On Friday, September 13, 2024, President Joe Bertolino sat down with Editor-in-Chief of The Argo, Mary DeRose, for an interview on the state of Stockton University. From the Atlantic City Task Force and Galloway housing to student free speech with the upcoming presidential election, President Bertolino answered a multitude of questions, all concerning what is to come for the Stockton community.

The interview began with Bertolino warmly reflecting over his inaugural year as Stockton’s president, and both he and Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff, Dr. Terricita Sass, feel “more grounded” after their initial adjustments to Stockton. Bertolino talked about how this past summer, he took advantage being “out and about in the community” on both the Galloway and Atlantic City campuses, specifically noting how bustling the Atlantic City campus was thanks to the Live, Work, Learn and EOF programs.

However, his visit to the Marine Field Station, brought to the Port Republic area by Stockton’s School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, was a story recalled with pride. “It’s really extraordinary, the work that they’re doing there,” Bertolino stated, along with his wishes to visit the MFS again in the fall, as “it is one of Stockton’s premier programs. And folks often ask the question of ‘what is it that distinguishes Stockton in the state?’ This is one of those things.” He then accoladed the faculty and students who take part in helping clean up the beaches of our community.

With the shore in mind, Wednesday’s board meeting discussed potential expansions of the Atlantic City Task Force, and Bertolino provided further insight about what would result of said expansions. At last February’s board meeting, it was made clear that Stockton would not proceed with Phase III if there were not sufficient means for doing so. Bertolino directly commented on this sentiment: “we are not going to build a Phase III at this time. When we talk about expansion…what we’re really talking about is defining more clearly what the Atlantic City campus is and what it will be for Stockton and for the region.” He stated that the Feasibility Study and Task Force recommended to refrain from further building, as the Atlantic City Strategic Plan and Working Group could then explore how to utilize the current campus effectively. The main priority when it comes to Atlantic City now that its residential life is growing is to gain “a stronger footing on the delivery of academic programs [and] appropriate services for that campus.”

As Stockton is an “anchor institution,” Bertolino knows that Atlantic City, while important, can’t be the sole focus of the school. “We need to start to […] strengthen the relationships and partnerships that we currently have and create new partnerships where we don’t have them.” He stated that the timing of these partnerships and changes is perfect because of Stockton being under new leadership, and Bertolino is a firm believer that new administrations must “honor what has happened in the past and use it as a foundation, then turn the page and begin the next chapter of an institution.” The new Strategic Planning Process, which will be fronted by the Provost, Dr. Michael Palladino, also aids in charting this new frontier, and he said that many questions and concerns of the Stockton community will continually be worked on through this process.

Palladino serving as the Provost was one of many new additions to Bertolino’s administration, and when asked about working with Palladino, newly Vice President for Community Engagement Brian K. Jackson, and Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. William Latham, one word came to the President’s mind: “fabulous.” Bertolino commended Palladino for his work with the staff, as it is Palladino’s goal to meet one-on-one with every full-time Stockton faculty member. The President then described the Vice President of Academic Affairs and his data-centric perspective as being “a nice balance” to his own social-driven view, and that the two of them together with Dr. Sass create “a three-legged stool in terms of leadership.”

Bertolino raved about Jackson’s experience, as the latter has served under former Presidents Vera King Farris and Herman Saatkamp to add up to over thirty years of experience. “His community reach is quite extensive […] and his responsibility essentially is to help connect me as the relatively new president and our university to community leaders, not just in Atlantic City, but in Galloway, Atlantic County, and south Jersey.” As a part of this connecting initiative, Bertolino explained how he is meeting with religious leaders of numerous faiths as well as business leaders, and Jackson is the bridge to securing those contacts.

Dr. Latham, described by Bertolino as a “kindred spirit,” fulfilled the President’s wish of finding “someone not only experienced, but with a style that lends itself to being cool, calm, collected, and aware of what is happening around them.” Bertolino stressed the importance of responding to and working with the students and the community “in an educational way,” and he stated that Latham has done a great job of navigating “individuals who are passionate about issues;” issues in which the President said are rooted in “values, belief systems, and emotions.” “To be able to accept students where they’re at and also hear their concerns, address their concerns, and simultaneously help them understand or learn another perspective, all of that was very important to me, and for me, Dr. Latham fits that bill,” Bertolino said to round out his thoughts.

Prior to the start of the Fall Semester, the President sent out an e-mail to the Stockton community in regards to “Embracing Free Expression and Upholding our Ethic of Care.” In that message, Bertolino stated that “free expression is a powerful right, but it must coexist with our commitment to safety and respect.” The President’s mention of passionate voices in regards to Dr. Latham’s work brought up the subject of this November’s presidential election, specifically whether or not Stockton is concerned about political animosity on campus or confident in the students’ practicing of the first amendment. To this, Bertolino said the following: “I’m both confident and realistic. Of course there are going to be a lot of feelings out there, but the question for us as an educational institution is ‘how do we provide space for individuals to appropriately express their feelings and their point of view, listen to other people’s points of view, and engage in civil discourse and dialogue and the educational process?'”

“I do think that it is our responsibility as a university, both before and after the election process, to provide those opportunities for students and members of our community to engage, because by not providing those opportunities, you’re essentially letting the pot boil over,” Bertolino continued. He then stated that there will be educational programming to help students navigate the election process, in addition to services that can help students who feel particularly stressed in one way or another about the results. Safety is the President’s main concern, which prompted him to then divulge in the differences of “being safe, feeling unsafe, and feeling uncomfortable.”

“You can assume that Chief Stuart and her team and the leadership of the university have been working with local law enforcement, have been engaging in tabletop exercises, and have plans for multiple contingencies. We take nothing for granted,” Bertolino informed, and he believes that Stockton is well-prepared for anything that should come. As for feeling unsafe on campus, Bertolino feels a responsibility to know acknowledge that “just because [a person] may be safe, it’s not okay to just say ‘oh you’re safe.'” Because of this, the President said he wishes to assist in providing a safe space to anybody who needs help or feels like they are not heard. “Then there’s feeling uncomfortable. A lot of folks have equated feeling uncomfortable with feeling unsafe, and they are not the same,” Bertolino said, “and sometimes feeling uncomfortable is not a bad thing.” To the President, sitting with discomfort allows for learning about oneself and those around them, and in short, allows for more interesting conversation and understanding of varying perspectives around campus.

Bertolino was then asked to reflect on BestColleges.com’s statistic of Stockton being deemed one of the top LGBTQ+ friendly colleges. “I feel proud, and I would like to think that we aspire to be a welcoming campus for all individuals, particularly those that are in historical minority groups.” Diversity is important to President Bertolino because “for students to feel safe and supported means that students will be engaged and other students, who may not be apart of the LGBTQ+ community, may have the opportunity to learn and hear a different life story.” As an openly gay man who is now a member of the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education, Bertolino is happy to work in community “where [he] is valued and accepted for what [he brings] to the table,” and throughout his entire career, he has had one comment for any nay-sayers: “you didn’t hire me to be the ‘gay president.’ You hired me to be ‘the president’ […] and I hope I can be a role model.” He boasted about Stockton’s population now consisting of 23% LatinX and Hispanic heritage and 42% of non-white identity, which furthers his mission for diversity and inclusion.

In terms of the “enrollment cliff,” which will plague the admissions of universities around the country due to declined birth rates, President Bertolino is aware of this issue. When asked if worried about the cliff’s effect on Stockton, he said, “we would be naive to assume we’re immune.” For four years, Stockton’s enrollment has declined 12%, going from about 10,000 students to roughly 8,800 due to the Covid pandemic triggering this cliff early as well as the constant changes with FAFSA and increased financing deterring students. The competition across institutions is also a concern in regards to enrollment, and Bertolino noted that Rowan, which he described as a “research-based university,” is Stockton’s primary competitor; however, he believes Stockton stands on its own for its “more personal” appeal. Optimistically, Stockton’s new Enrollment Strategic plan will try to bring in non-traditional students — transfer students, graduate students, and students who didn’t complete their degrees — since the traditional students of ages 18-24 are the ones the cliff is centered on. Bertolino concluded his thoughts by stating retention as the largest factor of enrollment, as it is “much easier to keep the students you have than recruit new ones.”

Hand in hand with enrollment comes tuition and Stockton’s finances, and Bertolino acknowledged the tuition increase for students while also explaining how much money Stockton has spent and put away. Predicted at his State of the University Address last October was a $12 million deficit for the University, but Bertolino explained that Stockton actually faced an $8 million deficit while placing about $20 million in the bank, on top of the $130 million reserve of investments. “This year will be a struggle as our expenses continue to go up,” Bertolino confessed, and he noted that when it comes to adequate compensations, the 80% state healthcare fringe is what affects the finances, not just yearly salary.

“We can’t continue to pass on these costs to the students, so how do we try to keep cost down and find alternate sources of revenue that then allow us to meet our financial obligations and the demands and needs of the students?” Bertolino answered his own question by calling onto partnerships with external entities and institutions, increasing efforts on the transfer and graduate student spectrum, and increasing funds for scholarships — scholarships that last year, the University spent $26 million on when only $22 million were put aside. Bertolino said that he “expects this year [to] spend up to $30 million, but it’s important because it says to me that we actually have fewer students, but those students are in greater need.” This year he plans to travel to Stockton alumni all over the country, mentioning places such as Washington D.C., Florida, and the west coast. Essentially, Bertolino wants people to want to invest in the future of Stockton.

For the mental health issues on campus, Bertolino informed that the state of New Jersey has extended the contract of the Telehealth program, which exists to help counter mental illness-based struggles. Likewise, Bertolino disclosed that his administration is “looking to grow and expand our counseling and mental health services here at the University,” and he also plans to “continue working with AtlantiCare” to assist faculty and students alike.

The Library set-up in the C and D wing Atrium is one that Bertolino is impressed with, as “the staff did an incredible job” with the move. While he understands student frustration at the two-year loss of a study space, he thinks “it was time for a State of the Art library.” Furthermore, the technology enhancements and refurbishments made in the Atrium to accommodate this move are going to stay come Fall of 2026, when Bertolino hopes to “cut that ribbon and open those doors.” He assured that this $20 million project is state funded, as he noted the pushback against such projects when there are buildings like Housing 1 on Galloway campus in need of upkeep. In regards to a future refurbishment on Housing 1, there are no definite plans: “I think we would all agree that some of our housing need some TLC, so there are a couple things that are going to happen and couple things that we are trying to make happen.”

Bertolino first wants to see what can happen in the residential halls, and if they “can’t do major renovations, then paint, carpeting, furnishing can go a long way in terms of cleaning up the spaces and helping elevate them.” The issue with Housing 1, he said, was that they are the oldest buildings on campus and to repair them would cost “anywhere between 75 and 100 million dollars. And that is money we would need to get from the state.” Bertolino said they are beginning to work with the state on “differed maintenance,” and that Galloway housing “is going to become a priority.” For the time being, Bertolino mentioned that Atlantic City still has capacity in the event of residential closure.

To conclude his interview, Bertolino shared that he hopes clubs and organizations reach out to his administration if they are ever hosting events, as he would love to be able to keep up with campus life. “I want folks to be proud of their institution, proud of their degree, and continue to focus on dignity, respect, kindness, compassion, and civility,” Bertolino mused, using his Ethic of Care to sum up his thoughts on Stockton.

Be sure to attend President Bertolino’s upcoming State of the University Address on October 17, and for more information about President Joe’s Ice Cream Social happening on Wednesday, September 25, visit OspreyHub.