April 2005 Contents

Students, Professor Track Global Communications for UN

Thirteen hardworking students and one very dedicated professor spent the fall 2004 semester working with the United Nations (UN), conducting research on worldwide news coverage of the UN’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. John C. Pollock, a communications studies professor in his 13th year at the College, was chosen as one of three scholars to conduct the research on behalf of the International Communications Association (ICA) and the United Nations’ Department of Public Information (DPI).

Video Game Design Courses

Video game design is quickly becoming a popular topic of scholarly study, as formal preparation increasingly becomes a necessary requirement in order to enter this booming industry. Programs and courses in the subject have already been established at such highprofile universities as Carnegie Mellon, the University of Southern California, MIT and Stanford. However,TCNJ is not far behind. With the help of an $80,000 unrestricted grant from Microsoft, a group of professors at the College is developing a suite of advanced gamedesign courses that will allow for the interdisciplinary collaboration of students and faculty members from six majors and three of the College's seven schools.

Governor’s Budget Address

Acting Governor Richard J. Codey delivered his budget address to the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 2005, outlining a spending plan for fiscal year 2006 that calls for $27.4 billion in expenditures—$614 million less than in fiscal 2005.The austere proposal would provide flat funding for most of the state’s higher education community. None of New Jersey’s 12 senior public institutions are currently slated for an increase in operational aid, and, under Codey’s plan, support for The College of New Jersey will remain at $38.6 million.

Spotlight: Tim Clydesdale

Well before the Grutter v. Bollinger case at the University of Michigan Law School ignited the world of academia with the sparks of a Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action practices in higher education,Tim Clydesdale, sociology professor at the College, was immersed in his own research on affirmative action and law school admission. Now, he’s finding himself at the forefront of a national debate on the question, “Does affirmative action hurt minority law students?”