New Jersey State Teachers College - Seal Yearbook (Trenton, NJ)

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TSC Welcomes D . Harold Eickhoff, the 14th President If the ease with which Trenton State College welcomed its 14th presi- dent last month is any indication of what the future holds, Dr. Harold Eickhoff should enjoy a long and happy tenure on the Ewing Township campus. Ten years ago when the college needed a president, two top educators turned down the job and 14 stri e-filled months characterized by student and faculty unrest elapsed before Dr. Clayton Brower was named to fill the position. This time the president's mantle chan ed hands quietly. And for the Kansas bom and bred Eickhoff, the TSC presidency repre- sents medium size public college today. If you visit the student center, you can't help but come away with the feeling of excitement, he said, smiling. The students are remarkably involved in what goes on in the classroom here. There is a level of intellectual excitement here which make this one of the most exciting campuses I've ever been on. A gentle looking man in his early150's Eickhoff sits comfortably in his Green Hall office. A graduate of t e University of Kansas City with a bachelor' s degree in history and master's degree in history and govem- ment, Eickho f received his doctorate in history from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. A former administrator at Old Dominion University, Norfolk Va., Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kan., and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Eickhoff is no stranger in the land of higher education. I love learningbgnd I like to teach, he said. After a long, soul- searching period a ut 20 years ago, I decided I could best serve i I went into administration, he said. Although national forecasters and New Iersey's Higher Education Chancellor T. Edward Hollander have predicted that the 1980's will be a tight time for public and private colleges, for Eickhoff the reasons to attend college today are as persuasive as they were 50 years ago. The opportunities available for a person with a colle e education are still greater than those available to a person without a digreef' he said, simp y. In a complex industrial society, the educated person is always relied upon to provide leadership and make a civilized society what it is And the reasons students interested in education should attend Trenton State are even more persuasive, according to choose Eickhoff Trenton State College is committed to quality education and in son: wzys that's something of a rarity, he said. ickhoff has only praise for a decision predecessor Brower made al proximately five years ago to raise rather t an lower the colle e's admi sion standards in response to the shrinking pool of college-bound stu dents. Public education is funded on a pre-student level, he explaine4 That can become a trap for colleges who find themselves forced 1 lower standards in order to maintain fundin levels. Brower's decision to raise admission standards has apparently pai off, according to a recent study by the higher educaton department. Trenton now ranks eighth in selectivity out of the state's 31 public ar private colleges. The decision to become more, not less selective took ot of courage, Eickhoff said. I have come to the conclusion that Trenton State College is nized to the extent it deserves, he said. I hear far too many not recog referencf to the college that have an apologetic tone. That bothers me, partial because of my position but more important because no apology is ne essa . TSC may very well be one of the best investments in education New jersey. It's a good collegke and it deserves more recognition. That one of my goals, to see -that t e college-gets the recocgnition it deserve Trenton State College is an excellent opportunity for an student. II that's going to be a mayor goal, he said firmly, ad ing: ' e one of the best colleges in the state and it has one of the in body's in the country. All of that spells good news for New dents, he said. st stude: jersey sti Eickhoff said he hopes to spend a lot of time talking to studen during his stay at Trenton State. The students here can be, and are, very much involved in ing and creating the excellent educatonal environment Trent noted for, he said. I want to make sure that doesn't chang . - 1 Pat Read, Trenton maintain on State e ,, an 2-24-I