College Catalog: 2010-2011

The George T. Potter Library, named for the founding president of Ramapo College, is housed in a four-story structure, part of the academic core. The Library is open seven days a week during the spring and fall semesters and until midnight Sunday through Thursday. Individual seating for more than 500 users is provided throughout this 63,000 square foot barrier-free building. Additional accommodations for students with disabilities include wheelchair-height desks and computer tables, study carrels, and photocopiers.

The Library’s collections, available seven days per week during the academic year, include more than 160,000 books and 2,300 videos. Other collections include several thousand full-text electronic journals and more than 2,100 paper journals. In addition, the Library is a full New Jersey documents depository. The college’s guiding principles of international, intercultural, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning are reflected throughout the Library’s collections. Circulating books, including government publications, are located on the first and fourth floors.

Library Web Site

Information Technology Services (ITS) provides academic computing support and administrative information systems to faculty, staff, and students. Ramapo’s academic computing facilities offer students a rich and stimulating learning environment. Across the campus, more than 700 Windows and Macintosh computers connected through local area networks provide daily access for independent work, small group activity, and scheduled classes.

In the Library, students examine popular and scholarly indexes to research topics and learn about resources in the Library Literacy computing classroom. Administration and business majors employ the most current accounting programs, develop budget forecasts, and create professional presentations with audio and graphics in several computing classrooms. Students in psychology classes experiment with visual perception while social research students apply statistical analysis to data.

Chemistry students may chart the results of experiments while computer scientists study relevant programming languages and examine UNIX networking. With color scanners and printers, graphic arts students create professional publications. Musicians compose with specialized software, synthesizers, and recording equipment. Students with disabilities find screen enlargers, voice recognition, keyboard guides, and other adaptive equipment to meet their needs.

All students are eligible for network accounts that provide electronic mail and Internet access from over 42 computer labs and from every resident’s room. Wireless connection is available from all common areas in residents buildings. On-line class discussions and course Web pages expand learning opportunities. Students may confer with their professors, scan library catalogs, and explore pertinent databases on campus and around the world.

Windows, Macintosh, multimedia, electronic mail, Internet access – Ramapo’s electronic communications serve the campus community with the most current technology to help students, faculty, and staff address the present while they look to the future.

Campus Computing

The Center for Academic Success (CAS) is part of the Office of Academic Affairs and is located on the second floor of E Building. The CAS includes two computer labs (E-217 & E-233), open areas for tutorial assistance and enclosed space for tutoring and conferences. It provides students with individual and small-group tutorial instruction and support in ESL, mathematics, reading and writing, as well as assistance for the College’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program of Intensive Writing (WI) courses and other courses. The CAS promotes the College’s mission through individual attention to students and through traditional and innovative programs. The CAS also supports the College’s organization of schools and General Education offerings through its tutoring for all students and its assistance in the WAC effort, which includes all schools and students. The CAS is staffed by peer and professional tutors under the direction of discipline coordinators, and it offers tutoring six days a week, free of charge, to all Ramapo students. The CAS has a Website with a variety of information, including tutor schedules, schedules of workshops and other academic services, links to academic information, a Help-Line to assist students with writing issues, problems and questions, and other features for electronic conferencing and distance learning.

Center for Academic Success

Manager:  Jefferson Sampson
Building H, second floor

Academic Media Services is an all college facility, operated through the office of the Provost/VPAA of Ramapo College of New Jersey.  Academic Media Services is made up of three sections:  The Media Center, the Interactive Television Center, and the Ramapo College Television Network.  The Media Center provides audio-visual assistance for classroom use and campus events, as well as broadcast quality television production facilities for classroom instruction, campus events, and promotional material.  The Interactive Television Center enables the members of the college community to participate in Video Conferences within New Jersey, Nationwide and around the world.  The Ramapo College Television Network (RCTN) provides a 72 channel cable television network for the Residential students of the college.

Consultation and equipment are provided to faculty, staff, and students interested in creating analog or digital media for classroom instruction, or other presentation.

Academic Media Services

The School of American and International Studies houses the Language Laboratory and provides faculty supervision and instruction.  The Laboratory consists of a 30-station installation of Sanako’s Media Assistant Duo, providing an easy-to-use, fully integrated and dynamic interactive multimedia language learning system.  The seamless integration of the student user interface, Media Assistant Duo, with Sanako’s Lab 300 Teacher Software’s management capabilities allows both teachers and students to take full advantage of all the existing multimedia resources.  The Laboratory environment supports a broad format of files (mpg, mpa, mp3, mov, wav, mid), RealAudio and RealVideo playback support, text synchronization for viewing and reading subtitles, and audio/video digitization.

Constructed in 1999, the Center houses classrooms; labs; offices; The Sharp Theater, a 350-seat proscenium theater engineered without obstructions to visibility or sound; The Myron and Elaine Adler Theater, a blackbox theater which can seat up to 100; The Kresge and Pascal Art Galleries, open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m., and Wednesdays, 1 to 7 p.m., mounting exhibitions of museum, international, student, faculty, and community artwork; and The Curtain Call Cafe serving beverages and light fare. The Center is located on the college campus a mile from Route 17 and features acres of well-lit free parking.

The Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts

The Roukema Center for International Education houses the Study Abroad Office, the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, the New Jersey Governor’s School for International Studies, and the National Student Exchange program. The center’s mission is to assure coherence in the international agenda of Ramapo College in keeping with the four “pillars” of a Ramapo education, namely pursuit of international, intercultural, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning.

The Roukema Center for International Education is committed to providing students with the resources necessary to pursue educational opportunities abroad. They provide individual and group advising services to students covering issues such as academics, financial aid and scholarships, social, and cross-cultural matters. The Center serves as a resource to the campus community, parents, and overseas partners.

Roukema Center for International Education

About Study Abroad

Ramapo College of New Jersey, a state college emphasizing international, intercultural, interdisciplinary and experiential education, has sponsored study abroad programs since 1983. Ramapo College Study Abroad programs throughout the world provide students with life changing experiences and the opportunity to live, travel and learn abroad.

Through participation in study abroad and off-campus programs, Ramapo students will become globally engaged citizens and bring their experiences to the shared learning environment of their fellow students & faculty on the Ramapo campus and in their home communities. Upon their graduation at Ramapo College, they with have the necessary skills of intercultural communication, cultural awareness and global competence, necessary to compete in today’s highly competitive job market.

Mission – Vision

Ramapo College Study Abroad is committed to providing students access to global educational opportunities to develop their intercultural competence, strengthen language skills and support the mission of Ramapo’s four educational pillars: international, intercultural, interdisciplinary and experiential. Through Ramapo faculty-led programs and external partners, students have a wide breadth of diverse opportunities in over 35 countries.

Financing the Experience

There are numerous scholarships available to further support your study abroad experience. Please refer to the Study Abroad website at: https://www.ramapo.edu/study-abroad/ for more information.

Available opportunities

Currently Ramapo College of New Jersey offers the following semester and summer programs:

South India (Spring semester only; 16 credits)
Students will take 4 courses: Indian Life & Culture; Development in India; Peace, Justice & Social Movements; and Field Study Project

Bilbao, Spain (Fall, Spring & Summer options)
Based at the Universidad de Duesto
Business, International Relations, & Spanish (8 credits, summer)
Spanish Language & Culture (8 credits, summer)

Venice, Italy (Summer semester, 4 credits)
“The Myth of Venice:  Images in Art, History, Literature, and Film”

American West (Summer semester, 4 credits)
“Environmental Geography of the American West”

Buenos Aires, Argentina (Summer semester, 4 credits)
“Art & Culture of Latin America”

Costa Rica (Summer semester, 4 credits)
“Tropical Ecosystems”

Berlin, Germany (Summer semester, 4 credits)
“Comparing Totalitarianism in Berlin”

Shanghai & Beijing, China (Spring break, 1 credit)
“Emerging China”

Through partnerships with organizations and institutions, students may also participate in programs located in the following countries:

Resources

Study Abroad Team:

Ben Levy, Director of Study Abroad & Off-Campus Programs
blevy1@ramapo.edu
Kate Godfrey, Study Abroad Coordinator
kgodfrey@ramapo.edu

Website: https://www.ramapo.edu/study-abroad/

Phone: 201-684-7533
Fax: 201-684-7989
E-mail: goabroad@ramapo.edu
Skype: RamapoAbroad
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mahwah-NJ/Ramapo-College-Study-Abroad/118130580066

Founded in 1980 as an independent non-profit organization to sensitize the northern New Jersey community to the tragedy of Hitler’s war against the Jews and other genocides, the Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies is now an integral part of Ramapo College. While it receives support from the College and an allocation from UJA Federation of Bergen County and North Hudson, most of the Center’s funding is from private donations. It is a member of the Association of Holocaust Organizations and part of the network of similar organizations under the New Jersey State Commission on Holocaust Education.

The Center’s mission is to encourage and assist persons of all ages in learning the history and lessons of the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide and other similar tragedies. Their hope is that in understanding the pernicious consequences of anti-semitism, racism, ethnic hatred and other forms of bigotry, we can endeavor to build a better future.

Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies

Ramapo College’s academic environment will certainly benefit from the addition of the Sustainability Center. The Center will further incorporate environmental literacy and understanding of sustainability into the Ramapo curriculum across disciplines. Students can take advantage of for-credit internship opportunities available in the Center, including in-service training for those in teacher education through programming for area school children. Student clubs, most notably 1STEP and the Environmental Alliance, will have a gathering place and forum for their activities. Courses, seminars, and labs will be based in the Center, making it a campus hub for advanced study on sustainability issues. Workshops on energy savings and sustainability for homeowners and businesses will be available.

Sharp Sustainability Education Center

Director: Sydney Jenkins
Location: Berrie Center, B-Wing, and Potter Library

The Ramapo College Art Galleries are dedicated to a high standard of artistic excellence and service to the community. Besides offering patrons a series of changing exhibitions featuring a spectrum of artistic work, the galleries serve as an educational resource for Ramapo students and community groups alike. The Kresge and Pascal Galleries, located in the Berrie Center, focus on contemporary visual arts. The Selden Rodman Gallery of Popular Arts, located in B-wing, houses in permanent collection one of the foremost collections of works from the Americas and the Caribbean. The Potter Library Galleries showcase changing exhibitions by community artists as well as student exhibitions.

Art Galleries Web Site