New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities committed to college opportunity for new jersey citizens

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New Jersey voters say they want to see the state do more to keep college education affordable and accessible, including voting for a 2- or 3- billion dollar higher education bond issue. They also have confidence in institutional trustee boards’ ability to effectively direct new investment. Those are some of the chief conclusions of a poll of 810 “likely voters” conducted June 27 through July 5 by Washington DC-based Penn Schoen & Berland (PS&B) Associates.

The poll was sponsored by New Jersey Association of State Colleges and universities (ASCU), an advocacy group for the nine state colleges and universities: Kean University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, William Paterson University, Rowan University, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, The College of New Jersey and Thomas Edison State College.

The purpose of the poll, according to Kathleen Matteo, chair of ASCU and a Rowan University trustee, is to “provide information to state leaders about the public’s views concerning access to the state’s colleges and universities and how the educational aspirations of New Jerseyans fit with the important policy and spending decisions that must be made over the years ahead.”

Among the concerns and action steps that received strong support were the following:

Likely voters appear ready to consider major steps to keep college and university education here within reach. Seventy-five percent (75%) say that they would be favorable toward a bond issue for higher education. When half were asked how they would vote today on a 2-billion dollar bond issue, and the other half were asked about a $3-billion issue, the results were virtually identical: 59% say they would vote in favor of the measure.

Dr. Darryl G. Greer, executive director/CEO of the Association and a political scientist, says “What we have here is fresh evidence that a set of dynamic, innovative ideas for investing in the state’s colleges and universities, for growing capacity, and for making college accessible and affordable in New Jersey could tip many votes toward one of the candidates in this year’s gubernatorial race. In the past, higher education has been a secondary platform issue of most running for office; our results show that this is a first-order public concern that voters believe can be addressed.”

The poll results may also provide insight to state policy makers about higher education accountability. While responses to some questions show that the voters view state government as a capable monitor of college and university spending, voters appear to have much greater confidence in nonpartisan trustee board decisions than in state government-directed control of state investment.

Upon being asked: “If the state was going to invest more money annually in higher education’s ability to serve New Jersey students which of the following ideas do you think would be most successful?” the bulk (41%) of respondents say non-partisan boards of trustees of each institution should decide how to best spend the funds. Other alternatives selected by voters: entrusting new spending decisions to the council of state college and university presidents (22%); letting the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education decide (16%) and leaving such decisions to the governor and legislature (9%). 

According to PS&B Associates principal Robert Green, designer of the poll, “Nearly two out of three people who will be voting this fall want either state college and university presidents or nonpartisan boards of trustees to make decisions about new investment in these institutions.”

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those polled say the nine state colleges and universities are affordable: 13% say they are very affordable and another 51% say they are somewhat affordable. Only 21% say the institutions are not affordable (18% say they are not too affordable and 3% say they are not at all affordable). 

More than seven out of ten (72% of) voters say these institutions provide an excellent, or good, education (excellent 22%, good 50%). Only 11% say the education they provide is fair and 4% say the education they provide is poor.

Voters seem undecided about whether admission to a state college or university is a sure bet for qualified students. While nearly half (46%) believe that qualified applicants usually get admitted to the school of their choosing, 22% believe that many qualified applicants get turned away. The reality: approximately half of the 20,000 applicants seeking first-time, full-time freshman status get turned away annually, including many well-prepared students.

Dr. Susan A. Cole, President of Montclair State University commented: “I think this poll, in keeping with similar polls over the past several years, makes it clear that New Jersey is more than ready to embrace a comprehensive plan for higher education, especially if that plan answers a fundamental question that the people of New Jersey really care about. The question is: ‘How can I be sure that my qualified children and grandchildren will be able to find a place in a good New Jersey college, and if they can find a place, will we be able to afford it?’ The creation of a plan that answers this question is both eminently possible and a very rich opportunity for the next governor to realize several of this state’s key aspirations.”

The poll also asked likely voters whom they think they would vote for in the upcoming gubernatorial race. Among likely voters, 46% think they would vote for Jon Corzine and 37 % think they would vote for Doug Forrester.

A summary of the poll questions and answers is available on request from the Association. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4% at the 95% confidence level, higher for subgroups. Interviewees were not made aware that the state college and university group was the poll sponsor.