Relationship between Ewing and The College of New Jersey improving, officials say

New students move into TCNJ with the help of family, friends, and student volunteers during move in day Ewing on Thursday, August 22, 2013.

EWING — A nearly 70-percent decrease in off-campus disciplinary infractions and a more concerted effort to integrate students into the community through service projects have officials at The College of New Jersey and the township celebrating.

“I think, overall, that the experience for this year alone has really moved forward in a good way,” said Mayor Bert Steinmann. “I think people are starting to comment now that things have definitely improved.”

Steinmann and other township and police officials met last month with TCNJ leaders and students as part of the Town-Gown Committee, which was launched last fall as a means to improve the relationship between the institution and its host township through regular meetings with leaders, stakeholders and members of both communities.

A central component of such meetings is the presentation of data related to off-campus disciplinary infractions, which have been a point of contention in the past when township residents voiced concerns related to students having parties in off-campus homes and causing noise and disruption into the early morning hours.

In conjunction with the new Town-Gown Committee, college officials have been working closely with Ewing police leaders to share information about police calls for service related to students in the primarily residential off-campus neighborhoods. Presently, police reports involving students are forwarded to TCNJ officials, and students are then susceptible to on-campus sanctions as well.

According to data released by the college, off-campus incidents dropped in the months of August, September and October, falling from 34 total incidents in 2012 to 11 this year. On-campus disciplinary charges for the most part concerned alcohol consumption or disruption, college officials said.

Of the 11 students charged, six warnings were issued and one pending suspension was assigned, along with three referrals to a course administered by the on-campus Alcohol and Drug Education Program.

“So far (this year), I believe it has been good,” said Steinmann.

Stacy Schuster, associate vice president for college relations at TCNJ, said that while incidents overall have been down this fall, some residents at the most recent committee meeting voiced concerns about noise created by students walking through neighborhoods to and from campus, notably late at night or early in the morning.

She said college leaders will be communicating those concerns to students through a number of programs on campus geared toward helping to teach them how to be good neighbors in the surrounding community.

“The creation of this committee and the commitment made by the township and the college have made a tremendous positive impact on the relationship,” Schuster said.

“Town Gown Committee meetings provide an opportunity to share information with the community and to listen to comments and suggestions from the public as well as answer any questions they may have.”

She also noted the success of the Community Fest, a joint venture between the township, college and school district to host a public event on the campus grounds. This year, she said, the college moved its Family Weekend to coincide with the festival, which drew a high turnout.

Another output of the Town Gown Committee is the new Neighbor2Neighbor program, an effort to increase student participation in the off-campus community through a number of service projects.

The kickoff, held Nov. 2, involved a partnership between a group of students and members of the Ewing Green Team, the Brae Burn Civic Association and a number of town officials, who worked together to clean up Higgs Park.

“Students spent the morning working alongside representatives of the Ewing community to clear out garbage and debris to make the park more friendly and inviting to community members,” Schuster said. “Some volunteers cleaned up trash from around the playground area and others worked to clear the park’s trail of logs and branches that had been blocking the pathway since Hurricane Sandy.”

Schuster said that Town-Gown Committee discussions, which sparked the impetus of the Neighbor2Neighbor program, have initiated plans to organize future group service projects, as well as smaller efforts that could partner students with residents who need assistance with leaf and snow removal, or other similar projects.

Steinmann described the new community service endeavors as encouraging.

“The students are going out into the neighborhoods to help,” he said.

"I am pleased with where it is going," Steinmann said. "TCNJ is an institution that is going to stay in Ewing Township. It is not going anywhere, so we need to have those relationships. The College of New Jersey is an asset to this town."

Contact David Karas at dkaras@njtimes.com.

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