Dr. Glen Gabert Hudson County Community College - River View Observer https://riverviewobserver.net A lifestyle and entertainment publication serving the Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, Weehawken, West New York, North Bergen, Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Secaucus and Guttenberg Waterfront Communities Sat, 16 Sep 2017 10:45:51 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Hudson County Community College to Celebrate Dr. Glen Gabert’s 25th Year as President in September https://riverviewobserver.net/hudson-county-community-college-celebrate-dr-glen-gaberts-25th-year-president-september/ https://riverviewobserver.net/hudson-county-community-college-celebrate-dr-glen-gaberts-25th-year-president-september/#respond Sat, 16 Sep 2017 10:45:51 +0000 http://riverviewobserver.net/?p=11116 Under his leadership, HCCC has been transformed into a vibrant, highly regarded higher education institution that provides expanded opportunities for thousands of Hudson County residents and businesses.    The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Board of Trustees announced that September marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Dr. Glen Gabert’s term as the College’s President.  Dr. Gabert is … Continue reading Hudson County Community College to Celebrate Dr. Glen Gabert’s 25th Year as President in September →

The post Hudson County Community College to Celebrate Dr. Glen Gabert’s 25th Year as President in September first appeared on River View Observer.

]]> Under his leadership, HCCC has been transformed into a vibrant, highly regarded higher education institution that provides expanded opportunities for thousands of Hudson County residents and businesses.
 
Dr. Glen Gabert
Dr. Glen Gabert
 The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Board of Trustees announced that September marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Dr. Glen Gabert’s term as the College’s President.  Dr. Gabert is the longest-serving President in the College’s history, and the longest serving current community college president in New Jersey.
 
HCCC Board Chair William J. Netchert, Esq. said: “Glen Gabert transformed Hudson County Community College from a deeply distressed entity to an institution of first choice for local residents seeking a higher education.  Our Board is proud of what we have achieved in working with Dr. Gabert; for the people of Hudson County – and most especially our students – it has been life-changing.”
 
Mr. Netchert said that at the time Dr. Gabert was installed in 1992, he was the fifth president or acting president to serve Hudson County Community College in three years. The College had experienced interventions by the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education and Middle States. The Board of Trustees had been asked to resign. There were discussions about dividing HCCC between two nearby county colleges … or closing it altogether. There was little confidence for HCCC within the institution and the community, and that manifested itself with a total enrollment of just 3,076 students.
 
Under Dr. Gabert’s leadership, Hudson County Community College has become an award-winning institution that is student- and community-centered, and focused on fostering understanding and attaining success. With nearly 13,000 students (2016 unduplicated headcount), HCCC is now the largest of the four higher-education institutions in Hudson County. Further, the 2017 Equality of Opportunity Project ranked HCCC in the top 120 of 2,200 U.S. higher education institutions for social mobility – the only community college in New Jersey’s top ten.
 
In 1992, HCCC owned one facility ­– a classroom/office building with about 11,000 square feet of space.  During Dr. Gabert’s presidency, Hudson County Community College has raised more than $300 million for capital projects, most of which helped contribute to the development of the Journal Square area. HCCC now has two fully accredited campuses: Journal Square (Jersey City) Campus, with 12 HCCC-owned buildings (the 13th â€“ the $30 million, 70,070 sq. ft. HCCC STEM Building – will be dedicated this September); and the 117,000-sq. ft.,  seven-story, stand-alone North Hudson Campus (Union City) building. (A third campus is scheduled to open in Secaucus in 2018; and a new eight-story tower with student center and gym on the Journal Square campus will open in 2020.) All the College’s buildings are state-of-the-art and energy efficient. All of the expansion was done without incurring any debt, and not one dollar of tuition or fees goes to pay debt service.
 
In 1992, HCCC was largely focused on developmental education programs. Fall 2017 course offerings include more than 60 degree and certificate programs – signature Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management, STEM, Nursing, Health Sciences courses, as well as ESL studies plus Business, Criminal Justice, Hospitality Management, Homeland Security, and Studio Arts/Computer Arts programs, plus new Computer Science A.S. with Cybersecurity Option, Construction Management A.A.S., and Supply Chain Management and Personal Fitness Training certificates.
 
The HCCC Culinary Arts program is ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools, and, with 93.75% of graduates passing the NCLEX first time out, the HCCC Nursing program is ranked number four among all New Jersey associate-degree, Registered Nursing programs.
 
The acclaimed HCCC student success programs shepherd students from enrollment through commencement. Graduates go on to attend: Saint Peter’s, New Jersey City, Caldwell, Drew, Fairleigh Dickinson, Rutgers and William Paterson Universities, and New Jersey and Stevens Institutes of Technology; Baruch and Smith Colleges; Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Johnson & Wales, New York, Penn State, Purdue, Stanford, and Texas A&M Universities; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and UCLA and USC.
 
HCCC has robust financial assistance and scholarship programs; less than 20% of students pay full tuition. The HCCC Foundation, instituted in 1997, has awarded more than $3 million in scholarships. The Foundation also supports and/or funds: a transitional skills program for new students; seed money for innovative programs; stipends for faculty development; free special events for the community (including the HCCC Lecture Series, LGBTQIA Pride Conference, art exhibits, community and family events); and capital for the College’s physical expansion.
 
In 2006, the HCCC Foundation Art Collection was created. Each dollar contributed to the Collection is matched by the HCCC Foundation and the College itself. The Collection now includes over 1,000 works of art (paintings, sculpture, photographs, craft pottery and ephemera) by noted New Jersey and U.S. artists which are displayed in public spaces and offices of all HCCC buildings.
 
In March 2015, Dr. Gabert formed a Cultural Affairs Task Force, and that September launched the HCCC Department of Cultural Affairs, which began year-round organizing and providing the community with art exhibits and a performing arts series free of charge, plus trips to sports and theater events at greatly reduced costs.
 
In September 2015, HCCC opened the Gallery named in honor of Benjamin J. Dineen, III and Dennis C. Hull, who donated 400 works by contemporary New Jersey artists, and by other artists who have achieved national and international renown.
 
Hudson County Community College has been recognized on the national and regional basis during Dr. Gabert’s term of office.  Among the more recent awards: the Association of College and Research Libraries’ 2016 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award was presented to the HCCC Library, the first in New Jersey to ever receive the honor;  2012 Northeast Regional Charles Kennedy Equity and 2012 Northeast Regional Professional Board Staff Member Awards from Association of Community College Trustees; being named as one of five U.S. finalists for 2013 Awards of Excellence for Student Success, and one of four U.S. finalists for 2015 Awards of Excellence for Advancing Diversity from the American Association of Community Colleges; winner of the 2014 National Tutoring Association Excellence in Tutoring Award; winner of New Jersey Business & Industry Association’s New Good Neighbor Awards in 2009 for the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, in 2012 for the North Hudson Higher Education Center, and in 2015 for the Library Building; the Hudson County Planning Board 2010 Smart Growth Gold Award; 2015 Green Emerald Award for Urban Green Project for the Library Building; and HCCC was named one of the nation’s leading urban institutions by MetLife.
 
Workforce development programs and cooperative alliances with private and governmental organizations also prepare area residents for employment. The College’s Center for Business & Industry is the area leader in developing and delivering educational classes and programs for businesses, organizations and individuals.
 
A native of Chicago, Dr. Gabert was awarded his Ph.D. from Loyola University, where he was a member of the faculty and a Schmitt Fellow. He holds a post-doctoral M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Management at Rockhurst University (Kansas City, Mo.), a master’s degree from Notre Dame University (where he was a Hearst Fellow), and a bachelor’s degree from Benedictine University. He is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, and a recipient of the Phi Delta Kappa Honor Society Service Key.  Dr. Gabert began his community college career at Moraine Valley Community College in the metropolitan Chicago area, and went on to serve as Dean at Johnson County Community College in suburban Kansas City, Kan.
 
Active in several professional and community organizations, Dr. Gabert is a past Vice Chair and present member of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  He is also: a member of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) Facilities Committee and past chair of the NJCCC Presidents; a past member of the Board of Directors of the international Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; a member of the Executive Committee of the Presidents Academy of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC); and a past member of the AACC Commission on Diversity.  Dr. Gabert was the 2007 Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year, a 2012 recipient of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce Legends Award, a 2013 Hudson County Boys and Girls Club Distinguished Awardee, and the Dante Alighieri Society 2014 Man of the Year.  This spring, he was Grand Marshal of the Jersey City 2017 St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
 
“The accomplishments realized during Glen Gabert’s presidency are a great source of pride to all of us who work with him,” Mr. Netchert stated. “However, I know Glen considers our students’ success his greatest achievement and his true legacy.”

 

The post Hudson County Community College to Celebrate Dr. Glen Gabert’s 25th Year as President in September first appeared on River View Observer.

]]> https://riverviewobserver.net/hudson-county-community-college-celebrate-dr-glen-gaberts-25th-year-president-september/feed/ 0 Hudson County Community College Celebrates Dedication of New Library Building https://riverviewobserver.net/hudson-county-community-college-celebrates-dedication-new-library-building/ Wed, 01 Oct 2014 18:03:31 +0000 http://riverviewobserver.net/?p=8084 Area elected officials to join faculty, staff and administrators attend ceremonies marking the official grand opening of the new, six-story building on the College’s Journal Square campus.   On September 29th, 2014 Congressman Albio Sires, Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise, and other elected officials and community leaders gathered with the Trustees, students, faculty, staff, and … Continue reading Hudson County Community College Celebrates Dedication of New Library Building →

The post Hudson County Community College Celebrates Dedication of New Library Building first appeared on River View Observer.

]]> Area elected officials to join faculty, staff and administrators attend ceremonies marking the official grand opening of the new, six-story building on the College’s Journal Square campus.

 

HCCCLIBRARY OPENING
Pictured from left to right: Shannon Gallagher (HCCC Foundation Board and former HCCC Board of Trustees Alumni Representative), Karen A. Fahrenholz (Secretary/Treasurer HCCC Board of Trustees), Harold G. Stahl, Jr. (HCCC Board of Trustees), Adrienne Sires (HCCC Board of Trustees), James A. Fife (Mayor, Town of Harrison and HCCC Board of Trustees, Trustee Emeritus), Senator Sandra Cunningham, Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise, Congressman Albio Sires, Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Romano, William J. Netchert, Esq. (HCCC Board of Trustees, Chair), Dr. Glen Gabert (HCCC President), and Joanne Kosakowski (HCCC Board of Trustees) at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Library Building Grand Opening on Monday, September 29, 2014.

On September 29th, 2014 Congressman Albio Sires, Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise, and other elected officials and community leaders gathered with the Trustees, students, faculty, staff, and administration of Hudson County Community College (HCCC) for the official dedication of the College’s new Library Building.

The ribbon-cutting ceremonies took place inside the six-story, multifunctional structure, which is located at 71 Sip Avenue on the College’s Journal Square Campus in Jersey City. The 112,000 square-foot building is just steps away from the Journal Square PATH Transit Station.

 

Dr. Glen Gabert, President of HCCC, said the Library Building was designed to serve as a center of knowledge and learning, and to promote a sense of community and connectedness for students, faculty, staff, and all who live and work in Hudson County.

“This College and this Library Building belong to our community, and we hope everyone will utilize the resources and enjoy the amenities,” Dr. Gabert said.

Entrance to the HCCC Library Building from Sip Avenue is available through a soaring, two-story lobby. Adjacent to the lobby is the HCCC Liberty Café, a coffee bar that offers pastries, sandwiches, and snacks.

The building’s first two stories (street-level and second floor), with 33,500 square feet of space, are dedicated to the Library itself. Included here is a “Makerspace,” an area that promotes learning through creativity and crafting, and may be utilized by the College’s students and staff as well as by members of the community. A meditation room, three group-study rooms, and more than 70 computer stations are also included in the Library’s space.

Situated on floors three through five are 33 classrooms (traditional classrooms, computer labs, and tiered lecture halls) and 21 office stations. Two rooms on the fifth floor are being named in honor of notable Hudson County natives; the lecture hall (Room 527) will be named for Jersey City educator and HCCC Board of Trustees member, the late Alfred E. Zampella, and a Community Education classroom (Room 518) will bear the name of nationally acclaimed historian Thomas J. Fleming.

There is a gallery on the sixth floor that is being named for Benjamin J. Dineen, III and Dennis C. Hull, who presented the College with an historic gift of more than 230 works of art. There is also an exhibit space, three classrooms, and a roof terrace with spectacular views of Hudson County on this floor.

Situated on the sixth-floor roof terrace is the College’s 9/11 Monument. The College was privileged to have acquired a remnant piece of steel that was once part of a structural column at the World Trade Center, and the HCCC Board of Trustees commissioned artists Billy Economou to design and craft the polished base that it rests upon. Fittingly, the 9/11 Monument has been situated so that the new Freedom Tower in Manhattan serves as its backdrop.

Art from the HCCC Foundation Art Collection is being installed throughout the HCCC Library Building. Works on the fifth floor are primarily from the 1960’s and include pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp. There are also works by HCCC art students displayed on the fifth floor. Edward Curtis photographs of Native Americans that are framed in recycled barn wood may be viewed on the fourth floor. A Navajo rug that was donated by HCCC Librarian Clifford Brooks is displayed in the fourth-floor lobby. There are several works displayed throughout the Library, including Willie Cole’s “Man, Spirit, Mask” on the second floor. A photo of one of William Wegman’s famous Weimaraner dogs may be enjoyed on the first floor, where there are also works by Jersey City and Hudson County artists and pieces that were part of the Benjamin J. Dineen, III and Dennis C. Hull gift.

Construction on the HCCC Library Building began in November 2012, and the “topping-out” ceremony was held in April 2013. The building was designed by NK Architects, and includes a number of sustainable materials and features.

The HCCC Library Building is an integral part of the College’s $250 million capital expansion and improvement master plan that has included the from-the-ground-up construction of the HCCC Culinary Arts Conference Center and the pocket park located across the street from it on the Journal Square (Jersey City) campus, as well as the North Hudson Higher Education Center in Union City. The College has also repurposed/revitalized buildings at 2 Enos Place, One PATH Plaza, 81 Sip Avenue, and 119 Newkirk Street in the Journal Square area of Jersey City. All of these endeavors have helped promote local development and stabilization, and have brought more security to these areas. The College invested an additional $100 million to outfit these buildings with the latest technologies and information systems, including WiFi.

“Throughout my time in public service I have supported efforts that ensure greater access to quality education on every level,” said Congressman Albio Sires. “This Library offers the people of Hudson County opportunities to strengthen their lives by learning and acquiring knowledge in a very comfortable atmosphere with the most up-to-date technologies.”

“Undertaking a project of this magnitude requires the support and cooperation of our elected officials, the College’s team of Trustees, administrators, faculty and staff, and most especially, our neighbors in the community,” said HCCC Board of Trustees Chair William J. Netchert, Esq. “We are grateful to everyone who has played a role in making this Library Building a reality. We especially want to thank Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise and the Board of Chosen Freeholders.”

“Investing in the education and training of our people is one of the best ways to ensure future prosperity,” said Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise. “HCCC’s outstanding new library complex is the latest example of our willingness as a county to make these kinds of vital investments – not just for students today but for the success of our economy tomorrow.”

 

 

 

 

The post Hudson County Community College Celebrates Dedication of New Library Building first appeared on River View Observer.

]]>