I attended the inauguration ceremony of Dr. Barbara Gaba as Atlantic Cape Community College’s new president. After hearing her outline the steps the college will be undertaking under her leadership, I felt extremely gratified that the board had selected her, and that she had accepted.
Our former editor, Joe Zelnik, crusaded for Cape May County to create a college to aid our people in achieving our potential. A little over a decade ago, his efforts and those of others brought about the college we have in Cape May Court House today.
Last year, the Herald, in conjunction with Cape Issues, crafted a seven-part series which reported on the college’s impact in that 10-year period. The series asked the question: Has the dream come true? The answer was an unequivocal No. The goals that should be part of any New Jersey community college mission: preparing students to enter four-year institutions, training students to assume skilled position in the state’s workforce, and offering programs that enrich the quality of life for county residents, went unmet.
This careful review by lifelong experts in higher education found little evidence of success, and concluded, “Cape May County did not get a comprehensive community college 10 years ago. It got a satellite campus of a community college whose focus was always Atlantic County.”
The authors also noted that the college had not become a center for intellectual and cultural life; leadership lacked focus on Cape May County’s unique needs; its educational offerings were few and declining; it had failed to integrate with the high schools, failed to offer a seamless path forward and overlooked lifelong learning opportunities for seniors.
Let me share a few bullet points from Dr. Gaba’s speech, which indicate to me that the college we will be seeing will be a much different college:
• She has dedicated herself to the task of making the college “the region’s preferred choice for higher education and professional training and a leading catalyst for economic and workforce development.”
• “The college will anticipate and fulfill regional educational needs, strengthen our community’s economy, and partner with K-12 and higher education institutions to create seamless educational pathways and maximize student success.”
• “It will be a wonderful place for students to learn with inspiring and engaged faculty,
• “We are committed to seamless transfers to four-year institutions upon completion of an Associate’s Degree or credential.
On Economic and Workforce Development, she states:
• “Community colleges play an important role in economic development, and we are here to prepare our students for the workforce of today and tomorrow.”
• She emphasizes “the important role that the college plays in workforce development and revitalization of our counties and the region.”
• “We are committed to workforce training for individuals who desire a credential to enter the workforce or to move ahead, and we plan to partner with businesses who want to update the skills of their workers.”
• “Just recently I signed a partnership agreement with Atlantic County for the development of an aviation academy at the Atlantic City Airport. It will train workers in maintenance, repair, and overhaul of airplanes, culminating in FAA-certification.”
• We are committed to New Jersey’s goal “to raise the percentage of New Jersey residents who have attained an industry-valued credential or degree from the current 50 percent up to 65 percent by 2025”.
Increase and Strengthen K-12 Partnerships
• “We are actively partnering with high schools in both counties and will continue to work diligently to build relationships with our high schools by providing a wide array of dual credit courses.”
• “We are committed to improving the success and completion rate of students through career planning, peer mentoring and mandatory academic advising.”
• “We are already working on efforts to promote entrepreneurism and drone programs especially at our Cape May County Campus.”
• “We will be an institution committed to listening and responding to our community;”
• “We will be ‘An institution committed to academic excellence.’”
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Will Dr. Gaba be able to achieve the ambitious vision which she has laid out? I believe that if it can be done, she has the drive, the determination, the skills and the fortitude to make it happen. Add to the above; she is solid; she knows herself, and she knows where the real power originates.
That said, is the current structure of the college optimal? What she has outlined requires an individual focus within each county. The Atlantic County economy is under great stress and will require an all-consuming focus to aright it. Is it humanly possible for anyone to give Atlantic County his or her best while having the imagination and energy to also serve the very demanding requirements of Cape May County? As I said, I believe that if anyone can do it, she can. If she cannot, she will say so. She will be guided by her love and respect for students and by her sense of obligation to the citizens of each county.
