Established in 2011 and based on the Montclair campus, Engage NJ represents all sectors of New Jersey higher education. It operates as a collaborative force in empowering campuses to foster competencies that advance democracy and enable students to thrive in 21st-century life and work.

Koppell will serve a three-year term as a member of the board, joining presidents from both two-year and four-year public institutions.

“The missions of ����vlog and Engage NJ are closely aligned,” says Koppell. “To ensure a sustainable, vibrant New Jersey that will thrive for generations to come, we must cultivate an ethic of public service while preparing students with hands-on learning experiences so that they have the skills to solve the state’s current and future challenges. I am pleased to join the Board of Directors of Engage NJ, and serve alongside leaders who share this important commitment.”

Engage NJ holds true that when higher education is both an ecosystem for equality and an engine of economic opportunity for each and every student, they will persist and graduate with the competencies and commitments to contribute positively to a resilient democracy and to lead fulfilling lives.

As part of its latest Strategic Plan, Engage NJ will work toward the goal of a minimum of 5,000 students per year completing an educational and experiential pathway that enables them to advance democracy and develop transferable competencies for life and work. The coalition will strive to equip each public and private higher education institution with comprehensive resources and tools that collectively and over time will show a measurable spread of a culture of engagement throughout New Jersey higher education.

“This is such a pivotal moment for higher education in New Jersey – in the coming decade we must ensure all students see an engaged and meaningful role for themselves in society as well as in their careers,” says Engage NJ Executive Director Saul Peterson. “Dr. Koppell’s leadership on the board will ensure that Engage NJ operates as the public service backbone for all of higher education and its students in New Jersey.”

For more information on Engage NJ, visit

Universities are anchors of American democracy. They serve a unique role: bringing together people of all backgrounds, faiths, cultures, and political affiliations – sometimes for the first time – to engage in constructive discourse while respecting, challenging, and collaborating with one another. College campuses are unique in that sense, a training ground for democracy different from any other institution in our society.��

So it’s critical for us, as university leaders, to lead the way in restoring and maintaining the very roots of democracy on and off campus.

That’s why I’m excited to join the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, a new initiative convened by The Institute for Citizens & Scholars to facilitate shared learning and greater impact through partnership toward the goal of developing college students who are ready to be empowered citizens. The group unites 20 college presidents, listed below, representing a wide variety of institutions: public and private, large and small, and across the political spectrum. I’m energized about the impact we’ll be able to make together, with projects focused on ensuring students are well-informed, productively engaged�����Ի� committed to democracy.

The work starts now, right here at ����vlog. Montclair traditionally has a strong voting rate, but I greatly encourage students to vote in all elections, including tomorrow, November 7. Don’t discount the impact of state and local elections – what happens locally has the power to deeply impact your daily lives, perhaps even more so than federal elections. .��

Exercising your right to vote now will lay the groundwork for a pivotal year ahead. Next year, we’ll be voting in a consequential presidential election, determining the balance of power in Congress, and electing a New Jersey senator. I look forward to working closely with College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, as well as our Office of Civic and Voter Engagement, to ensure all of our students have the tools and resources they need to be informed, educated and prepared. The future of our democracy depends on it.

, and see below the list of other participating college presidents.

• Benedict College:  Roslyn Clark Artis
• Claremont McKenna College:  Hiram Chodosh
• Colorado College:  Song Richardson
• Cornell University:  Martha Pollack
• Dartmouth: Sian Leah Beilock
• Denison University:  Adam Weinberg
• DePauw University:  Lori White
• Duke University:  Vincent Price
• Georgetown University:  Jack DeGioia
• Howard University:  Ben Vinson
• James Madison University:  Jonathan Alger
• Purdue University:  Mung Chiang
• Rollins College:  Grant Cornwell
• Rutgers University:  Jonathan Holloway
• University of Notre Dame:  Father John Jenkins
• University of Pittsburgh:  Joan Gabel
• University of Richmond:  Kevin Hallock
• Wellesley College:  Paula Johnson
• Wesleyan University:  Michael Roth

The transfer pathway from community colleges to four-year institutions needs fixing.

at Columbia University’s Teachers College reported in 2021 that while four out of five students who start at a two-year college hope to complete a four-year degree, fewer than one in five do so because of confusion, red tape, and other unexpected setbacks.

This is a major problem, and represents a huge equity issue in higher education. Consider that Black and Hispanic students at community colleges are half as likely as white students to transfer to a four-year college according to the same research.

I believe it is our responsibility as university leaders to make the transfer process as seamless as possible, removing the frustrating, unnecessary obstacles that can deter bright, promising students from the opportunities that a four-year degree will provide them.

That’s why I’m so proud of the agreement that ����vlog and Bergen Community College signed this week, guaranteeing admission at Montclair for students who have earned an associate’s degree and offering advisors, events, and programs to guide them throughout the process. We share a commitment to fostering the success of students of all backgrounds, and are equally committed to reducing the barriers that prevent that from happening. Read this article about our joint academic agreement to learn more.

I hope this is the first of many Montclair-Bergen Days – and a model for the growth of the many fantastic partnerships we enjoy with community colleges in New Jersey. Together we can alter the trajectory of individual learners, their families, communities and our state.

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