TCNJ

19 Generous alumni and friends The Campaign for TCNJ, the college's first fundraising campaign, raises $47.5 million. R.B.G. milestones Innovative placemaking Six new buildings constructed. Academic sea change Mentored research and in-depth coursework boosts the quality of the college. On-time diplomas TCNJ boasts a 76 percent four-year graduation rate, among the highest in the U.S. Heavyweight acclaim National media routinely rank TCNJ among the top public colleges in the nation. The four-year graduation rate has climbed to among the highest in the country. The campus has added 1.6 million square feet of new construction. The college's first fundraising campaign exceeded its $40 million goal. And national magazines, citing both the college's academics and its value, routinely rank TCNJ among the top public colleges in the country. This summer, during a meeting of the college's board of trustees at the Brower Student Center, Gitenstein referred to these achievements when she announced her plans to retire following the current academic year. A flood of hosannas soon followed. Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber, who served with Gitenstein on a national panel that studied accreditation standards, says he came away impressed with her sincerity, her energy, and her values. "TCNJ has really become an extraordinary gem under Bobby's leadership," Eisgruber says. "What I see is someone who has the heart and soul of a teacher and scholar. She's had one of the really successful college presidencies in the country." Thomas Kean, the former New Jersey governor and Drew University president whose counsel Gitenstein sought often while navigating her early years at TCNJ, concurs. "I've watched her carefully," Kean says. "There are a lot of college presidents who expanded the university, and some have helped with quality. Very seldom has somebody been able to do both. And she's done both in quite a remarkable way. Today TCNJ is known by people way outside the state's borders." Gitenstein won special praise for her handling of campus debate, such as renaming Paul Loser Hall after student researchers found that its namesake, Trenton's former schools superintendent, sought to keep the city's public schools segregated in violation of a 1944 N.J. Supreme Court ruling. Gitenstein called for a full and public airing of the case against Loser. She also had to communicate with Loser's descendants, who happened to be generous donors to the college. In the end, the committee that studied the case recommended renaming Loser Hall. Gitenstein, initially resistant to the idea, was swayed by the facts presented. The building is now known as Trenton Hall. "She just handles difficult situations beautifully," says Eleanor Horne, a TCNJ trustee. "With Loser Hall she acknowledged that this was important work for students to do, she trusted the process, and carefully considered what was learned." TCNJ has really become an extraordinary gem under Bobby's leadership." —Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber "

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