New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to Deliver Keynote Address at Hudson County Community College Commencement
March 14, 2019
March 14, 2019, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) President Dr. Chris Reber announced that New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will deliver the keynote speech at the College’s 2019 Commencement ceremony.
The Governor accepted the College’s invitation to the event that will take place on Thursday, May 30, 2019, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark.
"What a wonderful opportunity this will be for our graduates, their families, and our College. We are honored to have the Governor participate in this milestone celebration of our students’ success and thank him for his strong support of education,” Dr. Reber said.
“It will be an honor to be part of HCCC’s Commencement, and to help celebrate the graduates’ accomplishments,” said Governor Murphy. “Our county colleges are a crucial part of our higher education system, and ensuring greater access for all residents is critical to creating the stronger and fairer New Jersey we seek to build.”
Expanded access to higher education opportunities is a key initiative of Governor Murphy’s administration. Hudson County Community College was one of thirteen New Jersey community colleges selected to pilot the Community College Opportunity Grant this Spring. Governor Murphy and the legislature appropriated $25 million for the grant, which offered prospective students from low-income families the opportunity to attend community college tuition free. Students with adjusted gross family incomes of up to $45,000, who took six or more credits in the Spring 2019 semester, were eligible to receive CCOG awards for tuition and educational fees after applying all other federal or state grant aid they receive. Nearly 600 HCCC students benefitted from the pilot offering of this program in Spring 2019.
HCCC has an unduplicated headcount of more than 15,000 full- and part-time students. The College offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs on campuses in Jersey City and Union City, NJ, at off-campus sites and online. The HCCC Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. Over 94% of HCCC Nursing program graduates passed the NCLEX first time out, placing the program's graduates in the top tier of two- and four-year nursing programs nationwide. In 2017, the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked HCCC in the top 5% of 2,200 U.S. higher education institutions for social mobility.