is an intermediary between buyers and sellers. They use their knowledge of local real estate markets to assist individuals in the marketing, buying, selling and renting of residential or commercial properties. They study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property sites, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts.

The Benefits Include: Lifetime employment, unlimited earning potential, self-paced growth, flexible work hours, the joy of helping others attain their dreams and more!

Program participants must be 18 years of age and older and have a high school or GED diploma.

Workforce Development (WIOA Funded) students are also welcome to apply.

For more information on our PELL programs, call us at 201-200-3089, email us at pell@njcu.edu, or visit our website at njcu.edu/pell.

The Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies Center is hosting its annual LATI Colloquium at NJCU. Each year, the Colloquium highlights scholarly and creative work of faculty, staff, students, and alumni from NJCU and from other colleges and universities in the area.

If you have any questions about submissions or about the LATI Colloquium, please contact LATI Center interim co-director Dr. Marcelo Fuentes at mfuentes2@njcu.edu

We are looking forward to your participation in this event!

Have you been looking for the moment to fulfill your career dreams in a new field or advance in your current industry? Our online courses allow you to earn the industry-recognized certification you need to achieve your new career dreams.

The Children’s Learning Center is now enrolling children for the Spring semester! 

CLC Highlights:

Learn More:
To enroll your child or learn more, call 201-200-3342 or email the CLC at njcuclc@njcu.edu.

The NJCU Career Success Lab is happy to announce that New Jersey City University is now partnering with Handshake, a career management platform to help students and alumni discover new career paths and find jobs and internships. 

What’s Handshake?
Handshake is the #1 site for college students to find jobs. Career offices at 1,400+ higher ed institutions utilize Handshake and there are 750,000+ employers recruiting on Handshake—from every Fortune 500 company to nonprofits, startups, and more. Schools that join Handshake see on average a 3x increase in the size and diversity of their employer network.

Claim your account today and get recruited by
the top employers for full-time, part-time jobs
and internships—no experience required. Use the link below or download the App.

Will you be completing your B.A. or B.S. degree this year in a subject area?

Teach while completing your dual certification program!

Contact: Carol Fleres or Charles Reid Taylor at cfleres@njcu.edu.

Please know that on July 16, 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline became “988,” replacing the previous 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) number. Today, “988” is the three-digit, nationwide phone number to connect directly to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. By calling or texting 988, you’ll connect with mental health professionals 24/7 that provides confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress. Those experiencing a mental health crisis or those worried about someone who may need crisis support can call this number.

Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline which serves our nation’s Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and those who support them. For texts, Veterans should continue to text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.

These centers are supported by local and state sources as well as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress.

*This 7-Week challenge is to accrue a minimum of 10,000 steps per day on most days of the week. The person with the most steps at the end of the semester wins. Your phone’s step counter, Fitbit, or Apple watch can be used. This is on the honor system and you are responsible for entering your own steps on the following Google Sheet.

Please take a screen shot of your weekly steps for your records and in case, we ask for proof. Trophies and/or T-shirts will be awarded to the top three participants in each category

To sign up for any activity, please stop by the JMAC weight room OR email Sergio Villamizar at svillamizar@njcu.edu.

OPEN GYM SPRING 2023
Open Gym for the Spring Semester is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

The open gym schedule is subject to change without notice due to practices, events, or rentals

Everyone must present a valid ID to enter the facility. There are no exceptions.

You are cordially invited to join us for the NJSBDC at NJCU School of Business Ribbon Cutting and 45th Anniversary Celebration! While NJSBDC is not new to New Jersey, Hudson County, or NJCU, we are excited to announce we have now joined the NJCU School of Business.

We would also like to introduce you our new Regional Director Sheila Harris-Adams and the amazing team who join her in educating and empowering the businesses and entrepreneurs in Hudson County and throughout the state.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, you will have an opportunity to hear from all the key stakeholders with NJSBDC, NJCU, local and state dignitaries. You will also meet some of the partner organizations who will be working closely with NJSBDC at the NJCU School of Business.

Additionally, this event will feature a sneak peek at some of the programs, initiatives, training opportunities, and workshops the new team has designed to serve the Small, Minority, Veteran, and LGBTQ Businesses throughout the state.

Register today to be the first to see our new offices and learn all about what NJSBDC at NJCU School of Business has planned for 2023 and beyond!

The NJCU Counseling Center is having a Valentine's Day Table.

We will be having a raffle and giving away amazing gifts.

Join the ladies in TLC on Valentine's Day for fun conversations, and arts and crafts.

The Office of Marketing and Communications is providing free professional headshots for you to use on your Faculty & Staff Directory pages or LinkedIn profile. Just stop by to see our university photographer, Paul Gargiulo. We'll offer these sessions at least one day each month, so if you can't make this one, check This Week at NJCU for future dates.

Testing provided by RWJBarnabas Health.

Early detection can save your life.

Gift cards will be issued.

Wade Hudson, publisher and writer, will share the story of his publishing company, Just Us Books, and discuss writers and publishers that came before him.

This TLC workshop, hosted by Tavares Johnson from NJCU's HR department, will discuss what you need to know when applying for a job and after you get hired. 

Attendees: 

For inquiries, email Melissa Faulkner at mfaulkner1@njcu.edu

Open to all current first-gen graduate or professional students, this national symposium features a keynote address, plus intentional networking and professional development opportunities tailored to the strengths and needs of a first-gen population.

Registration is open! All registrants must have a NASPA profile to successfully register, which is free to create.

▶️ Come learn about the TRiO program at NJCU
▶️ Win free TRiO merch

Questions? Contact us:
Phone: 201-200-2204
Email: tlc@njcu.edu

Help us celebrate TRiO DAY by joining us virtually on Zoom to hear more about NJCU TLC alumna Kiran Chaudhry '19.

Our NJCU Counseling Center is celebrating International Women's Day.

Join us for games, gifts and raffles.

Tibetan-Australian musician and singer Tenzin Choegyal takes us on a musical journey to the Himalayas, connecting and inspiring through music, song, and imagination.

With performances from NJCU Multi-Style Strings Ensemble Director Martha Mooke, and special guest Jesse Paris Smith.

A Chorus Line examines one day in the life of a dancer, vying for a spot in the chorus of a Broadway musical. After the first round of cuts, each dancer is asked to speak personally about themselves. Discomfort opens into revelation, confession leads to redemption, and within the bright, outwardly homogenous chorus, the audience begins to see each dancer’s individuality. Based on real Broadway dancers’ stories, compiled by dancer and choreographer Michael Bennett, and with an award winning score by Marvin Hamlisch, A Chorus Line is a funny, heartbreaking, and refreshingly honest journey through these stories of strength, determination, and fortitude on the path to artistic fulfillment.

The mission of Pedagogy Day is to bring together scholars, educators, and students to exchange ideas on current evidence-based teaching and learning practices. The theme for 2023 focuses on how the human mind functions in a distracted world through sustained attention. How can we minimize distractions, e.g., by filtering out irrelevant stimuli during a learning process? Let’s critically engage in the assessment of digital education for effective usage and growth.

Keynote
Ann Wallace, Poet Laureate of Jersey City
"Celebrating 30 Years of Surviving Cancer and Poeming for Community Healing"

Ann Wallace graduated from Drew University in 1992, one month after her cancer diagnosis. Photo courtesy of Ann Wallace.

If you have any questions, you can reach out to Prof. Lukas J. Helikum (School of Business) at lhelikum@njcu.edu.

Join us for this free spring concert featuring the NJCU Brass Studio.

This year, our annual gala represents a return to what is most important to all of us: helping our students change their lives for the better through higher education.

The event will feature student stories and performances, as well as an opportunity to network with NJCU alumni, students, friends, faculty, and staff, all while enjoying cocktails and dinner. 

When you reserve a ticket for yourself or a group, please also consider sponsoring a deserving student so they may enjoy the event. Dinner begins at 7 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit the NJCU Foundation and its mission of supporting the University and its students.

Join us for this free NJCU Classical Guitar Studio Spring Concert: Guitar Favorites from Renaissance to the 21st century.

The Gen Ed Symposium celebrates critical and creative work done by students in any General Education course!

Save the date and bring your friends and classmates!

Please submit your own proposals for the General Education Symposium at the link below! 

For more information, contact Professor Joshua Fausty, Gen Ed Symposium organizer, or Professor Scott O'Connor, Director of General Education.

Directed by Patrick Burns, the NJCU Symphony of Winds and Percussion will present Hidden Gems, an evening of music consisting mainly of works which are rarely performed today. The repertoire, created over the course of nearly a century, represents composers from Japan, Great Britain, and the United States, and features two compositions by Clifton Williams (1923-1976) on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Join us for this free spring concert featuring the NJCU Woodwind Studio.

NJCU Opera Workshop will present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così fan Tutte (They Are All the Same!) on Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. The performances will take place at NJCU’s West Side Theatre. Directed by Dr. Robert Prowse, and sung by NJCU voice students and alumni, the opera will be performed in Italian with English dialog. A favorite of the comic opera repertoire, Così fan Tutte tells the story of a pair of lovers who foolishly make a bet that their fiancées will be loyal to them, even in the face of great pressure to be unfaithful. Costumes, disguises, and outlandish plot twists ensure fun for cast and audience alike.

Junior Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) of the NJCU women's basketball team was honored as the New Jersey Athletic Conference NJAC) Player of the Week for the fourth time this season. She averaged 25.3 points, 4.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.7 steals in a 1-2 week. Her numbers were 26.5 points, 5.0 assists, 5.0 steals, and 3.5 rebounds against conference opponents. Rodriguez is Division III’s second-leading scorer (25.3 ppg), and ranks eighth in D3 in assists (5.7 apg). | Read more

Senior Dave Etienne (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) of the NJCU men's indoor track and field team was named the NJAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Week for the fourth time in his career. He tied a 17-year-old program record with a personal-record time of 21.71 in the 200 meter dash to place fifth overall out of 121 runners. That ranks as the ninth-fastest time in Division III to this point in the season. He has the third-fastest time in Division III this season in the 400-meter dash (just 0.01 short of second). | Read more

Do you have news to share? Email communications@njcu.edu

Laura Bustamante '18 was recently named Vice President of the firm Tonnio Burgos and Associates of NJ. Laura, a former women's soccer student-athlete and standout, was a double major who earned a B.A. in Political Science and B.S. in National Security Studies and was part of the Honors program.

Previously, she was Policy & Campaign Manager for the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice and spent four years as Chief of Staff to Jersey City Councilperson James Solomon.

Hear Laura’s story in the latest edition of My NJCU Story on Instagram.

We want to hear your story too! Submit your own: https://www.njcu.edu/about/njcu-stories

Do you have news to share? Email communications@njcu.edu

Rita Margaret Sprague (nee Pavick) '66 (B.A. in Health Education) of Lexington, Kentucky, passed away on January 12, 2023 at the age of 99. She was born on December 29, 1923. She served as a U.S. Army nurse during World War II, and achieved the rank of 2nd Lt. After military service before earning a degree from Jersey City State. She later was a teaching and school nurse in New Jersey. | Obituary

If you would like to submit information for the In Memoriam section, please contact: communications@njcu.edu.

Past alumni are memorialized on the In Memoriam section of the NJCU website.

All events/announcements must be submitted no later than Wednesday at noon to be included in the weekly email newsletter that will be released on the following Monday.