NJPC Executive Board Meets in Trenton
Trenton -- The Executive Board of the New Jersey Presidents’ Council met in Trenton on April 21, 2008, at the offices of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities.
The meeting followed hearings before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee during which Edward Yaw, NJPC Chair and President of the County College of Morris, testified on the proposed FY 2009 state budget on behalf of the Presidents’ Council. Jane Oates, Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education testified on behalf of the Commission. Presidents Richard McCormick (Rutgers), Susan Cole (Montclair State), and Sister Rosemary Jeffries (Georgian Court), joined Dr. Yaw in responding to questions from the Senate committee members.
Dr. Yaw characterized the Senate Committee hearing as constructive and friendly. He reminded presidents that the Presidents’ Council and the Commission were scheduled to testify before the General Assembly Budget Committee on April 24.
Reporting for the Budget and Governmental Relations Committee, President Cole said that efforts continue to hold meetings with legislators to discuss the FY 2009 budget. Several meetings already have been held.
The Executive Board approved 16 new academic programs for member institutions. The programs approved were: Atlantic Cape Community College (A.S. in Human Services), Burlington County Colleges (A.A.S. in Health Science), Georgian Court (B.S.N. in Nursing), Hudson County Community College (A.A.S. in Technical Studies), NJIT (B.S. in Business and Information Systems, B.S. in Computational Sciences, B.S. and M.S. in Enterprise Development, M.S. in Biostatistics, M.S. in Power and Energy Systems). Raritan Valley Community College (A.F.A. in Dance), Rowan University (B.A. in Africana Studies), William Paterson University (B.A. in Earth Science, M.S. in Exercise and Sport Studies, M.S. in Sales Leadership, B.S. in Applied Health).
Reporting for Raymond Yannuzzi, Chair of the Academic Issues Committee and President of Camden County College, Yaw told the presidents that two educational entities had petitioned for licensure to offer programs in New Jersey. One of them, NOVA, is petitioning to offer a doctoral program in education. Yaw said the committee will continue its discussion of these petitions at its next meeting.
In other committee action, Steven Rose, Co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee and President of Passaic County Community College, told members that the new NJPC Annual Report was on schedule and a text was being circulated for comment. He said the report would be available in June.
President Rose also reported that the Nominating Committee for NJEDge.Net had completed its work and he submitted nominees for the organization’s Board of Trustees for consideration and action. The nominees were approved by the presidents.
Henry Ross reported for Robert Altenkirch, Chair of the Homeland Security Planning Committee and NJIT President. Dr. Ross said that the peer review process had been completed and a report would be circulated to presidents in a few days. He suggested that recommendations contained in the report be discussed at the next NJPC meeting.
Peter Contini, Co-Chair of the Transfer Committee and President of Salem Community College, reported that his committee continues to look at funding alternatives and software contractual issues for NJTransfer as a consequence of the proposed FY 2009 budget. He said the committee met recently and received an update on the status of the state-wide Transfer Agreement.
Dr.Yaw told the presidents that modifications to the state-wide Transfer Agreement, requested by the Attorney General’s Office, are still pending. The Attorney General reviewed the document earlier and determined that the NJPC could not be the final step in resolving transfer disputes. An alternative has been proposed to the Attorney General, Yaw reported, and the NJPC is waiting for a response.
He further reported that almost every NJPC member college and university had been scheduled for campus safety mental health training. Allison Samay, acting for the NJPC, is coordinating the meetings.
A nominating committee has been appointed to identify the next group of NJPC officers with the intention to elect officers at the June NJPC meeting.
The committee is composed of presidents Robert Altenkirch, George Pruitt, Richard Levao, and Peter Burnham.
Acting on Sister Jeffries suggestion, the presidents decided that a five-member presidents committee should review and determine to what extent the NJPC should support, or sponsor, initiatives by Campus Compact in New Jersey. Campus Compact had contacted five institutions earlier in the year.
The next meeting of the NJPC will be June 2 at the Chauncey Conference Center, 660 Rosedale Road, in Princeton.