Author: sharonsovany

Cranford, NJ – The UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey Board of Governors swore in five new members this fall including Ms. Sandra Rice, of Plainfield. At a joint meeting of the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors, Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel welcomed the new members to the meeting and initiated their swearing in.

Ms. Rice is Vice President of Outreach & Strategic Partnerships at Coqual. Coqual is a global, non-profit organization that addresses bias and uncovers barriers to advancement for underrepresented populations in the workplace. Ms. Rice is also a member of the College’s Foundation Board and has the distinction of being one of three women who established the Foundation’s Close the Gap Campaign. This strategic campaign seeks to provide additional support to UCNJ’s African American students to help close the achievement gap. Since its inception more than eight years ago, the Close the Gap has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that goes to direct student support. Ms. Rice earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at San Jose State University and a master’s in media studies from the New School.

“I am thankful that Sandra is a part of this stellar class of new members to the College’s Board of Governors. As evidenced by her visionary leadership with the Close the Gap Campaign, Sandra understands the value and importance of equity in access to education. I am grateful that she is expanding her commitment to the College by joining this Board, and I know she will add tremendous value,” stated Chairman Richel.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 and a top 150 for 2025 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

Cranford, NJ – The UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey Board of Governors swore in five new members this fall including Mr. John Richel, of Berkeley Heights. At a joint meeting of the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors, Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel welcomed the new members to the meeting and initiated their swearing in.

John Richel, who is a principal at Richel Commercial Brokerage LLC, is also a member of the College’s Foundation Board and serves as Chair of the Foundation’s Golf Committee. Mr. Richel is a licensed real estate salesperson with vast experience in property management. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Theater from Villanova University. Given his professional experience, Mr. Richel will serve on the Board’s Buildings & Grounds and Marketing Committees.

“We are thrilled to welcome this strong group of new board members to the UCNJ Board of Governors. John’s vast professional experience and expertise as a business owner and former COO of a major real estate management company will be of great use and benefit to the College. We are fortunate that he is expanding his commitment to UCNJ beyond his membership on the College’s Foundation Board,” stated Chairman Richel.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

 

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ is proud to celebrate the winter commencement of the class of 2024 at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, with ceremonies at 2:30PM and 6PM. Students will be receiving their Associate Degrees in Science, Arts, and Applied Science as well as Certificates and Certificates of Achievement.

UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. Each ceremony will include remarks by a student speaker. The speaker at the first ceremony will be Desiree Lucca, of Elizabeth, followed by Anais Santacruz, of Plainfield, who will speak at the evening ceremony.

The commencement ceremonies will include the conferral of degrees by President McMenamin, and a presentation of the Alumni Award and the Abdallah-Thomas Memorial Award. These special recognitions will highlight graduates that achieved academic excellence, leadership, and involvement in extracurricular activities.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

 

 

 

Cranford, NJ – The UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey Board of Governors swore in five new members this fall including Mr. F. Jim Della Sala, of Summit. At a joint meeting of the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors, Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel welcomed the new members to the meeting and initiated their swearing in.

Mr. Della Sala, who is Head of Strategy & Business for Wilmington Trust, is also a member of the College’s Foundation Board and serves as its Treasurer. Mr. Della Sala has more than 35 years of banking experience with knowledge of global corporate trust, entity management, and hedge fund administration. He earned a bachelor’s in Business Information Systems from California State University – Los Angeles. Given his extensive finance expertise, Mr. Della Sala will serve on the Board’s Audit and Budget & Finance Committees.

“This was an exciting fall for the College’s Boards as we welcomed five strong new members. Jim’s vast financial and banking expertise is a welcome addition to the Board. As a community college graduate himself, Jim can relate to the experience of UCNJ students which is also extremely valuable as a Board member acting in the best interest of our students,” stated Chairman Richel.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

Cranford, NJ – The UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey Board of Governors swore in five new members this fall including Ms. Deborah Enix-Ross, of Westfield. At a joint meeting of the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors, Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel welcomed the new members to the meeting and initiated their swearing in.

Ms. Enix-Ross is Senior Advisor to the International Dispute Resolution Group at the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton in their New York City office. She also has the distinction of being the Immediate Past President of the American Bar Association 2023-2024. Ms. Enix-Ross is also a member of the College’s Foundation Board, serves as its Vice Chair, and is one of three women who established the Foundation’s Close the Gap Campaign which provides support to UCNJ’s African American students to help close the achievement gap. Over the course of eight years, the Campaign has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ms. Enix-Ross earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Miami and J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. She also holds a Diploma in Comparative Law from the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law of Columbia University and a Certificate in International Law from the London School of Economics.

“Deborah will bring her wealth of knowledge and expertise to the College’s Board, and I am thankful that she is a part of this strong class of new members to the College’s Board. She is a leader in her community who cares for others and gives generously of her time, and we at the College are fortunate to benefit from her membership on the Board,” stated Chairman Richel.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin was honored by the Urban League of Union County as the recipient of the 2023 Ella S. Teal President Award. Dr. McMenamin received the award at their 47^th Equal Opportunity Day Dinner & Gala held on December 8, 2023.

Dr. McMenamin was selected for this recognition based on her transformative leadership at the College and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Dr. McMenamin was appointed president of the College in 2010 and serves as its first female president. Under her leadership, UCNJ has seen drastic improvements to student success outcomes. When the overall college graduation rate increased but those of African American / Black males did not, Dr. McMenamin started the Project Achievement Initiative, which combines dynamic advising with a programming component to ensure the success of African American male students. This initiative has more than quintupled the African American male graduation rate over the last decade.

In 2020, Dr. McMenamin was named the National Marie Y. Martin CEO of the Year by the Association of Community College Trustees. This fall, for the third consecutive time, the College was once again named a Top 150 U.S. Community College by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program making the College eligible to apply for the $1 million 2025 Aspen Prize. This follows the College being named as one of only 25 semifinalists for the 2023 Aspen Prize.

“We are very proud of President McMenamin for receiving this well-deserved recognition by the Urban League of Union County. The College takes pride in its diverse student population and providing access to quality higher education to underserved populations. Once enrolled, Dr. McMenamin and her team are laser focused on ensuring that students who start at UCNJ complete their degrees,” stated UCNJ Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel.

The Urban League of Union County is a non-profit community service organization founded in 1944. Its mission is to assist African Americans and other underserved people in the achievement of social and economic equality.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 and a top 150 for 2025 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ is proud to announce that student Precious Opaola, of Linden, has been selected as a Kaplan Leadership Scholar. Opaola is one of only ten students recognized in the tristate area for this leadership opportunity.

The Kaplan Educational Foundation spearheads the Kaplan Leadership Scholar Program. This program targets students at two-year schools who are distinguished in their academics, have leadership potential, and demonstrate financial need. Opaola is the fifth student selected from UCNJ for this program.

Opaola is studying social services at UCNJ. She serves as the Vice President of Service and Fundraising for Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), an American Honors scholar, a member of the National Society for Leadership and Success, and a tutor at UCNJ’s Academic Learning Center. In her spare time, she is a volunteer for UCNJ’s Office of College Life. After Opaola graduates from UCNJ, she hopes to transfer to either Columbia University, the University of California, Berkeley, or Princeton University, and wants to continue studying social work. Along with three other UCNJ students, she participated in a summer 2023 intensive program at Princeton University.

For her career, Opaola aspires to guide people, specifically lower income children, and set them up for a successful future. Her goal is to own a non-profit organization that focuses on helping lower-income children take advantage of the opportunities around them.

“The UCNJ community is proud of the diligent work and passion Precious has put into her studies. She is a student leader who is also heavily involved on our Campus. The opportunity to be a Kaplan Leadership Scholar will help her to continue to develop and grow her leadership skills” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater UCNJ County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 and a top 150 for 2025 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. For more information about UCNJ, please visit www.ucc.edu and for more information on the Kaplan Leadership Scholar program, go to www.kaplanedfoundation.org/

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ aims to address the shortage of healthcare employees in our region with the assistance of a grant received from Bank of America (BofA). This vital grant, via BofA’s Progresando initiative, aims to elevate and accelerate the path for Hispanic and Latino students in targeted healthcare programs. The purpose of this private-public partnership grant is especially timely given current headlines about healthcare staffing shortages post-COVID in New Jersey and across the nation.

UCNJ is a proud, federally-designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The Progresando initiative was created to help Hispanic-Latinos achieve upward economic mobility through careers in healthcare, while also helping to increase representation and address the shortage of culturally sensitive, Spanish-speaking health providers. Over the two-year term of the grant, the national initiative is projected to help more than 6,200 Hispanic-Latino students nationwide commit to healthcare related programs, doubling the current student rate.

At UCNJ specifically, the Progresando initiative aims to increase retention, course completion rates, and licensure pass rates for the Hispanic adult students in targeted healthcare programs such as Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Social Services. Progresando supports UCNJ County’s growing Hispanic population and the College’s continued commitment to advancing non-traditional students toward high-demand careers. While more than 40% of all UCNJ students identify as Hispanic-Latino, only 27% of students enrolled in the targeted healthcare programs are from this ethnic group. Moreover, despite high proportions of Hispanic residents within UCNJ County and enrolled at the College, Hispanics represent approximately 20% of the county’s healthcare workforce. The initiative will provide these students space to collaborate, receive resources, and access to various support networks to promote academic and career success.

“As part of the Bank’s longstanding commitment to supporting economic opportunity for diverse people and communities, we are excited to see UCNJ as one of two New Jersey institutions thriving from our Progresando initiative,” said Alberto Garofalo, president, Bank of America New Jersey. “Within its first year of receiving the grant, UCNJ has been able to remove barriers to student progress and guide Hispanic-Latino students to grow their participation in healthcare degrees. We are looking forward to seeing the next generation of Hispanic students thrive in the healthcare field.”

“At UCNJ, we are transforming our community by sending well-prepared graduates into the workforce. We take that impact seriously, especially in much needed fields. The pandemic demonstrated to all of us how important healthcare facilities that are well-staffed with qualified health care professionals are to our community. We also understand the importance of representation in industries and are proud to help increase the number of Hispanic healthcare professionals in our community,” stated UCNJ’s Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel. Mr. Richel also serves as the chairman of the Board of Trustees at both Trinitas Health and Trinitas Regional Medical Center.

Under the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Ramos, Dean of the Elizabeth Campus and Institute for Intensive English, the Progresando initiative has already supported several optimistic outcomes. Dr. Ramos noted that the most significant Progresando achievement to date is the implementation of the cohort-based student support program, which has proven effective at UCNJ as an overall student success strategy. For example, at the end of summer 2023, more than a third of the 211 students participating in UCNJ’s Progresando program graduated. Approximately three-quarters of the Progresando students who had not yet graduated, returned for the fall semester. Per feedback received, these students found the Emergency Assistance stipends and the targeted tutoring most useful in helping them continue their studies at UCNJ. UCNJ’s Progresando cohort is on track to meet the established outcomes of increasing the number of adult Hispanic-Latino graduates in healthcare thanks to grant funding and wrap-around support services afforded by the innovative program.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater UCNJ County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 and a top 150 for 2025 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

$1 Million Prize Recognizes Excellence in Equitable Outcomes for Students in and After College

CONTACTS:

Tatiana Johnson, 202-736-3538, tatiana.johnson@aspeninstitute.org

Jaime Segal, UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ, 908-709-7501, jaime.segal@ucc.edu

WASHINGTON D.C., October 31, 2023 – Today, the Aspen Institute named UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.

“We are both thrilled and humbled by this recognition by the Aspen Institute. At UCNJ, we are committed to our mission of transforming our community, one student at a time. We do not do this important work for the accolades, but we are honored to once again be acknowledged as an elite community college. This is a testament the incredible efforts of our faculty and staff, and the steadfast support of the College’s Boards and UCNJ County Board of County Commissioners. We are committed to not only providing access to an affordable and excellent education but also to embracing the diversity at our campuses. This invitation by the Aspen Institute is an acknowledgement of our commitment to student success and corresponding outcomes,” stated UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges in order to drive attention to colleges achieving post-graduate success for all students, and is a central way Aspen researches highly effective student success strategies that are shared with the field. The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit student success data and narratives about strategies to achieve better and more equitable student outcomes as the next step in an intensive review process that culminates in the naming of the Aspen Prize winner in spring 2025. The eligible colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector. Located in urban, rural, and suburban areas across 30 states, these colleges serve as few as 169 students and as many as 49,619.

“The Aspen Prize is rooted first and foremost in an assessment of whether colleges are walking the walk,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “As community colleges face enrollment variations, enroll students with pandemic-related learning loss, and graduate students into a rapidly changing labor market, it is easy to lose track of what matters most.  The best community colleges are continuing to focus on advancing the core mission: making sure as many students as possible graduate with credentials that lead to fulfilling careers and reflect the development of diverse talent that communities, states, and our nation need.”

While community colleges are an essential contributor to our nation’s success, student outcomes vary substantially among institutions.  Aspen measures those variances using multiple data sources and honors colleges with outstanding achievement in six critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, equitable access to the college, and equitable outcomes for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

“These 150 colleges have achieved high and improving levels of student success for all students, including those who are often failed by our institutions,” Wyner said. “We’re excited to learn over the coming months how they achieved that success so we can share the most impressive practices with others in the field.”

In this first round, eligibility for the Aspen Prize is based on publicly available data. Colleges must show strong, improving, and equitable student outcomes in first-to-second year retention, credentials awarded, and completion and transfer rates. Nationwide, about 15 percent of community colleges have been invited to apply (150 of just under 1,000 public two-year colleges assessed for Prize eligibility). The full list can be accessed on the Prize homepage.

The next steps in the process include:

• April 2024: Announcement of 25 semifinalists, selected based on assessments of extensive data and strategy documents by the Prize selection panel, a group of 16 experts in community colleges, higher education, and workforce training, and interviews with institutional leadership teams
• June 2024: Announcement of 10 finalists, selected by the Prize selection panel
• Fall 2024: Site visits to each of the ten finalists, during which the Aspen Institute and partners will collect additional information, including employment and earnings data and insights about promising practices
• January 2025: Prize award decisions made by distinguished, independent Prize jury at full-day meeting
• Spring 2025: Announcement of the Aspen Prize winner and celebration of the 10 finalists in Washington DC

For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions and to read more on the selection process, visit
https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize/.

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The Aspen Prize is generously funded by Ascendium, the Joyce Foundation, JPMorgan, and the Kresge Foundation.

Previous winners are:

• 2023: Amarillo College (TX) and Imperial Valley College (CA)
• 2021: San Antonio College (TX)
• 2019: Indian River State College (FL) and Miami Dade College (FL)
• 2017: Lake Area Technical Institute (SD)
• 2015: Santa Fe College (FL)
• 2013: Santa Barbara City College (CA) and Walla Walla Community College (WA)
• 2011: Valencia College (FL)

Note: Colleges that have won the Aspen Prize are not eligible to apply in subsequent years

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program supports colleges and universities in their quest to achieve a higher standard of excellence, delivering credentials that unlock life-changing careers and strengthen our economy, society, and democracy. We know it takes visionary college leaders to lead scaled, sustainable reforms, and we make it our mission to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and research-backed tools to inspire change, shift practice, and advance the capacity of colleges to deliver excellent and equitable student outcomes. For more information, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. Learn more at aspeninstitute.org.

UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of Union County, NJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater UCNJ County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ proudly recently celebrated its 90^th Anniversary and Founders Day at the College’s Cranford Campus. The College, then known as UCNJ County Junior College, was founded on October 16, 1933, with 243 students taking evening classes at Abraham Clark High School in Roselle. Many students, alumni, adjuncts, faculty, staff, Board members, and elected officials participated in this celebratory moment in history for the College, the County, and the State.

UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin welcomed attendees to the celebration and UCNJ County College Foundation Executive Director Doug Rouse served as the Master of Ceremonies.

Attendees included UCNJ’s Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel; UCNJ’s Board of Governors Chair Mary M. Zimmermann (UCNJ ‘01); Trustees Vice Chair Rafael J. Betancourt; Trustees Anjali Mehrotra and Miguel Merino; Board of Governors members Donna Herran (UCNJ ’85), and John Toriello; Foundation Board members Gene Jannotti and Suzanne Covine (UCNJ ’58); UCNJ County Commissioner Vice Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded; Assemblyman Reginald Atkins (LD-20); and representatives from the offices of Assemblywoman Linda Carter (LD-22) and Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis (LD-21).

Vice Chairwoman Palmieri-Mouded spoke about the great opportunities that the College provides the students in the County, including her mother who graduated from UCNJ with a degree in nursing several decades earlier. Assemblyman Atkins emphasized that UCNJ is a place of hope and a future for our community. Representatives from Assemblywoman Carter’s office presented Dr. McMenamin with a resolution to acknowledge the College’s 90^th Anniversary and Founders Day.

The event was held on the lawn outside of the Victor M. Richel Student Commons and included the dedication of a new gazebo in honor of the 90^th. The lively celebration also featured a DJ and photobooth with giveaway items that included t-shirts with the 90^th Founders Day logo, custom Rubik’s cubes, and refreshments. The menu was inspired by the Prohibition Era of when the College was founded: a mocktail bar featuring drinks with cheeky names inspired by the College, hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, and cookies with the 90^th logo on them.

“The College has had an immeasurable impact on our community over the past 90 years, and our Founders Day event was a celebration and acknowledgment of that impact. The College was originally founded as an emergency junior college to provide jobs for unemployed teachers and professors, and today we remain proud to serve our community with access to an affordable and excellent education. Today, tomorrow, and hopefully 90 years from now, we will continue our mission to transform our community, one student at a time,” stated UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

UUCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater UCNJ County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.