Bergen President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D. (bottom row, fourth from right) signed the “Presidents’ Commitment to Food and Nutrition Security” pledge at the U.N. Dec. 9.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Joining officials from 55 universities such as Cornell, Michigan State and Tufts, Bergen Community College President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D., has signed the “Presidents’ Commitment to Food and Nutrition Security” pledge initiated by Auburn University – making Bergen the only two-year institution to do so. President Walter signed the agreement alongside her peers at a Dec. 9 event at the United Nations. The pledge creates a blueprint defining higher education’s role in combatting hunger.
“For many young men and women, hunger remains a roadblock to education,” President Walter said. “Colleges and universities must play a critical role in removing roadblocks – including hunger – in order to put students on a path for success. I am proud that Bergen, as the only community college to participate in this initiative, will continue to set the bar and provide a template for anti-hunger initiatives among our two-year peers. This positions our students, faculty and staff to play a leading role in contributing their voices and intelligence to finding global solutions.”
The pledge, organized through Auburn’s “PUSH” (Presidents United to Solve Hunger), will drive numerous initiatives – including an inventory of activities addressing hunger at academic institutions through teaching, research, outreach and student engagement. Members of the consortium will meet in 2015 to discuss progress and outline next steps.
Bergen ranks as a charter member of PUSH – the only community college among the 29 flagship participants from five continents.
Combatting hunger remains a priority for Bergen officials. Earlier this year, the College and Bergen County nonprofit the Center for Food Action opened the X-Change: Food Pantry at the Paramus campus. To support the initiative, President Walter donated a new refrigerator to enable a supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and other perishables. To date, more than two dozen students have visited the pantry for assistance.
U.N. officials welcomed the pledge, saying hunger should remain a global focus of all sectors.
“The intellectual expertise of institutions of higher education is greatly needed to solve the problem of food insecurity,” Amina Mohamed, special advisor to the U.N. secretary-general, said at the Dec. 9 singing. “This partnership is critical.”
Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu) based in Paramus is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling nearly 16,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields.
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