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Washington, D.C./Cranford, NJ, April 27, 2022 — The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today named UCNJ as one of 25 semifinalists for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The $1 million Aspen Prize is the nation’s signature recognition of community colleges that are achieving high, improving, and equitable outcomes for students. UCNJ is the only community college in New Jersey to be selected as a semifinalist.

In November 2021, UCNJ was named an Aspen Prize Top 150 U.S. Community College and invited to apply for the Aspen Prize. This is the second consecutive time the College has received this prestigious designation. Next, the committee will review interviews with leadership teams and narrow down the 25 semifinalists to 10 finalists. This is the first time in the award selection process that 25 semifinalists have been named. In the past, the Top 150 was narrowed down to 10 finalists. The 10 finalists will be announced in early June 2022.

“It is an incredibly proud day here at UCNJ to be recognized as one of the top 25 community colleges in the country by the Aspen Institute. Achieving this designation is a direct reflection of the extraordinary efforts of our faculty and staff and their commitment to our mission of transforming our community, one student at a time,” stated UCNJ Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel.

“I would like to acknowledge the steadfast support we receive from the UCNJ Boards and the UCNJ County Board of County Commissioners. Being named a 2023 Aspen Prize semifinalist is an acknowledgement of our students’ hard work, and our employees’ dedication to student success,” stated UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

Awarded every two years, the Aspen Prize honors colleges with outstanding performance infive critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, and equitable outcomes for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. The Aspen Prize winner will be announced in the spring of 2023.

For more information on the Aspen Prize and to read more on the selection process, visit https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize/

CRANFORD – On October 19, 2021, UCNJ unveiled a plaque to dedicate Weidenburner Hall. Formerly known as the Humanities Building, the building was renamed Weidenburner Hall in honor of the nearly $2.7 million donation by the estate of UCNJ alumnus Bruce Weidenburner. This generous donation from Mr. Weidenburner is the single largest individual gift made to the UCNJ Foundation in its history.

Prior to his death, Mr. Weidenburner established this endowed scholarship with the UCNJ Foundation in his parents’ name. As a lifelong resident of Linden, Mr. Weidenburner developed his family’s scholarship to help Linden High School graduates receive a college degree.

Present for the unveiling were Senator Nicholas P. Scutari, Assemblyman James J. Kennedy, UCNJ County Commissioners Lourdes Leon and Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded; and UCNJ Board of Trustees Chairman Victor M. Richel.

“I am proud to be here today to recognize the generosity of a fellow resident of Linden. What a legacy to leave behind. This gift from the Weidenburner family will have a lasting impact on our community for generations to come. I look forward to helping Linden students expand their education by offering scholarships. It is imperative that this generosity helps our students. My office will always be there as a resource for all families seeking these scholarships,” stated Senator Scutari, who represents New Jersey’s 22^nd legislative district which includes Linden.

Mr. Weidenburner, son of former United States Attorney and New Jersey Superior Court Judge Chester Weidenburner and his wife Emily, established this planned gift. Both of Mr. Weidenburner’s parents were members of the inaugural graduating class of the College. In recognition of the donation, which was made earlier in the year, the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors approved naming the building Weidenburner Hall at their joint meeting on May 25, 2021.

“As Mr. Weidenburner graciously chose to honor UCNJ with this transformative gift, we are reciprocating that honor by naming a building in recognition of this generosity. For years to come, not only will students who directly benefit financially from this gift walk our halls, but they will see this family’s name on the building. We are appreciative of the magnitude of this gift and are proud to honor the Weidenburner family,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

CRANFORD – The UCNJ Foundation recently launched a new student success initiative, the Women 100 Project, to raise funds to support UCNJ’s female students. The mission of the project is to empower the next generation of women leaders which is critical to the success of our community and nation.

According to the Daily Excelsior, “women’s education increases income of women and leads to growth in GDP. Other effects are related to social development. Educating girls leads to a number of social benefits, including many related to women’s empowerment.” At UCNJ, the student population is 60% female. The Women 100 Project will provide direct scholarship and grant support to women in need, investments in programming to help women succeed, and provide overall services that are specific to our female students.

To support the project, a donation of $100 can be made from an individual, or corporate and community leaders. In addition, various levels of sponsorship are available and each one has additional benefits for the sponsor. For more information about the sponsorship levels, visit ucc.edu/women100.

“The funds raised with this new project will be used to support female only opportunities through programming and mentorship,” stated UCNJ Foundation Executive Director Doug Rouse. “Our goal is to develop a network of empowered women for years to come.”

For more information on the Women 100 Project and how you can support this initiative, please contact Brittney Mack at (908) 709-7039 or Brittney.Mack@ucc.edu.

CRANFORD – Union County College is proud to announce the fall 2021 opening of a University Center at the College’s Scotch Plains campus, located at 1776 Raritan Road. This location is shared with the Union County Vocational Technical Schools and the John H. Stamler Police Academy.

The University Center will provide students seeking their baccalaureate degree in select programs the opportunity to continue their education at a local Union County College campus with our four-year partner institutions. Currently, Kean University will offer three baccalaureate programs, Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Supply Chain Management, and Saint Peter’s University will offer both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. Several other prestigious institutions and programs are forthcoming. The Scotch Plains campus will also offer students an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and Liberal Studies programs.

Additional potential four-year partners have expressed interest in joining this unique opportunity to increase the array of in-demand programs being offered in our County. Dr. Bernard Polnariev, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Scotch Plains Campus stated, “We are very excited to re-open our Scotch Plains campus with this collaborative and innovative way of offering access to four-year degrees to our graduates. Our goal in Scotch Plains is to provide an even more seamless transfer option for our graduates. Moving forward, students who enroll at Union will know from the beginning that they can plan well beyond their two years at Union to obtain career-focused baccalaureate degrees programs. We continue to seek partners who are as student-centered and student-ready as we are.”

“Graduates of the College can now continue on to their four-year degrees here on a Union County College campus right ‘in their backyard.’ It is a cost effective and convenient way to earn a baccalaureate degree as Union brings popular programs and partners to the Scotch Plains campus,” said Union President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

For more information on Union’s University Center at the Scotch Plains campus, including the link to the application to Kean and Saint Peter’s, visit www.ucc.edu/universitycenter.