Dear Colleagues,

Last week, under the stewardship of Dr. Katia Paz Goldfarb, Associate Provost for Hispanic Initiatives, and Professors Milton Fuentes and Blanca Elizabeth Vega, Montclair State University submitted its application for the Seal of Excelencia. This distinction is awarded only to institutions that demonstrate documented, systemic, and sustained progress toward Hispanic student success, not only during their academic journeys, but long after they graduate.

The comprehensive 50‑page application required extensive research, data collection, and rigorous analysis. More importantly, it required deep reflection on who we are, and who we aspire to be, as a research‑intensive Hispanic‑Serving Institution (HSI) committed to public service, community engagement, and transformative student outcomes.

I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Goldfarb, Professor Fuentes, and Professor Vega for their extraordinary effort and leadership in affirming Montclair State University’s mission and identity. Building on more than a decade of institutional dedication to Latino student success, President Jonathan Koppell elevated “servingness” as a defining university value upon his arrival in 2021, establishing the pursuit of the Seal of Excelencia as a top priority. Truly, I cannot think of any university more deserving of this distinction.

As scholar Gina Ann Garcia reminds us, there is a profound difference between being Hispanic‑Enrolling and Hispanic‑Serving. One is a demographic description. The other is a normative stance. Being an HSI is not about who arrives on our campus, it is about how we choose to serve them once they are here. It is about honoring the richness of their experiences, elevating their aspirations, and allowing ourselves to be transformed with them and by them.

This intrinsic character of Montclair State University made our 2023 merger with Bloomfield College not only logical, but imperative. If we believe that we are responsible for ensuring all youth have access to educational opportunity, then the preservation of Bloomfield College, the only four-year Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) in New Jersey, becomes not just strategic but essential. It reflects a commitment to public service, to democratic values, and to the purpose of higher education. 

The merger is not just aligned with our mission. It is our mission. It is the living expression of what it means to be a university that serves.

But it is also more than that.

Bloomfield brought to Montclair:

This year, Bloomfield launched the SCHOLAR (Stewardship, Community History, and Opportunities for Leadership and Academic Readiness) certificate, required of every Bloomfield student going forward. The 12-credit-hour certificate extends the College’s long tradition of engaged, responsive education in a personalized learning environment, while reflecting our commitment to leverage current students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences as sources of pride and strength.

Its design is centered on three core foundations: 1. culture/history 2. reflection/self-awareness and 3. exchange/reciprocity. These foundations are conveyed with a community co-design approach.  Students and community members work together to understand each other’s cultural identities and histories and shape projects and outcomes that are mutually beneficial.  

The SCHOLAR certificate aims to instill and strengthen students’ sense of identity and stimulate community engagement. At the same time, it will promote career readiness by developing communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and civic agency skills. The certificate is designed to embody Bloomfield College’s mission both to enlighten students through “community-engaged and collaborative learning” and to empower them through “academic, social, and wellness growth that begins firmly rooted in the students’ collective histories and cultures.” 

As we near the completion of the merger, Bloomfield College students and faculty are now full members of the Montclair State University community, with complete access to the expansive resources of a major public research university. At the same time, Bloomfield students continue to benefit from a revived distinct environment, a unique and expanding curricular signature, and a deeply rooted campus culture. 

We are thrilled to see the entering class this fall is about 50% larger than last year.

As we look ahead, this initiative offers a powerful blueprint for the future of higher education. By combining the economies of scale, research infrastructure, and institutional strength of a major university with the personalized, differentiated pathways of a smaller, tight‑knit college, we are creating a resilient ecosystem.

Bringing this vision to life is demanding and complex work, but it is profoundly rewarding. Thank you for your tireless dedication to this effort, which ultimately honors and elevates our students, their families, and the communities we serve. 

With my best regards,

Fatma

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