Bergen Community College faculty and staff – (from left) Tom O’Neill, Susanna Lansangan, Carrie Polnyj and JoAnne Diamantidis – in the National American University Community College Leadership doctorate program cohort meet for class on weekends at the institution.
PARAMUS, N.J. – When a Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation evaluation team praised Bergen Community College in 48 “best practices applicable for any institution” last month, the College’s investment in professional development opportunities and programs ranked high on the list.
As a primary goal of its 2013-18 strategic plan, in just three years, the College has not only increased its commitment to professional development activities, spending $1.7 million last year, but championed rare initiatives – such as a cohort-based doctoral degree program for two-dozen employees through National American University’s (NAU) Roueche Graduate Center – that provides opportunities for development uncommonly found elsewhere.
“The College possesses the finest faculty and staff in the region – it should come as no surprise that Bergen employs a U.S. Professor of the Year,” President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D., said. “But in order to remain a leading community college with unparalleled human resources, Bergen needed to enhance its investment in its personnel and provide faculty and staff with greater opportunities for growth as the institution develops its next generation of leaders.”
Among the opportunities, Bergen provides tuition reimbursement for employees at the institution itself and baccalaureate, graduate and doctoral-degree granting colleges and universities. Last year, 66 employees took advantage of the program, which allowed those eligible to complete degrees with tuition assistance.
The NAU cohort, which features 26 faculty and staff, remains a unique example of the practice.
The community college leadership cohort program model – established at NAU in 2013 by community college scholar John E. Roueche, Ph.D., who directed a similar program at the University of Texas at Austin for 41 years – prepares students for leadership positions through classes on topics such as finances, ethics, educational analytics and community college history. Students complete a dissertation in their final term before earning an educational doctorate in community college leadership. NAU also hosts cohorts at community colleges in Kansas, Ohio and Texas. The Bergen cohort recently completed the first year of the four-year program. Each individual cohort receives tailored college and state data, projects, practicums and timelines that contribute to institutional needs while providing relevant practical and scholarly coursework.
NAU faculty – supported by a national advisory board of community college leaders – travel to cohorts for three in-person classes held on weekends during each eight week-course. The hybrid-learning model also includes online discussion boards and assignments. Faculty include George Boggs, Ph.D., the former American Association of Community Colleges president and CEO, and Martha Ellis, Ph.D., the former associate vice chancellor for community college partnerships, University of Texas System.
“What’s terrific about the program is that students have an opportunity to learn about community colleges across the nation, but then apply it immediately to the work they are doing at Bergen,” Ellis said. “It’s also unique in its access to leadership: 85 percent of everything written about community colleges has been written by faculty teaching in the NAU program.”
Professor Kate McGivern, who works in the College’s Sidney J. Silverman Library, said the NAU cohort has provided invaluable professional development.
“I’m learning so much about community colleges and their value in the world,” she said. “That knowledge helps me become better at what I do as I work with students and help them succeed.”
Cohort participants are: Brian Altano, Victor Anaya, Charise Breeden-Balaam, Alexander Chan, JoAnne Diamantidis, Jian Falcone, Gail Fernandez, Gemma Figaro, Christine Gillespie, Larry Grenner, Jaymee Griffin, Jeff Hering, Larry Hlavenka, Maria Kasparova, Susanna Lansangan, Deborah Manning, Kate McGivern, Tom O’Neill, Jackie Ottey, Nadine Phillips, Carrie Polnyj, Annemarie Roscello, Sandy Shevack and David Wang.
While the NAU cohort represents the strongest example of increased professional development opportunities, it remains one of many.
*In cooperation with The Chair Academy leadership consultant group, the College developed a series of classes aimed at honing the skills of senior management. More than 40 deans, directors and managers have participated.
*Beginning in 2013, the College established a biannual “professional development day” for all faculty and staff that brings prominent speakers to campus for a daylong conference. Workshops related to institutional, workplace and educational best practices also take place.
*The College instituted a competitive faculty research and scholarship release time program three years ago, funding seven faculty members each semester to pursue research in their field of study.
*Approximately 60 frontline supervisors took part in a management “boot camp” to further enhance customer service skills.
Bergen employs 822 full-time faculty and staff. Its number of full-time faculty – 285 – nearly doubles the next closest New Jersey community college.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls 15,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip 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. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
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