Transition and Career Studies
Transition and Career Studies (TCS) at Georgian Court University is a four-year transition and postsecondary inclusive college-based program for students with intellectual disabilities. What defines an intellectual disability? Visit aaid.org for more information.
Pathways to Possibility
Transition and Career Studies is a residential program with a strong career-development focus, embedded in a small, private, Catholic liberal arts university. The program is grounded in GCU’s Mercy core values of respect, integrity, justice, compassion, and service.
TCS students will be supported by qualified peer-mentors for enhanced social support and campus life experience, and they will be fully supported—both academically and socially—throughout their time at GCU. As a mentor, your goal is to help provide the support TCS students’ need to succeed academically and to integrate fully into the life of the campus.
Mentoring is a paid work study program that is exempt from federal work study limitations, so all students are invited to apply! Mentors will be expected to arrive on time and to be prepared to engage with the TCS student in either an academic or social activity that has been agreed upon.
Opportunities Available
Academic Mentors
Academic mentors are an important part of a successful GCU University Experience. Support activities will include helping TCS students manage their courses and making sure they are successful in their work. If you are an aspiring educator, or someone who just likes to lend a helping hand, this role might be just right for you!
Campus Life Mentors
Campus Life is an exciting part of the GCU college experience, and mentoring is all about finding ways to involve TCS students in GCU life and making sure they are getting the most out of their time on campus. If you are the kind of person who likes to get involved in planning and activities, this role could be perfect for you!
Career Readiness
Students in the TCS program engage in a process of personal discovery, futures planning, and skill development related to establishing a path to a desired adult life with a focused approach to competitive employment.
The Life Design and Transition curriculum focuses on the development and implementation of individualized and person-centered life planning that includes the areas of self-awareness / identity, self-determination / self-advocacy, self-reflection, creative / shared decision-making, and other related areas of human development.
The goal of this program component is a comprehensive approach to life and transition planning that strives to assure that each graduate is firmly rooted within a plan for post-graduate competitive integrated employment, independent living, and overall independence.
Building friendship, self-confidence, and achievement
On campus, TCS students attend classes and participate in the many social, recreational, and cultural activities of a major university. This includes sports, social activities, and meals in the campus dining hall.
TCS students will be supported by qualified peer-mentors for enhanced social support and campus life experience, and they will be fully supported—both academically and socially—throughout their time at GCU.
Living away from home while attending a college program is an important way to learn skills for independence. Our program will build confidence and expand pathways to possibility.
At GCU, students will:
- enhance their academic skills to set the foundation for lifelong learning,
- identify career goals and participate in activities that support future employment,
- achieve independence and participation in community activities,
- increase social skills by developing personal and work relationships,
- practice self-advocacy and self-determination in academic and daily living,
- assess their own needs and engage in a healthy lifestyle, and
- pursue self-enrichment activities that match personal goals.
Program Curriculum
In the TCS program, students receive the benefits of a full GCU college experience. Our beautiful campus is inspiring, yet secure, pairing students’ growing independence with the peace of mind that comes from our uniquely caring environment.
TCS is a 121-credit non-degree certificate program that features core GCU courses, electives, academic and social support courses, career courses, and internships.
Students who successfully complete the program will receive a board-certified GCU certificate of completion.
Meet our staff
Dr. Susan Field is the Faculty Director for the Transition & Career Studies (TCS) program. Dr. Field is also a Professor of Psychology, and Chair of the Department of Psychology and Counseling at GCU. Dr. Field has an earned doctorate degree in Social Psychology from Harvard University. Dr. Field is the Project Director for a Title VII Grant with a total grant amount of $2.47 million; the purpose of the grant is to develop the TCS program for students with intellectual disabilities at GCU. She also served as the Project Director of a Title III Grant from 2016-2021 with a total grant amount of $2.14 million. This grant assisted with developing and coordinating student success programs: Writing Center, Math Lounge, Chart the Course, academic advising, and faculty training for online teaching. Additionally, Dr. Field served as the Director of Advising from 2015-2020 and is presently the Advisor for the honors program for the Department of Psychology and Counseling. Dr. Field serves as the Academic Advisor for all TCS students.
Dr. Sharlene Smith is the Operational Director for the Transition & Career Studies (TCS) Program. Dr. Smith has an earned doctorate degree in Curriculum & Instruction, with focus in Adult Education and Autism Spectrum Disorder from the University of South Florida. She also has a Master of Arts degree in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, and two graduate certificates in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Leadership in Developing Human Resources from the University of South Florida; an additional graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Monmouth University; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Management from Nova Southeastern University.
For the past 10 years, Dr. Smith has been supporting individuals with special needs and intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, her personal lived experiences, having a son with autism propelled her to advocate for support services for students with disability. Her passion, expertise and experience in the field have equipped her with the leadership acumen that allow her to effectively lead and oversee the daily operation and management of the TCS program.
Dr. Smith also served on several community boards, including the Constituency Board for the University of South Florida Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (USF- CARD), and provides consultancy for several non-profit organizations and develop and facilitate training programs for parents and families in various communities nationally and international. Dr. Smith is passionate about helping individuals, specifically those with special needs and intellectual and developmental disabilities, achieve their personal and career goals. She also teaches the TCS career courses.
Chris Nagy is the Academic Coordinator for the TCS program. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Stockton University, Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certificate, and a Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Concordia University. Chris has worked in Special education for the past 16 years in different states and schools, and group home settings. He teaches the TCS Academic Seminar courses to provide academic coaching, assist with executive functioning for organizational and time management skills, and course modification for university courses our students may take. Besides his professional work, Chris has been very active in volunteering with the Jersey Shore Chapter of “Food Not Bombs”, every week in Lakewood and Asbury Park for the past three years. Additionally, Chris is involved with animal rescue and is one of the volunteer coordinators for Udder Chaos Farm Sanctuary in New Jersey. He previously went through a midlife crisis and had the biggest mohawk at GCU and has the most tattoos among faculty and staff.
Tammy Laverty is the Campus Life Coordinator and Admissions Counselor for the TCS program. She holds a Master’s degree in Education from Monmouth University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design with a focus on technology and web design. She is responsible for planning, organizing and delivering extra-curricular programs for the TCS students. These programs help to enhance TCS students’ development and positively impact their engagement and leadership. Before coming to the TCS program, Tammy has worked over the years across multiple sectors in business and education; eventually starting her own business that focused on application development, and specifically on cutting-edge products in data visualization, VR/AR and AI. Tammy’s entrepreneurial spirit and creativity serve her well in the life skills courses that she teaches in the TCS program. Her goal is to inspire students to live their best lives on campus and beyond!
Beth Norman, M.Ed. is the Vocational Coordinator for the TCS program. She holds a Master’s of Education in School Counseling from Georgian Court University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Therapeutic Recreation from Temple University. Before coming to work at Georgian Court, Beth worked for the Arc of Ocean County as an employment specialist and at STEMCivics Charter School as a school counselor. She thrives on making a difference in the lives of the individuals she works with and assisting them to become inclusive members of society.
Welcome to TCS!
We are so glad you are interested in joining our community. This is the first stop on your own personal “pathway to possibility.” Please take a moment to get your application materials together, and be sure to download our TCS brochure:
(1.) Download the Forms (.docx)
(2.) Submit Your Forms
Mail your forms to TCS directly or e-mail documents to tcs@georgian.edu.
Transition and Career Studies
Raymond Hall
Georgian Court University
900 Lakewood Avenue
Lakewood, NJ 08701
(3.) If You Have Questions
Call the Transition and Career Studies office in GCU’s Raymond Hall at 732-987-2659.
For more information about TPSID programs Visit Think College to learn more about transition programs and resources that are available to postsecondary students.
This project is supported by grant #P407A200038.
