1855
The College was established by the state legislature
as the New Jersey State Normal School . It was the first
teacher training school in the state and the ninth in the
nation. Governor Rodman Price, sometimes called the founder
of the New Jersey Normal School , promoted the idea of
a training institute for New Jersey 's teachers and mobilized
support among influential state leaders. Opening day of
classes was held on October 1, 1855 for a class of ten
women and five men.
1913
The industrial growth of the area brought a growing demand for training
in the commercial field. To meet this need, a commercial course appeared
in the 1913 Normal School curriculum. The course included bookkeeping,
business practice, commercial law, stenography, typing, penmanship,
economics, history, and English. At the end of the course the student
received a certificate to teach the subjects named, in any elementary
or high school.
1925
Authorization to grant the BS degree brought about a marked improvement
in the professional attitude of the students. By 1926, there were fifty
students working toward a degree. Specialization was restricted to
five fields: English, history, science, mathematics, and rural education.
1926
The first bachelor's degrees were granted.
1932
Eighty-nine students attended the first summer session held at the Hillwood
Lakes campus. The session was financed by a charge of five dollars
per credit.
1935
The State Board of Education adopted a resolution that all courses of
study be made four years in length beginning with classes entering
in September 1935.
1948
The graduate program at Trenton State Teachers College began in the 1948
summer session with an enrollment of eleven. The graduate program offered
elementary teachers opportunities to increase their knowledge of content
subjects and to continue the specific professional preparation required
for elementary school teaching.
1951
The first master's degrees were granted with five students receiving
the degree of Master of Science in Education.
1959
Approval of the school nursing program was granted and an undergraduate
curriculum in speech arts and speech correction was offered. In addition,
graduate programs in business education and special education were
offered.
1960
Granting of the first Bachelor of Arts degrees.
1965
Authorization was given to grant baccalaureate degrees in nursing and
the liberal arts.
1966
The enactment of the Higher Education Act of 1966 paved the way for The
College to become a multipurpose institution by expanding its degree
programs into a variety of fields other than education.
1970s
During this period of declining enrollments, when many colleges were
lowering admission standards and increasing enrollments to maintain
enrollment-driven budgets, Dr. Clayton R. Brower and his administration
made the momentous decision to set The College on a course of increased
selectivity by raising instead of lowering admissions standards. Since
that time interest in The College has increased and the academic profile
of entering students has risen steadily.
1972
A reorganization of The College's academic structure resulted in a School
of Arts and Sciences, a School of Education, and separate Divisions
of Business, Nursing, and Industrial Education and Technology. The
success of the broader curriculum was affirmed in 1972, when seventy
percent of entering freshmen selected non-teaching majors.
1979
The TSC Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society was established
in winter 1979. The first group of ninety-two student members was inducted
during a dinner ceremony. The chapter was the third in New Jersey and
the 208th in the nation to be organized since Phi Kappa Phi's founding
in 1897.
1981
In a move that was viewed as "a milestone in the development of
The College," three of the academic divisions officially became schools
within The College. The new School of Business, School of Industrial
Education and Engineering Technology, and School of Nursing joined the
School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education.
1986
The College was first profiled in Money magazine as one of the "Ten
Public Colleges with an Ivy Twist." Since that time, The College has
received continuing national recognition for its excellence and value,
including in U.S. News and World Report, The Fiske Guide to Colleges,
Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, Peterson's Competitive Colleges
and as a "Top Ten Best Buy" every year Money magazine published
its survey.
1991
Approval was granted for the School of Business to award the Bachelor
of Science in Accountancy. Previously the school awarded the Bachelor
of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in accounting.
1993
The School of Technology's engineering technology program was redesigned
as an engineering science program. The new program leads to the Bachelor
of Science in engineering science degree.
1995
The School of Technology gains approval to become the School of Engineering
to more accurately reflect the school's engineering science program.
1996
The College developed and implemented a general education program for
all students that includes a comprehensive set of learning goals and
outcomes. The program has three components: Intellectual Skills, the
Interdisciplinary Core, and Perspectives on the World.
2004
The College introduced a redesigned curriculum with fewer,
more intensive courses and more options for interdisciplinary
study. Requirements of the transformed curriculum include
a writing-intensive First-Year Seminar and either an interdisciplinary
concentration, a second major, or a set of courses that involve
each of the three broad sectors of liberal learning.
Author's Note: Some
information for this article was gathered from the book,
Time the Great Teacher, which records the history of
The College from 1855-1955. Special thanks to Brenda
Cohen, archives and special collection assistant at Roscoe
L. West Library, for her assistance. Minor edits
have been made to the original article in an effort to
provide the most current information.
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