Written for The Argo by M.R. Dietrich and Conor Wasneuski.

GALLOWAY, N.J. — Stockton University’s Board of Trustees hosted a publicly-open meeting Thursday, September 10 from 3:30 P.M.-4:30 P.M. Executive Vice President Dr. Terricita Sass and Reverend Collins Days, Sr. were not present at the meeting. Trustees Ms. Michelle Lenzmeier Keates, Ms. Kristi Hanselmann, and Chair Mr. Jose Lozano attended via Zoom.

After initiating a moment of silence for the lives lost on 9/11, which was the day after, the Board welcomed their newest student trustee, Dylan Demarest, who was publicly sworn in. 

President Joe Bertolino welcomed 13 fulltime faculty members, including Dr. Heidi Blair—Director Center for Teaching and Learning Design—and Dr. James Ford—a Fellow of American Council on Education. He also welcomed 1,340 First year students, 621 transfers. 692 (51%) of the new students are 1st Gen, and 147 are student athletes.

Popular majors included Health Science, Psychology, and Business Administration. These numbers represent New Jersey and other states like Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas, Nevada, and Wyoming, and international students from nations like Ghana, Egypt, Pakistan, and the Dominican Republic.

“These students chose Stockton, and now it’s up to all of us to make sure they feel supported,” said President Bertolino. “[to] make sure they can see a path from their first day here to graduation and whatever comes next.”

Other reports included Academic Affairs Planning, introducing a Bachelors Science in Business Marketing. The Student Success Committee received updates on the university’s enrollment management plan, including expanded school outreach, regional partnerships, enhanced marketing efforts, and technology-driven process improvements. Student Affairs shared its vision for the academic year, emphasizing collaboration and strategic alignment and a student-centered approach to engagement and success.

Finance and Professional Services covered the spending during their fiscal years, including an increase in bid waiver contracts. For the ’27-’28 fiscal year, Suasion Communications Group LLC requested an additional amount of $350,000. Media News Group Incorporatted requested an additional amount of $210,000, and Technolutions Incorporated requested an additional amount of $250,000. The Audit Section notably covered opening two new audits regarding residential life and protection of minors on the campus. 

For the Advancement Committee, Fiscal Year 26 closed with $6.2 million in gifts, but key priorities include expanding support for experiential learning, promoting tax-smart giving opportunities, and strengthening philanthropic partnerships that advance the university’s mission. Additionally, the team is optimizing the university’s website for AI-assisted search as more prospective students turn to AI tools to help inform their college decisions. 

The Investments Committee reported an investment gain of $143 million by August 31st, and $2.93 million was invested into the new Library Learning Commons, originally approved for $4 million. The Investment Committee will next meet with our advisors on November 9 to review the investment performance through September 30. 

For the meeting’s Mission Moment, they highlighted the opening of the library. Jessica Martorano, Assistant Director of Library Learning and Engagement, and a Stockton Alumni, shared more regarding the renovation. She thanked the Library’s Dean, Pat Thatcher, and her co-author for creating the competitive bond application that allowed the new library to be made.

“After years of planning, construction, conversations, and collaboration across the university, it was incredibly meaningful to finally cut the ribbon and celebrate this new chapter for Stockton,” Martorano said. “[…]what we opened today represents much more[…]teaching and learning have also evolved. Learning is increasingly collaborative, interdisciplinary, experiential, and technology-rich.” She also went on to mention how the open design makes the resources, technologies, and people more accessible stating that the traditional library experience was expanded upon instead of redefined by this new space.


Following Martorano’s speech, the Board opened the podium to public comments, starting with an employee at the university named Marie, who came to the stand and spoke at length about her son’s troubles applying to the university.  “What this institution has allowed to happen is an atrocity and I feel the board should know how prospective students, specifically veteran prospective students, are treated by our staff,” stated Marie.

Her son, a veteran, attended Stockton right out of high school and failed some classes in his first term. After serving four years in the Marines, he chose to return to Stockton, looking to pursue an undergraduate degree.

Although, due to SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) policies at the university, he has been put into limbo; where he applied for an appeal with the Financial Aid Office that took four to six weeks. “And during this process, the Bursar’s office is unwilling to place a hold on his account until the four to six weeks are over. They’re going to drop him out of his classes on Tuesday next week, and on top of that, charge him late fees that he will need to pay before he can register for classes in the spring. They left my son with no choice but to completely withdraw from school, go to another institution that isn’t making him jump through these hoops, and take his GI Bill with him”, recounted Marie. 

Marie then turned her focus to question the board, “This makes me wonder how many students we have needlessly lost over the last few years that may have contributed to our low enrollments. How many of us will pay the price for these incompetencies and inflexibility by losing our jobs in the next few months? Who is holding these offices accountable for their actions, or in this case, inactions?” 

The board responded by saying they will look into it. 

Another university employee, Donnetrice Allison—Chair of The Africana Studies Program and President of the Council of Black Faculty—spoke about the university’s previous commitment to diversity and how it seems with their current actions, the university has de-prioritized that commitment that was made in July 2020. 

“Fast forward five years with the anti-DEI regime in the federal government, many black and brown faculty and staff have either left this institution or been unceremoniously let go, leaving students of color without many of those who were most directly front-facing and helpful to their retention and success. It is particularly noteworthy that all of the eliminated positions in the board book were held by persons of color. Now the student retention and transitions programming, Sankofa, and the TogetHER LLCs (Living Learned Communities) and the Multicultural Center no longer seem to be a priority. I am very interested to learn how this board plans to address these gaps. We still have language on our website that claims to value diversity, but actions speak louder than words. Certain actions recently taken suggest that we are falling in line with the local federal with the local federal and political climate. Only time will tell”, said Allison.

The next board meeting will be held in the Board of Trustees Room on Thursday, December 3 at 3:30 P.M., and the State of the University Address will be in the Campus Center Theatre on Thursday, October 8, 1:30-3:00 P.M.