COVID Couldn't Stop Bergen Community College: Annual Report 2019-20 by BergenPR

COVID-19 COULDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T STOP

BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Board of Trustees

Gerard L. Carroll, Chair Adam Silverstein, Vice Chair Dorothy Blakeslee, Treasurer Joseph Barreto, Secretary Louis DeLisio Ritzy Moralez-Diaz Patrick Fletcher Krista Flinn Mark Longo Stephen Pellino Dr. Sheetal Ranjan Robert Krasowski, Alumni Representative

Executive Staff

Dr. Tony Ross, Interim President William Corcoran, Vice President of Facilities, Planning, Operations and Public Safety Dr. Brock Fisher, Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Christine Gillespie, Executive Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development Gwendolyn Harewood, Director of Human Resources & Employee Relations Dr. Larry Hlavenka, Executive Director of Public Relations, Community and Cultural Affairs Ronald Miller, Executive Director of the Bergen Community College Foundation Wilton Thomas-Hooke, Managing Director of Finance Ron Spaide, Chief Information Officer

COUNTY OF BERGEN James Tedesco III, County Executive

Board of Chosen Commissioners Mary J. Amoroso, Chair Dr. Joan M. Voss, Vice Chair Steven A. Tanelli, Chair Pro Tempore David L. Ganz, Commissioner Germaine M. Ortiz, Commissioner Thomas J. Sullivan Jr., Commissioner Tracy S. Zur, Commissioner

Constitutional Officers Anthony Cureton, Sheriff Michael Dressler, Surrogate John Hogan, Clerk Mark Musella, Prosecutor

BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE â&#x20AC;¢ ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020

Letter

COVID-19 Can’t Stop Education

Dr. Tony Ross Interim President, Bergen Community College By their very definition, community colleges find identity through their egalitarianism, open access and deep connections to the communities they serve. For more than 50 years, Bergen Community College has embraced this responsibility, providing more than 600,000 local residents with the opportunity to pursue a college degree. The COVID-19 pandemic further crystalized the mission of community colleges like Bergen. And the world’s suffering especially hits home.

testing facility sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and organized by the State of New Jersey and the County of Bergen. As Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III, an ardent supporter of the College said, they “built a village” on our campus. In just a few days’ time, the “drive-through” facility became a reality thanks to the efforts of many, but led by the County of Bergen. Speaking of individuals rising to the occasion, Bergen faculty and staff have once again done so to support the College during this crisis. They developed remote learning curricula, moved entire student service operations online and supported critical on-campus requests from our federal, state and county leaders. We appreciate their commitment to our College and commend them for their efforts.

Finally, at our core remains learning. COVID-19 can’t stop that. Bergen’s 13,000 students transitioned to fully online For one, community colleges educate and train learning - a major shift for them and faculty many of the nation’s healthcare workers. In alike. While this shift made minor waves at this battle against a silent invader, it’s not our some four-year institutions, community military might or advanced counterintelligence colleges don’t have such luxury. At that will help win the day. No. It’s these brave community colleges, students aren’t gifted men and women who selflessly stand at the laptops, nor do they always come from the front lines of a war defined by compassion, means to afford one. So, they write their rather than capitulation. We recognize the essays in public computer laboratories and millions of healthcare workers enlisted into this our Sidney Silverman Library, often doing fight - and especially those who study or so long after their classes have ended for teach at Bergen. the day and before they must return home We’re still trying to support these to care for family members - or even work healthcare professionals, too - long after the night shift to pay their tuition. But their formal education may have concluded. community college students represent We assembled more than 134,000 pieces portraits of resiliency. Even as the of critically needed personal protection institution had no choice but to move equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks and classes online, resourceful Bergen students nitrile gloves and donated them to Bergen have found a way to ensure they can learn. County’s Office of Emergency Management COVID-19 can’t stop education. And (OEM) for distribution to hospitals and it won’t stop Bergen County. We know other front-line healthcare operations. the kind of people it’s made of. Many of these healthcare workers descended on the College to support the efforts of the COVID-19 “drive-through”