T.R.U.E. Program at Bloomfield College (Total Residential Undergraduate Education)
The Division of Student Affairs started the TRUE Program in Fall 2006 as a pilot program for freshmen resident students and this program will continue during the 2007-2008 academic year for both freshmen and sophomore resident students. TRUE programming will be occurring in all on-campus residence halls and houses as well as at the University Center in Newark.
Take a look at our updated calendar of TRUE activities and events.
Bloomfield College believes that student learning occurs not only in the classroom but also outside of the classroom. The residence halls at BC are a “living and learning” community and not just a place to sleep. The College provides “intentional” programs interwoven into the daily activities of resident students to help them grow and to learn outside of the classroom. Bloomfield College believes that students learn in a holistic fashion and that they are partners in their college learning journey.
That is why this program is called TRUE or Total Residential Undergraduate Education. First-year and sophomore residential students will be required to attend four TRUE programs a semester (8 TRUE programs per year). Resident Advisors, in conjunction with staff at the College, will arrange a variety of interesting co-curricular programs based on an academic programming model used by Bloomfield College. This model is called Competencies Across the Curriculum and will focus on the following areas:
- Aesthetic Appreciation Skills – The capacity to understand and appreciate the many forms of artistic expression in performing, literacy and visual arts in diverse cultures and civilizations.
- Communication Skills – The ability to express ideas and arguments effectively in oral and written forms, and to read and comprehend ideas and arguments from diverse perspectives.
- Community Orientation & Citizenship Skills – An appreciation of the diversity of one’s community and environment, connected to a sense of service and social responsibility.
- Information Literacy (Newly Added) – An Awareness of the practical skills involved in the effective use of information technology and print electronic information resources, as well as critical reflection on the nature of information itself, its technical infrastructure, and its social and philosophical context and impact.
- Multiracial & Multicultural Awareness Skills – An awareness of the variety of races, cultures, and values in society, with an eye toward understanding and respect, and developing a global historical perspective. A knowledge of and respect for diverse religious and spiritual traditions and philosophies.
- Problem Solving & Critical Thinking Skills – The ability to examine, analyze and interpret information, to question assumptions, to use inductive and deductive reasoning, and to use informal logic to develop arguments. The ability to apply logic and reasoning to understand relationships, develop values, draw verifiable conclusions, and develop a viable solution to an identifiable problem.
- Professional Skills – The development of professionalism, including interpersonal skills and the ability to work with others; time and activity management; self-discipline, quality orientation; leadership skills; mediation and negotiations, and understanding diversity in the workplace; the ability to market one’s skills and develop workplace etiquette; and, professional ethics.
- Scientific & Technological Skills – The awareness of advances in science and technology and the ethical and social understanding of the implications of these advances. Understanding quantitative analysis, scientific methodology and concepts; the development of research skills; and, the awareness of the general functions and capabilities of computers.
First-year and sophomore residential students will need to complete an outcomes learning assessment when they move into housing and then again at the beginning of the Spring semester. A final assessment will need to be completed by these students at the end of the Spring semester. The goal here is ensure that first-year and sophomore residential students are learning not only in the classroom, but also outside of the classroom. Our plan is to continue to implement the TRUE Program over the next four years that would include all BC resident students. During the upperclassmen years, there will be a focus on community orientation/ and citizenship
We are excited about the continuation of the TRUE Program at Bloomfield College! We are sure that you will be excited too! If you have any questions about the program, please call the Office of Residential Education & Housing at 973-748-9000, ext. 247.
