Ocean County College OceanViews Magazine 2026 Summer-Fall - Flipbook - Page 7
OCEAN NEWS
OCC Presents at NJCCC
Opportunity Summit
Several staff members from Ocean County
College were selected to present at the
New Jersey Council of County Colleges’
third annual New Jersey Community
College Opportunity Summit, held
June 9-11, 2026 at the Hard Rock Hotel
and Casino in Atlantic City. The representatives shared their expertise with
colleagues from community colleges
across the state in a three-day convening centered on “Opportunity in Action.”
Joining them were Dr. Sheenah Hartigan,
Assistant Vice President of Enrollment
Services, and Dr. Jim Campbell, Director
of Student Success and Retention, who
co-presented a session titled “Early Alert:
Because ‘We’ll See’ is Not a Strategy.”
Their presentation explored the outcomes
produced through the Advise early alert
system, focused on the work by the student success coaches. They presented
on data from Fall 2025 that showed more
than one half of enrolled OCC students
had an Advise alert during the term.
“Today is not simply the signing of an agreement,” said Stockton University President
Joe Bertolino. “It is a commitment to build
a more connected, student-centered higher
education ecosystem for our region. This
Alliance helps students start strong, transfer with confidence, complete degrees with
fewer obstacles, and build lives and careers
here in New Jersey.”
The Alliance will focus on creating clearer
and more seamless pathways for students by expanding transfer agreements,
developing dual admission opportunities,
enhancing academic advising, improving
reverse transfer practices and strengthening student support services related to
financial aid, scholarships, counseling,
internships and career preparation.
The annual conference brings faculty,
administrators, and staff from New Jersey’s
18 community colleges together with state
and national leaders to share best practices, discuss emerging challenges, and
collaborate on initiatives that translate
into real world outcomes for students.
Dr. Alexa Beshara-Blauth, Assistant
Vice President of Strategic Initiatives;
Catherine Mancuso, Assistant Vice
President of Academic Affairs; and James
Marshall, Executive Director of Curriculum
and Academic Assessment, presented
“Pathways at Ocean,” which highlighted
the curriculum changes made over the last
academic year and showcased the collaborative process used by the institution.
South Jersey Colleges
Form Regional Alliance
Ocean County College has joined with
Stockton University, Atlantic Cape
Community College, Brookdale Community
College, and Camden County College to
create the South Jersey Higher Education
Alliance, a transformative partnership
designed to make transferring from community college to four-year and graduate
degree programs more seamless and
affordable.
The Alliance is designed to help students
move more efficiently from associate degree
programs to bachelor’s and graduate degree
opportunities through stronger coordination among participating institutions. The
partnership reflects a shared commitment to
reducing barriers that can delay graduation,
increase student costs and create confusion
during the transfer process.
The presidents of all five institutions signed
the agreement, including Bertolino, Barbara
Gaba from Atlantic Cape Community
College, David Stout of Brookdale
Community College, Lovell Pugh-Bassett
at Camden County College and Pamela
Monaco at Ocean County College.
“This alliance signals to the broader public
the importance of removing barriers as we
learn collectively from one another about
how to make transfer easy and supportive,”
President Monaco said.
The initiative also represents a broader
investment in the workforce and long-term
economic vitality of southern and central
New Jersey. Participating institutions aim
to increase the number of students earning bachelor’s, graduate and professional
degrees while improving career placement and graduate school admission in
high-demand fields including healthcare,
STEM, business, education, public safety
and the arts.
Ocean Views
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