By Brendan Shrewood
With high school graduation numbers increasing through 2013 and major university tuitions expected to explode over the coming years, community colleges such as RVCC look a lot more attractive. RVCC is taking steps to secure its funding to keep up with the demand this will create and we will start to see changes soon.
The college has done its best to plan for an increase in facilities, programs, and students in the coming years. It has created an official five year plan. According to John Trojan, Vice President for Finance and Facilities, it is necessary to “look out several years” because buildings take this long to build and the state wants a plan written down before expansion. For example, Trojan stated that the college knows what it wants in its proposed student center, but it will take three to four years to receive state funding. The beginnings of progress can be seen by looking at the newly completed West Building.
Other influential new facilities include 250 new parking spaces in November and a new cafeteria. Trojan seems confident that these factors will make the college more appealing and add to the student population.
Expansion also looks feasible due to the availability of fiscal support from New Jersey with programs such as the Stars Program, which grants certain students free community college tuition. Additional funding comes from tuition and county grants.
These funds must also be used for new programs and faculty. As the school expands, more professors and programs are needed to meet student demand. Three to four new full-time professors have been added since last fall. Also, programs need to be updated with the changing job market.
For example, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has reported a rise in pharmaceuticals and life sciences, meaning programs may need to be implemented in these areas. All of this expansion seems feasible since funding increases each year, as does tuition. The only problem with this is that it leaves less room for diversity.
Diversity is a problem mainly because there are more middle class white students attending RVCC due to the previously mentioned tuition hikes and simplified credit transfer. Scholarship money has increased each year, which generally helps promote diversity, but the question remains as to whether or not it will be enough since the increase in the white population also brings in more money.
Despite problems with diversity numbers, John Trojan has quoted that this is an “exciting time for the college to grow.” There is a new president, a new plan, new buildings, and improved student services, including a new dean. The economics of RVCC’s expansion appear to be in line and many will look forward to seeing these changes take place.
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