Hudson County Community College Forms Special Cultural Affairs Task Force

March 3, 2015

New Cultural Affairs Task Force’s recommendations will guide and direct the College in determining goals focused on cultural issues within the College and its relationship to the community.

 

March 3, 2015, Jersey City, NJ – In February, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) convened an introductory meeting of its newly formed Cultural Affairs Task Force.

Established by the College’s Board of Trustees and Administration, the HCCC Cultural Affairs Task Force is intended to provide the College with guidance and assistance in determining goals focused on these issues:

  1. the definition of the cultural affairs-related role of HCCC as a comprehensive community college;
  2. identification of partnerships that should be sustained by the College regarding cultural affairs;
  3. suggested structures and mechanisms that should be established and maintained by the College to assure that this role is met;
  4. policies and procedures that should be put in place to assure that the College’s art collections are well managed and advance the core mission of the institution;
  5. guidelines and suggestions for cultural programming and events that should be supported by the College.

HCCC President Dr. Glen Gabert said the Cultural Affairs Task Force is comprised of three committees. The Executive Committee, co-chaired by Clifford Brooks, Special Assistant to the President for Cultural Affairs at HCCC, and Richard Mackiewicz, Esq. of Mackiewicz & Associates and Secretary of the HCCC Foundation, is to provide guidance and direction to the College Collections Committee and the Programming and Events Committee. The College Collections Committee, co-chaired by Mr. Brooks and Mark Rodrick, Vice President of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and a director of the HCCC Foundation Board, is charged with providing guidance and direction for using the College’s Foundation Art Collection and related assets to advance the mission of HCCC as a comprehensive community college. The Program and Events Committee, co-chaired by James Egan, President of Nelson Ward and the Chair of the HCCC Foundation, and Dr. Eric Friedman, HCCC Vice President for Academic Affairs, will provide guidance and direction about the wide array of culturally related credit and noncredit programs and culturally related events the College might sponsor, host or provide a venue while making the best use of the College’s resources within the parameters of the College’s mission.

The three committees are composed of a wide-ranging group of individuals from the community including educators, business people, members of local governmental cultural affairs departments, and individuals from the graphics, fine, visual, theater, dance, music and spoken arts arenas.

Mr. Brooks, who earned his bachelor’s degree in French language and linguistics at Georgetown University, also holds a Master's degree in Library and Information Studies from Rutgers University and a Master's degree in Urban Education from New Jersey City University. In addition to serving as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University, University of Missouri, Eastern Nazarene College, New Jersey City University, and Baguio Normal School (The Philippines), he has been a librarian at HCCC and in the New Jersey public library system, and his opera education program at Sarah Caldwell's Opera Company of Boston and Opera New England and other work in the arts has earned him national recognition.

“Everyone associated with this Task Force was asked to participate because of their demonstrated interest over time in Hudson County,” Mr. Brooks said. “The College’s Board of Trustees, the President and each person involved with this endeavor understand that cultural activities can be a venue for academic, intellectual and personal satisfaction, as well as economic success.”

Dr. Gabert noted that the Cultural Affairs Task Force’s recommendations will inform the comprehensive, long-term strategic planning the College is about to undertake.

“The cultural community of Hudson County has blossomed significantly within the past few years, and in some ways this has been coincidental to the College’s growth,” said Dr. Gabert. “The Board of Trustees and my administration believe that the College can become a nexus of cultural programming for the community. The key is to make full and wise use of the College’s resources as well as those of the community.”