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NJ’s Pay it Forward Program for HVAC & Welding at CCC

Governor Phil Murphy, the New Jersey CEO Council, and Social Finance launched the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program – a new and innovative workforce development program that furthers the Governor’s ongoing commitment to helping residents obtain quality postsecondary education and training to advance their careers, as outlined in the New Jersey Higher Education State Plan and Jobs NJ.

The Pay It Forward Program, which is the first of its kind in the nation, will help build a robust and talented workforce while supporting economic growth in the state. Participants in the program will receive zero-interest, no-fee loans at no upfront cost, as well as non-repayable living stipends and wraparound supports, to allow them to affordably prepare for good-paying, career-track jobs in the health care, information technology (IT), and clean energy sectors.

After a thorough due diligence process, the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program selected training providers with high-quality, industry-recognized training programs and a track record of strong employment outcomes, employer relationships, and experience serving learners from diverse backgrounds.

The loans will enable participants to enroll in credential, certificate, and degree programs at one of three inaugural training providers: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Welding at Camden County College, Registered Nursing at Hudson County Community College, and Cybersecurity at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Loan terms are designed to be more borrower-friendly than even federal student loans. Camden County College’s classes take place at Camden County Technical School’s Sicklerville Campus or Pennsauken Campus. Both programs, which meet in-person on weekday evenings, are nine-month, part-time courses with strong completion and job placement outcomes.

“Camden County College is proud to join with the Murphy Administration, and the other institutions in support of the Pay it Forward Program, to offer specialized training that will lead to gainful employment for the communities we serve,” said Dr. Lovell Pugh-Bassett, President of Camden County College. “Our Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning as well as our Welding courses at CCC are taught by highly qualified instructors and can be completed in as few as nine months. The Pay it Forward program is consistent with our commitment to providing affordable pathways for student success.”

All loan payments will be recycled back into the fund to ‘pay it forward’ for subsequent students’ training costs. The program aims to help participants find jobs while also helping employers fill in-demand positions in high-growth sectors to promote economic growth in New Jersey.

“With today’s launch of Pay It Forward, New Jersey is the first state in the nation to model this innovative approach that will help residents obtain family-sustaining jobs and then pay their success forward by supporting future cohorts of students,” said Governor Murphy. “This initiative is another way in which my Administration is working to give more residents access to high-quality education and training that will lead to good-paying jobs and successful careers. Investing in our residents will not only give them the opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their families, but will also help meet employers’ needs and promote economic development throughout the state.”

Participants who find jobs earning above a specific income threshold will repay the cost of their tuition over time. Any loan balance remaining after five years will be forgiven for borrowers in good standing. To help them succeed throughout the program, participants will also receive living stipends and free wraparound supports, including access to an emergency aid fund and mental health counseling services. Under the program, students will not have to repay the living stipends or wraparound supports. The loans are intended to be a last-dollar option, allowing students to maximize the free resources available to them to minimize the amount they need to repay.

Members of the New Jersey CEO Council, a coalition of CEOs from some of the state’s largest and most widely recognized companies, provided corporate contributions of approximately $5 million to the Pay It Forward Program. The State added to this commitment with appropriations of $5 million in Fiscal Year 2022 and $2.5 million in Fiscal Year 2023. The CEO Council is made up of the CEOs of BD, Campbell Soup Company, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Prudential Financial, PSEG, RWJBarnabas Health, and Verizon.

For more information on the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program, please visit: njpayitforward.org

County Seniors Citizens Art Contest and Exhibition Opens

The 56th Annual Camden County Senior Citizens Juried Art Contest & Exhibition opened on August 3. Submissions from 69 county senior artists are on display at Camden County College’s William G. Rohrer Center, 1889 Rt. 70 East, Cherry Hill. Open to the public, the exhibition runs through August 31, Mondays to Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“I congratulate all of the artists that participated in this year’s contest. The judges certainly had a challenging task, as each work of art is impressive and worthy of recognition,” said Commissioner Melinda Kane, liaison to the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission. “I encourage everyone to visit Camden County College in Cherry Hill during the exhibition.”

County residents age 60 and older, at any level of skill or experience, were invited to participate, including amateurs and non-professionals as well as working artists. Categories of work include acrylic painting; craft; digital art; mixed media; oil painting; pastel; print; photography; sculpture; watercolor; and works on paper (drawing).

Artwork by professional and non-professional artists was adjudicated by an independent panel of professional artists. First place winners in all categories at the County level will advance to compete at the state level in the New Jersey Senior Citizens Art Show, September 23 to October 27, 2022.

First place winners in the Non-Professional category are Acrylic Painting: Jay Miller, Voorhees; Craft: Donna Moyer, Voorhees; Oil Painting: Mary Christie, Cherry Hill; Pastel: William Lane, Haddonfield; Photography: Rita Wood, Atco; Watercolor Painting: Sharon Buttress, Cherry Hill; Works on Paper: Gloria Swiecicki, Haddon Heights.

In the Professional category, first place was awarded as follows: Acrylic Painting: Kimberly Clay, Somerdale; Craft: Robin Brownfield, Collingswood; Digital Art: Nancy Schmidt, Sicklerville; Oil

Painting: Rhonda Ward, Berlin; Photography: George Cordero, Mt. Ephraim; Watercolor Painting: Peter Ehlinger, Haddonfield; Works on Paper: Riccardo Veggian, Laurel Springs.

The Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission at Camden County College supports the local arts and history that make our communities dynamic places to live and work. The Commission was established by the Camden County Board of Commissioners to act as the designated agency in Camden County to receive and administer the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Local Arts Program and the New Jersey Historical Commission County History Partnership Program.

Camden Dean, Dr. Anthony Driggers welcomes the Educational Opportunity Fund Summer Program participants

EOF Summer Program

The EOF Summer Program is a 5-week hybrid program that includes orientation, college success class and book, advising support, financial assistance, and a stipend for successfully completing the course and registering for the fall semester.

The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) provides support services and financial assistance to students whose motivation and potential to succeed in college can’t be stopped by the challenges they may face. The EOF community fosters academic achievement, personal growth, and leadership skills that last a lifetime.

For more information about EOF, please visit https://www.camdencc.edu/eof/

Dr. Lovell Pugh-Bassett named next President of Camden County College

The Board of Trustees of Camden County College named Dr. Lovell Pugh-Bassett as the sixth president of the College during a special meeting today. She will be the first person of color to lead the College in its 54-year history.

“This is an important day in the history of Camden County College, and I congratulate Dr. Pugh-Bassett on her appointment,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Ed McDonnell, liaison to Camden County College. “Her strong background, wealth of knowledge, and powerful skill sets make her uniquely qualified to serve as the College’s next president.”

Dr. Pugh-Bassett has served as the Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness, Advancement, and Strategic Initiatives at Camden County College since August of 2019. This marked her return to higher education after 20 years with the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), having served in a number of capacities culminating in the role of Camden County Executive County Superintendent of Schools.

“Her appointment is not only historic for the College, her exceptional leadership skills and dedication to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in education will greatly benefit Camden County College for years to come,” said John Hanson, Chair of the College’s Board of Trustees. “Throughout her career she has worked hard to ensure that all voices are heard in every role she takes.”

Dr. Pugh-Bassett’s professional introduction to education began in higher education where she served as an instructor and program coordinator for the Math/Science Upward Bound Program at Temple University. After years with Temple, she served as the program director for Upward Bound at the Community College of Philadelphia and transitioned to her work in K-12 at the NJDOE.

“Camden County College not only provides the most affordable education in the region, it is also a great community partner, as demonstrated during the pandemic. When the county needed a location for our vaccination center, the college stepped up right away,” said Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “With Dr. Pugh-Bassett’s appointment, we will build on those community partnerships that were strengthened under the leadership of Don Borden.”

Don Borden, who has led Camden County College for the last seven years, did not seek reappointment. Dr. Pugh-Bassett will officially become president on July 1, 2022.

“I can confidently leave this position knowing that Dr. Pugh-Bassett and the administrative team will continue to move the College’s mission and vision forward in order to provide affordable and accessible educational opportunities to our students,” Borden said.

Her philosophy of leadership and education is the idea of merging education with advocacy. Her mission can be summed up appropriately as “I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy.” Dr. Pugh-Bassett believes that her positioning at Camden County College reflects the essence of her core commitment to community and considers herself fortunate to yet again be given an opportunity to work and serve. She believes that it is, after all, the inherent mission of a community college in its service to its community.

“There is a part to play for all of us in impacting and changing the lives of those we serve. We can only dream that we are able to have an opportunity to use our gift to impact our work,” Pugh-Bassett said. “I am fortunate that my gifts don’t force me to silo my contributions into separate buckets. At Camden County College I am able to merge my passions so that my advocacy can manifest itself in my professional universe.”

Camden County College is one of the largest community colleges in New Jersey and ranks among the top nationwide in terms of associate degree graduates. Thanks to its technology-rich physical resources – located in Blackwood, Camden and Cherry Hill – and its highly-qualified, dedicated employees, the College has created a tradition of quality education and a reputation of agile, responsive service. Camden County College sustains a vibrant academic community characterized by imaginative teaching, caring student services, energetic management and collegial discussion of diverse ideas and opinions. Register for classes at www.camdencc.edu.

Congratulations Holcombe Essay Contest Winner

Congratulations to Grey Kindya, a student of Claire Berger, for winning the Charles Holcombe Memorial Essay Contest with their composition, “The Heaviest Price of All.” Each year, instructors may submit one essay from their English Composition 101 or 102 classes. The essays are then passed along as anonymous submissions to the judges who vote on the best composition. The prize is $250.00, which will be presented at the awards ceremony, along with having their name inscribed on a plaque in the English Department Office.

Holcombe essay winner

(left to right) CCC Board of Trustees Chair John Hanson, Professor Jacqueline Beamen, Grey Kindya, Professor Claire Berger, and President Don Borden

Successful Donation Drive

The Educational Opportunity Fund Program at Camden County College would like to thank everyone that helped make their most recent donation drive a success. More than 100 items were collected for the Camden County Women’s Center to mark Women’s History Month this March. We can always count on the Camden County College community to support and give back to those in greatest need.

The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) provides support services and financial assistance to students whose motivation and potential to succeed in college can’t be stopped by the challenges they may face. The EOF community fosters academic achievement, personal growth and leadership skills that last a lifetime.

Learn more about the Educational Opportunity Fund at Camden County College.

New Jersey College Presidents’ Council Statement in Support of Ukraine

We, the members of the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, are outraged and deeply saddened about the horrific unprovoked attack on Ukraine and stand in solidarity with Ukrainians as they defend the sovereignty of their nation.

Despite a strong international outcry and major sanctions being levied against Russia, Ukraine continues to suffer mass casualties and over 2.5 million Ukrainians have already fled the country with more to follow. As leaders of higher education, we commit to offering our support and assistance to Ukrainian students, faculty and community members here in New Jersey. We are pleased to see that the Department of Homeland Security announced the designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months. We know our support must extend beyond that designation.

Our campuses must continue to be true safe havens for students from Ukraine who are studying in the United States as well as scholars who are working and researching here. We also stand ready to welcome Ukrainian refugee students who are fleeing their homeland. It is critical for us to make space for students, faculty and staff of Ukrainian descent whose hearts are heavy with loss and who are hurting for those who share their heritage. In doing so, we must also understand that Russian-Americans on our campuses are not tied to the decisions of their nation’s leaders and deserve to be treated respectfully.

As presidents of New Jersey’s colleges and universities, we understand that this conflict goes beyond politics. This war speaks to and is a threat to humanity worldwide. As such, we will continue to encourage civic engagement and service to others. We will continue to honor our responsibility to lift and amplify the dialogue of equity for all people and justice in all its forms. We will continue to address this and other conflicts through the lenses of history, culture, science and other disciplines to ensure our students have a fundamental understanding of the interdependence of geopolitical relations.

The New Jersey Presidents’ Council and its 55 institutional members call on our fellow New Jerseyans and members of our campus communities to welcome all people displaced by the conflict to ensure their safety, well-being and education. Together, we commit to kindness, compassion and equity in our words, policies, and actions, and we implore everyone to join us in these efforts.

Don Borden
President, Camden County College

Harvey Kesselman, Chair
President, Stockton University

William Austin, Vice Chair
President, Warren County Community College

Eugene J. Cornacchia, Secretary
President, Santi Peter’s University

Ali A. Houshmand, Treasurer
President, Rowan University

Teen Arts Festival 2022

Registration is underway for the 2022 Camden County Teen Arts Festival. The annual event – in person this year – will take place on the Blackwood Campus of Camden County College on April 29, 2022.

The Teen Arts Festival is an annual state-wide event for high school students to be recognized for their interests in the arts and encourages them to continue their creative work. In a typical year, counties hold Teen Arts events in early spring, where students gather during a one-day event to present their work, receive critiques from professional artists, observe the work of their peers, and participate in workshops in their areas of interest with professionals. Submissions are adjudicated and winners at the county level qualify to compete with students from other counties in the statewide Teen Arts Festival in June.

After two years of virtual festivals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Teen Arts planning committee is excited to host an in-person event at the newly renovated Lincoln Hall at Camden County College. Categories of participation include Creative Writing, Poetry, Video & Filmmaking, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Musical Theatre, Vocal Music, and Instrumental Music. Registration and participation is open to all Camden County Schools and teen artists, grades 9 through 12. Students may enter individually or as a school/organization. More information and the registration form may be found at https://www.camdencc.edu/teenarts/.

The Teen Arts Festival is sponsored by the Camden County Cultural & Heritage Commission at Camden County College (CCC&HC@CCC). Founded in 1972, the CCC&HC@CCC recognizes the role of the arts and local history in making our communities dynamic places to live and work. The Commission was established by the Board of Chosen Freeholders to act as the designated agency in Camden County to receive and administer the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Local Arts Program and the New Jersey Historical Commission County History Partnership Program. These grants programs provide funding for small and emerging non-profit organizations through the Commission’s re-grant program.

Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service

To mark this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service, members of the Camden County College Community, including Foundation Board members, Board of Trustees, students, faculty and staff, came together for a book sorting event at BookSmiles in Cherry Hill Township. The organization promotes literacy and the joy of reading by giving books to children throughout our region. They also provide students and younger siblings with high-quality new or gently used books, laying the groundwork for academic success. To learn more about other Camden County College Foundation events, please visit https://www.camdencc.edu/about-1/giving/foundation-mission/foundation-events/.

Volunteers at MLK service event

$99 per credit for the Spring 2022 Semester

Registration opens October 18

The Camden County College Board of Trustees has approved a tuition rate of $99 per credit for the Spring 2022 Semester. The $99 rate is the lowest in the region and applies to in-county and out-of-county students taking courses in-person and online. The ability of institutional Federal CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding has made it possible for CCC to offer this one-time benefit to students.

Registration for the Spring 2022 Semester opens on October 18, 2021. CCC is offering a full schedule of in-person and online courses this spring, including for-credit lectures, workforce development, and noncredit courses. CCC offers the largest selection of degree and certificate programs, most available transfer options, and the lowest tuition in the region. Students are encouraged to register early for the best selection.

“If the cost of higher education is the reason you haven’t pursued your academic goals, we want to remove that barrier. Our goal for our students is zero college debt, and it can be done,” said CCC President Donald A. Borden. “The best part is that this rate applies to in-person and online courses. The choice is yours.”

In order for every student to achieve a college education, CCC offers affordable tuition and fees, federal and state financial aid options, work-study programs, and a variety of payment plans. The availability of CARES III Grants can also provide help paying for education-related expenses such as food, housing, and technology needs, as well as or in addition to childcare, medical, and other qualifying expenditures.

The $99 per credit rate excludes Real Estate (FIN) and Center for Cultural Engagement (IDY) coursework. International student tuition is adjusted to $172 per credit.