Stockton College to Tackle Issues of Access and Affordability to Public Colleges

It will lead a group of college leaders who will discuss the issue next Wednesday, June 27.

Anthony Bellano, Patch Staff

Posted Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 5:56 pm ET

is leading an effort to tackle issues of access and affordability to public colleges.

The school's Center for Higher Education Strategic Information and Governance (HESIG) is forming a pioneering Policy Steering Council, which will gather 30 top national, state, regional and college leaders in an effort to determine who will have the chance to attend college and how they will pay for it, Stockton announced on Thursday, June 21.

The council will meet next Wednesday, June 27, and will be asked for immediate resolutions, including: confirming the mission and vision of the Center; and identifying working priorities, implementation strategies, partners and funding sources, and concrete recommendations for engagement during the 2012-13 school year, according to Stockton.

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“The work of HESIG is critically important to the future of higher education," Richard Stockton College of New Jersey President Herman Saatkamp said. "Stockton is positioned to be the leading state and national resource in college opportunity, affordability and public accountability. Few colleges in the nation have envisioned accomplishing such an ambitious agenda during a time of global economic uncertainty that threatens the promise of college opportunity, American competitiveness and the long- term prosperity of our citizens.”

The council will meet for a full day in an effort to answer the following questions:who will attend college; how will it be paid for; how will colleges account for the public trust; and what is the specific agenda for HESIG.

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A fundamental assumption behind the purpose of HESIG that the financial model for funding colleges is broken and in great need of repair has been supported by a number of recent surveys, according to the college.

This includes a recent poll conducted by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy that indicates citizens feel strongly about the need to attend college, but face growing uncertainty about how to pay for it.

“The mission of HESIG is to be an agent for constructive higher education policy change," said Senior Fellow Darryl G. Greer, who will facilitate the meeting. "We propose to focus initially on real solutions for financing colleges to achieve the goals of access, affordability, completion and accountability. Stockton has unique resources, such as the Hughes Center and its new polling capacity, to help accomplish these goals."

Greer has achieved a national reputation for policy leadership on these matters in his 25 years as CEO of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU), according to Stockton.

HESIG plans to use the advice of this council to report on the condition of New Jersey higher education, according to Stockton. The report will be tied to an annual scientific poll of opinion leaders and citizens concerning what needs to be done to improve access, affordability and public support for change, the school said.

Stockton's goal is to establish better informed policy, better informed policy makers and citizens, the ability to make decisions that lead to better strategic decisions and positive change; and position Stockton as a national leader in this regard, the school said.

HESIG envisions important future partners in the effort including the Governor, the legislature and key policy makers such as New Jersey Higher Education Secretary Rochelle Hendricks.

Greer said HESIG will move immediately to identify working and funding partners within NJ and nationally, to accomplish its mission, on the advice of the council.

According to the school, the Policy Steering Council membership includes:

Peter Anthony Caporilli, Founder & CEO of Tidewater Workshop

Henry A. Coleman, Professor of Public Policy, Rutgers University

Jan Colijn, Dean of General Studies