Senate Committee to Review Merger of Bloomfield College and Montclair State University

TRENTON – The Senate Higher Education Committee’s meeting on Monday will include a review of the merger of Bloomfield College with Montclair State University, said Senator Joe Cryan, the committee’s new chair.

The committee will hear from Dr. Jonathan Koppell, President of Montclair University, and Dr. Marcheta Evans, the former President and current Chancellor of Bloomfield College, to get an update on the progress of the merger of Bloomfield, a private college, with Montclair, a public university, to create the newly-named Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.

“This is a complex merger of a private college with a proud history of educating a diverse student body for more than 150 years with one of New Jersey’s premiere public research universities,” said Senator Cryan (D-Union). “This saved Bloomfield from shutting down and expanded the role of Montclair. We want to get a review of how the merger has progressed and how the schools will continue to serve the needs of students, faculty and staff.”

In October of 2022, Montclair State University announced its plan to acquire Bloomfield College, a move that was facilitated by legislation approved by the Legislature and Governor Murphy. The merger was completed by June 30, 2023.

The Senate Higher Education Committee will meet on Monday, February 5, at 10:00 a.m. in Committee Room 1, State House Annex, Trenton. The hearing will be available via the OLS website (https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/live-proceedings).

The following bills will also be considered:

·    S-1445 (Singleton/Corrado): Requires public institution of higher education to readmit student whose enrollment was interrupted due to military service.

·    S-2038 (Gopal/Cryan): Requires public institution of higher education to post certain information on institution’s website.

·    S-2234 (Ruiz): Permits students at public institutions of higher education to donate unused meal plan funds to emergency meal fund for distribution to New Jersey food banks.