February News

School Psychology Program Gets National Approval

Georgian Court University’s Master of Arts in School Psychology/Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study program has been awarded national approval/recognition (conditional) by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The announcement comes after the review of GCU’s 270-page application attesting to the program’s adherence to NASP’s training standards regarding program content, coursework, and field experiences.  NASP is one of the Specialized Professional Associations of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The association, which has given GCU conditional approval, represents more than 25,500 psychologists who work in schools, counseling centers, and other educational and health settings.
 
In its report to GCU, reviewers from NASP were very positive and complimentary, says Joseph Colford, Ph.D., director of the university’s school psychology program, whose alumni work with school-age children in schools and in a variety of other settings.  In schools alone, the demand for psychologists is high as they collaborate with school teachers and staff in addressing students’ academic and mental health needs, family issues, and other barriers to learning.
 
The awarding of NASP approval/recognition allows program graduates to earn the NASP’s Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential, a designation that employers often look for as they screen applicants for jobs.

Learn more about the GCU M.A. in School Psychology. 

Green to Gold: Georgian Court Wellness Center Takes Environmental Honors

Georgian Court University was awarded LEED gold certification for its Wellness Center, the university's eco-friendly athletics and academic building that highlights the school's commitment to environmental responsibility.

The 66,000-square-foot Wellness Center incorporates structural and aesthetic features that conserve energy and water, and make the most of sustainable materials. The recent Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold rating stems from the university's conscious efforts to construct a facility that works for students and the environment.

The LEED gold certification reinforces Georgian Court's holistic approach to promoting balance and well-being across the board, says GCU President Rosemary E. Jeffries, RSM, Ph.D. “The Wellness Center is more than a place where we can work toward physical wellness; it's evidence of the many ways we can grow and still be in concert—not conflict—with nature,” she says, noting the Sisters of Mercy's core value of respect for all living things. “And while the environment certainly benefits, so does the GCU community. The Wellness Center is a prime example of how we can work together toward sustainability.” Read more 

OceanFirst Foundation Awards $50K Grant to Georgian Court

OceanFirst Foundation of Toms River has awarded a $50,000 grant to Georgian Court University for scholarships that will help high school graduates from the Jersey Shore area pursue higher education. Georgian Court is one of four area colleges and universities to receive a share of the $200,000 that OceanFirst Foundation awarded for scholarships for tuition, fees and books to incoming full-time freshmen for the fall semester of 2010. GCU will evaluate scholarship applications and select 20 recipients to receive $2,500 awards. Selection decisions are made completely independent of OceanFirst Foundation. Scholarship applicants must reside and graduate from a high school within OceanFirst Bank’s market area, which includes all of Ocean County, select communities in Monmouth County, and Monroe Township in Middlesex County.

“Georgian Court University has always worked hard to help students find ways of financing their college dreams,” says GCU President Rosemary E. Jeffries, RSM, Ph.D. “Through the generosity of the OceanFirst Foundation, 20 deserving GCU freshmen this fall will be one step closer to their goals.” Read more 

New Year Brings New Leaders, New Location for GCU at Woodbridge

Georgian Court University at Woodbridge offers its first 2010 information session for prospective students on Thursday, January 21, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The session will be held at the site’s new location at One Woodbridge Center, Suite 905 on the 9th floor. During the session, advisers will explain the programs offered, provide information on ways to pay for classes, offer online registration, and describe courses you will need to complete your degree.

GCU at Woodbridge’s new site is convenient to the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike, Route 287, and Routes 1 and 9. Across the street from its previous location, GCU at Woodbridge’s new home offers convenient and well-lit parking, a student lounge, and four classrooms. In addition, a cafeteria on the fourth floor of the building is available to students. Read more 

GCU Welcomes 13 New Faculty Members in Fall 2009
Come back each month for more profiles!

Pamela E. Lowry, Ed.D., joins the School of Education as an assistant professor of education/special education. She recently served as supervisor of special services for the Little Silver, New Jersey, Board of Education, where she was responsible for overseeing special education programs, IEP development and implementation, and professional development. Dr. Lowry has also lectured at Monmouth  University, the College of New Jersey, and Rutgers University. She holds a Ed.D. in Special Education from Rutgers. For more information about the School of Education, click here.

Russell McDonald, Ph.D., joins the School of Arts and Humanities as an assistant professor of English. He comes to Georgian Court from Pennsylvania State University, where he held a postdoctoral teaching fellowship in the Department of English, where he taught upper-level literature course, general introductory literature courses, and first-year writing. Dr. McDonald also held a Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship at Kalamazoo College. He holds a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan.For more information about GCU's Department of English, click here.

Critical Information

Whether they’re online, on the phone, on their laptops, or playing games with competitors a world away, today’s students are only one click away from the latest info on any given topic.

But having instant access isn’t enough: students must be able to collect information, analyze it, apply it to problems, and use what they’ve discovered in ways that are meaningful and effective.

In short, they must have information fluency---a skill experts define as the ability to incorporate information literacy, computer literacy, and critical thinking across academic fields, media formats and life experiences.

Georgian Court University faculty will join others from across the country to explore the topic during the 2010 Information Fluency in the Disciplines Workshop in Literature, slated for March 4–6 in New Orleans. GCU was selected from a field of 80 applicant teams vying for spots at the gathering. Co-sponsored by Association of College Research Libraries and the Council on Library and Information Resources, and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the highly selective workshop will include about 20 faculty teams representing independent colleges across the country.

GCU’s group includes Paul R. Cappucci, Ph.D., an associate professor of English; Mary Chinery, Ph.D., associate professor of English and associate dean of Arts & Humanities and Sciences & Mathematics; and Mary Basso, M.L.S., humanities librarian.

“It’s a great opportunity for our university to be involved in this workshop,” says Dr. Cappucci. “We’re really looking forward to learning more about information fluency and better integrating it into the educational experience we offer our students.”

Learn more about English and the GCU School of Arts & Humanities.

In Vogue

High heels and hard work make for an interesting mix in the office---especially when you’re an intern at Vogue, the world’s most famous fashion magazine.

That was one of the first things Stephanie Lizarazo learned during a six-month stint at Vogue. The Georgian Court University communications major was a fashion assistant, and did everything from working alongside designers supplying clothes for photo shoots to vetting PR pitches for fashion products.

“It was amazing,” says Stephanie, who plans to put her communications skills to use in the retail industry. “Was I tired? I was exhausted. I worked from about 8 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m. daily---in heels---running around New York.”

She and other assistants catalogued and photographed every piece of clothing and every accessory from every magazine shoot. And if the styling team needed someone to dart across town to a showroom for a special item, they did that, too.

“It was ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ to a tee,” Stephanie says, with a nod to the 2006 blockbuster starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. “I enjoy magazines, fashion and styling but Vogue is very hard.”

Perhaps one of the most lasting lessons she took away was a new perspective on the industry.

“The personal impact for me is being able to look at fashion in a different way,” she says. “I know pieces and designers, and although as a student who isn’t out buying Chanel, I  know better what to buy, how well things photograph, and what it takes for them to come together.”

Learn more about communications and career development at Georgian Court.

Seeing Green

This time of year it's easy to get wrapped up in post-holiday sales and seasonal clearances. For some, it's all about the pretty packaging and markdowns that cause us to spread ourselves---and our wallets----thin.

Georgian Court University sociologist Rumu DasGupta, Ph.D., is pushing students to think long and hard about the material choices they make and the impact of their decisions. Dr. DasGupta, who is active throughout the region and state on an array of policy issues, is designing S0225 Selected Topics in Sociology: Consumerism vs. Sustainability.

"This is about how we consume and how we live," she says. "And now there's more awareness about how our way of life impacts the environment and our resources, and whether it will sustain generations yet to come."

Also covered on the sustainability terrain are tough topics like environmental choices, conspicuous consumption and the system that encourages it, says Dr. DasGupta, who is one of several GCU faculty who explore such themes in everything from sociology and biology to physics and education.

Inside and outside of the classroom, GCU is committed to issues of sustainbility and environmentalism. Learn more about ways we work to honor the earth.

STUDENT LIFE/WILD

There’s so much happening on the GCU campus. Visit us often for highlights of Student Life programs and Women in Leadership Development (WILD), our renowned women’s leadership program. 

Charity and Justice

Students in Georgian Court’s groundbreaking Women in Leadership Development (WILD) program recently completed an advocacy workshop on charity and justice, which was led by officials from Catholic Relief Services.

Often, people use the words interchangeably, but there are distinct differences, WILD students learned. Charity often addresses immediate needs. Justice, however, keeps working to change---and often alleviate---the need.

Concrete examples made the difference crystal clear. Helping someone in need of shelter find their way to a homeless facility is charitable. Working with local, state and national officials to create more pathways to affordable housing is an example of working for justice, students learned.

"Compassion is most important to me, and their display of compassion for others in complete disregard for themselves is truly something to be admired," says WILD member Azaria Valentin, who was most impressed with the advocacy training offered by leaders from the global outreach agency. "The key points made in the training weren't just for dealing with the United Nations or starting a foundation," she says, "but more so about how the world works overall, and how to best reach a targeted audience."

Learn more about WILD and the many ways GCU works to develop leadership skills in women.

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Ready to serve

They were just trying to keep their clothes clean.

That was the heartbreaking part of what GCU student Sally Santiago learned when the boys of Mi Tambo, an orphanage in Quito, Ecuador, told her that they’d lost most of their clothes to laundry line thieves.

Sally, a member of WILD, met the children in July of 2009 and was slated to return for a short visit in early September. Despite the boys’ myriad problems–schizophrenia, emotional and sexual abuse, mental retardation, dyslexia, disfiguration–Sally didn’t have time to be sad. She needed to find a way to help.

In September, WILD members quickly launched 50 in 5, a gung-ho effort to secure 50 lbs. of boys clothing in five days, giving Sally just enough time to pack the items in her own luggage.

“Taking donations in person is most effective as shipping them almost always results in confiscation by customs,” Sally explains. “Not only did we succeed, but we exceeded the 50 lbs.,” she says. “Much of the clothing was new, and each boy received his own bag of socks (six pairs) and several new shirts, along with gently used sweaters, sweatpants and other pieces of clothing. The boys were ecstatic!”

Georgian Court University Presents

Interested in Georgian Court University Events?  Learn More

Check out our Spring 2010 Programs
The Spring 2010 Mosaic is here! Learn More 

Georgian Court University Presents "King's Dream"
On Tuesday, February 23. at 7:30 p.m. in the Casino Auditorium, Key Arts Productions will present "King's Dream," a live entertainment and multimedia performance. "King's Dream" comes to life with images and songs that capture the spirit of the civil rights movement. Thought-provoking live narratives will tell stories of the turbulent 1960s, the challenges of the Vietnam War, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the signing of the Civil Rights Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The performance will show images that tell the story of the lives and teaching of courageous individuals such as Rosa Parks, the Arkansas Nine, and the Freedom Fighters. This event is free for GCU students with ID, $5 for non-GCU students with ID, and $10 for the general public. Reservations can be made by e-mailing events@georgian.edu or calling 732.987.2606.

Values in Action
This series of presentations, films, lectures, and discussions reflects the university's core values of respect, integrity, justice, compassion, and service. Headline speaker Marc Lamont Hill, an activist, social critic, and scholar will be discussing the topic of race, politics, and American life. Consistently recognized as one of the nation's most notable African-American leaders he brings an added depth of understanding to the country's changing paradigms on diversity, hip-hop culture, and the younger generation. Mr. Hill provides a fresh, informed, thought-provoking perspective that never fails to challenge and engage. Join us as we welcome Mr. Hill in honor of Black History Month on Tuesday, February 16, 2010; 6:30 p.m. in the Casino Auditorium. Lean More

29th Annual Irish Afternoon
This year's event features Celtic Nights: A Celebration of Irish music, song, dance, and laughter; with Tony Kenny, Joe Cuddy, and the Celtic Nights Dancers, who will perform world-class Irish dancing. Mr. Kenny's Celtic Nights show is marked by tears, laughter, and thunderous applause. Come experience the magic of Mr. Kenny's powerfully expressive delivery, dynamic stage presence, and innate ability to draw the audience into a song. Join us March 6, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. in the Casino. Learn More 

New Program!
The McAuley Institute for Lifelong Learning is a new institute tailored for audiences aged 50 or older who want to take advantage of college-level courses without tests, grades, or credits. The first five-week course for 2010 is 20th-Century Irish Innovators. This class, led by Hannah Means-Shannon, Ph.D., GCU lecturer in English, will consist of a study of five major Irish writers and three major genres spanning the literary developments of the 20th century. Learners will examine the Irish impact on the birth of modernism following World War I as well as the Irish invention of postmodernism in the wake of World War II and after. This class begins Friday, February 26, and runs through April 9 from 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.  Learn More

A Healthier You on The Horizon
Join us for a screening of Food, Inc., a documentary that lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, safety, and the environment. Immediately following the 90-minute documentary, radio host and naturopath Michael Glynn, N.D., will lead a discussion. Join us on Wednesday, February 24, at 5:00 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Learn More 

Vegan Society Presentation
The Georgian Court University Vegan Society will host "Veganism to Activism" on Wednesday, February 10, at 5:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Jasmin Singer, campaign manager for the animal rights organization Farm Sanctuary, will emphasize the health benefits to eating a plant-based diet. She will also discuss the problems that industrial farming creates for the environment, animals, and consumers. This program is free and open to the public; however reservations are required. Please contact GCU Vegan Society President Jessica Caneal at jessica@naturalfoodsolutions.com.

Travel the Emerald Isle this spring with GCU and our friends at All Saints Episcopal Church (Bay Head), May 24-June 1. For more information contact specialevents@georgian.edu, or 732.987.2263.