Children’s Campus (Child Care Center)
The Child Care Center is a college-based facility providing a combined child care service and learning environment for infants and children up to age five. In addition to providing professionally directed child care, the Center offers practical experience to students of the Early Childhood Education program and other interested students.
The Conference Center at RVCC
The Conference Center at RVCC serves as a conduit to bring the corporate and academic communities together.
The center provides conference capabilities for use by the business community.
- Grand conference room that seats up to 400 people
- Three breakout rooms that seat up to 30 people each
- Computer lab with 24 workstations
- Community room/Board room that holds up to 20 people
The technology available includes: distance learning, internet access, virtual reality, teleconferencing and multimedia capabilities.
Evelyn S. Field Library
The Evelyn S. Field Library is located on two floors near the main entrance of the College. The circulation desk and the reference desk are both on the first floor. The circulating book collection is located on the second floor.
- Library Card: The College ID card serves as the library card. Patrons must activate their library card at first use.
- Group Study Rooms: Group study rooms, which are located on the upper level, may be reserved for groups of two or more students for up to three hours at a time.
- Study Space: The library has plenty of seating available for studying on both levels. Quiet study is offered on the second floor and in the Robeson Center on the first floor.
- Computers: Computers are available for library research, writing papers, College e-mail services and general Internet access.
- Library Instruction: The library’s instructional program offers a wide variety of classes at the developmental level, through basic instruction to advanced subject-specific classes. Classes are conducted in our state-of-the-art computer classroom by the library faculty.
- Photocopying Service: Photocopying is available with the use of copy cards.
- Collection: The library’s collection of books, DVDs, videos, audio books, journals and newspapers has been selected in consultation with the faculty to support the curriculum of the College and to provide academic, cultural and informational enrichment. The library catalog, which is available from the library’s website, provides access to books, videos and audio books. Dozens of databases give access to current information in journals, magazines and newspapers.
- Remote Access: The library’s website serves as the gateway to the virtual library. Users may conduct research from home or office using their RVCC network login to access subscription databases. Users may electronically request inter-library loan for materials that the RVCC library does not own. Research questions may be sent to an RVCC librarian through the Ask-a- Librarian service directly from the website.
- Hours: The library is open day, evening and weekend hours as posted in the library and online at http://library.raritanval.edu.
Video Production/Editing Studios
The Video Production/Editing Studios are located in the West Building and are used to teach video production and editing courses. The Editing Studio features Mac and PC digital editing stations, audio mixing boards, and mini DV/DVD decks. The Video Production Studio contains camera, lighting and audio equipment for video production.
Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Resource Center
Since 1981, the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies has offered educational programs for educators, students and the community. Through education and unique programming, it promotes tolerance, understanding and compassion. The Center educates thousands of New Jersey students and teachers about the lessons learned from the Holocaust as well as Genocides that continue today.
The Resource Center of The Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies is located on the second floor of the Evelyn S. Field Library at Raritan Valley Community College. The Resource Room, established in 1999, is a joint project with the College and The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties. The Resource Room houses computers, books, a video collection, and other reference materials for research and study as well as an area for classroom instruction. The Morris and Dorothy Hirsch Research Library of Holocaust and Genocide Studies is an extensive collection of materials on the Holocaust, Genocides and Diversity.
Teachers are encouraged to bring their classes to visit the resource center and have a special program with survivors of the Holocaust and genocides.
“Learning Through Experience,” the Institute’s cornerstone educational program, began as a one-day program 28 years ago and has now grown into a three-day annual event. It invites more than 3,000 middle and high school students and educators to take part in a unique series of guest speaker workshops on the Holocaust and Genocide.
For information regarding programming, resource information or annual events, contact (908) 526-1200, extension 8524.
Testing Center
The Testing Center conducts admissions, placement, and competency testing for the College, including ESL, English and Mathematics, foreign languages and technological competency testing. Students taking make-up exams or tests for online courses may be required to use the Testing Center. Tests such as the GED, CLEP and DANTES are also administered at the College. Photo identification is required prior to testing. (For placement testing requirements, see Placement Testing.)
High School Equivalency Testing
The college offers the General Education Development Test (GED) to qualified applicants who wish to gain a high school diploma. The test is given by appointment. For additional information, visit www.raritanval.edu/studentserv/testing/ged.html.
The Academic Support Center
The Academic Support Center (ASC), located on the lower level of Somerset Hall, provides academic support services at no additional charge to registered RVCC students. The ASC offers:
- Drop-in Tutoring - Math and English tutors are available during all hours of operation. Tutoring for many other RVCC courses is available according to published schedules. ASC tutors are employed by the College and trained by the College Reading and Learning Association.
- Learning Support Materials - Reference books, current text books, DVDs, computer software, and manipulative learning tools for math and science can be used by all students at the ASC. The ASC also has state-of-the-art assistive technologies for students with special needs.
- Computers - Computers with Internet access and learning support software are available to students for writing papers, doing research, and completing homework. The ASC staff is trained to help students with online learning systems and course software.
- Online Tutoring - Online tutoring is available. ASC writing tutors provide prompt feedback to English papers submitted online. Smarthinking, a web-based tutoring service for multiple subjects, is available on the computers at the ASC. To access the online tutoring, please visit our website.
- Hours of Operation - Fall and spring semesters: Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. For summer and intersession hours, visit our website or stop by for an updated schedule. Limited tutoring services are available at RVCC’s Franklin instructional site.
For more information about the ASC, call (908) 526-1200, extension 8393 or visit www.raritanval.edu/studentserv/asc/index.html
Students, adjuncts and other professionals interested in becoming tutors should contact the ASC or check the website for application information.
Optical Clinic
The optical clinic serves the RVCC community by providing high quality prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses at a substantial discount from the retail price. Located on the ground floor of the College Center, the clinic is operated by the Ophthalmic Science program and is staffed by students in the program under the direct supervision of a licensed optician. The optical clinic contains a state-of-the-art laboratory and can fill any prescription for contact lenses or eyeglasses.
Paul Robeson Institute
The Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership, and Social Justice was founded in 1999 to preserve Paul Robeson’s legacy in the area where he came of age as an artist, athlete, orator, and scholar. The Institute envisions a global community of diverse cultures that embodies, through attitudes and behaviors, Paul Robeson’s ideals, beliefs, values, and vision for a world of justice and peace.
The Paul Robeson Institute offers:
- Opportunities for individuals and community that foster a spirit of inquiry and excellence in academic studies, communication skills, and the arts and sciences
- Educational workshops, seminars, and forums that train educators to integrate the history and contributions of African-Americans into the full educational curriculum as required by the New Jersey Amistad mandate
- Cultural happenings such as exhibits, lectures, concerts, and artistic events
- Programs that emphasize the core values needed by young adults for leadership roles and civic participation in the 21st Century
- Annual Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Awards to distinguish and honor middle school and high school students who are following the Robeson role model as leaders and achievers in the following categories: Arts, Scholarship, Athletics, and Community Service.
Since April 2003, the Robeson Institute’s Resource Room, located on the first floor of the Evelyn S. Field Library, has served as a repository for the historical records and memorabilia of Robeson’s Somerville years. The Resource Room is an information center for Robeson’s national and worldwide activities.
Physical Education Complex
The physical education complex consists of indoor and outdoor facilities. The indoor facilities are highlighted by a 10,000 square foot gymnasium, a natatorium which houses a six-lane heated pool and a newly renovated fitness center. The 2,800 square foot fitness center contains training equipment such as Lifecycles and assorted Nautilus equipment. The state-of- the-art fitness center provides a variety of equipment designed for personal wellness and conditioning.
Outdoor facilities include four full-length basketball courts; a soccer field and a six-lane, 400 meter track; a baseball diamond; one softball field; and modern scoreboards for each ball field.
Athletic facilities are available to members of the student body for recreational activities, and all students are encouraged to participate in a variety of programs from physical education to intercollegiate athletics.
The Planetarium
The 100-seat Planetarium first opened in 1990 and underwent an extensive technology upgrade in the fall of 2008. A computerized AllDome High Definition projection system was installed, offering visitors an immersive virtual tour of the Universe. The Planetarium is also equipped with an array of video projectors and laser disk and DVD players, all of which are computer controlled by a SkySkan Automation System. These outer space visuals are complemented by a 5.1 surround sound audio system.
The Planetarium also features a gift shop and exhibit area. Exhibits include 1/15th scale models of the Space Shuttle and Hubble Space Telescope; various images from the Space Telescope; a Gravity Well; an H-R Diagram; and a series of five displays that describes our place in the Universe. A 355-pound iron meteorite is on permanent loan from the American Museum of Natural History. A small observatory using a 14-inch Meade telescope will be permanently installed in the near future, along with a variety of portable telescopes that will be available to visitors.
Each year the Planetarium provides programs to more than 20,000 school children, as well as 8,000 public attendees. Presentations include such topics as the changing seasonal sky, tours of the solar system, exploration of our Milky Way Galaxy and eclipses.
Introduction to Astronomy classes are offered each semester for credit students and meet regularly in the Planetarium. Other College courses that use the facility include Geology, Multimedia, Quest and Geography.
Since 2004 the Planetarium facility has been part of RVCC’s New Jersey Astronomy Center for Education (NJACE). NJACE, through its Teaching Institute, coordinates Project ASTRO and Family ASTRO and conducts teacher workshops, science education consulting, and in-service programs to K-12 educators throughout New Jersey and across the country.
Science Laboratories
Laboratories for science courses, located in the Christine Todd Whitman Science Center, are state-of-the-art facilities. In addition to the standard equipment required by each discipline, the laboratories house networked microcomputer workstations, providing faculty and students with access to the College’s Learning Resources Center, e-mail, and the Internet. Students are encouraged to use word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications to generate lab reports. Faculty are expanding the use of computers for the collection and processing of data through interfacing, and are incorporating appropriate simulation exercises into the laboratory experiences in the various disciplines.
The $2 million Institute for Biotechnology Education – which is located in the College’s Christine Todd Whitman Science Center – has two wet laboratories, a cell culture room, a classroom and cutting-edge instrumentation to support the College’s biotechnology curriculum. The College offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Science (AS) and a Certificate Program in Biotechnology. In addition to the two teaching laboratories, which each accommodate 20 students, the Institute features a microscope room, a cell culture room, an equipment/instrument room, a prep room and a classroom. The labs and the classroom are equipped with networked computers, audiovisual equipment and projectors. The state-of-the-art facility offers the standard laboratory equipment that includes hoods, freezers and refrigerators, spectrophotometers and microscopes, as well as incubators, a deionized water supply for the labs and the prep area, a Gel Doc system, a PCR machine and an autoclave.
Biology laboratories are equipped with microscopes, autoclaves, spectrophotometers, preserved specimens, and models. The 240-acre campus, surrounded by mature forest growth, fields, and a pond, provides a natural living laboratory for botany and ecology courses. A herbarium collection of several hundred specimens for teaching local plant identification and a greenhouse with a collection of tropical and subtropical plants are also maintained.
Chemistry laboratories are equipped with hoods, each ventilated to the outside, and workstations with gas and water lines. Students use a variety of precision balances, infrared, UV-visible, and atomic absorption spectrophotometers, as well as gas chromatographs.
The laboratory supporting physics and engineering courses has an array of diverse equipment and instrumentation for mechanics, heat, sound, light and electromagnetic experiments. Students in the circuits laboratory course use analog and digital equipment to perform direct, alternating, or three-phase circuit analysis.
Integration of computer-aided design into the engineering science curricula is ongoing. Students in engineering graphics and other courses have access to a computer laboratory equipped with workstations and digitizer tablets which support AutoCAD, a professional drafting and design software package, widely used in business and industry.
The Theatre at RVCC
The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College opened in 1985 with a mission to serve RVCC and the community at large. Each season, the Theatre presents the Major Artists Series and The Merck Series, which is made possible by a grant from The Merck Company Foundation. Additionally, the Theatre presents Tuesdays with Stories, which offers an opportunity to experience great American literature; the Family and Sampler Series, which feature programs for children and their families; and School-Time Performances, a series of educational field trip events for teachers and students grades pre-K to 12.
The Theatre complex consists of two performing spaces. The Edward Nash Theatre is a proscenium-style auditorium with 1,000 seats on two levels. With excellent acoustics and sight lines, it is a perfect setting for concerts, theatre and dance. The Welpe Theatre is a flexible studio space that seats 100 to 150 people, depending upon the configuration. It is a perfect setting for more intimate and experimental performances.
For additional information about The Theatre at RVCC and a complete list of performances, visit www.rvccArts.org.
Visual and Performing Arts Studios
The Visual and Performing Arts curricula are supported by the studio and performance spaces located in the Arts Building, in the West Building, and in the Theatre.
The studio arts area includes nine studios: a ceramics studio with outdoor Raku firing area, a printmaking studio, a drawing studio, a painting studio, a sculpture studio with outdoor welding and bronze casting area, black-and-white and color photography studios, a computer art studio, a design studio, and an art history classroom.
The ceramics studio has a handbuilding room, wheel room with 14 electric wheels and two kick wheels, two glazing areas and a kiln room. There are five electric kilns and one 17-cubic foot gas kiln. The outdoor Raku firing area can support four Raku kilns firing simultaneously.
The photography studio has a large black-and-white darkroom area with 13 enlargers; a classroom for lectures and critiques; a film developing room; and a color photography area with individual enclosures for each color enlarger, Ilfochrome and RA color processors; and an area with a large format copy camera and large format enlarger that can handle formats up to 4x5. The painting studio is equipped with 20 steel easels, drawing tables, stretcher storage racks and daylight track lighting. Large windows in the north wall provide excellent light for daytime painting classes.
The painting studio serves acrylic and oil painting classes, as well as watercolor and drawing classes. A second drawing studio, which may also be used for painting classes, is equipped with track lighting, drawing stools and pinable walls.
A large lecture room fitted with multiple audio-visual display possibilities serves as an art history and art appreciation classroom.
There is a 20-station computer art studio in the Arts Building that is used by students taking 2D Design, Color Theory, and various photography and printmaking classes.
The advanced graphic design studio, digital photo studio, and video production studio are located in the West Building. The video studio has four digital editing stations. The graphic design studio has professional digital equipment for Graphic Design, Illustration, Typography, Web Page Design and 2D and 3D Animation. Digital Photography is also taught in the graphic design studio.
The music program classes are held in the Arts Building. The music rehearsal studio is used for performing ensemble rehearsals, music classes and small recitals. A second classroom-studio is equipped with electronic pianos for keyboard proficiency and theory study. An electronic music lab is equipped with computer-keyboard stations with MIDI-equipped synthesizers and selected music technologies and software programs for music notation and ear-training skills. All music studios are equipped with sound reproduction equipment. A fourth music classroom for music theory classes is equipped with a digital projector and sound reproduction equipment. Informal concerts/recitals are held in the music rehearsal studio. Formal concerts/recitals are presented in the Welpe and Nash Theatres. Soundproof practice modules are available to music students for instrumental or vocal practice.
The dance studio, located in the Arts Building, is equipped with a wood-sprung floor and Marley surface, mirror, barres and a media/projection unit. The dance studio serves for classes in modern dance, ballet, jazz, performance of repertory and choreography. An additional performing arts studio, with a semi-sprung floor and mirrors, is used for classes and rehearsal space and is shared among the three performing arts (dance, music, and theatre). Dance concerts utilize the Nash Theatre, a proscenium-style stage with 1,000 seats on two levels. The Welpe Theatre, a flexible studio/black box space, is a perfect setting for more intimate and experimental performances.
The theatre arts classes are taught in the College Theatre (in the Welpe Theatre) and in the Arts Building. Theatre productions—both dramatic and musical—dance concerts, and music recitals and concerts are held in the Edward Nash Theatre or the smaller Welpe Theatre.
Civic Engagement
Civic engagement is an essential element of the learning process. Raritan Valley Community College’s commitment to civic engagement is designed to increase the ethical and civic responsibility of our citizens, both in our College community and in our surrounding neighborhood. As a member of Campus Compact, whose mission is to promote community service that develops student citizenship skills, the College values and encourages partnerships with the community that promote civic engagement.
RVCC is one of a select number of colleges and universities to receive a new Community Engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. It is one of nine community colleges nationwide—and the only community college in New Jersey—to receive this honor. RVCC earned this prestigious designation for its Service Learning Program and other community engagement programs and services. The selection was based on institutionalized practices of community engagement that showed alignment among mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices. |