Affinity Groups

The purpose of the AAAG is to provide opportunity for Chief Academic Officers of the Community Colleges in New Jersey to act collectively in an advisory capacity to the New Jersey Community College Presidents; to provide a forum for the consideration of academic matters of mutual interest to members of the Community College sector of New Jersey; to provide a means for the exchange of ideas between and among chief academic officers at Community Colleges of New Jersey and related affiliate groups; to promote and provide professional development enhancing the performance of Chief Academic Officers and appropriate Instructional Administrators; and to serve as the collective voice on academic matters for the involvement of Chief Academic Officers in policy planning and decision making.

The purpose of the AAG is to facilitate the exchange of information regarding the assessment of institutional effectiveness and student learning outcomes; to provide a forum for collaboration about assessment and compliance with regional accreditation standards related to assessment within and among assessment professionals of New Jersey’s Community Colleges; and, to communicate with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges and with the Community College presidents on assessment matters. 

The purpose of the BOAG is to facilitate the exchange of ideas affecting the business administration and operation of New Jersey’s Community Colleges; to promote the professional growth and development of members and maintain professional licensure/certification; to provide a vehicle for communication with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges and the New Jersey Community College Presidents; and to review legislation affecting Community Colleges.

The purpose of the DEAG is to address issues in the areas of online, hybrid, web-enhanced, and ITV courses with of a focus on improving access, student success and retention. The DEAG provides value and support through cooperative purchasing (through the NJCC Joint Purchasing Consortium), collaborative professional development opportunities, online course quality initiatives, inter-institutional communication and mentoring, marketing, and other initiatives. The group also provides coordinated responses to questions or inquiries from the New Jersey Community College Presidents regarding distance education issues, resulting in a sharing of best practices and coordinated problem solving. In addition to recommendations, we support, research and provide feedback as requested by the proposals generated by the “Big Ideas” work groups, including but not limited to, membership on said committees as requested. The group will re-visit strategies by which high enrollment courses and “gap courses” statewide may be made available through the NJCCDEAG.

The purpose of the Financial Aid Affinity Group is to work collectively on issues regarding federal- and state-based financial aid available to Community College students, including need-based and merit-based programs such as the Federal Pell Grant, New Jersey Tuition Aid Grants (TAG), the Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG), and the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Rewards Scholarship (NJ STARS). This group facilitates communication among New Jersey’s Community Colleges’ financial aid directors to identify issues of mutual concern, discuss possible solutions, and advise the New Jersey Community College Presidents and New Jersey Council of County Colleges on financial aid issues impacting students.

The purpose of the IAAG is to promote statewide ethical and accountable practices in building and maintaining trustworthy internal and external relationships with donors, funders, community and industry members, media, government officials and the general public. Specific responsibilities of the IAAG are to foster networking and sharing of expertise across NJ Community Colleges; to identify opportunities to share services, develop best practices, and examine organizational models that are conducive to developing effective and efficient philanthropic and grant resource development and communications; and to participate in the strategic planning at the college, foundation, and state level to advocate for the inclusion of resource development and communication goals and increased administrative resources.

The purpose of the ITAG is to advise the New Jersey Community College Presidents on matters pertaining to the current and future efficient and cost effective use of technology for the operation and advancement of administrative and instructional processes in New Jersey Community Colleges. The group will also provide technical advice and support to the other Affinity Groups.

The purpose of IRPAG is to serve as the research and advisory group to the New Jersey Community College Presidents performing sector-wide analyses on pertinent funding, policy, research, and academic issues to inform executive leadership decision-making. The IRPAG provides a forum for institutional researchers and planners to standardize collection methods and reporting of data; to develop research and planning sector-wide best practices; to exchange ideas, facilitate professional growth and development; and to provide opportunities for review of current educational research and planning policy matters to further enhance professional development and competencies requisite to provide future executive council. The IRPAG is affiliated with the Association for Institutional Research.

The purpose of the LRHRAG is to act collectively in an advisory capacity to the New Jersey Community College Presidents regarding labor relations and human resources matters and to provide a forum for the analyses of labor relations and human resources matters of mutual interest to members of the NJCCLRHRAG in a trusted, confidential manner/environment.

The purpose of the SSAG is to speak collectively on issues of student access and development to promote student success. This group will facilitate communication among New Jersey’s Community Colleges’ senior student affairs officers and its affiliated committees in order to identify issues of mutual concern, discuss possible solutions, and advise the New Jersey Community College Presidents on student services issues; to provide mentoring; to share best practices and serve as a mutual resource network; to offer professional development opportunities among student affairs professionals statewide; and to oversee activities of affiliated student services groups, such as financial aid, enrollment management, testing and transfer.