Daniel Joseph
Staff Writer

For the average individual the month of February carries much more significance than most months out of the year; it commemorates Black History. Many institutions across the United States celebrate this month by honoring the struggles and notable achievements of many African Americans who have contributed to society. In honor of this month long event, the Newark Public library had a string of different events highlighting achievements of many famous black African Americans.
Every year, the Newark public library creates a specific theme/focus for study and investigation during Black History month with different events to help spread awareness on the past of African Americans. The official theme for 2010 in which the Newark Library was presenting was Fiat Justitia: Let Justice Be Done: The History, Struggles, and Civil Rights Accomplishments of African American Lawyers and Judges.
The Library conducted events under this title from January to the beginning of March.

There were several Black History Month festivities spread out through this time period, each providing a different view on what the theme was trying to teach. One of the programs provided hands-on insight into what the title and theme was trying to show, titled Dreams from Our Fathers.
“The Dreams from Our Fathers event was mounted at Newark Public Library to discuss issues of importance: family values, how to uplift our community, how to save our community, and also to educate library patrons and the Greater Newark community,” stated Sandra L. West, the Newark Public Library’s Curator for the Black History Month 2010 exhibition.
“It is my responsibility to teach and I can do this through Black History Month programming. For example, in 2008, I curated the Black History Month program entitled, Entrusted to Our Keeping: The Legacy of African-American Literary Societies in Newark, the Nation, The World. During this event, the over-flow crowd had a very significant discussion entitled What’s Hip-Hop Got to Do With It? A Community Discussion About the Impact of Hip-Hop upon African-American Literature. Young people came out and spoke up, and I was very happy about that.”
The panel that spoke was made up of a group of disguised African American judges and lawyers who related experiences in which they had grown up in difficult times. Although they had faced tremendous adversity they were able to become great individuals and pass that success to their children, who were also present on the panel.
These individuals consisted of Judge Harold Fullilove, Sr. along with his son Judge Harold Fullilove, Jr.; Tamara Britt, and father Judge Randolph Jackson; Honorable Julien X. Neals, corporation counsel for the City of Newark, and his father, noted retired New York State Administrative Law Judge Felix R. Neals.
Many of the topics that were discussed, like proper upbringing, past experiences, what is wrong with the African American society today, and how that can be fixed were talked about in a thoroughly and in depth.
When the event was over I asked West how she felt about whether or not it had been a success, and if there would be any more events for the rest of the month. She had this to say, “Dreams From Our Fathers could have gone on for hours because the stories the family members shared were so true and enjoyable. It was truly ‘news we could use.’ And yes we have an exhibition in the 2nd floor gallery and we do not want to put that up and take it down so quickly … and also because we love grand and memorable programs!
West continued, “So, our last two programs for this Black History Month season are in March, and they are rather special. Both are musical programs and, because March is Women’s History Month, the musicians are females. Camille Thurman, saxophonist, will perform on March 6th and Courtney Bryan, pianist, will perform on March 13th. Both are Saturday afternoon programs, free and open to the public.”

For more information on the Newark Public Library and events or services they offer, visit their website at www.npl.org.

Daniel Joseph can be reached at DJoseph@njitvector.com.

Tom Flusk
Copy Editor

In an email sent to all students, faculty and staff, University President Dr. Robert A. Altenkirch announced the appointment of Dr. Ian Gatley as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.
This much anticipated announcement marks the end of the Provost search, as Dr. Gatley will take the reins from Dr. Donald Sebastian, who has been serving as the Interim Provost, “around May 1, 2010, or as soon thereafter as is practicable before the start of the fall 2010 semester.”
Altenkirch said of the applicants for the position, “I think it was a good pool of applications and nominations.” He said that from the larger pool of applicants, the provost committee, “recommended a smaller group for me to consider, from which Gatley was selected.”
He went on to describe Gatley as a, “strategic thinker and a visionary,” and said “With his research record, academic experience, and the way he interacts with people, I think he will be very well respected.”
Gatley has had experience at all levels of research, and was chosen by the administration at NJIT as the best candidate for the job. He received his PhD in Physics from the California Institute of Technology. According to Altenkirch’s email, Gatley has had extensive research experience including time at NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory, and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope at Hilo, Hawaii.
He has also served as the chair US National Optical Astronomy Observatories Infrared Steering Committee. More recently, he was the Director of the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, then the Dean of the College of Science, both at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Gatley is excited to join the NJIT community. He said of NJIT, “I admire NJIT’s vision and values… Specifically, NJIT stands out for its clarity of vision as ‘a preeminent science and technology research university known for innovation, entrepreneurship, and engagement.” He went on to say, “The NJIT community has committed to a very clear and achievable strategic plan. It’s important for us to set and meet appropriately challenging goals, so that we can map our own progress and so that the world can see we live up to our promises.”

Gatley’s appointment came on the heels of an earlier announcement by Altenkirch that Dr. Donald Sebastian, the current Vice President for Research and Development, who was serving as the Interim Provost, had withdrawn his name from consideration for the position. Altenkirch said that Sebastian, “Has been very successful as the head of Research and Development. He has several large projects that he is leading, and he is going to focus on those.”
According to an email from Altenkirch announcing Sebastian’s withdrawal, Sebastian’s successes as Vice President of Research and Development include the creation of the Office of Technology Development, recognized leadership in Homeland Security research institutions, dedication of the world’s largest land based solar telescope in the visible spectrum (The Big Bear Observatory), and receiving state and federal funding to evaluate and develop child-safe handgun technologies.

During his time at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Gatley put an emphasis on research opportunities for students. He said of plans to continue that at NJIT, “Hands-on experience is crucial to the mastery of any discipline… We all learn by doing, and every opportunity to practice our growing expertise is highly valuable.” He continued, “Rather than making it a requirement, I’d like to make it an eagerly sought opportunity.”
Besides being appointed as the new Provost, Gatley also received an appointment as a Distinguished Professor of Physics. Altenkirch said that he would be on the committee of Distinguished Professors, and will have responsibilities on that committee. When asked about the prospect of teaching a class, Gatley responded, “It would be a pleasure to teach a class,” but went on to say that he would not teach, “in the near term given the many responsibilities of being the new provost.”
Overall, Gatley described NJIT as a “wonderful community.” He continued, “NJIT is a place on the move, with a growing research portfolio and a growing reputation. I believe that NJIT will continue to grow in status through the hard work of its talented people in collaboration with the local community, across the nation, and around the world.”
He concluded, “My wife Cathy and I are excited to have the opportunity to join such an exciting and vibrant community.”

Tom Flusk can be reached at TFlusk@njitvector.com.

Wonho Rhee
Staff Writer

Despite the slow economy and low demand for jobs, the spring 2010 career fair turned out to be a great success. With more than 100 businesses, organizations, and 1740 students in attendance, the career fair indicated there is a bright future for NJIT students.
The career fair is the annual event at NJIT where employers come and provide information about full time jobs and internships. Students not only get an opportunity to meet with potential employers in person, but they also get a chance to submit their resume for a review.
“What is so great about this fair is that I can have a direct communication with employees which I can’t do online.” said Meet Patel, a senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Unfortunately, the weakened economy surely impacted a number of participating employers this year.
Dominick Cirillo, a junior majoring in Business stated that there were fewer companies at the fair compared to last year. Nonetheless, organizations in the defense, energy and information technology fields were still looking to hire bright students. “Despite the bad economy, our business (Information Technology Business) is continuously growing. People need IT regardless the condition of the economy they are living in”, said Hiteen Bhagat, the representative from Softniche.Inc.

As graduates from an institute of science and technology, NJIT students have a great advantage in the job market. “We are all abundantly aware that the economy has had a tremendous adverse impact on the job market. Technology based employment opportunities however, continue to greatly out-pace other disciplines in the college graduate job market”, said Gregory Mass, the executive director of Career Development Services.
Mass also added, according to survey data, that more than 50% of the most recent graduating class reported employment at the time of graduation. He believes that the strength of NJIT graduates lies in applications oriented curriculum and various experimental educational opportunities at NJIT.
Doris Sanders-Headlei from UPS was also impressed by NJIT students, “I was highly astonished by the knowledge and experience students had. Most of them were very qualified.”
The career fair had a positive turn out, and students and employees saw little that needed improvement. But representatives from small businesses were not too happy about the fact that the majority of people stood in line for big-name firms and neglected to visit small businesses. They asserted that students should be aware of the fact that they don’t have to start their entry level jobs with large firms.
What made this fair more interesting was that, major media company CBS came to the fair to interview students for a college graduates unemployment report to appear on the CBS evening news with Katie Couric.
Senior Jackie Bunner, one of the four students interviewed by CBS, stated that regardless of their grades, due to the current economy most of her classmates are settling for lower paying internships. The story was aired at 6:33 pm on Friday and is available on CBS’s evening newscast website.

Wonho Rhee can be reached at WRhee@njitvector.com.

Michael Bull
Staff Writer

At NJIT, there has been a lot of talk about the Middle States Accreditation process going around lately. And so has a lot of confusion over exactly what it means for NJIT students and faculty, and what its exact purpose is. On March 9th, a liaison from Middle States will come to NJIT to analyze the university; it is thus very important some of the following questions be answered. To this end, The Vector interviewed Professor Norbert Elliot of the Humanities Department, co-chair of the NJIT Middle States Committee.
Vector: What will the liaison from Middle States (Dr. Mary Ellen Petrisko) seek to analyze on her first visit here on March 9th?
Elliot: We don’t really analyze anything on NJIT at that point. We will have 14 standards that will convey what NJIT has. In Spring 2012, we will have a team from different schools in the region that will come and take a look at our school for accreditation purposes. We look at each other’s institutions to help each to review and improve each other’s schools.
Vector: What aspects of NJIT will take priority in the self-assessment, and what do you think should be prioritized?
Elliot: I think there’s two complementary things. We serve as helping to develop Newark and provide it with a nice downtown community for students to live, study, and work in. The second thing is the outcome assessment of students and how they perform and do at NJIT. The more we know about how our do students in our courses, the more we can tailor our courses to serve our students. That is how I view it.
Vector: How will the average student play a crucial role in this study?
Elliot: I invited students from the GSA to come to the accreditation day. They serve an integral role by allowing the committees to better see the situation from the student’s point of view and better tailoring it to the students this way.
Vector: What are expected challenges for assessing the academics and curriculum of the college overall?
Elliot: I think we’re busy at work. It’s always complex as a university to do what you’re doing  and talk about it at the same time. NJIT’s full of busy students, as well as administrators doing important work, and faculties teaching lectures and doing research. It is difficult to pause and account for what you do, and how you do it. Anybody who goes to accreditation has to stop the good things you are doing and talk about it so it becomes apparent to others. And that takes time, especially for busy people.
Vector: What core values of the university, in your opinion, are the most important to express to the Middle States Commission?
Elliot: We want to convey that the four values of our mission statement is something that we live our mission by, and not just something posted on the website and merely cosmetic. We want something that is real and authentic instead.
Vector: Will the community (faculty, staff, students) notice a great impact as the self-study progresses?
Elliot: The self study is a documentation on what we do and what we can do better. You always put some aggressive goals that are challenging and that you want to try and meet for Middle States Accreditation. By 2012, these people will come back to NJIT and notice the change in terms of how well it operates and creates value for its stakeholders and shareholders. But it’s not just a report. You also find things you want to do differently, and you set certain challenges that you want to meet.
Fundamentally, the accreditation is a documentary effort. But it also creates renewal and keeps NJIT on the leading edge of technology, as well as it meets the four parts of the mission statement.

Michael Bull can be reached at MBull@njitvector.com.

MONICA PAJDAK
STAFF WRITER

When I went to see the Peking acrobats perform at NJPAC this Saturday, I was honestly expecting to see another typical, trying-too-hard-to-be-Cirque-du-Soleil acrobatic performance. Don’t get me wrong, I knew it would be entertaining, and I don’t discredit other acrobatic troupes, but I was definitely thrown for a surprise when I discovered that the company offered more than an Easternized version of the mainstream.

The show began before the curtain was even drawn, with a traditional Chinese music ensemble of four playing various instruments. I found the sounds to be a bit too repetitive for my tastes; they were pretty much the same eight or so measures played on loop.

Nevertheless, the music was pleasant and I can’t help but admire the skill of the musicians in playing those eight measures. Most of the ensemble juggled instruments (figuratively speaking, of course; this is still the pre-show, no acrobats yet!) or played two at once.

So, you can only imagine how much skill and training went into just that part of the show!

As for the main performance, it was most certainly worth seeing. It did feature some of the same tricks that you see in other acrobatic performances, but there were also some very different acts incorporated, such as plate spinning, umbrella formations, and the Chinese dragon display.

The acts were supplemented with props that were highly relevant and expressive of the performers’ culture. The audience was not only exposed to some intense, high-risk gymnastics, but we caught a glimpse of Chinese music and a great deal of Chinese artwork. Several of the bits actually employed the use of some fine ceramic art as props.

Overall the show was incredibly well paced, and the acts were presented in ideal order. The arrangement achieved immaculate balance (no-pun intended), interspersed high-speed, and action packed routines with the slower tempo bits in such a way that made the whole performance very easy to watch.

Also striking was the minimal use of set-design in the show. The performers were there to display exactly what they could do with their bodies, not to distract you from their flexibility and aerial trickery with some everyday instrument. That, I think, is what really set this performance apart from other venues of the type.

The finale was exceptional as well. It started with thirteen people being driven around on the stage on one bicycle (the poor cyclist) and ended in a number of tricks performed simultaneously – all sorts of splits, flips, and jumps, all one right after the other.

The performers also wore the same costumes from the beginning of the act, which, in retrospect, was a less-intense, less-active version of the finale. This back-shadowing brought the entire show back full-circle, making it a very cohesive presentation. All in all, it was a fabulous show!

Monica Pajdak is a sophomore Biology major and can be reached at m.pajdak@njitvector.com

MONICA PAJDAK
STAFF WRITER

What’s YOUR game?  Is it World of Warcaft? EverQuest? Final Fantasy? Maybe your game is something a little more traditional like a brain teaser or a team sport.

Whether your game exists in the real world or in a fantasy world, whether it’s a lone-player effort or a team engagement, its popularity is sure to be rivaled by the ever-growing, ever- advancing class of video games known as MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games).

Last Wednesday, in a talk co-sponsored by the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), clinical psychologist Daniel S. Saland, Psy. D. reviewed this class of video games and its role in society. He presented some striking details about the demographics of the MMORPG-gaming community as well as the motivations and technical features that make MMORPGs some of the most addicting games out on the market.

To start, Dr. Saland asked those audience members who play MMORPGs when and how they got involved with the game class. Generalizing the actual trend to the small sample of students who answered, it would seem that most people start playing around the age of thirteen. They are introduced to MMORPGs either by friends who play them or when other types of games come out with massively multiplayer online versions. It would seem, then – and this does fit the gamer stereotypes – that most MMORPG players are teenagers.

However, if you take into account some real statistics, the picture becomes quite different. In a study using a 30,000 user sample, the mean age of the players was twenty-six and ranged from eleven to as high as sixty-eight. Clearly, then, the demography is considerably different from what one would expect, given the stereotype.

That considered, the students participating in the discussion with Dr. Saland seemed to agree that the latter teen years are generally associated with a decline in MMORPG playing. The main reason: college responsibilities.

Another important statistic Dr. Saland noted in his presentation was the gender ratio in the online gaming community. A striking eighty-five percent of players are male. Of the remaining fifteen percent, most were introduced to the game by their male partners.

Other interesting observations on the same note include the demographic studies cited earlier. In that 30,000 subject sample it was found that the mean age of female players – thirty-one – exceeded that of male players by six years. Also noted was the tendency for female MMORPG players to choose male avatars in their game playing.

The fact that women were considerably more likely than males to choose an avatar of the opposite gender has some interesting implications. Could the numbers suggest that there is a bias against female players? Or perhaps there is partiality toward female players? In any event, there is a large statistical gap between the male and female gaming populations.
The same study revealed one final and rather alarming statistic. Of the group sampled, the average time spent playing was twenty-two hours per week, a time investment that is almost equivalent to holding a part-time job! Clearly, MMORPGs must offer something beyond entertainment to keep players at their computers for so many hours at a time. Dr. Saland discussed several possible motivations, the most prominent of which is the persistent world phenomenon. Because each MMORPG community has such a large number of players, one individual logging off does not have a massive effect on the game. The play continues. The fact that the game changes the next time you log in provides more than just excitement and novelty; it provides an excuse to never log off.

Within the persistent world, the player has copious opportunities for character advancement as well as social networking. One can indulge in escapism by developing a strong avatar and accomplishing many quests. Alternatively, one can use the fantasy world to interact with real people from all over the globe. The macrocosm offered by MMORPGs supports a variety of personalities, and so these games may be attractive to a broad range of people. MMORPG games express a continuum of personality types that range from acting to highly interacting types, from player-centered strategists to “world”-centered players. Take as an example the killer, a grouping that is most representative of the stereotypical “violent gamer” whose main objective is exactly as the name implies: killing. Here we’re seeing an acting, player-centered personality. As another example we have the socializer. Members of this group are all about interacting with other characters; they form teams and join guilds. This can lead to a feeling of responsibility, which in turn provides further motivation to play. The fact that we see more antisocial types like the killer and the achiever working in the same environment as the socializer or the explorer makes the MMORPG community very diverse, something that in a way reflects the real world while at the same time providing a means of escape from it.

The level of immersion that MMORPG provides is most certainly one that users must be aware of. The ability to live and interact within a computer-generated world may present players with existential conflicts in the areas of subjective reality and identity management. That’s not to say, however, that this is always the case. For the most part, the discussion with Dr. Saland was highly interactive, and the participants seemed aware of the popular culture as well as potential conflicts associated with becoming too involved with MMORPGs. Clearly, if this class of video games were as conducive to the development of anti-social behaviors, this would not have been the case. Regardless, there are still some for whom MMORPG playing is in fact highly deleterious. These video games have the potential to result in PIU (problematic internet use), which is paired with a host of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional symptoms. They may also exacerbate existing social issues. The key here is awareness.  If you find yourself spending more time playing an MMORPG than you originally intended, if you find yourself budgeting sleep or class time to log on and play, or if you find that you are closer with you WoW friends than you are with your real friends, then chances are, you have a little problem.

Dr. Saland wrapped up his presentation by suggesting a few tips, some highly practical and some a little deeper, to help decrease MMORPG use. Moving your computer to a common area, for example, might be an easy way to limit gaming by restricting use to a specific time of day. On the other hand, indentifying the underlying issues that result in the need to play or the propensity to react a certain way while in play might be a better way to help relieve a bigger problem. For this, Dr. Saland reminds us that all matriculating students have access to free services at the NJIT Counseling Center located in Campbell Hall, Room 205. The center provides not only addiction counseling, but also psychological counseling and career counseling.  In addition, the center provides student disability services, testing services, referral services and workshops. For more information, you can visit http://www.njit.edu/counseling/.

Monica Pajdak is a sophomore biology major and can be reached at m.pajdak@njitvector.com.

ANNE MARIE CHU FONG
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By this time next year everyone campus-wide will be using Banner. The university is in the midst of a multi-phase process to upgrade the software that it uses to manage everything from student records to payroll.

Dubbed “Project ORBIT,” the implementation of Banner has been underway since the spring of 2008. It will be completed by January 1st, 2011 and will affect people at all levels of the university, from students, to department heads and high-level administrators.

Project ORBIT is aimed towards improving business transactions on campus. The previous system, Plus, could not adapt to the needs of a growing university. Banner, on the other hand, is newer and can handle the work load of a modern college. It can be altered and adapt to new situations.

Banner Finance was the first module to be implemented in July, 2009, the start of fiscal year 2010. Banner Finance is used by department administrators to manage their budgets and make purchases.

“[Banner] is much easier to manage behind the scenes”, said Associate Provost David Ullman, along with Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Kathy Kelly and Associate Vice President for University Budgeting Ed Bishof (the one charged with overseeing the change).

The newest addition to the Banner software is a self-service method. This will allow department administrators to access Banner Finance through ‘self-service’. This ‘self-service’ enhancement allows for the user to do their work without having to consult other departments. “[This] allows for quick, easy access to purchasing and budget queries,” said Ed Bishof.

The second module, Banner Student, is currently being phased in and will impact students, faculty, and academic advisors. This module includes Banner Admissions, Banner Financial Aid, Banner Registration/Records, and Student Billing. Banner Admissions and Banner Financial Aid are operational for new students enrolling for the fall 2010 semester.

Students are still able to access Pipeline despite the major changes within its system. Even though the students aren’t directly and drastically affected by this change, they will use Banner at some point.

By April, current students will be using Banner for registration. Registration will be mainly ‘self-service’. “We’re starting to move students into Banner,” Kelly said. “By Fall 2010 all students, current and new, will be using Banner to register for classes.”

The third module to go live will be Banner Human Resources. Training of the core group is underway and scheduled to go live January, 2011. This module is used for all payroll-related activity, including hourly students, student stipends, adjuncts and all full-time employees. Secured access to selected personnel information will be available through self-service. Training for department administrators will occur late fall, just prior to going live.

More than a hundred employees have to be trained to use Banner correctly in order to complete tasks specified towards their jobs. “Workshops and training seminars specialized towards the jobs that people need to do have been offered to the staff to aid in learning this new managing software”, said Ullman. Any glitches that have occurred have been remedied thus far, Kelly said.

“No words can express our appreciation for all the hard work by the Project Teams”, as stated by David Ullman, Kathy Kelly, and Ed Bishof.

Banner and Plus are set up in as parallel system to phase in information. After all the information stored in Plus has been transferred over to Banner then the second part of the project will start: learning, adapting, and working with the system. Patience is key to this project, as indicated by Kathy Kelly, Ed Bishof, and David Ullman.

EDWARD MARTINEZ
STAFF WRITER

It is time once again for NJIT to be visited by a representative of the Middle States Commission, Dr. Mary Ellen Petrisko, who will decide whether to accredit the school. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is a non-government, voluntary association that is tasked with improving colleges through accreditation. The accreditation is carried out through peer evaluation.

To receive accreditation is very important not only to the college but the student body. In an accredited school, transferring credits is simpler. The value of your degree and education depends on if your school is accredited, as well as whether financial aid and other student services are available on campus.

The Chair of the NJIT Self Study board is Norbert Elliot, and Vice Chair is Steve Tricamo. Every ten years colleges are tasked with completing a self-study that will put into perspective what the school has accomplished and how future goals will be met.

NJIT finished its design document on February 23, 2010 and will soon be reviewed by the representative from Middle States. The design document is forty nine pages long and there is also a podcast readily available also on NJIT’s website.

As stated by NJIT’s President Robert Altenkirch “The title of the Self Study document, A Technological Research University for the 21st Century, reflects the way we see ourselves. We are working to document our case that NJIT is, simply, a premier contemporary science and technology university.”

There are certain topics the school will have to talk about and plan to improve upon: Education, Research, Economic Development and Service. When asked which topic will the school have issues with President Robert Altenkirch stated, “…If I had to pick one, it might be service-we do a lot for students and our community that we often don’t stop to record or note everything, or how our actions result in positive change.”

NJIT has begun to use a planning model called ViSTa, which was implemented not long after the last Middle States Self Study. The model holds a lot of information and shows how they are being used, the model shows where the school wants to go, how it will get there, and how they will know when NJIT has arrived.

Dr. Mary Ellen Petrisko, based on the checklist provided by the Middle States website, will also meet with students and staff from NJIT, to assess how NJIT is moving towards the future, as well as interact with the people that will be the driving force behind the movement.

The students have already volunteered and have been accepted to be present in certain meetings and meet with the representative. Currently, the list is Leean Orama, President of Student Senate, Jaskirat Sodhi, President of Graduate Student Association, and a multitude of other students, such as Matthew Deek an Albert Dorman Honors College Student. The list of students to meet with Petrisko has not been finalized, and may continue to change.

There will be an open session for students from 10:50 to 11:20 in 400 Fenster Hall for those who wish to learn more about the process; students are encouraged to visit the session and talk directly with Petrisko.

Petrisko’s visit to NJIT will not change or interrupt our daily schedules. Everything will continue as normal and club activities are encouraged. Many campus clubs will actively participate in the accreditation process.

A fully planned schedule has already been written and uploaded onto NJIT which shows the schedule for Petrisko’s visit. There will also be NJIT shareholders present for the visit to meet and talk to Petrisko.

Anyone who is seeking information on joining a committee should contact Norbert Elliot, chair of the NJIT Self Study, or Steve Tricamo, the Vice Chair. As stated by NJIT’s President Altenkirch “I’d also encourage students who are interested in learning more about the university to participate in the accreditation process.”

The content referenced in this article and much more about accreditation can be found at www.njit.edu/middlestates/

Jamil Wilkins

Staff Writer

During the past week, the NJIT basket ball teams were exploding the nets at both the Prudential Center and the Zoom and Fleisher Athletic Center. The Men’s and Women’s teams were engaged in demanding double-headers against the Houston Baptist Huskies and the Texas-Pan American Broncs. This is one of two Fleisher-Prudential blowouts that will be held by NJIT as the season comes to its end.

With the women up at 5pm, NJIT quickly took charge of the game on February 18 at the “The Rock.” The first half seemed promised to the Highlanders as they were able to score 17 points to HBU’s 2 points seven minutes into the game. The highlanders continued to hustle against the Huskies while junior guard Jessica Gerald scored three points for the Highlanders.

After the ball successfully passed through the basketball net Gerald had reached her 1000th career point at the biggest game of the Women’s season. “They were both equally exciting, not one more than the other. We came into the game wanting to blow them out because the last game we should have blown them out,” Gerald commented when speaking about the experience.

NJIT had 43-18 in the first half. During the second half the women maintained control by gathering four more points in the first minute. In the end, they came out 72-46.

When the men stepped, freshman guard Chris Flores scored the first point for the Highlanders. Junior guard Jheryl Wilson didn’t hold back either as he managed to score despite unexpected stumbles from HBU. The Huskies were able to catch up, but still trailing behind with a 17-16.

The Highlanders played like there was a match lit under feet. “Flare. Flare coming,” shouted Coach Cottrell of HBU. They were hot enough to end the first half with 31-23. The lead was given away with another foul shot. As Wilkerson stole the ball from Houston the Highlanders were hustling with 57.7s left in the game. Houston took the win with 58-62.

Two days later the basketball header exploded with excitement at the Fleisher Center.  “They’re looking pretty good. I expect them to win,” NJIT student Lauren Dupuis said as the women scored 11-2 in the first four minutes of the game against the Texas Broncs. “Get the rebound,” screamed supporting fans.

With NJIT in the lead 15-13, Texas’ desperation failed against Gerald’s 3-pt. abilities and senior forward Taiwo Oyelola’s dominant captures. “Get the rebound,” cheered the crowd as Oyelola exercised her reach and grabbed the ball to assist to her team. The Broncs shuffled their feet as they tried to catch NJIT. The first half was in favor of the Highlanders with 32-26.

During the second half the women moved with more ferocity. “Give it to Jess,” shouted Head Coach Margaret McKeon. Gerald was the primary target for the Broncs as she absorbed most of the fouls dished out by Texas. Gerald had to step to the throw line more than four times as a result of technical fouls.

With one minute left in the game the Highlanders were fighting for their lead. With 32.9 seconds left in the game Texas-Pan American began triple teaming the Highlanders, but fell short 70-66.

The field was once again set for the men to take control. “I emerged from studio to watch the game,” architecture student Christina Tailor said. Wilkerson started off with a left hand dunk.  Jheryl then followed up with a 2-pt. shot, and Flores topped things off with another shot to match Texas’ 3-pointer.

Freshman guard Nick Lopez and Wilson ended up tumbling, fighting, and driving the ball as the Highlanders refused to let their lead escape their grasps. With 4:02 left in the game NJIT was ahead 24-15. SAAC’s track and field representative, Joseph Ju, also had much faith in the team. “They’re going to win, “he said.

“Let’s go tech.” The Men’s basketball team seemed to play with better focus that at the game against HBU. The crowd was assailing Texas as they struggled to stand up against the Highlanders. NJIT finished the game with a potent assist directed to freshman guard PJ Miller to finish with 66-59.

The Highlanders face their next Fleisher-Prudential double-header this week against North and South Dakota.

Perry Deess

Contributor

Every ten years NJIT undertakes a comprehensive internal review process, called a ‘self study.’ This is part of the university reaccreditation process required by our primary accreditation agency, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

Accreditation is a process undertaken to assure that universities meet certain standards showing that they provide a quality education. Although the self-study is required for accreditation, treating it as a document generating exercise defeats the point of it being a useful community building activity. It is vital that this self-study involves students, faculty, and administrators in the process of community renewal and recommitment to the NJIT mission.

The success of a self study depends on a detailed assessment of how the university works, what it has achieved, and what it must change to better meet the needs of its community. This is not something any individual or small group can develop in isolation; it requires the collective work and dedication of the entire university.

The process culminates in a comprehensive review document completed by late 2011, as well as a three day visit in Spring 2012 by external evaluators. This includes senior faculty and administrators from other universities across the eastern region of the United States.

The self-study conducted ten years ago involved nearly 200 people in the development of the accreditation report “An Emerging Presence: Self Study and Strategic Plan.” This was modified and more fully realized in the NJIT Strategic Plan, 2004-2010.

As the interim five year update, The Future’s Edge: New Jersey Institute of Technology Periodic Review Report, demonstrated, NJIT made good progress in moving the university toward its stated goals. Now we are engaged in a new process, guided by an emphasis on assessment and testing how NJIT will adjust to being a technological research university in the 21st century.

The most salient difference between this self study process and the one conducted ten years ago is the determined and emphatic commitment to internal assessment of the institution and student learning outcomes. As detailed in the Middle States Commission’s revised guide to self study, Characteristics of Excellence, assessment is no longer about what we hope or intend to do. Now, active and comprehensive assessment is a fundamental requirement driving the success of an accreditation review.

We are set to complete the first major stage of the self study process, the design document, where we lay out the guiding questions which will occupy us during the next 18 months of the self-study.  On March 9th of this year Dr. Mary Ellen Petrisko, a senior official from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education will visit NJIT to meet with students, faculty, administrators, and the Board of Trustees. Based on the visit, she will evaluate our design document and make recommendations for improving the self-study.

In truth, administrators cannot dedicate or consecrate the self study. This is an activity of the university community and about the university community. The self-study must thoroughly and honestly assess the viability of the NJIT mission and its articulated commitment to education, research, economic development, and service.

Furthermore, it must examine the resonance between the university strategic planning process (concretized in the NJIT Strategic Plan, 2004- 2010 and the NJIT Strategic Plan, 2010-2015) and the Middle States accreditation standards, as outlined in Characteristics of Excellence, to better understand the relationship between institutional planning and achieved standards.

Finally, this self study must go where earlier self-study reports have hesitated and take a hard look at the process the university has in place for assessing student learning outcomes and the effectiveness of the NJIT curriculum. It is no longer sufficient for a university to assume students are learning because the curriculum is being followed as it always has been.

NJIT, like all universities, must evaluate the success of its teaching and strive for continuous improvement by assessing performance, making changes, evaluating the success of changes, and then assessing performance again. Doing this well will require exploring new methods for gathering evidence and making appropriate changes as part of a data driven decision process. Again, this cannot be achieved by any single group; improving teaching and learning at NJIT must involve all members of the community.

During the next two years we will all hear about committees and activities directed toward advancing the self-study. Some of you will be contacted directly to participate in meetings, others will participate in assessment activities intended to provide information for the report.

If you are interested in the ‘self study’ activities there are numerous documents and podcasts available on the NJIT website, www.njit.edu/middlestates, and through other social media.

You are all urged to contribute to this process; the intention is not merely to renew our accreditation, but to create a final self-study report in 2011 that will stand as the centerpiece of a recorded past, a common present, and a planned future. It should not be something of which we are all passive recipients, but rather something which we should and can all take an active hand in creating.

Only by making this a community achievement can the Middle States Self Study process achieve its real objective: to become more than an archived document. It should be the basis of an on-going system of information-based decision making that fosters student learning and community centered institutional renewal.

Perry Deess Ph.D. is the Director of Institutional Research and Planning and has managed assessment and program evaluation at NJIT for the past ten years. He is also a member of the Middle States Steering Committee for the 2012 accreditation review.