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First Year Experience

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The First Year Experience (FYE) is a comprehensive program of academic and co-curricular activities promoting the successful transition of entering students to college life at TCNJ. Faculty, staff and students working together cultivate the intellectual, social and civic development that creates a challenging, yet supportive environment. Major FYE program components include Freshman Orientation, Summer Readings, Welcome Week, First Seminar, Residential Life Learning Communities, and Civic Engagement.

Communications

pdf First Year Student Communications Flow

PDF File Letter of April 22 from Frank Cooper, Director of Records and Registration

This letter references accessing TESS using your TCNJ ID# (which was included in the original letter to you). If you do not have this number, you may--just for the first time of access--substitute your social security number and follow all other instructions in the letter.

PDF File Letter of May 2 (and later dates) From Robert Anderson, Assistant Provost for Liberal Learning and Advising

PDF File Freshmen Invitation Letter (May 30)

PDF File Community Learning Day Web Page

This year's community learning day takes place on Wednesday, September 17.

 

First Seminar Courses

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The First Seminar enables first-year students to be engaged in an intellectually exciting and challenging experience in a small, seminar-style class. Topics are selected by instructors and announced in advance so students can choose according to their interests.
First Seminar Program »

 

 

Learning Communities

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All first-year students who elect to live on campus are assigned to Learning Communities based on their First Seminar selection. These residence halls offer first-year social and educational programming designed to complement the academic experience and meet the needs of students. Learning Communities»

 

 

 

FYE Community Engaged Learning (CEL) Program

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As part of the FYE CEL program, students complete a minimum of 8 hours of CEL "work." They do so by participating in a CEL project that has been integrated into their first year seminar (FSP) course, or by attending one of the 50 CEL Days-single days of service and learning that focus on specific community issues. Overview »

 

Summer Reading

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This year's summer reading selection is World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2008), a novel set in the indeterminate near future in upstate New York. All fossil fuels have been depleted, the USA and NY state lack functioning governments, and the world is, literally, 'made by hand.' World Made by Hand complements TCNJ's theme for the year, "Human Health and Environmental Sustainability." Mr. Kunstler will be the principal speaker at Community Learning Day at the TCNJ campus on September 17th.

 

Along with an introduction and comments by Presidet R. Barbara Gitenstein, the reading assignment to be completed over the summer is posted here: Summer Reading 2008 ». You will receive an additional copy of the assignment with the president's comments at your June Orientation session.

 

 

Information Literacy

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The LINKS Online Tutorial is designed to help first-year students increase their knowledge, skills and comfort level in locating, evaluating and using information for academic research. The tutorial acts as the course material for IDS102 (Information Literacy Proficiency) which is taken by all incoming students in their first semester. Links Tutorial »

 

Tools

  • TESS ClassSchedule, Student Record and Account Info.
  • SOCS Student Access to current TCNJ courses.

 

 

For Parents

TCNJ's "Resources for Parents" page includes announcements, tips for parens, gifts ideas, links to services, and more.
Visit the Parents' Page

First Seminar Program

Green Hall, Room 218

The College of New Jersey

P.O. Box 7718

Ewing, NJ 08628

P) 609.771.2409

F) 609.637.5171

E) gsteinbe@tcnj.edu


Records & Registration

The College of New Jersey

Green Hall, Room 112

P.O. Box 7718

Ewing, NJ 08628

P) 609.771.2141

F) 609.637.5184

E) recreg@tcnj.edu


Residential Education & Housing/First Year Experience

T/W Link

The College of New Jersey

P.O. Box 7718

Ewing, NJ, USA 08628-0718

P) 609.771.5079

F) 609.637.5165

E) reslife@tcnj.edu


Bonner Center for Civic & Community Engagement

The College of New Jersey

1938 Pennington Road

Ewing, NJ, 08628-0718

P) 609.771.2548

E) bonner@tcnj,edu