Stockton University to Negotiate With Kesselman for Permanent Presidency

The Stockton University Board of Trustees authorized negotiations on a contractual agreement between the board and Interim President Harvey Kesselman that could lead to his appointment as Stockton’s permanent president.

The board resolution authorizes the trustees’ executive committee to negotiate a contractual/compensation agreement with Kesselman for consideration at the Dec. 2 meeting.

Kesselman has been Acting University President since April 28 after Herman Saatkamp announced his resignation for health reasons.

Kesselman but had been scheduled to take over as President at the University of Southern Maine on July 1, but decided to stay at the request of the Board of Trustees on May 20.

“Stockton is privileged to have such an extraordinary leader, someone who has grown along with the institution, who has dedicated his life to academic excellence and who always puts students first,” Board Chair Madeleine Deininger said. “Dr. Kesselman has shown exceptional leadership as well as the willingness to sacrifice his own interests during a challenging time. When the trustees asked him to stay on earlier this year and he agreed, there was a tremendous outpouring of support from the Stockton community, the region and the state. He has more than earned the board’s full confidence.”

Deininger said Kesselman possesses many of the qualities the Board is looking for in a president, including: having served as a provost, a college vice president and a dean, with knowledge of strategic planning, accreditation, academic affairs, collective bargaining, fiscal affairs, national and state education policies, national and state politics, and a focus on students.

The president also would have to be “someone who has demonstrated a commitment to his or her own community and someone who understands the multi-layered difficulties that Stockton uniquely faces,” she said.

“We’d like his head and his heart to continue to work on behalf of the Stockton community,” Deninger said, adding that “the Board is working more closely together than ever.”

Trustee Raymond Ciccone praised Kesselman’s hard work.

“You used to email me at 5 a.m., then it was 4, then it became 3:30 - please can we go back to 5 a.m.?,” Ciccone joked.

“I am honored and humbled by the board’s support,” Kesselman said. “My wife, Lynne, and I are both Stockton graduates and we consider this a very special place. Most of all, I’m inspired by the people of Stockton, and our 40-plus years of shared principles and traditions. Together, we will continue to build on Stockton’s legacy and move forward.

“We really do have to focus on the students, and then all good things will happen.”

He previously served as provost and executive vice president, a role in which he implemented Stockton’s Essential Learning Outcomes to combine classroom education with real-world, practical skills including teamwork, critical thinking and communication. He extended the institution’s community and international partnerships, and supported faculty and student initiatives through the University’s 2020 strategic planning process.

His other senior leadership roles at Stockton have included: dean of the School of Education, interim vice president for Administration and Finance, CEO of the Southern Regional Institute (SRI) and Educational Technology Training Center (ETTC), and vice president for Student Affairs.

On the national level, Kesselman has been a presenter at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities(AASCU), the American Council on Education (ACE), and the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP). He also serves as a reviewer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

On the state level, Kesselman has been appointed by New Jersey governors and state education leaders to provide expertise on several authorities, committees and task forces. He also helped oversee New Jersey’s $1 billion student financial aid program and provided expertise on the Governor’s Task Force to improve the NJ STARS scholarship program.