Bloomfield College has partnered with the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program), a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree-granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with Veterans Affairs to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. Bloomfield College has agreed to match dollar for dollar with the Yellow Ribbon Program to cover the difference in tuition and fees for qualifying veterans. Therefore, under this program, veterans can earn a degree at Bloomfield College at no cost.
Under picture-perfect skies, Bloomfield College held its 136th Commencement exercises on Thursday, May 21, 2009. The largest graduating class in the history of the College, their families, friends, and the faculty, staff, administration, board of trustees, and honored guests gathered on the Quad to send the Class of 2009 on to the next leg of their journey.
The Baccalaureate is a ceremony in which the armor of the student (the degree) is blessed in a non-denominational service. The students, faculty, administration, and academic guests proceed to the site in full academic regalia. Baccalaureate has its origins in the tradition of chivalry, in which the squire goes through a special ceremony to become a knight. As part of the ceremony, his armor, sword, and spurs are blessed in a church before knighthood is conferred.
In a ritual that dates back to the mid-1800s, the nurses pinning ceremony recognizes each student’s academic success in nursing studies. The pin, which is unique to each school of nursing, signifies that the student has met the requirements of the school and is ready to move into a professional role.
The Kellman Program for adults celebrated the achievements of its eighth class in a ceremony at Van Fossan Theatre on Sunday, May 17, 2009. The Kellman course, modeled after the Clemente course, reintroduces adults to college-level learning. It runs for eight months and the scholars have classes in writing, U.S. history, literature, art history, and philosophy. The theme of the entire course is justice and the classes are focused on this theme. Quite often, Kellman scholars continue their education once they have become accustomed to the rigors of academic pursuits through Kellman.
The 38th Annual Awards ceremony, held on April 14, 2009, recognized the academic achievements and the contributions to the College community.
SSS*STAR is a federally funded, comprehensive academic support program created to help students earn their baccalaureate degree by increasing retention and graduation rates. Currently there are SSS students on 900 colleges and universities nationwide striving towards their degree with the support of this program.
The Senior Capstone projects are a culmination of students’ learning. The projects are a demonstration of content knowledge, problem solving, and project management. Each division hosts Senior Capstone projects in their respective majors and the college community is invited to observe. These highly polished and well-rehearsed presentations are usually followed by a reception and very relieved students.
April 28, 2009 - Many of you have seen media reports about Swine Influenza A (swH1N1) illnesses around the world. Currently, there are 40 confirmed cases in the United States with no deaths reported. There are no known or suspected cases at Bloomfield College. While there is no immediate reason for concern, Bloomfield College officials are closely monitoring the situation and will keep the campus informed of any important updates.
As a harbinger of summer, the Bloomfield College Springfest is the event that gives the students a break before finals week.
The Diversity Empowerment Education Project, or DEEP, retreat offered 18 students and three staff members the opportunity to learn about diversity outside of the classroom in a wooded setting filled with both physically and emotionally challenging events. At the Frost Valley YMCA in New York State, the group spent two days learning, playing, and, in rare moments, relaxing.
The weeklong celebration of spring on the Bloomfield College Campus began with the Deacon Wars - teams of students competing in a variety of relay events that gave them an afternoon of fun in the sun!
Earth Day is April 22. All across the nation people are celebrating this day by participating in a variety of activities from biking to their jobs or errands to planting flowers and trees. In our little corner of the world, the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement (CSLE) is sponsoring a number of events throughout the week to celebrate Mother Earth and educate the community to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The Bloomfield Employed Student Team (BEST) gathers once a year to honor those student employees and supervisors who are considered by their peers to be the best of the BEST. Held during National Student Employment Week, the BEST breakfast brings together the student employees and their supervisors from the College community.
Bloomfield College has been the beneficiary of the donation of artwork by many gifted artists over the years. Yuichiro Nishizawa, an adjunct instructor in the Creative Arts and Technology program, has sorted through the collection and selected several pieces of black and white photography which is now on display in the Art Gallery at Westminster Arts Center.
Annually, the honors societies at Bloomfield College induct the best performing students into the campus chapters. On Sunday, March 29, 62 students took an oath to uphold the values of each honor society, received their certificate and pins, and were congratulated by professors, family and friends.
Bloomfield College announces the campus activities surrounding their annual Out & Proud Week, which celebrates the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community. The week is filled with a number of events across the campus that will bring awareness to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender issues.
4th Wall Theatre, in residence at the Westminster Arts Center, continues its 2008-2009 season as one of the state’s most cutting edge theatre companies with Avow, written by Bill C. Davis, the award winning author of Mass Appeal and Dancing in the End Zone.
The Bloomfield College pre-law community welcomed the esteemed Julien X. Neals, corporation counsel for the city of Newark, to campus to discuss ethics on the legal profession. The open session, held in the Shelby Room of the Library, was attended by students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Tosheia Ballard ’95 was instrumental in inviting Judge Neals to the campus.
February 26, 2009 - “You came as strangers and are leaving as friends,” said Dr. Raymond Bandlow, superintendent of schools in the Fort Lee School District, addressing the Total Immersion Course for Korean English Teachers (TICKET) program participants during the closing ceremony in the Van Fossan Theatre in Westminster Arts Center.
February 16, 2009 - The Deans’ list is published at the end of each semester and is based on academic performance as measured by grades achieved during that semester. Students who are awarded “honors” have achieved a quality point average of 3.5 or better; those receiving “high honors” have achieved a quality point average of 3.8 or better.
February 13, 2009 – The Honorable Julien X. Neals, corporation counsel for the City of Newark, will be addressing the community on February 26, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. in the Shelby Room located in the Bloomfield College Library. The event is free of charge and the public is invited. He will speak about Law and Morality: Navigating among the Ethically Challenged.
On Saturday, February 21, the Lady Deacons basketball team will take part in the WBCA's annual breast cancer awareness weekend.
After many, many months of research and preparation by the office of academic affairs and the education division, the education program at Bloomfield College has been awarded accreditation by the national Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).
BloomfieldArts.org is proud to present the North Jersey New Found Theatre Festival all through this month and Bloomfield College is a big part of it! The festival will be presenting original works of writers from across the Tri-State area as readings, workshops and performances.
The members of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) have selected Richard Levao, president of Bloomfield College, to the NAICU Board of Directors. NAICU is the leading national association representing private higher education, serving as the unified voice of more than 1,000 independent college and university presidents, and specialized, state, and regional association executives. NAICU member institutions enroll nine of every 10 students attending a private college or university in the United States.
4th Wall Theatre, the resident professional theatre company at Westminster Arts Center, returns to the college adding another gem of a show to their ever-growing repertory of seldom-done shows. I Do! I Do! is a love story that follows the lives of a couple through fifty years of their marriage. The audience will witness the highs and lows, the struggle to maintain peace, and all the joys and tribulations a couple can share. Told through vignettes, the audience is allowed to peer into different moments of the lives of Agnes and Michael through their fifty-year union.
January 27, 2009 - The Vagina Monologues, the ground-breaking, Obie Award-winning play, will once again be performed at Bloomfield College as part of the V Day 2009 College Campaign. Performances are on February 18 and 19, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in the Van Fossan Theatre in the Westminster Arts Center at the corner of Franklin and Fremont Streets in Bloomfield. This benefit production is sponsored by The College’s Residence Life and Women’s Studies at Bloomfield College. Ticket prices are $15 for general admission; $10 for Bloomfield College employees and $5 Bloomfield College students. The proceeds will go to The Safe House (http://www.safehousenv.org/).
Bloomfield College would like to congratulate all the students who have achieved Deans’ List status during the Fall 2008 Semester. They will be honored on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. in the Van Fossan Theatre in the Westminster Arts Center.
January 20, 2009 – “It’s finally here,” stated a student as she settled into her seat to view the inauguration of our nation’s 44th president, Barack Obama. At least 150 students, if not more, packed into the Deacon’s Den to celebrate the inauguration as it was broadcast from the large screen T.V. The excitement in the air was palpable; as President Obama prepared to take his oath of office, the entire assembly stood. When the words, “So help me God,” were pronounced, the crowd broke into a prolonged cheer and applause.
The Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT), a member of the National Science Foundation, has awarded a mini-grant to Bloomfield College’s science department purchase equipment to perform DNA microarray experiments in laboratory courses.
January 9, 2009 - In a ceremony marking their completion of the clinical nursing internship at Bloomfield College, 10 Korean students received certificates of completion and a warm invitation from college President Richard Levao to return to the United States in the future. The ceremony was held in the lobby of Talbott Hall, the home of the Institute of Technology and Professional Studies on December 18, 2008.
January 7, 2009, Bloomfield College - Many areas of the globe have remote villages reachable only through difficult terrain. It is in these areas especially that e-learning or distance education has broad applications. Recognizing the need to educate young people living in these distant areas and that often these young people would need to relocate to larger cities to continue their education, the European Union offered a grant to a college or university that could meet the challenge of bringing education to the students. Bloomfield College, partnering with universities in major cities in Romania and Austria, has developed a three-stage program to address this challenge through the development, implementation, and maintenance of an e-learning platform. Bloomfield College has the distinction of the only institution of higher learning in the U.S. to receive this European Union grant.
The Investors Savings Bank Charitable Foundation has given a $100,000 endowed scholarship to Bloomfield College.
The opportunity arose to listen to the only living American Nobel Laureate in Literature read from her new book arose and Professors Angela Conrad and Brandon Fralix gathered their classes in English, Africana Studies, and writing and analysis to attend.
At a reception on December 4, 2008, recipients of the Bestfoods Educational Foundation scholarships had the opportunity to meet their benefactors and explain how support is furthering their academic endeavors. Bestfoods Educational Foundation offices are located in Mountain Lakes, NJ.
The Educational Opportunity Fund is one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful state-supported efforts to provide access to higher education for economically and educationally disadvantaged students. Helping students succeed and graduate, the EOF supports a wide array of campus-based outreach and support services at institutions. Bloomfield College has the largest class of EOF students this year in EOF’s 40-year history.
Elena Scambio, Ph.D. was the driving force behind the establishment of the education division at Bloomfield College in 2002. A champion of education, she spent her entire career passionately working to improve educational standards for children in the State of New Jersey.
November 5, 2008 – The Deacon’s Den was packed with election watchers on the evening of November 4, 2008. Many students, faculty, and staff were on hand to celebrate the election process and keep a close eye on the returns.
October 21, 2008 – During the awards portion of the Alumni Homecoming Gala Dinner Dance on Saturday evening, October 18, 2008, President Richard Levao announced that the division of nursing will be named the Frances M. McLaughlin Division of Nursing, after its founding chair, Frances M. McLaughlin N’45, H’90.
The atmosphere on campus was as bright as the day – not a cloud in thesky and smiles all around. The Annual Homecoming event was expandedthis year to include the Fall Open House and a Freshman Parents’ Day.The campus was festooned with decorations, the smell of barbeque, youngchildren enjoying the games, students giving tours to prospectivefamilies, and the alumni reacquainting with old friends and making newones.
Holocaust survivor Ray Fishler, a native of Poland during WWII, visited the campus and spoke to the English 100 classes about his experiences as a youth during the German occupation of his hometown in the 1930s and 1940s.
The United States Department of Education has awarded the PredominatelyBlack Institution (PBI) grant to Bloomfield College to the academicyear 2008-2009. The $600,000 award will be used to attract and retainAfrican American students interested in studying science, technology,mathematics, or health education. The U.S. Department of Education hasidentified science, math, engineering, health related professions, andnursing as areas that will experience critical need for qualified andwell-educated people. These professions are also underrepresented byminority and disadvantaged populations. U.S. Representative from NewJersey Bill Pascrell (8th District) notified Bloomfield CollegePresident Richard Levao on October 3, 2008 about the award.
Bloomfield College’s annual Homecoming event has expanded this year to include the fall admission Open House and a Parents’ Day, scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 2008. This day-long event is expected to draw about 600 people and has many concurrent activities planned.
October 8, 2008 – The annual rite of fall at colleges nationwide took place at Bloomfield College on October 7, 2008 in the Van Fossan Theatre at Westminster Arts Center. Convocation, which marks the formal beginning of an academic year, is an event designed to educate and inspire faculty, students, and staff. Dr. William Librera was the keynote speaker and Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-8th district) announced Bloomfield College’s receipt of a federal PBI grant.
October 26, 2008 – The Deans’ list is published at the end of each semester and is based on academic performance as measured by grades achieved during that semester. Students who are awarded “honors” have achieved a quality point average of 3.5 or better; those receiving “high honors” have achieved a quality point average of 3.8 or better.
October, 2, 2008 - 4th Wall Theatre opens its 2008-2009 season with the New Jersey premier of Dessa Rose, a musical based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Sherley Anne Williams and scored by the Tony winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Steven Flaherty, composers behind such hits as Ragtime, Once on this Island and Seussical.
October 2, 1008 - Former New Jersey Department of EducationCommissioner Dr. William Librera will be the keynote speaker at theBloomfield College Convocation on Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 2:15 p.m.in the Robert V. Van Fossan Theatre in the Westminster Arts Center onthe College campus. The topic of his presentation will be “Inside theHorizon.”
On October 8, 2008 at 12:00 noon in the Van Fossan Theatre in the Westminster Arts Center, Assistant Professor Laura Nova will be screening an independent film by Jonald Reyes called That Asian Thing.
September 22, 2008 - The Presbyterian Division of Nursing held it Convocation on Thursday, September 18, 2008 in the Robert Van Fossan Theatre. The word convocation means “a ceremonial assembly often with speeches” and in the world of education, often signals the beginning of a new year.
September 22, 2008 - The Institute for Technology and Professional Studies (ITPS) at Bloomfield College is proud to introduce the TICKET program (Total Immersion Course for Korean English Teachers), a unique initiative designed to address the Korean Ministry of Education’s critical need to empower its teachers to teach English through English. The program is built on a decade of experience in teaching English to international students and stems from the College’s special expertise in addressing the particular strengths and needs of native Korean speakers. For many years now, ITPS has promoted a variety of international programs for students from around the world. Because of our stated mission and proven success in the area of global outreach, the College is proud to announce that it is the first educational institution in the world outside Korea to be entrusted with this mandate to provide education, training, and support for Korea’s teachers of English.
Bloomfield College would like to congratulate all the students who have achieved Deans’ List status during the 2008 Spring Semester. They are going to be honored at a Ceremony on Sunday, October 26, 2008 at 1:30 pm in the Van Fossan Theatre.
September 16, 2008 – Award-winning actress and author Elaine Bromka brought three historical first ladies to life at the Van Fossan Theatre in the Westminster Arts Center. This one-woman, three-character performance revealed intimate portraits of Lady Bird Johnson, Patricia Nixon, and Betty Ford.
They are back…and better than ever! In concert after concert, The Rock Opera Orchestra has been wowing audiences of all ages and receiving standing ovations. On Friday, September 26 at 8:00 pm, the group will return to the Westminster Arts Center in Bloomfield to rock the rafters once more. As you are no doubt aware, the popularity of "classical crossover" is skyrocketing, but Alexander Kariotis and the Rock Opera Orchestra redefine the genre. A unique experience of classical musical performed with a rock orchestra for a thrilling evening of music.
Bloomfield College officially welcomed the freshman class and first-year students with a three-day intensive orientation titled Preparing for the Journey of your Life! The big tent was set up in the Quad which served as the venue for a number of activities over the next three days.
The Westminster Arts Center at Bloomfield College is pleased to announce the 2008-2009 season of events. “We are excited at the number of people that have discovered us this past season and have continued coming back for more engaging and entertaining events at the center” says Managing Director Gregory Allen.
The Westminster Arts Center at Bloomfield College has announced that the Yates Musical Theatre will be the family series artist-in-residence for the 2008-2009 season. In past years, the Yates Theatre has staged wonderful family events such as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.
Bloomfield College graduate Wladimir Gilbert ’08, and students Peter Parlegreco and Diana Sheridan, all Creative Arts and Technology animation majors, have been selected to show their short videos at the MG Film Festival Shorts on South Street on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
Cy Holley’s relationship with Bloomfield College began in 1986 after he read an article in The Star Ledger about John F. Noonan becoming president of the College. With no previous ties to the College, Holley was curious about this little institution in Bloomfield and its mission to bring a global experience to students, many of whom were the first in their families to attend college. Intrigued, he sent a letter to the president’s office seeking a meeting to find out more.
Bloomfield College’s 135th Commencement exercises were held on the Quadrangle of the campus on May 23, 2008 beginning at 9:30 in the morning. With a soggy start to the day, the rain held off long enough for the 269 graduates to march up Liberty Street behind bagpipers heralding their arrival.
Traditional events were the precursors to the celebration of commencement held on Thursday, May 22, 2008. Ceremonies marking the pinning of the graduating nurses and recognizing honors students were held on May 21, 2008.
While commencement was scheduled for Thursday May 22, 2008, the ceremonies marking a new beginning began the day before with the Presbyterian Division of Nursing pinning ceremony and the time-honored Baccalaureate.
May 19, 2008 – The Van Fossan Theatre at Westminster Arts Center was the venue for the ceremony marking the end of the seventh Kellman Course in the Humanities. The theater was filled with family and friends of the eight Kellman scholars receiving accolades for the year-long course designed to introduce college-level course work to adult learners.
The Westminster Arts Center was filled with chiropractors and those aspiring to become chiropractors on the evening of May 15, 2008. The evening began with a reception, and then moved to the Van Fossan Theatre for speakers and awards.
Bloomfield College is taking registrations for accelerated courses in the Supply Chain Management certificate program which is beginning on May 12, 2008. The courses are designed to meet the ever-growing, highly specialized field of materials management. A student can earn a certificate in Supply Chain Management and may later apply the course credits towards a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
The SSS*STAR awards ceremony honoring students for the 2007-2008 academic year was held at Seńorita’s Restaurant on May 2, 2008. SSS*STAR is a federally funded comprehensive academic support program created to help students stay in college until they earn their baccalaureate degree. The program is designed to enhance academic performance and increase retention and graduation rates. Most of the STARS are first generation college students in their families. The program is available at more than 900 colleges and universities nationwide.
The new Learning Resource Center opened its doors in January 2008, welcoming students for the spring semester. In keeping with Bloomfield College’s tradition of celebrating achievement, the official ribbon cutting ceremony took place on April 11, 2008.
The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) is one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful state-supported efforts to provide access to higher education for those students who do not have the financial resources or academic standing for standard admissions. The EOF assists residents who are capable and motivated but lack adequate preparation for college study. Supporting students to achieve success and graduate from college, the EOF offers a wide array of campus-based outreach and support services.
At a luncheon sponsored by the Presbyterian Nurses Alumni Association on March 27, 2008, several nursing alumni returned to speak with students, faculty, alumni, and guests about their experiences in life after college.
Ten fifth graders who are involved with the SCEEP (Suburban Cultural Education and Enrichment program) and their tutors from the Glen Ridge Congregational Church arrived at Bloomfield College on April 3 to scope out college life. The program sponsored by the Protestant Community Centers Inc. in Newark, pairs elementary school children from Newark with SCEEP centers for tutoring and mentoring. Bloomfield College has a SCEEP program on campus that hosts fourth graders from Sussex Avenue School every Friday.
The evening of April 6, 2008 was full of applause as students were given awards and scholarships as a result of their academic acumen and hard work. The awards were conferred by professors and deans during the ceremony which packed the Van Fossan theater with students, families, and friends. Following the ceremony, a celebratory dinner was offered in the Westminster Arts Center.
April 8, 2008 – 33 students from Korea arrived at Bloomfield College on Monday, April 7, 2008 after a 19-hour flight from their home country. These students will be studying nursing science at the college’s prestigious Presbyterian Division of Nursing for the next four months. In an agreement with seven Korean Colleges, these young men and women receive funding to live and study through the Korean ministry of education. Bloomfield College has received the largest amount of funding from the Korean government among the U.S. colleges and universities for this program.
On Sunday, March 30, several honor societies held ceremonies to induct qualified students as members based on their proficiency in their chosen majors. The Bloomfield College chapters of Delta Mu Delta, Kappa Delta Pi, Psi Chi, and Alpha Chi, led by student and faculty members welcomed a total of 69 students who have proved to be worthy of membership through their scholarship and dedication to their chosen fields.
The Bloomfield College Board of Trustees and President Richard A. Levao announce the 2008 recipients of honorary doctorate degrees. This year's recipients are: Harold “Stumpy” Cromer: Entertainer, Choreographer, Teacher;Joseph J. Levin, Jr.: Co-founder and General Counsel, Southern Poverty Law Center; The Honorable Thomas H. Kean: Former Governor of New Jersey; Dr. Nahm Sik Lee: President, Jeonju University (Korea).
Bloomfield College’s long history of global education has a new chapter. On March 20, 2008, Dr. Kang Il Lee, president of Daejeon Health Sciences College, and Dr. Dong Chan Lee, international program director of same, visited with Bloomfield College President Richard Levao and Dr. Peter Jeong, vice president for technology and professional studies.
Bloomfield College is now accepting applications for the Kellman VIII course in Humanities for the fall of 2008. The Kellman course is an off-campus program held at Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, NJ, which provides free college-level classes to low-income adults. The course is a multidisciplinary approach which examines the theme “What is justice?” through philosophy, literature, and history.
Bloomfield College has added a new partnership to its current list of international collaborations. On February 13, 2008, three professors from Pai Chai University in Daejeon Korea: Dr. Mun Soo Lee, Dr. Byung Tae Kim, and Dr. Choon Shik Zang visited Bloomfield College and signed an agreement with the College’s president, Richard A. Levao.
