Presidents Approve Changes in Bylaws and Dues
New Brunswick -- The New Jersey Presidents’ Council focused on several substantive issues at its February 19, 2008, meeting at Rutgers University, including the new state-wide Transfer Agreement, the FY 2009 state budget, NJPC bylaw changes, and a new method for allocating dues to member institutions.
Chair Edward Yaw (President, County College of Morris) reviewed proposed NJPC bylaw changes for the presidents. Among the modifications were a revised statement of purpose, a new dues structure, a change in how Council officers are elected, and some committee restructuring. The amended bylaws were approved.
Montclair State University President Susan Cole, NJPC Treasurer, presented three proposals to members for changing the Council dues structure. Her recommended proposal, which called for universities with operating budgets over $300 million to be assessed $12,000, those schools with budgets over $150 million to be assessed $6,000, those with budgets over $50 million to be assessed $3,000, and those with budgets under $50 million to be assessed $1,500, was approved.
Cole also reported on the disposition of funds in an existing NJPC escrow fund (which members had previously voted to dissolve). Twenty seven institutions contributed their portion of the escrow fund --a total of $53,268-- to NJ Transfer; 13 schools asked that their share be returned to them. Many schools in this category had already made financial contributions to NJ Transfer.
Yaw informed the presidents that a review of the new state-wide Transfer Agreement by the Attorney General has raised several issues. Of greatest concern are changes recommended for the appeal process.
The consensus of the Council was that the appeal process outlined in the current agreement was very carefully developed to ensure that students would be well served and that an effort should be made to maintain essential elements of the existing appeal process. Yaw told members that he would followup on this issue.
In other action, Jane Oates, executive director of the Commission on Higher Education, said that she expects the FY 2009 state budget to be worse than in any recent prior year. She said her office is bracing for serious reductions in various programs coordinated by the Commission. President Cole said she expects to call a meeting of the NJPC’s Budget and Governmental Relations Committee following Governor Jon Corzine’s budget presentation on February 26, to begin outlining strategy.
George Laskaris, Executive Director of NJEDge.Net, gave the presidents a status report on the organization. He said that bids to build the next generation of the existing network will go out soon. He reported that NJEDge.Net is working on a new video-on-demand repository and that it will be part of a new national tele-medicine initiative that will involve more than a dozen area hospitals.
In other committee reports President Steve Rose (Passaic County Community College) reported that the Advocacy Committee had conducted a conference call among member to gather suggestions for the NJPC Annual Report, which is underway.
President Robert Altenkirch (NJIT) reported for the Homeland Security Committee. He told presidents that on-site test visits on best practices elements had been concluded at NJIT, Montclair State, Caldwell College, and Bergen County Community College.
Reporting for the Articulation and Transfer Committee, President Arnold Speert (William Paterson University), said that funding continues to be a serious issue for NJ Transfer, especially in the longer term. He said that usage of NJ Transfer continues to grow dramatically, with 111,000 transcripts received and some 84,000 sent to date.
Presidents approved new academic programs for Bloomfield College (B.S. in E-Commerce), Rowan University (B.A. in Philosophy and Religion), and Union County College (A.A.S. in Game Design Development; and A.A.S. in Help Desk Technology Support Specialist). The presidents also granted Rowan a waiver from the review process to convert a specialization to full program status (B.A. in Health and Exercise Science with a Specialization in Athletic Training to B.S. in Athletic Training.)
Mark Mattia, Vice President of Marketing at Liberty Science Center, and Santa Hughes, doctoral program in Anthropology, CUNY Graduate Center Volunteer Staff, provided background and perspective on a new exhibition at LSC dealing with race relations and titled “Race: Are We So Different?” Mattia encouraged presidents to let students and faculty know about the exhibition and use it as a teaching and learning experience.
Chairman’s Note: Subsequent to the February 19 meeting, it was determined that a quorum was not present. Therefore, actions taken regarding revisions to the NJPC by-laws and dues structure will be reconfirmed at the next full Council meeting on June 2, 2008. Actions taken regarding academic programs at Bloomfield College, Rowan University, and Union County Community College will be reconfirmed at the next NJPC Executive Board meeting on March 24, 2008.