To the Campus Community,

Middle States has left the building! 

Our review team’s departure on Wednesday brought to a close a multiyear process that demanded much of many. I’d like to express my most sincere thanks to everyone who contributed their time and expertise, especially Self-Study Co-Chairs Joseph Baker (Chemistry) and Interim Provost Suzanne McCotter; former Co-Chair Lisa Grimm and former Provost Jeff Osborn; Accreditation Liaison Officer Jennifer Palmgren (Academic Affairs); those who chaired or served on a working group; and those who helped read, edit, and format our lengthy Self-Study Report. We should all take pride in the excellence documented through this process.

Turning our attention to the future, I’d like to provide updates on the budget, the three Coordinated Action Teams (CATs) that I announced at my fall address, and upcoming leadership searches.

Budget

We are now approximately a third of the way through FY25 and I am in the position to report our budget projections are generally holding. Looking ahead to FY26, we are projecting approximately $8 million in new revenue and savings from LIONS Plan initiatives (up from $3 million in FY25). If we are successful in realizing those goals, we do not anticipate having a budget deficit in the next fiscal year. I should emphasize, while our current trajectory appears stable (and tracking toward sustainable outcomes in the future), we must remain vigilant and cautious. We have, after all, two-thirds of the fiscal year to go, and our projections vitally depend on our achieving both significant spending reductions and revenue enhancements (about which more below). This is all to say we are doing well, yet we are far from finished.

Note that surpassing our enrollment goals helped us realize additional revenue, and most of that ($500,000) was used to augment the one-time reductions needed to close the gap in this year’s budget. Should budget projections be fully realized, we plan to apply the remaining surplus to reserves at the end of this fiscal year to help replenish the draw-down used to close gaps in the past several budgets.

With respect to the LIONS Plan itself, here are a few specific updates:

• Online Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: As I noted during my Fall Address, this program launched this semester. It is fully subscribed and has a waiting list. Thanks and congratulations to Sandy Gibson (Education), former Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Jenn Kosakowski, and the Graduate, Global, and Online Education team for their outstanding work in making this new graduate program a clear success right out of the gate. 
• Community College Partnerships: We established a formal housing partnership with Mercer County Community College this past summer. Thirty-five of their students are residing on our campus. An innovative partnership with Brookdale Community College is being formalized for implementation next fall.
• Bookstore/Spirit Shop: In anticipation of the conclusion of the college’s contract with Barnes and Noble Education and its rental agreement in Campus Town, an RFP was issued in mid-September seeking vendors to operate an online bookstore and “brick and mortar”spirit shop for the college. A committee is in place to review proposals, which are due by the end of the month.
• Faculty Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan (VSIP): Twenty-six faculty members accepted the VSIP. The college does plan to fill many of these positions, though not necessarily in the departments in which they were created nor will they necessarily be made at senior rank. Decisions will be made in January to allow departments to make the most of the recruiting season. This VSIP was a one-time offer. There are no plans to repeat it. 
• Staff Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan (VSIP): Although not a LIONS Plan initiative, a staff VSIP was also offered. Seven employees have accepted the incentive. Their positions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis either for replacement or reorganization. 

CATs

During my Fall Address, I announced the creation of three new Coordinated Action Teams (CATs). Here is a brief synopsis of the charge to each: 

• Library: Implement innovative uses of the campus library that enhance its role as a vital resource for scholarship, research, art-making, learning, and collaboration, and that work to stabilize the library operations budget.
• Housing: Develop innovative housing strategies that enhance the living experience for students, addressing on- and off-campus options, while considering affordability, financial constraints and opportunities, and the needs and aspirations of our surrounding neighborhoods.
• Dashboard: Construct and provide operational guidelines for a real-time dashboard, accessible to the campus community, that displays key metrics for the college, facilitating transparent communications about goals, alignment around strategic objectives, and assessment of policy impacts and outcomes.

Membership rosters may be found at the bottom of this message. I will ask the teams to provide preliminary reports by the end of this semester. 

Searches

We are proceeding with two cabinet-level searches — for the positions of Provost, which will be co-chaired by Marcia O’Connell (Biology) and Pamela Barnett (Arts and Communication), and Chief Financial Officer, which will be led by Lisa Angeloni (Enrollment Management). The committees, whose membership is listed below, will be assisted by search firms (to be selected shortly) to build a nationwide candidate pool. I expect both searches to conclude in the spring. Following the appointment of a permanent provost, we will turn our attention to identifying leadership for those schools currently led by interim deans. 

Given the critical need to cultivate support with our elected officials, we are also moving to fill the vacant Associate Vice President for Government Relations position. This search will be chaired by David Muha (College Advancement). The membership of this search committee is also listed below. I hope to have this position filled before the start of the spring semester. 

As many of you know, Vice President for College Advancement John Donohue has announced  his intention to retire at the end of this calendar year. There will be opportunities to celebrate John’s outstanding service to the college in the weeks ahead. I am considering interim leadership for his division and will share plans in due time, but given its importance to our goals, I have decided to move the Office of Government and Community Relations from College Advancement to my office effective upon the appointment of a new Associate Vice President (AVP) for Government Relations. The incumbent will report directly to me but will remain an AVP. 

With my best wishes and warm regards . . . .

Michael A. Bernstein
President

CAT Membership

Library: Sunita Kramer (Science) [Chair], Erin Ackerman (Library), Kathryn Austin (ARC), David Bwire (Sp. Education, Language & Literacy), Judi Cook (CETL), Benny Chan (Chemistry), Ivonne Cruz (Academic Support), Annmarie Ekladious (Student Government), Craig Hollander (History), David Murray (Library), Joe O’Brien (Treasurer), Cynthia Paces (History)

Housing: Jordan Draper (Student Affairs) and Shawn Cappellano-Sarver (Facilities)  [Co-Chairs], Joyce Doman (TSCC), Kelly Hennessy (Student Affairs), Raj Manimaran (Government and Community Relations), Mark Mehler (Treasurer), Grecia Montero (Admissions), Richard Schweigert (Treasurer), Su Weber (Mathematics & Statistics), Jared Williams (Student Government)

Dashboard: David Muha (Advancement) [Chair], Audrey Cooper (Career Services), Norma Garza (Academic Affairs), Beth Gallus (Student Affairs), Megan Guiry (ARC), Adam Holsten (Communications), Allison L*****n (Treasurer), Carolina Marques-Borges (Public Health), Matt Middleton (Admissions), Marie Tuscano (Institutional Research).

Search Committees

Provost: Pamela Barnett (Arts & Communication) [Co-Chair], Marcia O’Connell (Biology) [Co-Chair], Jackie Anderson (Student Government), Zakiya Adair (Women’s and Gender Studies), Jonathan Davis (Ed. Admin. & Sec. Ed.), Anthony Deese (Engineering), Ewa Dziedzic-Elliott (Library), Anne Farrell (Kinesiology & Health Sciences), Jamal Johnson (Academic Support), Kevin Michels (Marketing), Abby O’Connor (Chemistry), Sean Stallings (Student Affairs), Brian Switay (Admissions)

Chief Financial Officer: Lisa Angeloni (Enrollment Management) [Chair], Terrence Bennett (Library), Norma Garza (Academic Affairs), Seung Hee Choi (Finance), Richard Schweigert (Treasurer), Andrea Welker (Engineering), Danny Wilson (Student Government)

Associate Vice President for Government Relations: David Muha (College Advancement) [Chair], David Blake (English), Heather Fehn (President’s Office), Chris Nitti (Campus Police), Matt Wund (Biology), Sharon Blanton (Operations), Raj Manimaran (Government and Community Relations), Matt Middleton (Admissions) Aria Chalileh (Student Government).