Since 1986, TCNJ has demonstrated a commitment to developing and applying research-based, cost-effective solutions to the problem of preparing academically and financially disadvantaged young people to succeed at competitive colleges and universities.

The Problem: The Lack of Diverse, Qualified Pool of Media Professionals. Despite more than 20 years of concerted diversification efforts by professional organizations, media companies, journalism schools and others, people of color are still grossly underrepresented in America’s print, broadcast and online newsrooms. These shortages are particularly acute in segments of the media that report on areas critical to the success of our economy and democracy, such as business, technology and science reporting. Ironically, it is precisely these segments of the media that offer the best career opportunities.

At the same time, employers in the media industry, journalism educators, and the objects of media coverage express legitimate dismay about the limited knowledge base, poor writing skills, and unprofessional behavior exhibited by too many journalists. Studies by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists indicate that aspiring minority journalists are particularly ill-served. They:

receive less writing instruction,

are less likely to have completed useful internships,

earn lower grades,

and are less likely to have taken courses in mathematics, business and science that would prepare them to work on beats that require specialized knowledge.

The Solution: The unbound Institute. Much of the effort to diversify and improve the pool of future journalists has been devoted to the creation of pre-college and college-level summer enrichment and mentoring programs. While these programs have been successful at exposing students to the field of journalism, they focus neither on strengthening students’ academic preparation, nor on cultivating their expertise in higher-demand fields such as the business beat or computer-assisted reporting. The unbound Institute will expose participants to journalism in the context of a rigorous curriculum that includes intensive instruction in english, science, mathematics, history and computer skills, along with journalism. The curriculum is thoroughly grounded in scholarship on the most effective pedagogy to teach students with diverse backgrounds and learning styles. Students will also participate in field trips, attend guest lectures and receive both in-person and online mentoring from media professionals.

Our credentials. The College of New Jersey provides academically prepared students with a challenging undergraduate education and a rewarding residential experience, small classes, and a prestigious faculty. TCNJ has been recognized nationally for its excellence in Money magazine, U.S. News and World Report, The Fiske Guide to Colleges, Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges and Peterson’s Competitive Colleges.

TCNJ has a proven model for identifying high school students in under-served communities who have the potential for academic success. Since 1986, TCNJ’s Collegebound program for underserved populations has prepared students who went on to matriculate at highly competitive institutions such as Yale and MIT.

Since 1996, the unbound Institute has created a model online news operation which serves as a training vehicle for a growing cadre of professional reporters, editors, graphic artists and web designers. One of the unique attributes of the unbound news magazine is that it is more than a publication – it is a virtual start-up company. Students have been involved in every stage of its definition, growth and development. Thus, journalism students have had an opportunity to learn about web design, and students from other technical disciplines have had an opportunity to learn about journalistic values and ethics. Our graduates are working for such respected news organizations as Bloomberg L.P., the Gannett newspaper chain, CNBC and Dow Jones, Inc. Others are successfully employed in public relations, publishing, broadcasting, technical communications and education. Some are entrepreneurs. Many of these graduates cite their experience with unbound as a critical element of their success.

The unbound project originated in the journalism program at TCNJ. TCNJ has offered a Journalism and Professional Writing major since 1984. Two full-time faculty teach the core courses in the program, supplemented by two regular adjunct instructors who teach desktop publishing and financial reporting. Both full-time professors are recipients of the New Jersey Professor of the Year Award, bestowed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Kim Pearson, the 2000 CASE Professor of the Year for New Jersey, is the publisher of unbound, and an experienced journalist in financial, technology and science reporting.

Budget request: $1.7 million for five years. An investment of $1.7 million dollars will enable us to staff, run and evaluate a five-week residential summer program and school-year mentoring program for nearly 160 high school students from throughout the mid-Atlantic region. In making this investment, you will be partnering with The College of New Jersey to bring life-long career opportunities to underserved populations in an occupational area of great significance to our society By applying the CollegeBound model to a program that prepares young people for news industry careers, the unbound Institute will produce graduates that are college-ready and civically-engaged. Also, by incorporating a research component into the Institute's design at the outset, the unbound Institute will become a laboratory and demonstration project in journalism education.

We invite you to visit our website to see our progress to date. Professor Kim Pearson, publisher of unbound, can be contacted at (609)771-2692, or kpearson@tcnj.edu. for further details.