Emergent Issues in Higher Education in New Jersey

 I really love my current field of study (Higher Education Administration) to the point where I attend reallly long lectures and conferences on the topic! Like always I was like the only hijabi and one another hijabi. I love it when im the only hijabi!humdAllah

Today I was able to attend a Conference at Rutgers University, titled

"Emergent Issues in Higher Education in New Jersey". 

The line up of speakers was impressive, amongst the speakers were:

Rochelle Hendricks: Secretary of Higher Edu, State of NJ, John McGoldrick: Chair , Governors HIgher Education Council, Senator Sandra Cunningham: Chair, Senate Higher Education Committe, Senator Thomas Kean Jr: Current Senatate Republic Leader, Assemblywoman Clestse Riley: Chair, Assembly Higher Education Committee, Thomas Kean: Former Governor of NJ and Chairman of the NJ Higher Education Task Force, Robert Barchi: President of Rutgers University, Micheal Klein: President NJ Association of State Colleges and Universities, Joann La Perla Morales: President of Middlesex Community College

 

Here are my key notes from this educational learning opportunity, I did not include every speaker

Keynote : The Honorable Thomas Kean : former NJ Governor, and Chairman of NJ Higher Edu Task
 

Look at these problems and innovative ways to lower costs, increase access, and to improve what we already do well in.

Research these things, this is a community effort

I believe that the answers are within the higher education institutions

 Session 1: Rutgers University: Challenges and Opportunities

Robert Barchi:Rutgers President

(This was my favorite speech as included alot of materials I learned in my Higher Edu program)

We are a community of scholars

Its not whos leading the university, its about whos talking and actually doing something

Is higher edu a public good or a private investment? Who benefits and who pays the price?

Is the product worth the price for either the society or the individual student?

The economic value of a college degree still remains high

At Rutgers, we have just started our strategic planning process and tactic plan. There has not been a strategic plan at Rutgers for over 15 years. We want to include things that are actionable, measurable, and accomplishable.We want full participation and consultation form our business and political partners, to the staff and students. We are doing this through over 70,00 surveys, quantitative data and analysis , stakeholder input.

We have developed a model :

 Strategic planning starts with our short term aspiration (not vision) and our foundation

1. Robust care of science and humanities 2. Cohesive, vibrant,diverse and inclusive culture

We didnt have a vision, that is why we created a strategic plan

(he showed us a PowerPoint with the strategic plan): all are working programs

1. Public private partnerships

2. Emerging themes: such as ethnicity and diversity

Timeline for the planning process

1. Plan should include how do we prepare community college students for Rutgers and four year colleges

2. We need to come up with a plan not just for Rutgers but all of NJ

Trends in higher edu,specific issues :

A working document to measure success, NJ has the largest investment in K-12 in the country but the lowest for higher education..there is a major disconnect.

Public universities need to  build an endowment like private colleges

Session 2: Cost and Affordability Issues

Sue Henderson:President  New Jersey City University  (Alumni Matter)

70% of NJCU students require financial aid

Average amount of debt NJCU graduates have: $16,000 (Shes right I had zero debt, and I didnt even have financial aid)

NJCU is looking into decreasing administrative costs and move the funds to faculty and student services

Jersey City is growing fast, especially the water front business area, we would like to build business connections within the community, public private partnerships to keep tuition costs reasonable

Session 3: Workforce Development

Ralph La Rossa: Chief Operating Officer PSEG

(its cool how they had a non higher edu professional speak, he had lots of beneficial insight)

The lowest paid major is preschool education,.

Start as a clerk and move your way up, put your foot in the door.

Alot of PSEG employees start at the bottom working their way up to becoming high leaders

The type of skills we look for in employers is team building, basic project management, negotiation skills, presentation skills, leadership skills.

Joann La Perla Morales: President of Middlesex Community College

50 % of students at this moment in NJ are community college students

Hispanic students mostly begin at a community college

The average age of a community college student nationwide is between 27 and 29

Degree completion is important

The only success measure we have is graduation rates of 1st full time students but alot of community colleges are part time students, or 2nd degree students. We should create new success measures such as the student who comes to community college to complete ESL but goes on to a four year institute and graduates.

Collecting data to measure success is important

 

Final Session: Views From the Legislators

Sandra Cunnigham: Senator, Senate Higher Education Committee

This is the first time NJ has a committee on Higher Education

NJ is at the top of the list for graduating non minority students, but bottom of the list for graduating Hispanics, Blacks, and low income students
 

Immigrant students is a key issue, there are some who are residents but continue to pay out of state costs

We need to reform developmental and remedial courses

In some states remedial courses are not allowed in 4 year colleges

There cant be a division between college and k to 12 system. We need more data

 

Thomas Kean Jr : Senator Republic Leader

For 3 to 4 years, NJ was the only state to be negative in the Higher Edu union.

In 6 months we have accomplished alot such as the Higher Education Bond Act

Celeste Riley: Assemblywoman , Assembly Higher Education Committee
 

Start from the bottom up

We need accountability, affordability, accessibility, employ ability

The subject of remediation, how much money, time of the students and faculty is spent in the undergraduate education or remediation . Nobody knows how to deal with remediation