Berkeley College Foundation Launches Food Pantry in Newark to Help Students Succeed

by Chanel L. Donaldson | Jan 18, 2019 | Partner Highlights

NCLC partners at the Berkeley College Foundation launched its newest resource to help students succeed with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 8, 2019. A food pantry, located at Berkeley College’s Newark campus on Broad Street, was made possible through a $10,000 donation from the Foundation.

“There are many factors that contribute to success,” said Kevin L. Luing, Chairman, Berkeley College Board of Trustees, who spoke about his 15-year relationship with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “Now we can help with basic needs, and offer another resource to help our students be successful.”

The Center for Food Action estimates that one-third of undergraduate college students nationwide face food insecurity. According to a study by Feeding America, Essex County has the highest rate of food insecurity in New Jersey. Berkeley College is one of 20 colleges offering food pantries on campus in the Garden State.

“Our students are working hard in the classroom, at their internships, and at their jobs, but hunger can make it hard to focus, and hard to be successful,” said Michael J. Smith, President of Berkeley College. “Students go to college to build better lives for themselves and their families. They should not have to choose between going to school and eating a healthy meal.”

The mission of the Berkeley College Foundation is to provide financial support for student success, including through scholarships and educational enrichment.

“The Berkeley College Foundation recognizes both the basic and complex challenges that students face every day as they pursue their dreams,” said Dario A. Cortes, PhD, Executive Director, Berkeley College Foundation. “It is our hope that through this food pantry, we can remove some of these barriers to success, so our future leaders can reach their full potential.”

Michelle Jansen, Director of Schools and Community Outreach at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, voiced her support of the Foundation’s efforts.

“We know that students across the state struggle with the hard decision of paying for tuition, paying for books, paying for housing, and paying for food,” Ms. Jansen said. “It is a decision no one should have to make. With the creation of this food pantry, we know hunger has no place on this Berkeley College campus.”

Erica Xicara of Linden, NJ, Vice President of the Student Government Association at Berkeley College in Newark, will complete her Associate’s degree in Health Sciences this year. The wife and mother of two shared her personal challenges in balancing her education with the basic needs of her family.

“The real struggles are the ones we face outside of school,” said Ms. Xicara, adding that she and her husband made significant career adjustments so she could pursue her degree. “The food pantry will ease the burden of students who struggle to feed their families because they have made the choice to better their lives.”

The food pantry offers more than 30 items such as pasta, tuna fish, granola bars and soy milk. The resource will be open three days a week to Berkeley College students from all campuses.

See the Photos: Click here to view photos from the food pantry ribbon-cutting ceremony at Berkeley College in Newark.

View the full article here: https://newsroom.berkeleycollege.edu/news/berkeley-college-foundation-launches-food-pantry-in-newark-to-help-students-succeed 

Two Newark City of Learning Collaborative partners enter agreement

by Chanel L. Donaldson | Feb 2, 2018 | Partner Highlights

Two founding members of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) joined forces earlier this week to facilitate the matriculation process of students seeking a master in counseling, with specialization in marriage, couple, and family counseling. The agreement between Newark’s Pillar College, a Christian-based institution of higher learning offering accredited degrees at the associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s levels, and Bloomfield College, a comprehensive, liberal arts institution located in Bloomfield, New Jersey, brings NCLC closer to reaching its goal. Based at the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at Rutgers University– Newark, NCLC is a citywide post-secondary attainment initiative that seeks to increase the percentage of Newark residents who hold degrees, certificates, and other high quality credentials to 25% by the year 2025.

“The articulation agreement … is just the latest example of the ways in which both colleges are working to expand access to rich credentialing opportunities, for largely underserved students,” says Reginald Lewis, executive director of NCLC.

The collaborative arrangement allows Bloomfield students who have achieved a bachelor of arts with a major in one of the social or behavioral sciences to “fast-track” the admissions process if they have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). As part of the agreement, Pillar is offering the following incentives:

• streamlined application process – including waiver of transcript processing fees
• enhanced financial aid – for those who matriculate within 24 months of graduating from Bloomfield College
• waiver of certain prerequisites

According to Pillar College President Dr. David Schroeder, “We are excited to establish our first partnership with Bloomfield College, offering its qualified candidates the ability to obtain an MA in Counseling in two years, as well as the potential to obtain their Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credentials. We hope this is just the first of many collaborative arrangements between the two schools which share not only geographic proximity, but a highly motivated student body that’s representative of New Jersey’s diverse population.”

Requirements for acceptance include:

• a formal application
• admission essay
• two letters of recommendation (waiver of a third letter, traditionally required)
• minimum grade point average of 3.0

“This agreement marks an exciting day for Bloomfield College students, “says Rich Levao, president of Bloomfield College. “Through this signed agreement, we’re making the process of transitioning to graduate school practically seamless, and in the process supporting our students’ desire to reach the pinnacle of their desired professions, ensuring a promising future ahead.”

Dr. Tracy M. Duncan, chair of Pillar’s master in counseling program, adds, “Bloomfield’s student body has much in common with Pillar’s demographic, especially our mission to support and nurture first-generation college students. The signed agreement supports academic, professional, and personal development by removing many of the barriers that are typically part of the graduate admissions process.”

For more information about the cooperative arrangement, contact NCLC at nclc.info@newark.rutgers.edu or 973-353-1750.