The College of New Jersey

THE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE
The First-Year Experience (FYE) at TCNJ is an introductory program that explores the foundations of reading, writing, and critical thinking. The FYE is considered a transitional period in which students can get a feel for college academics and new social demands as they settle into their new home. This program is a mixture of classes and co-curricular activities that bring students together to promote a supportive environment. There are several components of the FYE, which include:

• Freshman Orientation
• Summer Readings
• Welcome Week
• First-Year Seminar
• Residential Life Learning Communities and Civic Engagement

FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR
All incoming freshmen are required to take a first-year seminar (FSP). Seminars allow students to explore a topic of interest outside their major, a refreshing take on group learning. All FSPs are designed to promote conversation and collaboration among students and faculty alike. TCNJ views this experience as a perfect introduction to college-level academics, and many students find the seminars useful for developing key reading, writing, and speaking skills. Some of the recent seminar courses include Are we what we eat? Food, Culture, and Identity; Exploring Amish Culture; Incarceration Nation: Literature of the Prison; Rock N’ Roll in Post-Mao China; and Prosperity and Rational Optimism.

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED LEARNING (CEL)
The Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) component of the FYE commits each first-year student to a minimum of 8 hours of highly valuable service. TCNJ is dedicated to service and views helping others as an integral part of the undergraduate experience. CEL introduces students to the experience of volunteerism and community awareness, creating a drive of helpful citizenship that lasts throughout college. There are two different tracks for fulfilling the requirement: curricular and co-curricular. On the curricular track, students work with professors as an extension of their FSP. And on the co-curricular track, students engage in community service that is organized by interest or residence opportunities.

STUDY ABROAD
TCNJ has a plethora of study abroad options that range in both duration and destination. Each student is bound to find the program that best suits their needs and desires, as the College offers multiple options throughout the year. The College has designated programs for winter, summer, and semester trips, each of which offer similar benefits in cross-cultural communication, independence, and global education. Below are some examples of semester abroad options:

Semester Programs

• Heidelberg
• Italy
• London
• Prague
• Spain
• Washington Center

Exchange Programs

• Argentina: Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires
• Australia: La Trobe University, Melbourne
• Australia: University of Newcastle, Newcastle
• Australia: Victoria University, Melbourne
• England: Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• England: University of Nottingham, Nottingham
• France: Université Blaise Pascal, Vichy/Clermont-Ferrand
• Germany: Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main
• Ireland: University of Limerick, Limerick(Psychology Majors)
• Japan: Kansai Gaidai University, Hirakata/Osaka
• Tajikistan: Technological University of Tajikistan, Dushanbe
• Thailand: Mahidol University International College, Bangkok
• Turkey: Istanbul Bilgi University

ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Non-U.S. Citizen: 1%
Hispanic/Latinx: 15%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 6%
White, non-Hispanic: 62%
Native/Indigenous American or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 0%
Asian, non-Hispanic: 12%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 0%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 2%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 3%