New Brunswick -- The Executive Board of the New Jersey Presidents’ Council focused on FY 2009 budget issues and the state-wide Transfer Agreement, and approved several new academic programs for member institutions at its March 24, 2008, meeting at Rutgers University
Montclair State University President Susan Cole, chair of the Council’s Budget and Governmental Relations Committee, presented the Committee’s recommendations for the Council regarding Governor Corzine’s proposed FY 2009 budget. The recommendations were accepted by the presidents.
In its report, the Committee asked presidents to be as active as possible in communicating to legislators and others. The key message is that cuts to higher education contained in the proposed FY 2009 budget should be restored to the maximum degree possible. President Cole shared with presidents a national chart listing appropriations for higher education (FY06 to FY08) that showed New Jersey last among the 50 states. In the long term, the effect of this lack of investment will be to seriously disadvantage New Jersey in regard to the stability and vitality of its economy in relation to other states.
Chair Edward Yaw (President, County College of Morris) updated presidents on the status of the Comprehensive State-Wide Transfer Agreement. Yaw said that the Attorney General’s office, after reviewing the agreement, had a particular concern about the appeal process; believing that the NJPC didn’t have legal authority to be the final step in the appeal process. While other solutions have been proposed, Yaw indicated that the NJPC leadership, working with legal counsel, has come up with an alternative that will be presented in the near future.
Presidents approved new academic programs for Bloomfield College (B.S. in E Commerce), Rowan University (B.A. in Philosophy and Religion), Union County (A.A.S. in Automotive Technology, A.A.S. in Game Design Creation, A.A.S. in Game Design Development, A.A.S. in Help Desk Technology Support ), NJIT (B.A. in Interior Design, B.S. in Computing and Business, M.S. in Computing and Business), Richard Stockton (Master of Social Work and Professional Science Masters in Environmental Science), Rutgers University (Doctor of Physical Therapy at Rutgers Camden with UMDNJ). 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 a B.S. in Athletic Training.)
Jane Oates, executive director of the Commission on Higher Education, told presidents that the first state-wide “service” conference is scheduled for April 4, and that Governor Corzine expects to attend. This is a one-day session for students on volunteerism, national service, and service learning and is free. For more information, see the Commission website at
http://www.state.nj.us/highereducation/
Oates also said that planning for campus mental health training is moving forward. Training is being provided by the New Jersey Violence Institute of UMDNJ, and is being funded by the state Office of Homeland Security. The program is a product of the Governor’s Campus Safety Task Force and is being coordinated by the Commission on Higher Education and the Presidents’ Council. More than two dozen training sessions are to be held between now and the end of the spring semester.
In other committee reports, NJIT President Robert Altenkirch, chair of the Homeland Security Planning Committee, reported that the Committee is finalizing a report based on an earlier review of campus best practices and expects to circulate the report in April. Institutions participating in the test program were NJIT, Montclair State, Caldwell College, and Bergen County Community College.
President Steve Rose (Passaic County Community College), co-chair of the Advocacy Committee, reported that work is underway on the NJPC Annual Report and that he expects it to be available in June. President Rose also reported for the NJEDge.Net Liaison Committee and said there had been strong interest in nominations for the new NJEDge.Net Board of Trustees. The Committee hopes to have its recommendations ready by next month.
Articulation and Transfer Committee Chair Peter Contini (President of Salem Community College) reported that the NJTransfer web site had received 17 million hits to date and that 97,000 electronic transcripts had been sent since December 2004, and 113,636 had been received. He said that NJTransfer expects to play a critical role in the successful implementation of the new state-wide Transfer Agreement going forward, but faces daunting financial problems.