News & Opinions
Costs Can Be High, But a College Degree is Worth It
Courier Post
Michael Klein
March 22, 2013
Student debt has been in the spotlight lately for several reasons. Among them, the tough time some college graduates are having finding good-paying jobs that will help them pay off their loans. Yet the value of a college degree must be viewed as a long-term investment. Read story, here.
Kean University gets Provisional Approval for its China Campus
Star-Ledger
March 28, 2013
Kean University, which broke ground last year in China for a new campus at Wenzhou University in Zhejiang Province, has gotten provisional approval from the Middle States Commission. Read story, here.
Opinion: N.J. Colleges Get Vote of Confidence with $750M Construction Referendum
Times of Trenton guest opinion column
December 11, 2012
New Jersey's colleges and universities and its citizens have something to celebrate: last month's approval of the "Building for the Future" higher education $750 million bond by nearly a 2-1 vote. It is the first general obligation bond to support new academic facilities since 1988. Read full story, here.
NJ College Students Worried About Tuition in Hurricane Sandy's Wake, Officials Say
The Star Ledger
December 6, 2012
New Jersey college students affected by Hurricane Sandy fear they may not be able to afford tuition payments due in January, school officials told the state Assembly Higher Education Committee this morning. Read article, here.
Panel: Higher Ed Institutions Have a Role in Teacher Evaluation Reform
Diverse: Issues in
Higher Education
November 14, 2012
As states begin to rollout new systems for teacher evaluation, institutions of higher learning should position themselves to be partners in the process and incorporate the new measures into their teacher prep programs. Read more, here.
Voters Approve Questions on College Construction, Judges' Benefit Financing
The Star-Ledger
Kelly Heyboer and Matt Friedman
November 7, 2012
Worries about the cost of
rebuilding a state battered by
Hurricane Sandy did not scare
New Jersey voters away from
approving $750 million in
borrowing for the state's
colleges and universities
yesterday. Read story,
here.
N.J. Voters Approve Ballot Questions The Press of Atlantic City
New Jersey voters approved ballot questions that will provide $750 million in construction funds for the state's colleges and require
state Supreme Court justices to pay more for their retirement and health benefits.
Read full story,
here. Tuition at N.J.'s Public Colleges, Universities Third Highest in the Nation NorthJersey.com Tuition at New Jersey's public colleges and universities is the third highest in the nation, averaging $12,399, according to a report from the College
Board released Wednesday. Read full story,
here. Public Question No. 1 Asks NJ to Invest in its Future Trenton Times New Jersey voters will have a rare opportunity on November 6 to decide whether the state will make a serious investment
in our future economic competitiveness by funding cutting-edge buildings and technology at the state's colleges and
universities. The Building
Our Future Bond will be public question No. 1 on the ballot. Read full story,
here. Cost to Attend Stockton College and Rowan University up About 3%, Compared with 5% National Average
November 7, 2012
November 5, 2012
Michael W. Klein
October 29, 2012
The Press of Atlantic City
October 24, 2012
This year's average increase nationally for in-state tuition at public universities was a modest compared to recent years -- and lower yet at Stockton and Rowan -- but it's still rough on students and their families whose incomes haven't gone up in years. Read story, here.
College Grads Facing Higher Student Loan Bills, Servicing Woes
The Star Ledger
October 21, 2012
About two-thirds of U.S. students who received their bachelor's degree last year left college in debt - an average of $26,600, according to a report last week from the Project on Student Debt. Read story, here.
NJ's Tuition Savings Plan Gets Lukewarm Review
NorthJersey.com
October 17, 2012
New Jersey's college-savings plan, NJBEST, did not make it to the head of the class this year in Morningstar's annual rankings of state-run savings plans. Read full story, here.
Students Advocate for Bond
Daily Targum
October 15, 2012
New Jersey United Students met Saturday at Rowan University to discuss final voter registration numbers and the importance of raising awareness for the Building Our Future bond act ballot question. Read full article, here.
New Jersey's Higher
Education Deserves New Jersey's
Vote of Confidence
Gil Medina, Contributor
NJBIZ.com
October 12,
2012
In November, New Jersey's citizens will have the opportunity to vote on a ballot question that would authorize $750 million in state borrowing for building projects that would allow the state's colleges and universities to replace aging buildings. Read full article, here.
Vote Yes to Invest in Colleges, State's Future
The Daily Journal
October 11, 2012
There are many good reasons why voters should vote "yes" on the higher education facilities bond on the Nov. 6 ballot - the first such investment in New Jersey higher education since 1988. Read full article, here.
NJ Asks Support to Fund Colleges
Vote could authorize borrowing $750 million
Star Ledger
James Osborne
October 10, 2012
Almost a quarter-century after New Jersey voters last approved a bond issue for higher education, political leaders and some of the state's most powerful business executives are trying to sell them on borrowing $750 million to expand and renovate colleges in the state. Read full article, here.
N.J. Higher Ed Bond Will Boost Jobs, Grads
Star Ledger
Brian Markison
October 10, 2012
New Jersey is one of five states that invested zero in higher education facilities during the past five years, while our neighbors in New York and Connecticut -- who compete aggressively to attract businesses and jobs in critical economic sectors -- were investing hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Next month, when New Jersey voters head to the polls for the presidential election, they can reverse this disturbing and economically detrimental trend. Read full article, here.
Bi-partisan Group Supports $750 Million NJ Higher Ed Bond Question
Star Ledger
Kelly Heyboer
October 9, 2012
Nearly every major political, education, labor and industry group in New Jersey united Monday to urge voters to go to the polls next month to vote in favor of a historic ballot question that would authorize $750 million in state borrowing for building projects at the state colleges and universities. Read full article, here.
Bi-partisan Group Launches Campaign to Pass $750 Million NJ Higher Ed Bond Question
Star Ledger
Kelly Heyboer
October 8, 2012
A coalition of nearly 200 political, education, labor and industry groups launched a campaign today to convince voters to put aside their worries about the economy and approve $750 million in borrowing for the state's colleges and universities.
The "Building Our Future: Yes on 1" campaign has less than a month to persuade New Jerseyans to vote in favor of Question No. 1 on the November ballot. Read full article, here.
Backers of $750 Million Bond for NJ Colleges and Universities Rally
NorthJersey.com
October 8, 2012
Supporters of a $750 million bond to fund building and renovation projects at New Jersey's colleges and universities say the initiative could create as many as 10,000 jobs in the construction trades. Read full article, here.
NJ Voters Back $750 Million Bond Sale for Colleges, Poll Says
Bloomberg News
October 5, 2012
Most New Jersey voters support a referendum authorizing a $750 million bond sale to fund capital projects at colleges and universities, a poll shows. Read full article, here.
Golden: Is Timing Right for Bonding?
Associated Press
Carl Golden
October 4, 2012
In any discussion concerning efforts to enhance economic competitiveness, talk turns inevitably to the need for a higher education system to produce a skilled work force. Read article, here.
Rutgers-Eagleton Poll: New Jersey Voters Support Education Bond, Increase Costs of Benefits for Judges
Rutgers News
Professor David Redlawsk
October 4, 2012
Large majorities of likely New Jersey voters support each of two key issues that will be on the November ballot, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll. A proposed $750 million higher education bond issue garners 62 percent support, up from 56 percent a month ago. Only 27 percent of voters oppose the bond, while 11 percent are unsure. Read full article, here.
Education as Job Training Earns an Incomplete
Huffington Post
R. Barbara Gitenstein
September 12, 2012
During the last two weeks, the Republican and Democratic parties have held political conventions and released their platforms for the upcoming elections. Each includes at least a bit of language on higher education policy, and, as the president of a 4-year public college, I am disheartened by some of their policy positions. Read full story, here.
Colleges are Recruiting a New Kind of President/Ability to Attract Donors Becomes Crucial
Bergen Record
September 28, 2012
Like most college presidents, the new head of William Paterson University has taught college courses and earned a Ph.D. But Kathleen Waldron also spent 17 years in international banking.
Clearly, contemporary college presidents are armed with different skills from their predecessors. As colleges face declining state funds, cuts in student aid and a weak economy, those searching for a new leader are putting an increasing value on presidents who can get donors to open their wallets. Read full story, here.
Richard Stockton College's Growth Can Be Seen in Bigger Buildings, Richer Budgets and More Students
Atlantic City Press
September 2, 2012
When Kirk Knutsen, Stockton Class of 1979, arrived back on campus last week to help his freshmen twins Courtney and Brooke move into their dorm, he couldn't believe how the campus had changed. Read full story, here.
NJ Association of State Colleges & Universities CEO Says Merger, Bond Initiatives are Good Opportunities
NJ Today
August 22, 2012
Governor Chris Christie signed a bill today that calls for university mergers in the state. The measure isn't without controversy with some questioning how the changes might hurt certain educational institutions. But New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities CEO Michael Klein told NJ Today Senior Correspondent Desiree Taylor that the merger offers an opportunity to the schools. He also discussed a $750 million bond initiative that will appear as a referendum for voters, saying the money will be an investment in the future of the state's places of higher learning and help fund critical building projects. Read full article, here.
Kean Higher Education Infrastructure Improvement Bills Signed by Governor Christie
Legislation Allows Voters to Approve Bond Issuance, Institutions to Enter Into Public-Private Partnerships for Construction
Senate Republican News
August 8, 2012
Two pieces of legislation aimed at making the first significant investment in higher education infrastructure in over two decades have been signed by Governor Christie today.
S-2500 initiates a public referendum to approve or deny a bond issuance for upgrades to facilities public colleges and universities.
"New Jersey's future economic growth, particularly in the technology and pharmaceutical industries, is dependent upon a world-class public higher education network," said Kean. "We cannot achieve the quality that is necessary at these institutions to facilitate that economic growth if they do not offer the very best facilities for research and instruction. While issuing additional state debt is not a decision anyone should take lightly given New Jersey's current obligations, I believe the question must be asked of the voters. Improving higher education in New Jersey is about more than sending our kids to college; it is a decision about what kind of economy we wish to support in the Garden State."
In addition to the issuance of state bonds for construction for capital projects (pending voter approval), pubic colleges and universities will be given an additional option to finance these projects with private dollars. S-2501 authorizes public higher education institutions partner with private entities willing to underwrite the cost of construction for new facilities.
How to Make Higher Education Affordable Top of Discussion at Stockton Forum
Atlantic City Press
June 28, 2012
New Jersey's system of funding colleges is broken, and a new center at Richard Stockton College has been formed to help guide how to put it back together. Read full story, here.
Trends in College Funding Shortchange State Schools
NJ Spotlight
June 27, 2012
Legislators and the governor's staff have been focused on the controversial higher education restructuring plan during this budget cycle, all but ignoring an issue that affects many more students and their families: state college funding.
This year's state budget -- having passed both houses of the Legislature and awaiting action by Gov. Chris Christie -- provides no increase in aid to Rutgers University or the state colleges, save for a $5 million boost to Rowan University, a key beneficiary of the restructuring, for its new medical school. Read full story here.
Bill Supports a Winning Strategy for New Jersey Higher Education, Students, and Economic Development
NJToday.net
May 9, 2012
Opinion - by Michael W. Klein, JD, PhD, CEO NJ Association of State Colleges & Universities
Partnerships between public institutions of higher education and private developers expand campus capacity, generate jobs, create high-quality facilities, and save time and money. Thanks to a new extension signed into law with bipartisan leadership and support, the state colleges and universities have more time to pursue these valuable partnerships. Read full story, here.
NJASCU Statement on the Proposed 2012-2013 State Budget
April 12, 2012
The New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) appreciates that the New Jersey Legislature is now reviewing a FY 2013 spending plan that would increase funding for student aid and would maintain the current level of direct operating support for the twelve senior colleges and universities. Read NJASCU's full statement, here.
Jill Biden Brings Obama Initiative to Mercer County
The Times
March 29, 2012
Mercer County Community College had a special guest yesterday with a strong interest in the role community colleges have in helping students enter the work force and build careers. Read full story, here.
Budget Proposes Higher Ed, District Increases
Star Ledger - February 22, 2012
Governor Chris Christie yesterday threw money behind his promise to support education in New Jersey, proposing in his budget address an increase of $108 million for higher education and nearly $213 million more for K-12 school districts. Read full article, here.
State College/University Association's New CEO Appoints Director of Government & Legal Affairs
January 9, 2012
Michael W. Klein, who became CEO of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (ASCU) this month, today announced the appointment of a new director of government and legal affairs, Barbara Berreski. Read full story here.
Opinion: New Jersey Public Colleges and Universities Headed in the Right Direction
Times of Trenton
Darryl G. Greer
December 11, 2011
As I conclude 26 years at the helm of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU), I can say that higher education in New Jersey has improved. It is broader in scope, higher in quality, more diverse, accessible, collaborative, innovative, entrepreneurial, productive, resilient -- and more accountable. Read full story, here.
Dr. Darryl G. Greer Joins Stockton's Hughes Center for Public Policy as Interim Senior Fellow
Will Help Articulate and Advance Higher Education Policy Issues
September 20, 2011
Dr. Darryl G. Greer, longtime chief executive officer of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) and a nationally recognized expert in policy matters related to higher education, is joining The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Read story, here.
New Jersey Public Colleges' Tuition Rises 4 Percent on Average
August 19, 2011
Diane D'Amico, Education Writer
Undergraduate tuition and fees at the state's 10 public colleges will increase an average of 4 percent for the 2011-12 academic year, data compiled by The Press of Atlantic City show. Read full story, here.
NJ Public Colleges' Loss of $55M in Funding Will Hurt Opportunity and Affordability, Schools Say
July 1, 2011
Salvador Rizzo-Statehouse Bureau
The state's public colleges are speaking out after Gov. Chris Christie made deep cuts to higher education funding before signing his $29.7 billion budget Thursday. Read full story here.
Higher Education Budget Disappointing to State Colleges
Press Release - July 1,
2011
Darryl G. Greer
The FY 2012 State Budget for higher education, signed into law June 30, is very disappointing according to Dr. Darryl G. Greer, an advocate for the nine state colleges and universities and their 105,000 students. "This spending plan, without a doubt, is another setback for college opportunity and affordability."
"As with many budgets over the past decade, this one fails to make higher education a funding priority; it continues disinvestment in college opportunity and places greater pressure on colleges to sustain quality service without appropriate state investment," says Greer, long-time CEO of New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU). Read full press release, here.
NJASCU Announces Retirement of
Dr. Darryl G. Greer and
Appointment of Michael W. Klein,
Esq.
Paramus Post
Mel Fabrikant
June 26, 2011
The New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) Board of Directors announced at its June 14 meeting that Dr. Darryl G. Greer will retire as CEO of the organization effective December 31, 2011, following nearly 26 years of distinguished leadership. Dr. Greer is the founding chief executive who has led the Association since its creation in 1985. Read full article, here.
Similar article in The Times, here.
Governor Christie Selects Acting
Deputy Commissioner of Education
Rochelle Hendricks as Secretary
of Higher Education
Press Release - Office
of the Governor
May 12, 2011
Bolstering his commitment to improve the quality and effectiveness of New Jersey's system of higher education, Governor Chris Christie today announced the selection of Rochelle Hendricks as the State's Secretary of Higher Education. Hendricks currently serves as Acting Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education, where she has been a key advocate for education reforms that demand accountability and positive results for children. Read full article, here.
Fixing a Trenton Disconnect on
Higher Education Funding
Daily Record
Darryl G. Greer May 8, 2011
A recent scientific poll sponsored by the New Jersey Association of State Colleges & Universities strongly indicates that 95 percent of New Jersey's likely voters believe that it is important for the state to have a plan to connect higher education with jobs and economic development. The poll further shows, consistent with prior studies, that New Jersey voters want to keep talented citizens here in the Garden State, and are willing to invest more, by a 2:1 margin, to expand the physical capacity of public colleges and universities. Read article, here.
New
Jersey Disconnect: Voters See
Public Colleges as a Priority
Investment Linked to Jobs and
Future Prosperity, But Don't See
a State Plan
Press Release
Darryl G. Greer and Paul Shelly
April 19, 2011
New Jersey likely voters say state colleges and universities are key to economic recovery, merit more state investment to fulfill this role, and are trusted to make educational and financial decisions. However, these public institutions need to do more to show the public they are working hard to contain costs and keep tuition and fees affordable -- a big concern of Jersey residents, many of whom have experienced economic setbacks. Read full article, here.
See results of Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates' poll, here.
Higher Education Task Force
Report Calls for New Investment
in Colleges to Keep New Jersey
Strong
January 10, 2011
At a news conference January 4th marking the release of the report of the Governor's Task Force on Higher Education, Governor Chris Christie announced a number of steps to implement some of the report's 70 recommendations calling for investment in higher education and expansion of college opportunity and affordability. The report reflects many suggestions made through the Association's New Jersey College Promise project, a project informed by business leaders and national experts and supported by state college presidents and trustees. To view report, click link - Higher Education Task Force Report To read full article, click here.
NJASCU's Position
Statement on the Proposed FY
2011-2012 State Budget for
Higher Education
Press Release by Darryl G. Greer
February 23, 2011
The higher education budget proposed by Governor Christie yesterday is a step in the right direction, according to the chief of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, which represents the nine state colleges and universities enrolling 105,000 students.
The budget proposes level funding for the state colleges. According to Association CEO Darryl G. Greer, the proposal needs to be understood in the context of several years of budget cuts to the state's four-year public colleges and universities. "We see some signs that higher education is a rising priority, and we are very hopeful that this view will be mirrored in the legislative budget process. Going forward, I think more can be done to tie college opportunity to state prosperity." Read article, here.
PREVIOUS NEWS & OPINION ARTICLES
Rutgers Officials Make No Apologies for 'Jersey Shore' Star Snooki's $32K Appearance on Campus - Star Ledger, April 1, 2011
Creating Jobs, 'Winning the Future' Requires Investing in NJ Higher Education - New Jersey Newsroom (March 14, 2011)
GOP Holds up NJ Governor's Record as a Model - Associated Press (February 16, 2011)
Task Force Offers Hope for NJ Higher Education - The Times of New Jersey (February 12, 2011)
On the Precipice: After Decades of Cuts, Public Higher Ed Faces a Crisis in New Jersey - Kean Offers a Solution - Star Ledger (January 9, 2011)
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Christie Says Higher Ed Will Get Cash Once the Economy Starts to Improve - Trentonian (January 5, 2011)
Update: NJ Higher Education Panel Calls for More Funding for Public Colleges - NorthJersey.com (January 4, 2011)
State College Association CEO Calls Higher Education Task Force Report a Much-Needed Vision (January 4, 2011 Press Release)
Governor Christie Receives Higher Education Task Force Recommendations, Signs Executive Orders to Create Governor's Higher Education Council and Advisory Council on Graduate Medical Education - Office of the Governor, Newsroom (January 4, 2011)
Panel Calls on N.J. to Help Colleges - Inquirer (January 4, 2011)
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