• Gloucester County Historic Photos, Part I ( Clayton, NJ to Harrison Township, NJ)
• Gloucester County Historic Photos, Part II ( Logan, NJ to South Harrison, NJ)
• Gloucester County Historic Photos, Part III ( Swedesboro, NJ to Woolwich, NJ)

 

The Gloucester County Times - NJ.com

 

Gloucester County College

HISTORY

 College History


In 1965, the Board of Chosen Freeholders established a citizens’ committee to determine the need for a community college in Gloucester County. At a November non-binding public referendum, the county electorate approved a community college by an overwhelming vote. The New Jersey State Department of Education granted permission for the Freeholders to proceed with plans for the College in April 1966, and by September, the first Board of Trustees was appointed.

Some 600-charter students were enrolled in September 1968, attending classes at Deptford High School and Monongahela Junior High School. In February 1970, ground was broken for the first buildings on the new campus. GCC held its first graduation for 180 men and women that May.

In autumn 1970, students began attending classes in the Instructional Center, the first building to be completed. The College Center and Physical Education Center opened in January 1971, and the Fine Arts Center was completed by May 1971. In 1986, the College Services building opened.

In October 1988, GCC dedicated the Library and Student Services buildings. In 1993, the College embarked on a new $5.2 million physical expansion project, including the Early Childhood Education Center and the Nursing, Allied Health and Technology Center that has been renamed Health Sciences. Also included in the expansion program was an addition to the Physical Education Center, which houses the Gloucester County Police Academy, Fitness Center, and Physical Education and Law Enforcement programs.

During the 1990s, the student/public parking area was more than doubled in capacity to accommodate 2,200 vehicles. In 1997, GCC dedicated a 13,660 sq. ft. addition to the Library, known as the Learning Resource Center. This $3 million project included the ground-level Barnes & Noble College Store, an interactive TV classroom, a large academic services lab with 60 computers, and two-regular classrooms.

An $8.1 million expansion program began in 2001, including construction of the Virginia N. Scott Center for Science and Technology, a $6.5 million facility housing chemistry and biology laboratories and state-of-the-art computer labs and classrooms. A separate project involved a $1 million conversion of the concrete Grand Plaza into a gently sloping green area, with walkways linking most major campus buildings.

Enhancements to GCC include the fall 2004 refurbishing of campus tennis courts and a building illumination and identification project. A $600,000 renovation project to modernize the College Center kitchen and serving area, the first update to the cafeteria since the building opened in January 1971, provides a pleasant dining experience.

In 2006, GCC celebrated 40 years of student success. During the past four decades, the College has grown to become a valuable asset to the Gloucester County community providing quality academic programs, cultural enrichment, and professional development.

Mission of the College

Gloucester County College is a center for learning that strives for academic excellence, supports the economic development of the community, and seeks to enhance the community’s quality of life. Through affordable, accessible programs and services, the college promotes intellectual and cultural enrichment, individual achievement, and professional development. The college promotes a respectful and welcoming environment and commits to being responsive and proactive to the needs of students, staff, and community.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goals of the College
Gloucester County College is committed to serving the residents of Gloucester County by:

•Providing an educational opportunity to any high school graduate or holder of a high school equivalency diploma, and to any individual whose age, military service, or experience makes probable the successful completion of study leading to an academic degree or certificate;
•Providing programs, courses, and services in transfer, career, developmental, lifelong learning, and community service areas, with or without formal matriculation for a degree;


•Providing customized training and educational programs for business, industry, and public sector organizations;


•Providing a faculty dedicated to teaching excellence, personal and group interchange between students and instructors, and continual broadening of their intellectual endeavors;


•Seeking to develop in each student a sense of responsibility, the ability to communicate effectively, and a greater facility to think clearly and critically;


•Providing counseling, academic advisement, and other student services in order to assist students in the achievement of their goals;


•Providing a broad choice of cultural, social, and recreational opportunities;


•Providing the facilities and services of the campus to the entire community whenever possible;


•Developing a climate that encourages continuous evaluation, improvement, and implementation of college programs and services; and


•Promoting an atmosphere of cooperation, partnership, and trust among students, faculty, administration, and the Board of Trustees in achieving the College’s mission and goals.
.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Core Values of the College
Gloucester County College respects the diversity of its student body and recognizes the worth and potential of each student. Therefore, the college affirms the following values and beliefs:

•Commitment to Students
Belief in the priority of providing the highest levels of learning, resources, and support services to enhance the intellectual and personal growth, and development of our students.


•Commitment to Excellence in Education
Belief in providing educational programs and student support services that combine academic rigor, up-to-date information, incorporation of the most effective strategies, and close assessment of learning outcomes to achieve excellence in learning.


•Contribution to Community
Recognition of the importance of enhancing the economic vitality and quality of life for all citizens of the community.


•Commitment to Access and Diversity
Belief that the college will actively seek to create the highest levels of access to programs and services for all students who may benefit and that the college’s employees and students represent the diversity of the community.


•Commitment to Faculty and Staff
Recognition of the importance and contribution of all individuals who collectively create a positive learning environment. All members of the college community should have the opportunity to enhance their potential for purposeful, gratifying and productive lives.
•Quality Campus Environment
Recognition of the importance of providing a work and learning environment that is characterized by integrity, clear communications, open exchange of ideas, involvement in decision making, and respect for all individuals.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Core Competencies
This list reflects the core competencies that are essential for all GCC graduates, but does not include all competencies that our graduates should possess.


SOLVE PROBLEMS

Critical Thinking and Information Literacy - The ability to access, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information from a variety of sources to make sound decisions.

Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to understand and solve practical problems using mathematical methods.

Teamwork - The ability to work collaboratively with others to solve problems efficiently and effectively.


.

SHARE INFORMATION
Communication - The ability to communicate one’s thoughts in a clear and concise manner both orally and in writing.

Computer/Technological Literacy - The ability to use technology for research, information processing, and communication.



LIVE RESPONSIBLY
Awareness of the Arts - The ability to understand and appreciate literary, visual, or performing arts.

Community Skills - The ability to understand historical and current events in a global context and the social, political, and environmental responsibilities of global citizenship.

Personal Skills - The ability to understand the individual's responsibility for learning and for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

 

Gloucester County Library System

The Gloucester County Library System (GCLS) was conceived and developed in the early 1970s and approved by referendum in 1976. In January of 1977, the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders appointed the first library commission. The Commission quickly established book collections in libraries in member communities, municipal buildings, banks, Laundromats, gas stations, and other sites frequented by the public. Four months later, the library system began operations with a staff of two in a storefront on Route 45 in Mantua Township. In December of 1977, the library moved to a rented building on Woodbury-Glassboro Road in Mantua Township and functioned there until August 1982.

Between August 1982 and November 1983, the book collection that had been located in Mantua Township was placed in storage, and the staff concentrated on outreach programs to libraries in member communities. From December 1983 until September 1994, the library was located in an 8,000 square foot building in Sewell. The current 28,000 square foot facility, which opened in October 1994 in Mullica Hill, is nearly four times as large as the old Sewell location. This library houses 83,350 items, and its three public meeting rooms serve numerous community organizations.

In January of 1995, the Gloucester County Library System began its role as a center for automation with the establishment of GLO-NET. In 1998, it was designated as a regional Technology Hub by the New Jersey State Library. In 2004, GCLS libraries joined other public and academic libraries in Gloucester County in a new automation consortium, LOGIN.

The Logan Township Branch began in 1979 in a gas station on Center Square Road. Shortly thereafter the library moved to a vacant office in the Beckett Shopping Center. In 1980, the Logan Branch moved to a refurbished office trailer parked on a lot owned by the Beckett Assembly of God. Although this was meant to be a temporary situation, many years passed before the dream of a new library was realized. The new Logan Township Branch Library, a 9,660 square foot building at 101 Beckett Road, opened in October 1995 and houses 23,855 items. The library specializes as a popular materials center and young children's door to learning in its effort to serve the growing population of this area.

The Glassboro Branch was started by the Glassboro Women's Club in 1956 with a $2,000 donation from borough funds. Since then the library has moved three times, the last time in 1979. The library occupies 8,500 square feet of a building it shares with the Boys and Girls Club. In 1996, the Glassboro Public Library became a branch of the Gloucester County Library System. The library houses 40,500 books, videos, CDs and other items. Children's programs, Internet access, and a public meeting room make the Glassboro Branch a thriving community center.

The Greenwich Township Branch started in a school building in 1963, thanks to the efforts of a group of interested citizens who began planning for a library in 1958. The library was moved to a converted municipal garage for ten years, and moved to its present location in Nehaunsey School in 1975. In January of 1999, the Gibbstown Public Library became the Greenwich Township Branch of the Gloucester County Library System. This library houses 17,769 items and serves the surrounding community as a children's door to learning and a popular materials center.

The Swedesboro Public Library is one of the oldest public libraries in New Jersey, first established in 1783. The library was originally housed in Borough Hall and was incorporated in 1937. In 2005, it became a branch of the Gloucester County Library System.

The Gloucester County Library System now provides quality library service to residents of 14 of Gloucester County's 24 municipalities. Over 84,000 residents may take advantage of library services offered through libraries in East Greenwich, Glassboro, Greenwich (Gibbstown), Logan, Harrison Township, Newfield, and Swedesboro. More than 70 GCLS staff members, along with association library employees in libraries throughout the system, work to provide circulating and reference collections, and Homebound service as well as comprehensive children's and reference services, including public Internet access. The library's Internet web site offers the public access to library service 24 hours a day. These are just some of the many services available to all members.

 

GLOUCESTER COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Gloucester County WIC Program

WIC At A Glance Population Served: The WIC target population are low-income, nutritionally at risk: Pregnant women (through pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after birth or after pregnancy ends). Breastfeeding women (up to infant’s 1 st birthday)  Nonbreastfeeding postpartum women (up to 6 months after the birth of an infant or after pregnancy ends)  Infants (up to 1 st birthday). WIC serves 45 percent of all infants born in the United States.  Children up to their 5 th birthday. Benefits The following benefits are provided to WIC participants: Supplemental nutritious foods  Nutrition education and counseling at WIC clinics  Screening and referrals to other health, welfare and social services Program Delivery WIC is not an entitlement program as Congress does not set aside funds to allow every eligible individual to participate in the program. WIC is a Federal grant program for which Congress authorizes a specific amount of funds each year for the program. WIC is administered at the Federal level by FNS  administered by 90 WIC state agencies, through approximately 46,000 authorized retailers.   WIC operates through 2,000 local agencies in 10,000 clinic sites, in 50 State health departments, 34 Indian Tribal Organizations, the District of Columbia, and five territories (Northern Mariana, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).  Examples of where WIC services are provided: county health departments hospitals mobile clinics (vans) community centers schools public housing sites migrant health centers and camps Indian Health Service facilities How to Apply to Participate in WIC Find WIC offices serving your area. WIC's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

WIC's Mission: To safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care. More about WIC: Food, nutrition counseling, and access to health services are provided to low-income women, infants, and children under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, popularly known as WIC. WIC provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children who are found to be at nutritional risk.   State Contacts Established as a pilot program in 1972 and made permanent in 1974, WIC is administered at the Federal level by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Formerly known as the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children, WIC's name was changed under the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994, in order to emphasize its role as a nutrition program. Most State WIC programs provide vouchers that participants use at authorized food stores. A wide variety of State and local organizations cooperate in providing the food and health care benefits, and 46,000 merchants nationwide accept WIC vouchers. WIC is effective in improving the health of pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants. A 1990 study showed that women who participated in the program during their pregnancies had lower Medicaid costs for themselves and their babies than did women who did not participate. WIC participation was also linked with longer gestation periods, higher birthweights and lower infant mortality. More information about How WIC Helps.

 

WIC Food Packages The WIC food packages provide supplemental foods designed to meet the special nutritional needs of low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, non-breastfeeding postpartum women, infants and children up to five years of age who are at nutritional risk. WIC food packages and nutrition education are the chief means by which WIC affects the dietary quality and habits of participants. You can read a brief history of the WIC food packages at Background: Revisions to the WIC Food Package. On December 6, 2007, an interim rule revising the WIC food packages was published in the Federal Register. The new food packages align with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The food packages better promote and support the establishment of successful, long-term breastfeeding, provide WIC participants with a wider variety of foods including fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and provide WIC State agencies greater flexibility in prescribing food packages to accommodate the cultural food preferences of WIC participants. WIC State agencies must implement the new changes by October 1, 2009. An interim rule allows the Food and Nutrition Service to obtain feedback on the revisions while allowing implementation to move forward. The interim rule comment period ends on February 1, 2010. USDA will issue a final rule after review and analysis of public comments.

Breastfeeding Promotion and Support in WIC

Research has shown that there is no better food than breast milk for a baby’s first year of life. Breastfeeding provides many health, nutritional, economical and emotional benefits to mother and baby. Since a major goal of the WIC Program is to improve the nutritional status of infants, WIC mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their infants. WIC has historically promoted breastfeeding to all pregnant women as the optimal infant feeding choice, unless medically contraindicated. WIC mothers choosing to breastfeed are provided information through counseling and breastfeeding educational materials. Breastfeeding mothers receive follow-up support through peer counselors. Breastfeeding mothers are eligible to participate in WIC longer than non-breastfeeding mothers. Mothers who exclusively breastfeed their infants receive an enhanced food package. Breastfeeding mothers can receive breast pumps, breast shells or nursing supplementers to help support the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.