One-Minute Summary December 14, 2007 Commission Meeting

The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education convened at the Mary G. Roebling Building in Trenton on December 14, 2007. Chairman Laurence Downes presided. Highlights from the meeting include:

• Chairman’s Report: Mr. Downes congratulated and thanked Executive Director Oates and staff for a wonderful year. He discussed the Joint Budget Policy Statement and the draft response to the SCI Report, and his pleasure that agreement was reached with the Presidents’ Council on both.

• Executive Director’s Report: Ms. Oates discussed the Commission on Higher Education’s accomplishments for 2007.

• Presidents’ Council Report: Dr. Yaw commented on the Presidents’ Council meeting, the Joint Budget Policy Statement, the statewide transfer agreement, the possibility of NJN establishing a cable channel with programming provided by the colleges, continuing efforts to solicit funds for NJTransfer, and working on the bylaws for the Presidents’ Council and NJEDge.net.

• Adoption of FY 2009 Joint Budget Policy Statement: The Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution adopting the FY 2009 Joint Budget Policy Statement of the Commission on Higher Education and the New Jersey Presidents’ Council for transmittal to the Governor, Treasurer, and Legislature.

• Approval of the SCI Report Response: The Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution adopting the Response Plan to the SCI Report for transmittal to the Governor and the Legislature.

• Guest Speaker: Ronald Chen, Esq., Public Advocate, spoke to the Commission on the status of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy with particular attention to matters pertinent to access to higher education.

• Mercer County Economic Impact Study: Dr. George Pruitt, President of Thomas Edison State College and Dr. Barbara Gitenstein, President of The College of New Jersey, gave a presentation on the Mercer County Economic Impact Study which was a study of the impact of the five colleges of Mercer County on the local economy in fiscal 2005.

• Special Needs 2008 Supplemental Funding: The Commissioners adopted a resolution approving the distribution of the one-time supplemental funding for fiscal 2008.

• EOF Update: Dr. Glenn Lang commented on the EOF Board meeting on December 7 where advance funding for the upcoming 2008 summer program was approved and some additional funding was released that had been held in reserve.

• Comments from the Public:

  • Ms. Jennie Negron-Bethea, Mercer County Community College Educational Opportunity Fund graduate, commented on her support of the EOF program;
  • Ms. Linda McCalla, Mercer County Community College Educational Opportunity Fund student, commented on her support of the EOF program;
  • Dr. John Pace, President, Association of NJ County College Faculty, commented on the SCI Report Response and the Joint Budget Policy Statement.

• Discussion of the Commission’s priorities for 2008
• Proposal level revisions to the licensure regulations (sunset)
• College Spotlight – Gloucester County College
• Presentation: School of Arts & Sciences, Rutgers University