Book Description

The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education is responsible for statewide planning, coordination, and advocacy for higher learning in our state. In conjunction with these responsibilities, the Commission publishes an annual systemwide accountability report on higher education in New Jersey designed to identify priorities and inspire dialogue for future change and growth. In addition, the Commission is involved in developing a long-range plan for higher education in New Jersey. This year's system wide accountability report follows an established practice of assessing annual progress based on student-centered outcomes or results. It is a statewide performance report, reflecting what students get out of higher education, as well as what resources the state and others put into it. Among its principal findings are these: (1) Total enrollment has increased by more than 35,500 students since 1997. Approximately 42% of the total undergraduate and graduate/professional school student enrollment growth since 1997 occurred between fall 2001 and fall 2002; (2) Over the course of the past decade average annual tuition and fees for New Jersey colleges and universities have increased at rates higher than regional and national averages; (3) New Jersey ranks third in the nation on the percentage of full-time undergraduate students receiving need-based grant aid, and sixth in financial aid of any kind as a percentage of total state higher education funding; (4) Students are taking increasingly longer to complete the academic degree programs in which they enroll. Students generally need more than two years to earn an associate degree and longer than four years to complete a baccalaureate program; (5) The total number of faculty at New Jersey higher education institutions increased by approximately 35% between fall 1995 and fall 2001. Part-time faculty increased by 76% during this period, while full-time faculty rose by about 9%; and (6) A 20% gap between the graduation rates of black and Hispanic students and those of whites and Asians has persisted for eight years.