By Kristina Valera –
Classes usually take place in educational buildings, but learning can happen anywhere. And when your campus is on the edge of one of the world’s most culturally rich cities, the opportunities for learning are unlimited.
That’s the thinking behind New Jersey City University’s “Campus Without Borders” program, which officially began this past fall. The initiative is the brainchild of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean Barbara Feldman.
“I had this idea when I interviewed for the job,” said Feldman. “The connection between the university and the city just seemed like such a natural connection.”
“The Dean wants to make sure students are learning at every level, and that we’re taking advantage not just of the physical university but the world at large that we’re in,” said Ella Rue, assistant to the Dean. “This program gives our students additional incentives to get into New York City as a complement to what goes on here at NJCU.”
The “Campus Without Borders” program, which Rue said has been a success thus far, encourages students to do everything from walking tours through historic neighborhoods in Jersey City and Manhattan, to attending lectures, concerts, and museums.
“We’re counting on the faculty to continue to recommend events and places to promote as part of the program,” Rue explained. “We’ve been getting a lot of helpful feedback.”
To help keep track of the events, some students – first year students in 2011, initially, with more to follow – were given passport-type documents, which they can get stamped at the various events they attend. Some of these events take place on the NJCU campus, others in Hudson County or across the river in Manhattan.
“This year has been a kind of trial and error phase, but we’re very pleased with how it has gone so far,” Rue said.
Although there were walking tours and off-campus field trips prior to “Campus Without Borders,” the university didn’t promote them as widely as they now can with the full force of the current initiative. Recent field trips and walking tours have included areas such as Governors Island, Historic Lower Manhattan, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Tenement Museum & the Lower East Side, Central Park, Greenwich Village, Harlem & the Apollo Theater, and Times Square.
“Campus Without Borders” also supports events occurring on campus, such as the University Lecture Series, Music Dance and Theatre productions, and art gallery openings. Along with encouraging outside pursuits, the program also offers thematic courses exploring subjects such as the music in an urban setting, stories of immigration, American directors, and many more.
Dr. Timothy White, an assistant professor of history who conducted tours for Campus Without Borders, described students becoming, “Expert Navigators of the Urban City… It teaches NJCU students how to navigate better and will make them feel more confident.”
There are lists of sites that correspond with the passports; every time one visits these areas and they receive a stamp, they move closer to qualifying for awards such as mugs or messenger bags. If one accumulates 40 or more stamps, he or she will be able to wear honor cords at graduation.
Program participants are responsible for their own transit costs, and are asked to have their Metrocards or Smartlink cards charged and ready. Upcoming events include visits to Central Park, Saturday, April 7, at 10:30 a.m., and Chinatown and Little Italy on Friday, April 13,at 10 a.m.
“I would like NJCU to be known as the campus that has this signature program,” Feldman explained. “Our students will have the opportunity to navigate through the city as part of their college experience, with the knowledge and sophistication that comes from immersing yourself in a place like New York City.”
“It’s a pretty unique program,” Rue added. Students and faculty can get more information through the Dean’s office, Room 605 of Karnoutsos Hall, or by calling 201-200-3001 for more details.
– Additional reporting by the Gothic Times staff
