More Than 100 Students to Graduate from NJIT�s Academic Boot Camp

NEWARK, Aug 4 2004

What: Some 116 students will soon get their cell phones back. The students, mostly blacks and Hispanics from impoverished urban neighborhoods, relinquished their cell phones while attending the rigorous academic boot camp at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). But come Thursday, at noon, they’ll not only get their cell phones back but also be guaranteed admission to NJIT’s freshman class.

When: Thursday, Aug. 5, 2004

Where: Jim Wise Theater, Kupfrian Hall, on the NJIT campus.

Why: The six-week boot camp, run by NJIT’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), helps disadvantaged students make an easier transition from high school to college. The students in EOP disproportionately attend impoverished secondary schools in the state, and have been historically underrepresented in technological universities. The enrichment program transforms these students into learners and scholars.

Background: Residence hall life for the past six weeks has been tough: lights out at midnight, no radios, no visits between the men’s and women’s floors. And the students attended classes in physics, calculus and architecture from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Who: The graduation ceremony will be attended by the 116 students, their parents as well as NJIT professors and administrators.

How: The media is invited to observe the ceremony and talk to students, parents, teachers and administrators. To attend, call Robert Florida at (973) 596-5203.

Editor’s Note: : The students in the program are from the following cities or towns: Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Bayonne, Belleville, Bloomfield, Brick, Carteret, Cliffside Park, Clifton, Dayton, East Brunswick, East Orange, Edison, Elizabeth, Hamilton Twp, Hillside, Irvington, Iselin, Jersey City, Kearny, Laurel, Lincroft, Maplewood, Marlboro, Montclair, Newark, North Arlington, North Bergen, North Brunswick, Orange, Parsippany, Passaic, Paterson, Pennsauken, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, Plainfield, Richland, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Roselle, Scotch Plains, Somerset, Towaco, Trenton, Union, Union City, West New York and Woodbury.

Tagged: educational opportunity program, graduation, eop

NJIT, New Jersey's science and technology university, enrolls more than 9,558 students pursuing bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 120 programs. The university consists of six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, College of Architecture and Design, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, College of Computing Sciences and Albert Dorman Honors College. U.S. News & World Report's 2011 Annual Guide to America's Best Colleges ranked NJIT in the top tier of national research universities. NJIT is internationally recognized for being at the edge in knowledge in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering and e-learning. Many courses and certificate programs, as well as graduate degrees, are available online through the Office of Continuing Professional Education.