October 13, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

Our mission statement begins with the affirmation: “Montclair State University is a public-serving institution advancing the common good.”

I love this statement, and I have come to appreciate its depth and sincerity here at Montclair. Yes, we contribute to the public good through education and research. But more than that, Montclair sees itself as part of a higher education ecosystem. We have a stake in the health of this ecosystem, and take responsibility for it.

In Scale, physicist Geoffrey West examines the dynamics of growth and sustainability across living organisms, companies, and cities. All human made systems (businesses) become increasingly uniform and rigid as they age, leading to their death. Cities are the exception. As they grow, they become more, not less diverse and more generative and vibrant.

accessible and affordable entry point into higher education. Yet the journey from an associate degree to a bachelor's degree can still be unnecessarily complicated. Students may complete courses that transfer to a university but do not apply to their intended major. Others encounter different prerequisites, course sequences or program requirements that add time and cost to completing their degrees. As the university for the public good, being intentional in how we build curriculum is a part of creating access to Montclair, and is part of who we are.    

Each year, we welcome nearly 2,000 new transfer students to Montclair. But a seamless pathway begins long before an application or credit evaluation. It begins with our faculty and community college partners designing the educational journey together. Through collaboration, we will work toward greater alignment between our academic programs and curricula so that students can begin their education with a clearer understanding of the entire journey ahead.

Imagine a student knowing from their first semester which courses will count toward a Montclair degree, when to transition and how long completion should take. Imagine that student also feeling part of Montclair from the beginning through campus events, student organizations and athletics. That is the experience we should aspire to create.

Our faculty and academic leaders are central to this work: aligning curricula, identifying unnecessary repetition and removing barriers in prerequisites and course sequences. Bringing colleagues from community colleges and Montclair together creates an opportunity to look across institutional boundaries and ask important questions. These conversations are about much more than transferring credits. A credit can transfer without moving a student closer to a degree. A true pathway ensures that it does both, reducing unnecessary time and expense while helping students maintain momentum. 

This work on pathways also represents something larger about how we think about enrollment management at Montclair. Strategic enrollment management requires us to take responsibility for the entire educational journey, from access through degree completion and career aspirations.

On November 2, presidential leadership will establish the vision and commitment, but the work begins before that gathering and continues afterward. Provosts, deans, faculty, chairs, advisors and enrollment professionals across our institutions must collaborate program by program, supported by student development, infrastructure and systems, to turn that vision into a student experience.

New Jersey can demonstrate what happens when public institutions take collective responsibility for bridging the boundaries students navigate. Our success will be measured not by the agreements we sign, but by whether students can see a clear path to Montclair and follow it with confidence, knowing we designed it together.

We’re just getting started, and I hope you join us in the effort.

Yosmeriz "Yos" Roman, Ph.D.

Vice Provost for Enrollment Management

American Higher Education: Foundation of Democracy, Engine of Innovation

President Koppell's The American Experiment: 250 Years and Beyond continues with "American Higher Education: Foundation of Democracy, Engine of Innovation" today, October 13, at 2:30 p.m. in Cole Hall, Room 340.

Trace the evolution of American higher education as a driver of democracy, discovery and economic progress while considering today's questions about the purpose and value of universities.

Rethinking Our Place in the Age of AI

Join us Tuesday, October 27, for the inaugural event of The Wide World of Ideas, a new speaker series bringing our community together to explore timely questions and ideas shaping our world. 

Educator, ethicist and author Mark Peres will lead "A New Story for the Age of AI: When Intelligence Is No Longer Exclusively Human," exploring how increasingly capable AI is challenging long-held distinctions between person and tool, relationship and simulation, autonomy and dependence—and what those shifts may require of our ethical frameworks.

The conversation will take place from 4–5 p.m. in the Feliciano School of Business, Room 140, followed by a book signing of The Accord from 5–6 p.m. Complimentary copies will be available to the first 50 registrants. Register early and join the conversation.

Expanding Our Proactive Student Support

This fall, we are expanding outreach through the Sense of Belonging Survey, identifying students facing isolation or challenges with peer support, food and housing security. Informed by four years of survey and retention data, the initiative aims to strengthen well-being and academic access. The effort is being designed and implemented by Christopher Donoghue, Danielle Insalaco-Egan, Lisha Jiang and Alker-Kelly Antoine. 

The survey will be administered in randomly selected classes and emailed to all undergraduates. Results will be monitored as they come in so students reporting challenges can receive caring messages through Navigate, followed by individual meetings and direct support from academic advisors and colleagues across Student Development and Campus Life.

Instructors whose classes are selected are encouraged to administer the survey in class or share the link directly with their students. Participants can win one of 35 gift cards valued at $15–$100. Thank you to Hanan Atiyat, Jennifer Brooks, Fatima DeCarvalho, Radhika Kumavat, Kim Mason, Tara Morlando Zurlo, Jane Sanchez Swain, Kevin Schafer and Dan Stratthaus for contributing their expertise to this initiative. 

We will also continue requesting Navigate midterm progress reports for undergraduate degree-seeking students. Thanks to instructors’ participation in early reports, 91% of these students received at least one message in September, helping supporters assess performance and identify outreach needs. Session A midterm reports will be requested October 12-16, and Session C one-time reports will be requested November 9-15. For questions, contact Danielle Insalaco-Egan or navigate@montclair.edu.