[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20053]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            GEORGIAN COURT UNIVERSITY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

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                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 22, 2008

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
100th Anniversary Celebration of Georgian Court University (GCU). For 
the past 100 years, Georgian Court has been a leader in higher 
education, encouraging intellectual inquiry, ethical professionalism, 
and community involvement. Founded as a women's college in 1908 by the 
Sisters of Mercy, Georgian Court is dedicated to the success of women. 
The Women's College at GCU provides a liberal arts education tailored 
to women's learning styles and an environment conducive to achievement. 
Georgian Court's Women in Leadership Development program is one of the 
most powerful programs for young women today. By participating in 
university committees, making presentations, lobbying legislators, and 
networking with mentors, students develop the skills and tools needed 
by today's successful women leaders. In the 1970s, Georgian Court 
established a coeducational graduate program. Today, the University 
College caters to men and women adult students and offers flexible 
class schedules with online components at a number of locations 
throughout the state.
  With 29 undergraduate and 8 graduate degree programs, Georgian Court 
University continues to develop new academic programs to meet the 
changing needs of the time. A new nursing program established in this 
Centennial Year will help stem the serious nursing shortage in our 
state. Accelerated and Executive M.B.A.s allow busy executives to gain 
the information they need to advance their careers. As 1 of only 50 
NASA Educational Resource Centers, Georgian Court ensures that our 
children's teachers have the most up-to-date scientific information for 
their classrooms.
  Georgian Court University has preserved the estate that comprises its 
campus and is on the National Register of Historic Places and the New 
Jersey Register. Over the decades, GCU has added buildings to meet the 
growing student population--starting with 7 students in 1908 up to more 
than 3,000 today. Within the past several years, a new wellness center, 
residence hall, chapel, and science wing have been added to the 
Georgian Court landscape.
  Georgian Court University is an economic force in Lakewood and the 
surrounding areas, providing employment to thousands over its 100-year 
history and fueling the local economy. The university is also a 
cultural gathering place for the community, bringing notable artists, 
musicians, poets, writers, and political figures to campus for lectures 
and concerts that are open to the public.
  Sending teams of students and staff to poverty-stricken areas of 
Honduras to install water systems, to New Orleans to rebuild after 
Hurricane Katrina, or right here in Lakewood to help provide the 
necessities of life for the homeless, Georgian Court University is a 
good neighbor and is committed to making the world a better place. 
Georgian Court is also an ecologically aware citizen, contributing to 
the sustainability of our environment. Its new wellness center complex 
has been built with energy efficiency in mind and is being considered 
for LEED--Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design--certification.
  With an abiding commitment to its students, the community, and the 
greater good, I commend Georgian Court University on its 100 years of 
academic excellence and community service.

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