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

150 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608                       609-989-1100     609-989-7017 fax                   njascu@njascu.org

by Darryl G. Greer, Executive Director

NJASCU

Lately we have been hearing a lot about what candidates for governor are going to do to reduce corruption, wasteful spending and property taxes.

Alas, New Jersey voters yearn for a positive agenda from gubernatorial candidates.  They want to elect a governor with a vision that goes beyond just remedying New Jersey's perennial troubles.  They want someone who offers hope for the future.

Among Garden State residents' most fervent hopes is that their family members will have access to the vast array of benefits associated with a college degree: among them a rewarding career, a base for lifelong learning and advancement, and a fulfilling life.

Pubic opinion polls our association sponsored since 1999, including one last month of 800 likely voters, consistently point to the need for a governor with a vision for improving higher education opportunity for low- and middle-income residents.

Our most recent poll, conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, found that higher education could very well be the ticket for gaining the public support needed to win the gubernatorial election.  To voters, it seems, college opportunity, individual success and the principle of fairness are closely linked.  They also understand the link between higher education, the workforce and regional economic development.  For example, our poll found that:

What's more, voters are ready to support a giant step toward expanding college capacity in their home state.  Specifically, they favor, by a 4-to-1 margin, a higher education facilities bond issue to expand the number of places for students and improve education at New Jersey colleges and universities.

Could a candidate's stance on higher education make a difference in how he fares on Election Day?  Our poll says yes.  Likely voters leaning toward, but yet undecided about one of the candidates, were asked whether commitments made to higher education opportunity would greatly increase the likelihood of their voting for that individual.  Our poll found that 23 percent of those leaning toward Doug Forrester said that they would be much more likely to vote for him if this commitment as made.  Similarly, 22 percent of those leaning toward Jon Corzine said they would be much more likely to vote for him if he committed to expanding college opportunities.

Voters and higher education leaders are looking forward to seeing all that the candidates have to say about higher education at this critical point in history when:

A chief reason that our association sponsored this poll, and five previous ones, is our board's belief in the need for a two-way conversation between the public and policymakers on important higher education issues.  Elected officials and higher education experts need to know the will of the people.

Currently, there are no statewide grassroots groups that broadly represent the interests of all citizens who care about higher education in New Jersey.  At one time, parent-teacher associations, federated women's clubs and the League of Women Voters helped fill this role.  To my knowledge, this is simply no longer the case.

We invite other concerned groups to sponsor polls or town meetings on higher education, or televised forums on higher education issues, any of which could confirm or challenge our findings and explore implications.  The state colleges and universities are stepping forward; others can join us.  The candidates for governor have already begun to sketch out their plans for higher education.  Rest assured we will keep reminding them of the great importance, to the people of this state, of broad access to affordable, high quality New Jersey colleges and universities.