An unorthodox partnership is saving a small, 153-year-old private New Jersey college from having to close its doors — thanks to a nearby public university.
Bloomfield College had been struggling for years because of declining enrollment and increasing expenses, even before the pandemic. The tiny campus nestled in the heart of the community that bears the same name is the state's only four-year, predominantly Black institution — and for the 1,300 students who study there, that small size is important.
“They’re always making sure your grades are good, you're okay mentally, physically. Always very supportive here on campus," said Bianca Gomez, a junior who is majoring in business marketing.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
The majority of students at the school are Black and Hispanic, the average family income $32,000. Money was running out at the school, and last year could have been it’s last.
The college's president appealed for help, and it came from just ten minutes away — as Montclair State University offered a cash infusion to keep it going.
“We’re both institutions that are about serving folks who don’t necessarily have the smoothest path to a college degree," said Montclair State University President Dr. Jonathan Koppell. "We weren’t going to sit here and watch a sister institution with a shared purpose struggle through it and ultimately fade away because they’re doing what we are ultimately trying to do ourselves.”
Soon after the president of Bloomfield went public with the financial straits six months ago, she got more than 30 inquires from colleges and universities all over the country. But when Montclair State extended a hand, there was no question they would take it.
“The goal is to create this window for us to come up with something bigger, a partnership," said Bloomfield College President Dr. Marcheta Evans. "Getting a degree transforms not only that student's life, but the family system as well. So working through whatever the new model is going to be transformative, not only for students and Bloomfield, but the state of New Jersey as well.”
Officials don’t quite know what that model is going to look like yet, as these are the first steps on a journey that’s never been undertaken before.
“We don't want to do the same thing that others are doing with their mergers," Dr. Evans said. "How can we come up with a model for higher educations that can be transformative — working to improve our graduation rate, our retention rate, but then transforming our student’s lives."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy allocated $5 million from the state budget to support the mission.
“They're supporting it on the same premise: Not putting good money after bad, but actually creating this opportunity for Bloomfield and MSU to collaborate," Dr. Koppell said.
In doing so, it also creates the opportunity for Gomez to graduate from the school that put her on the path to success.
“This is my campus, I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else and knowing I'll be able to graduate from here makes me very happy," Gomez said. "It's amazing they will be here for future generations.”
