Elizabeth Colleges
UNION COUNTY COLLEGE
Union County College (UCC) is a comprehensive community college serving approximately 35,000 credit and non-credit students. In cooperation with other agencies, it is committed to serving the higher educational needs of Union County. The College has an open admissions policy for both transfer and career programs and is dedicated to the fundamental values of public higher education.
The oldest two-year, continuously operating, nonprofit, degree-granting institution in New Jersey, Union County College provides opportunities for higher education for people of diverse ethnic, racial, cultural, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds in a multi-campus setting. The College has four campuses, which are located in Cranford, Elizabeth, Plainfield and Scotch Plains. It strives to promote in students a sense of responsibility for their own development and an understanding of their obligations as members of a democratic society. The College fosters in its students the desire to learn; the ability to think clearly and express themselves effectively; the habit of analytical and reflective thought; and an awareness of themselves, their heritage, other cultures and their environment. Dr. Thomas H. Brown, the College’s current President, has been leading the changes at UCC for the past 18 years.
Union County College was established in 1933 and, during the 2008-2009 academic year, celebrated its 75th anniversary. The College offers more than 80 programs of study, many of which lead to Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. Students who satisfactorily complete these two-year programs may transfer to four-year institutions for their junior and senior years.
In addition, Union County College confers the Associate in Science degree upon graduates of the Trinitas School of Nursing in Elizabeth. The Elizabeth campus also houses the Institute for Intensive English, providing English instruction for speakers of other languages.
After years of planning, the construction of a new building to substantially expand the Elizabeth Campus of Union County College is well underway. The steel structure and outside walls of this impressive building have risen at the intersection of West Jersey Street and Stirling Place, thanks to funding from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey County College Capital Project Fund.
The Elizabeth I. Kellogg building, as it will be named, is located approximately one block south of UCC’s existing Sidney F. Lessner Building and will add 132,000 square feet of library and instructional space to the College’s Elizabeth campus. The building is being developed by the Union County Improvement Authority and will house degree programs, continuing education offerings, a lecture hall, a state-of-the-art information commons and a library and will serve as a new home for the Trinitas School of Nursing. The top floor will house the headquarters of the College’s Industry Business Institute (IBI) along with a conference center and office suites for use as economic development offices.
The building is expected to be completed by October 2009. It is scheduled to open in time for the spring 2010 semester and will serve approximately 8,300 students, including 2,300 from the Trinitas School of Nursing. The Union County Improvement Authority is financing the project, and the State of New Jersey is contributing $19 million through the County College Capital Projects Fund. Noting that this is the largest “ground-up” construction project undertaken by the College, Dr. Thomas H. Brown said, “It is truly gratifying to see these new walls rise in our county’s largest city.”
In addition, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has established the Freeholder Scholars Program for Union County students who have attained a record of academic success in high school. The scholarship will cover two free years of college in pursuit of an associate degree. Distance learning opportunities, such as courses by videotape, are increasing with each semester.
Through the College’s Industry Business Institute, educational training programs can be designed for any company or organization. Union County College offers a wide range of activities, including the honor society Phi Theta Kappa, a five-star chapter; an award-winning newspaper; and various athletic programs. The Division of Economic Development and Continuing Education provides professional development and personal enrichment opportunities for individuals who live or work in Union County. Classes offered through this division include career certificate programs and the College for Kids program, which offers programming for children ages 4 to 17.
Union County College is a public comprehensive community college and is a member of New Jersey’s system of 19 county colleges. All four campuses are located in the New York metropolitan area and are easily accessible by car and public transportation.
KEAN UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1855, Kean University ranks today as the third-largest public university in New Jersey and has grown to become one of the state’s leading public institutions of higher learning. In 1958, Kean University took a landmark step in its ongoing evolution, leaving its surroundings in Newark and moving to Union County. Kean was granted university status in 1997.
From its modest beginnings in Newark more than 150 years ago to the bustling 150-acre campus it calls home today, Kean University is a comprehensive institution offering more than 50 undergraduate and 30 graduate degree programs, serving more than 14,000 students. With its four undergraduate colleges, the School of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Kean offers a broad range of disciplines and the expertise and resources of a diverse faculty and campus community.
Kean recently added its first doctorate programs, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Urban Leadership and a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in School Psychology. The university also offers an opportunity for students wishing to pursue a career in medicine through a partnership formed by Kean, the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia and Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick. Qualified undergraduates can participate in a 4 + 4 Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine (B.S./M.D.) program at Kean, then transfer to Drexel for medical school after graduation.
In 2007, the university acquired the historic Liberty Hall Museum. Built in 1772, this valuable historic resource now serves as a venue for classes, lectures and special presentations and is available to every department within the university for creative learning opportunities.
Kean is transforming its campus into a dynamic community with state-of-the-art facilities that support academic excellence and cutting-edge research. Several extensive construction and renovation projects are underway to reshape the landscape for generations of students, faculty, staff and visitors to come.
In January, construction began on two new undergraduate residence halls. The halls will provide housing for an additional 848 students and include dining, recreational and study space. The expansion totals 240,000 square feet and is slated for occupancy for September 2009.
Construction of the New Jersey Center for Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, which includes six stories of technology-oriented classrooms, laboratories and auditorium space, began this summer. The Center will feature a geothermal system for heating and cooling and glass curtain wall faŤades with solar shades. Occupancy is scheduled for spring 2010.
The 12,000-square-foot expansion of the Nancy Thompson Library is underway and will house the university’s new Human Rights Institute. The Human Rights Institute hosted its first annual conference, Darfur: the First Genocide of the 21st Century, and attracted nearly 1,000 people, including students and teachers from more than 10 New Jersey school districts.
The Nathan Weiss Graduate College moved to a showcase building on the East Campus. This expanded facility also houses Kean’s speech pathology and communications clinic, the psychology department, and the new community psychology clinic. Upon completion, the building will also contain enhanced classrooms and a new 332-seat recital hall that will host a variety of musical performances.
A campus dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in higher education, Kean University supports a student-centered learning environment that nurtures the development of the whole student for rewarding careers, lifelong learning and fulfilling lives in a global society. It maintains a commitment to excellence and equity in enrollment, instruction and administration.
ELIZABETH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
There are more than 20,000 students in 28 public schools and two early childhood centers, making the Elizabeth Schools system among the largest in the state, with a professional and support staff numbering just about 3,000. The children in attendance represent more than 50 countries and 37 language groups.
The system’s pre-K, elementary and middle schools are located in the city’s neighborhoods. There is one central high school, the largest in the state, located in the City’s Midtown district. A variety of educational offerings are available in the public schools, including honors and advanced programs, bilingual and English as a Second Language programs, a Gifted and Talented track, and special education programs.
Educational programs initiated under Mayor Bollwage’s administration include the LEAP (Linking Educational After School Programs) and SOAR programs (Special Opportunity for Achievement and Reawakening), which provide after-school programs and activities centering on building leadership skills and health education, including workshops for children about alcohol, tobacco control, and drug and violence prevention.
The Mayor created the Office on Youth and, as part of this function, created a Youth Advisory Board to consult on the needs of children.
The district’s long-range facilities plan included the construction of three new buildings to meet the needs of the rapidly growing student population. The high school’s track, baseball, basketball and football programs are among the best in the state, and the school has spawned many professional athletes who have gone on to successful careers. The school’s marching band has also won many state competitions.
ELIZABETH PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Elizabeth Public Library is a modern library system meeting the needs of Elizabeth residents, businesses and students for both traditional and innovative library services.
The library provides services both on the Internet and at its four locations. By accessing the library’s web page at www.elizpl.org, people with valid library cards have access to an almost limitless amount of books, articles, audiovisual media and data.
The library produces several hundred programs a year for children and adults. There are magic, craft and storytelling programs for children, as well as cultural and ethnic programming reflecting the many heritages of the residents of Elizabeth. Many staff members are fluent in Spanish and some in Portuguese and Creole.
The locations and phone numbers of the library branches are as follows:
Main Library
11 South Broad Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07202-3486
908-354-6060
LaCorte Branch Library
408 Palmer Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07202-3710
908-820-4298
Elmora Branch Library
740 West Grand Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07202-1102
908-353-4820
Elizabethport Branch Library
102-110 Third Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07206-1717
908-289-9032
PRIVATE EDUCATION
Elizabeth also offers many options for private and parochial education. There are more than a dozen private schools offering educational opportunities, including Catholic, Christian and Jewish. There are also a number of options for day care, preschool and nursery schools.
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