Essex County College's Accreditation Upheld, Probation Over

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County College administrators and students recently took a breath of relief when the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) voted to uphold the school’s full accreditation.

The college – which maintains campuses in Newark, West Caldwell and Cedar Grove – was placed on probationary status in November 2017 amid alleged administrative issues.

At the time, the MSCHE stated that there was “insufficient evidence of the college’s compliance with Standard 3 (Institutional Resources) and Standard 4 (Leadership and Governance). The commission initially placed the college “on warning” in November 2016.

A team from the MSCHE visited Essex County College in March, interviewing 32 administrators, faculty, staff and trustees.

The MSCHE’s action on June 21 removes the probationary status for Essex County College. The school remained fully accredited during that time, administrators said.

Essex County College’s next regularly scheduled event with Middle States will be a “comprehensive self-study” during academic year 2022-2023, administrators said.

The school is a pipeline for many Essex County students who continue their education at nearby universities such as Rutgers University, NJIT and Montclair State University.

“I want to thank the students that entrusted us with their education,” said ECC President Anthony Munroe. “Never was the quality of the education provided at ECC called into question by Middle States. I am appreciative of our dedicated faculty and staff for working tirelessly in fulfilling our mission. And, I want to thank the Board of Trustees for believing in, and supporting, my leadership of Essex County College at such a time as this. This is fantastic news and I am extremely pleased with the commission’s vote.”

Munroe’s sentiments were echoed by Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., who wrote on Monday:

“Essex County College is a landmark institution that has provided generations of students with a strong educational foundation that has helped them embark on successful careers. Getting accreditation restored has been a team effort, with President Dr. Anthony Munroe, the Board of Trustees and the college’s faculty and staff, along with my administration and the Board of Freeholders, sharing the same goal for the college. Some difficult decisions, such as the county increasing our annual contribution to the school’s operating budget, were made to stabilize the college during this challenging time. It’s important that we all remain vigilant and continue moving the school forward so ECC continues to operate and be looked upon as a beacon of hope for its students.”

• See related article: Essex County College To Lay Off 20 Staff Members

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Photo: YouTube / Essex County College