The Report of the Governor's Task Force on Higher Education
Author: New Jersey Commission on Higher Education
Date: 2010-12-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Graduate Students,Higher Education,Proprietary Schools,Public Colleges,Income,Medical Schools,High School Graduates,College Graduates,Undergraduate Students,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Educational Policy,Bachelors Degrees,Educational Attainment,State Aid,Governance,Paying for College,Ability,Access to Education,Institutional Mission,Educational Objectives,Trustees,Governing Boards,Educational Quality,Tuition,Community Colleges

Higher education in New Jersey has arrived at a decisive moment. After twenty years of declining State funding and increased tuitions, the fortunes of citizens and the state hang in the balance. Student access to an affordable college education and the economic prosperity of the state are at stake. Increased funding is essential, but so too are sensible regulation, appropriate structure for State oversight, efficient management of its educational assets, and wise educational policies. New Jersey's economy will continue to be driven by college graduates. By 2018, New Jersey will be second only to Massachusetts in the proportion of its jobs that require a bachelor's degree. Most of these jobs will be in areas like healthcare, computer technology, business management, and education. While the demands of the economy and the desire for personal advancement will drive more students to college in New Jersey, finding room for them will not be easy. Its institutions are already bursting at the seams. Enrollment at New Jersey's colleges and universities is at an all-time high, with 368,568 undergraduates and 63,599 graduate students attending the 12 senior public colleges and universities, 14 independent colleges and universities, 19 county colleges, five proprietary schools, and 11 religious institutions. Operating support, which began to decline slowly 20 years ago, snowballed downhill over the past five years, placing New Jersey at the bottom of national comparisons. Between Fiscal Years 1991 and 2004, New Jersey decreased state and local support for public higher education operations per full-time equivalent student, adjusted for inflation, by 10.8%. Between Fiscal Years 2004 and 2009, New Jersey cut this support by 18.7%, the third-largest cut by any state in the country. State and local support for higher education includes State tax appropriations, local tax support, and non-tax funds like lottery revenue that support higher education, including significant financial aid, and fringe benefits for many employees. The recommendations in this report address the major issues facing higher education in New Jersey today. They fall under the broad themes of governance, financing, affordability, access, mission, and quality. Appended are: (1) Executive Order No. 26; (2) Task Force Letter and Questionnaire; (3) Higher Education as a Percentage of the State Budget; (4) Duties of the Secretary of Higher Education and Governor's Higher Education Council; (5) Qualifications to Be Sought in Outstanding Trustees; (6) Regulatory Relief and Unfunded Mandates: A Report of the New Jersey Presidents' Council, February 2010; (7) New Jersey Higher Education Statistics; (8) Higher Education Incentive Funding Program; (9) New Jersey Public Institutions: Debt-to-Revenue Comparison; (10) Credit Ratings of New Jersey's Colleges and Universities; (11) History of Funding at Rutgers and Other Senior Public Institutions FY1990-FY2011; (12) New Jersey Ranks 47th Nationally in Higher Education Appropriations 2004-2009; (13) Changes in State Appropriations in Higher Education 2005-06 to 2007-08; (14) Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Students Leaving New Jersey and Primary Care; (15) Top 100 Institutions in Federal Research &amp; Development Funding; (16) Recommendations Regarding UMDNJ Facilities in Newark from the Report of the New Jersey Commission on Health Science, Education, and Training (the &quot;Vagelos Commission&quot;); (17) University of South Jersey; (18) How New Jersey Measures Up; (19) Capacity--New Jersey Trails States with Similar Populations; and (20) Number of Seats in Public Postsecondary Institutions Per 100 High School Completers. A bibliography is included.