Category Archives: Education

Education

Hudson County Community College to Welcome Malcolm X’s Daughter, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz


Dr. Shabazz will be Guest Speaker at the College’s Annual
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial event.

Caption: Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, published author, public speaker, activist, and daughter of the late Malcom X will be the guest speaker at Hudson County Community College’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on January 28, 2025.

December 20, 2024, Jersey City, NJ – Malcolm X fought racial injustice by any means necessary, advocating armed resistance and separatism; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. espoused peaceful protests and community organizing to end segregation and fight discrimination. Although the Muslim revolutionary leader and the Baptist minister differed in their advocacy and philosophical approaches, their legacies are intertwined. Before they were both assassinated at age 39, they built the foundation for future generations of activists.

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Education

Hudson County Community College Foundation to Host “Midnight in Paris” 27th Annual Gala

The Hudson County Community College Foundation will hold their 27th Annual Gala fundraiser on Thursday evening, December 5, 2024. The 2024 Distinguished Community Service Awards will be presented to Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society at the event. Pictured here the College’s 2024 PTK inductees with HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber (center).

Fundraiser benefits HCCC students, honors PTK National Honor Society
and HCCC Chapter leader.

The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Foundation invites business leaders, friends, and residents to its 27th Annual Gala, an enchanting evening of French cuisine and culture and a celebration of distinguished guests.

The “Midnight in Paris” themed event occurs Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 6 p.m. in the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street, Jersey City, NJ. Guests will enjoy cabaret music, French-themed rooms, and Parisian food and drink prepared by talented HCCC chef-instructors and culinary students and presented by servers in berets and scarves. Highlights include French 75 cocktails; Moulin Rouge seafood bar; Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Le Chartier, Le Café, Rue de Rivoli, and Louvre Museum kitchens; an Eiffel Tower photo station; and an Andy Warhol “Perrier” screen print and collection of French artists’ works from the Foundation Art Collection.

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Education

Hudson County Community College to Host First-Ever Literacy Forum Featuring Panel Discussions with Experts

Hudson County Community College students enjoy a sharing a book together in the College’s Culinary Arts Park on the Journal Square Campus.

  Literacy is the cornerstone for lifelong learning and success, but New Jersey has fallen behind. Despite being fifth in the United States for adults with bachelor’s degrees or higher, New Jersey has the fifth lowest literacy rate in the nation. According to World Population Review, 17% of Garden State adults lack basic prose literacy skills, and only 42% of third graders met or exceeded reading proficiency standards in 2023.

Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation to mandate literacy screenings in grades K-3 beginning next year. He established the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery to provide online resources and free training that address post-pandemic literacy issues that disproportionately affect multilingual learners, and Black, Latino, and disabled students.To explore this crisis and determine solutions, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will hold a Literacy Forum on Thursday, November 14, 2024, beginning at 9 a.m. Panels of literacy experts and community leaders will discuss how to improve literacy for better outcomes in primary and secondary education, employment, and other aspects of life. The event will be held at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City, NJ. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/HCCC-LITFORUM. More information may be obtained by contacting Dolly Bacal at [email protected].

The panels are:
“Early Childhood Literacy” with Peggy Kaye, author and early childhood education teacher; Sharon Benjamin, HCCC Adjunct Professor, Speech, Composition, and Reading; Dr. M. Jawaad Hussain, Reach Out and Read NJ Co-Medical Director; Mark Hill-Lloyd, Trinity Faith Church in Jersey City; Jackie Anderson, Early Literacy Program Manager, Jersey City Public Library Learning Center; Cherese T. Bracey, author and CEO of Reading Reaps Rewards Early Childhood Enrichment Program; and Amanda Jacobs, Director of Academic Planning and Solutions, Early Learning, Scholastic. The discussion will be moderated by James McGreevey, former New Jersey Governor and Executive Director and Chairman of New Jersey Reentry Corporation.

“Facilitating Language Literacy Success for All, an HCCC Student Panel” will be moderated by Dr. Angela Pack, HCCC Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education, and will include HCCC students Daniel Sherman, Diana Valdez, Vanessa Gil, Cristal Perez, John Acosta, and Marcelo Laboriel.

“Providing foundational reading skills prepares individuals for academic success, college readiness, and economic prosperity,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “We are excited to welcome our panelists and learn about opportunities that help instill reading habits and enable the people of our community to thrive in their academic endeavors and careers.”
#   #   #Caption: Hudson County Community College students enjoy sharing a book in the College’s Culinary Arts Park on the Journal Square Campus.


About Hudson County Community College

Hudson County Community College serves more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers more than 90 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management; Nursing and Health Professions; and Humanities and Social Sciences. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. The College’s School of Continuing Education and Workforce Development offers cutting-edge, industry-recognized, stackable credentials in alignment with high-priority workforce needs.

HCCC has partnerships with four-year colleges and universities in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.

The College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been recognized with the 2021 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Northeast Region Equity Award; the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award; the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2022 and 2023 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award, and 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business and Health Professions Awards. The College received the 2023 Outstanding Member Institution Award from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). HCCC was a finalist in seven categories of this year’s American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) national “Awards of Excellence” and earned CEO of the Year, Faculty of the Year, and Student Success Awards.  

For the third consecutive year, HCCC was selected as one of 18 community colleges in the United States to be named the “2024 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges” by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in collaboration with “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.” HCCC was one of 22 community colleges in the nation, and the only college in New Jersey, to be recognized by ModernThink LLC and the “Chronicle of Higher Education” as a 2022, 2023, and 2024 “Great College to Work For®.” HCCC is one of two colleges in the United States to be named a Top Ten Finalist in all three program categories for the nationally recognized 2023 Bellwether Awards, and received the 2023 Bellwether Award for the College’s cutting-edge “Hudson Scholars” program, which also won the 2024 Bellwether Legacy Award. 

The College’s exemplary work in advancing student success has been recognized with 2023 “Leader College of Distinction” designation by Achieving the Dream, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as catalysts for equity and mobility in their communities. HCCC was also presented the Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention in 2023 and 2024 for demonstrating leadership in digital prevention programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion.

Education

Hudson County Community College Receives 2024Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Health Professions Award

The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) School of Nursing and Health Professions has been recognized with the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Health Professions Award. Pictured here, the HCCC Class of 2024 Nursing Graduates.

HCCC is the only community college in the United States to earn this honor.


Jersey City, NJ –   The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) School of Nursing and Health Professions has been presented with the 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Health Professions Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine. The award is a national honor recognizing United States colleges and universities offering health programs that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. HCCC is the sole community college in the United States to receive this award.

“Hudson County Community College is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the 70 institutions receiving this award that offer baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “We are keenly aware of the important role our School of Nursing and Health Professions plays in addressing the healthcare workforce shortage by offering courses in a broad range of fields and providing students with the resources and support they need to succeed.”

“The HEED Health Professions Award process includes a comprehensive and rigorous application with questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both; continued leadership and support for diversity; and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

Insight Into Diversity magazine selected the HCCC School of Nursing and Health Professions in recognition of the College’s focus on recruiting and retaining traditionally underrepresented and first-generation college students. The College was recognized specifically for the following initiatives and outcomes:

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Education

HCCC’s Hudson Scholars Program Thrives with $100,000 Investment of Provident Bank Foundation

Caption: With the support of a $100,000 grant from the Provident Bank Foundation, the Hudson Scholars Program has created significantly improved outcomes for hundreds of HCCC students. Pictured: Hudson Scholars graduates at HCCC’s 2024 Commencement.  

The Signature Grant helped the College’s award-winning program expand academic opportunities and improve student success through an innovative approach.

A $100,000 Signature Grant from Provident Bank Foundation (PBF) made a profound impact on the lives of over 400 Hudson County Community College (HCCC) students who participated in the award-winning Hudson Scholars program and are now HCCC graduates.

In 2023, PBF awarded a series of $100,000 Signature Grants for three different funding priorities: Education; Community Enrichment; and Health, Youth, & Families. The grants fund the creation or expansion of innovative programs that address systemic challenges in our communities and their root causes.

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Education

Twenty-Three Years Later, Hudson County Community College Never Forgets, Invites Community to Join 9/11 Commemoration

 

 

The Hudson County Community College 9/11 Memorial, a steel fragment believed to be from the World Trade Center North Tower East Façade.
Wounded Warrior Leader Chris Hoff will recount his experiences in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks; former New Jersey Attorney General John Farmer will speak.

  The 9/11 terrorist attacks killed citizens of 78 countries on United States soil, an act that challenged America’s strength and resilience. A generation later, annual remembrances honor the 2,977 lives lost in targeted attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93. The attacks took the lives of more than 700 New Jerseyans, including 155 Hudson County residents. Twenty-three years later, the pain of that day is still palpable as families mourn loved ones, workers remember lost colleagues, children have grown up not knowing a parent, and supporters continue to honor the fallen.

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Business Views, Education

Hudson County Community College Partners with Hudson County Economic Development Corporation and Citizens Philanthropic Foundation to Announce New Small Business Internship Program

The program offers businesses support and student interns.

Caption: Members of the Hudson County Community College-Hudson County Economic Development Corp. Internship Program Team, from left: (front row) Rosennies Feliz, HCEDC Marketing, Communications and Program Coordinator; Lori Margolin, HCCC Associate Vice President for Continuing Education and Workforce Development; Haya Almahdy, HCCC Student Intern; Alejandro Fuenmayor, Owner, Cavany Foods; Alka Kustagi, AIA, Owner, CHB Interiors;
Dr. Christopher Reber, HCCC President; Michelle Richardson, HCEDC Executive Director; (back row) Elise White, SRL Enterprises President and Managing Member; Natalie Brown, HCCC Internship Coordinator; Mina Abdelmaseeh, HCCC Student Intern; and Destiny Knowles, HCCC Student Intern.

  Hudson County Community College (HCCC), in collaboration with Hudson County Economic Development Corporation (HCEDC), announced a new internship program that matches Hudson County businesses with HCCC students. The HCEDC – HCCC Internship Program is supported by a grant to HCEDC by the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation that funds stipends for participating students.

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Education

 Hudson County Community College Begins Construction of New 11-Story Center for Student Success

Pictured here: architectural renderings of aerial and street views of Hudson County Community College Center for Student Success now under construction in the Journal Square area of Jersey City, NJ.

June 18th Groundbreaking for Journal Square Campus Tower which will house a gymnasium, theater, classrooms, conference rooms, offices, and much more.

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) pioneered the urban campus concept by integrating learning environments, cultural spaces, public areas, and workplaces within Jersey City’s Journal Square, the heart of Hudson County, New Jersey. In establishing the Journal Square Campus, the College became an essential part of the neighborhood that engages and serves the County’s residents and businesses where they live and has been the catalyst for the area’s development.

At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 18 the College l hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the HCCC Center for Student Success at 2 Enos Place in Jersey City, New Jersey. HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber and Trustee Pamela Gardner will welcome Hudson County Executive Craig Guy and other elected officials as well as representatives of the Hudson County Building and Construction Trades Council and labor leaders, and HCCC students, cabinet members, faculty, and staff.

Dr. Reber said that growing a campus embedded in one of the nation’s most densely populated areas poses unique challenges and that the College was keenly aware of its overarching need to serve as a good steward of the neighborhood.

“The Center for Student Success was designed to centralize and consolidate all of our student services in one convenient location and complement the architecture of the surrounding area. It is the final segment of the Hudson County Community College Facilities Master Plan,” Dr. Reber stated. “The County of Hudson has partnered with us through every step of our development so that we may provide our neighbors with the very best academic experiences possible. We are thankful for the ongoing support of County Executive Craig Guy, former County Executive Thomas DeGise, and the Hudson County Board of Commissioners.”

“This project will serve thousands of students here at Hudson County Community College. The HCCC Center for Student Success will be the epicenter of study, creativity, activity, and collaboration between students and the surrounding communities,” said Hudson County Executive Craig Guy. “Through this new Center for Student Success, HCCC and the County continue to work together to ensure everyone has equal opportunities to excel in their chosen field and drive economic development in the area.”

The eleven-story Center for Student Success, a 153,186 square-foot, mixed-use tower, is being constructed one block from the Journal Square PATH station on an existing HCCC-owned parking lot. It will replace several of the College’s small, segregated, and aging buildings. The tower plans include 24 classrooms; expanded student services areas; student common spaces; full-size National College Athletics Association (NCAA) gymnasium; fitness center; black-box theater; health sciences laboratories; 85 offices; eight conference rooms; a “University Center” for sister colleges and partners to offer baccalaureate instruction; and much more.

The HCCC Center for Student Success construction utilizes the newest and most environmentally sustainable materials and systems. A Project Labor Agreement assures that organized labor will be well represented on-site during construction. The grand opening is scheduled for Fall 2026.

Funding for the $96.3 million tower is supplied by proceeds from the sale of HCCC properties and the College’s reserve funds; the County of Hudson; and the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), among others. 

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Education

Hudson County Community College to Honor RN Nursing Program Graduates at Pinning Ceremony

Graduates, who will help reduce the nursing shortage,
will take the International Nurses’ Pledge at the ceremony.

Pictured here, are graduates of Hudson County Community College’s RN Nursing Program

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will honor sixty-six graduates at the College’s RN Nursing Program Pinning Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center at 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City, NJ.

The graduates will begin with the traditional procession and be welcomed by HCCC Nursing Program Director, Dr. Lori Byrd. After the ceremonial presentation of pins and Nursing Program awards and the time-honored candle-lighting ceremony, College Lecturer Carmen Pelardis will lead the graduates in reciting the International Nurses’ Pledge.

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