ROWAN COLLEGE AT BURLINGTON COUNTY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING
Tues., January 19, 2021
By Webex
Host: Mount Laurel Campus, Student Success Center
Executive Conference Room 138
1500 College Circle
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER
Board of Trustees Chair George Nyikita welcomed everyone in attendance and called the meeting
to order at 5:33PM. The Chair asked Trustee and Pastor Dorion Morgan to say a prayer for the
New Year and given the events over the past several months.
FLAG SALUTE
The meeting was opened with the Flag Salute by all in attendance.
SWEARING IN NEW RCBC TRUSTEES
Chair Nyikita introduced and welcomed Dr. Anthony C. Wright and Mr. Raymond Marini as
newly appointed Trustees to the Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees.
Dr. Anthony C. Wright was appointed by the Burlington County Board of Commissioners on
December 13, 2020 for a four-year term effective December 13, 2020 – October 31, 2024. Dr.
Wright is the Chief Innovation Officer at the New Jersey Department of Education and he is an
instructor at several universities, including Wilmington University.
Mr. Raymond Marini is the newly appointed Burlington County Interim Executive County
Superintendent. Mr. Marini is a retired Principal from Maple Shade High School and he has an
extensive background in education.
Solicitor Grant virtually administered the Oaths of Allegiance and Oaths of Office. The Board of
Trustees, President Michael Cioce, and all meeting attendees welcomed Dr. Wright and Mr. Marini
to the Board. The Oaths have been officially signed.
,Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees
January 19, 2021
Public Meeting Minutes
Page 2 of 41
ROLL CALL
Board Present: Mr. James Anderson, Mr. Kevin Brown, Dr. James Kerfoot, Ms. Renee
Liciaga, Mr. Raymond Marini, Mr. Dorion Morgan, Mr. George Nyikita,
Mr. Gino Pasqualone, Mr. Mickey Quinn, Dr. Anthony Wright
Board Absent: Ms. Jamie Martin, Ms. Stephanie Berdugo-Hernandez (Alumni Trustee)
RCBC Present: Dr. Michael A. Cioce (President and Board Secretary), Dr. Karen
Archambault, Dr. Cathy Briggs, Ms. Emmy Casa, Mr. Thomas Czerniecki,
Ms. Lindsey Daniello, Mr. Andrew Eaton, Dr. Martin Hoffman, Mr. Jarrett
Kealey, Ms. Linda Lewis, Ms. Brooke Mailhiot, Mr. Mark Meara, Mr.
Harry Metzinger, Ms. Elizabeth Nesius, Ms. Anna Payanzo Cotton, Ms.
Julie Ritter, Mr. Joseph Rizzo, Dr. Anita Rudman, Ms. Michelle Russell,
Dr. David Spang, Ms. Kelley Stuetz, Dr. Edem Tetteh, Ms. Anne
Tokazewski, Mr. Michael Turnbull, Dr. Donna Vandergrift, Mr. Greg
Volpe, Mr. William Whitfield, Ms. Kelly Grant (Board Solicitor) and Ms.
Lynne Marie Devericks (Board Recorder)
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
Ms. Lynne Marie Devericks read the following statement: “In compliance with the Open Public
Meetings Act, the Board passed a resolution on November 17, 2020, setting forth the date, time,
and location of regular meetings of the Board of Trustees, which resolution was, within seven days
of passage, posted on the College Website, sent to The Burlington County Times, The Courier-
Post, The Trenton Times, and the Burlington County Clerk.”
MINUTES
Chair George Nyikita requested a motion to approve the minutes of the Reorganization and
Regular Board Meetings on November 17, 2020, as submitted. The motion was made by Trustee
James Kerfoot, with a second by Trustee Mickey Quinn, and a unanimous vote in favor. There
were no questions or comments and the minutes were approved as written.
REPORTS
1. President’s Report:
- The President’s Report was presented in written form to the Board, which included news
and events from November 17, 2020 to January 18, 2021.
- The On-Campus Crime and Fire Incident Report prepared by Captain Edmund Johnson
was presented in written form to the Board for the period November 10, 2020 to January
11, 2021.
,Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees
January 19, 2021
Public Meeting Minutes
Page 3 of 41
- President Cioce wished everyone a Happy New Year and welcomed the new Trustees, with
whom he had an opportunity to meet virtually over the last few weeks. He proceeded with
the following announcements in addition to the written report provided in the Board packet:
1) Phi Theta Kappa Honoring Professor William Whitfield: President Cioce received a
letter and package from Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO, of the Phi Theta
Kappa Honor Society, expressing their gratitude to Professor William Whitfield for 20
years of service as advisor of the Chi Iota Chapter. Professor Whitfield is a member of
RCBC’s faculty in our S.T.E.M. Division. President Cioce displayed the pin sent by the
honor society in recognition of Professor Whitfield’s dedication. We will send the service
pin and letter to Mr. Whitfield. President Cioce thanked him for the thousands of students
whose lives he has touched in the classroom and expressed the gratitude that we all have
for this level of service.
2) The Spring 2021 Semester will begin this week. RCBC will continue to deliver
instruction across a few different modes. There remains an on-campus presence,
specifically within our hands-on clinical and laboratory coursework, which represents
about 15% of our total core sections for this spring. This is almost identical to what we
offered for the Fall semester. We continue to offer distance learning courses, completely
online and asynchronous. We also offer VLC, which was unveiled this past fall, and
represents Virtual Live. It’s completely online with a synchronous component on day and
time, and we offer hybrids that are any blend of the first three offerings. Enrollment is still
underway. Our Enrollment Management and Student Success Teams have been busy for
the past three weeks and will be busy through the add/drop period and then beyond, but the
semester starts officially on Friday, January 22nd.
3) Dr. Spang and the Academic Leadership Team have scheduled Beginning of Semester
Activities for all faculty and many others tomorrow, January 20, 2021. There are seven
full-time faculty recommended for tenure this month, which is submitted by resolution for
the Board’s approval.
4) This past season, our Foundation Director, Lindsey Daniello, and our Foundation Chair,
Karen Albanese, who is also an RCBC alumni, have spearheaded the largest Giving
Tuesday in College history. President Cioce thanked Dr. James Kerfoot, Vice Chair of the
Board, for his contribution. The Foundation set a goal of $5,000.00 and raised over
$20,000.00 for the students. Trustee Renee Liciaga serves as Liaison to the Foundation
Board as well, and she has been a firecracker on this effort. Things are tough all over and
Dr. Cioce believes the community heard about the need, and it resonated that their
contributions directly impact student scholarships for tuition and textbooks.
5) Town Halls: Stephanie Berdugo-Hernandez, our Alumni Trustee, was unable to join us
at the Board Meeting this evening. There is a summary in the President’s written report
that describes Town Halls held last year. The Vice President of Workforce Development,
Anna Payanzo Cotton, provided information on some of the co-hosting duties, but some of
the numbers are pretty impressive. In calendar year 2020, we held 34 Town Halls, which
, Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees
January 19, 2021
Public Meeting Minutes
Page 4 of 41
we started at the end of March 2020 and ran through the end of December 2020. We had
over 30,000 views. We met and had great conversations with 45 faculty at RCBC, 45
students, 10 staff, and 10 community members. Last week was not included in that number.
Stephanie, our Alumni Trustee, was able to connect us with the Higher Education Student
Assistance Authority (HESAA) and we held a session that was geared toward parents and
prospective students, and navigating federal and state financial aid challenges. Also,
Trustee Dorion Morgan has agreed to help us provide a session later in February. President
Cioce thanked Trustee Morgan for the session in late summer and for his assistance in the
spring. For those interested, especially our new Trustees, the Town Halls are located on
our Facebook page and the link is located in the written report.
6) The College’s new Strategic Plan was presented for ratification this evening, but actually
became effective in January 2021 through 2025. Dr. Anita Rudman, Associate Provost,
led this effort and shepherded a very diverse group of co-chairs, and everyone had an
opportunity to contribute and make their voices heard.
President Cioce invited questions and there were none.
This concluded the President’s Report.
2. Board Reports
A. Finance/Facilities Committee: Chair George Nyikita reported:
Chair Nyikita announced that the Finance/Facilities Committee met virtually on Tues.,
January 12, 2021, at 3:00PM, and the Committee discussed various financial and budget-
related items, as well as facility-related items. Chair Nyikita asked Mr. Thomas
Czerniecki, Senior Vice President of Administration and Operations, to read the items all-
inclusive for the Board.
Mr. Czerniecki proceeded with a review of Tabs 1 through 9 for the Board’s
consideration:
Finance/Facilities Committee Action (Resolution(s) for Approval)
Tab #1: Resolution #2021-019-01, A Resolution to approve and ratify requested business-
related travel
Tab #2: Resolution #2021-019-02, A Resolution to approve and ratify contracts
Tab #3: Resolution #2021-019-03, A Resolution to approve the Adoption/Affirmation of
Certain Board Policies. There are three that we are updating in the Academic area.
Tab #4: Resolution #2021-019-04, A Resolution to ratify an addendum to the contract with
Looney Advertising and Branding to provide an additional $105,000.00 of digital
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING
Tues., January 19, 2021
By Webex
Host: Mount Laurel Campus, Student Success Center
Executive Conference Room 138
1500 College Circle
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER
Board of Trustees Chair George Nyikita welcomed everyone in attendance and called the meeting
to order at 5:33PM. The Chair asked Trustee and Pastor Dorion Morgan to say a prayer for the
New Year and given the events over the past several months.
FLAG SALUTE
The meeting was opened with the Flag Salute by all in attendance.
SWEARING IN NEW RCBC TRUSTEES
Chair Nyikita introduced and welcomed Dr. Anthony C. Wright and Mr. Raymond Marini as
newly appointed Trustees to the Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees.
Dr. Anthony C. Wright was appointed by the Burlington County Board of Commissioners on
December 13, 2020 for a four-year term effective December 13, 2020 – October 31, 2024. Dr.
Wright is the Chief Innovation Officer at the New Jersey Department of Education and he is an
instructor at several universities, including Wilmington University.
Mr. Raymond Marini is the newly appointed Burlington County Interim Executive County
Superintendent. Mr. Marini is a retired Principal from Maple Shade High School and he has an
extensive background in education.
Solicitor Grant virtually administered the Oaths of Allegiance and Oaths of Office. The Board of
Trustees, President Michael Cioce, and all meeting attendees welcomed Dr. Wright and Mr. Marini
to the Board. The Oaths have been officially signed.
,Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees
January 19, 2021
Public Meeting Minutes
Page 2 of 41
ROLL CALL
Board Present: Mr. James Anderson, Mr. Kevin Brown, Dr. James Kerfoot, Ms. Renee
Liciaga, Mr. Raymond Marini, Mr. Dorion Morgan, Mr. George Nyikita,
Mr. Gino Pasqualone, Mr. Mickey Quinn, Dr. Anthony Wright
Board Absent: Ms. Jamie Martin, Ms. Stephanie Berdugo-Hernandez (Alumni Trustee)
RCBC Present: Dr. Michael A. Cioce (President and Board Secretary), Dr. Karen
Archambault, Dr. Cathy Briggs, Ms. Emmy Casa, Mr. Thomas Czerniecki,
Ms. Lindsey Daniello, Mr. Andrew Eaton, Dr. Martin Hoffman, Mr. Jarrett
Kealey, Ms. Linda Lewis, Ms. Brooke Mailhiot, Mr. Mark Meara, Mr.
Harry Metzinger, Ms. Elizabeth Nesius, Ms. Anna Payanzo Cotton, Ms.
Julie Ritter, Mr. Joseph Rizzo, Dr. Anita Rudman, Ms. Michelle Russell,
Dr. David Spang, Ms. Kelley Stuetz, Dr. Edem Tetteh, Ms. Anne
Tokazewski, Mr. Michael Turnbull, Dr. Donna Vandergrift, Mr. Greg
Volpe, Mr. William Whitfield, Ms. Kelly Grant (Board Solicitor) and Ms.
Lynne Marie Devericks (Board Recorder)
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
Ms. Lynne Marie Devericks read the following statement: “In compliance with the Open Public
Meetings Act, the Board passed a resolution on November 17, 2020, setting forth the date, time,
and location of regular meetings of the Board of Trustees, which resolution was, within seven days
of passage, posted on the College Website, sent to The Burlington County Times, The Courier-
Post, The Trenton Times, and the Burlington County Clerk.”
MINUTES
Chair George Nyikita requested a motion to approve the minutes of the Reorganization and
Regular Board Meetings on November 17, 2020, as submitted. The motion was made by Trustee
James Kerfoot, with a second by Trustee Mickey Quinn, and a unanimous vote in favor. There
were no questions or comments and the minutes were approved as written.
REPORTS
1. President’s Report:
- The President’s Report was presented in written form to the Board, which included news
and events from November 17, 2020 to January 18, 2021.
- The On-Campus Crime and Fire Incident Report prepared by Captain Edmund Johnson
was presented in written form to the Board for the period November 10, 2020 to January
11, 2021.
,Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees
January 19, 2021
Public Meeting Minutes
Page 3 of 41
- President Cioce wished everyone a Happy New Year and welcomed the new Trustees, with
whom he had an opportunity to meet virtually over the last few weeks. He proceeded with
the following announcements in addition to the written report provided in the Board packet:
1) Phi Theta Kappa Honoring Professor William Whitfield: President Cioce received a
letter and package from Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO, of the Phi Theta
Kappa Honor Society, expressing their gratitude to Professor William Whitfield for 20
years of service as advisor of the Chi Iota Chapter. Professor Whitfield is a member of
RCBC’s faculty in our S.T.E.M. Division. President Cioce displayed the pin sent by the
honor society in recognition of Professor Whitfield’s dedication. We will send the service
pin and letter to Mr. Whitfield. President Cioce thanked him for the thousands of students
whose lives he has touched in the classroom and expressed the gratitude that we all have
for this level of service.
2) The Spring 2021 Semester will begin this week. RCBC will continue to deliver
instruction across a few different modes. There remains an on-campus presence,
specifically within our hands-on clinical and laboratory coursework, which represents
about 15% of our total core sections for this spring. This is almost identical to what we
offered for the Fall semester. We continue to offer distance learning courses, completely
online and asynchronous. We also offer VLC, which was unveiled this past fall, and
represents Virtual Live. It’s completely online with a synchronous component on day and
time, and we offer hybrids that are any blend of the first three offerings. Enrollment is still
underway. Our Enrollment Management and Student Success Teams have been busy for
the past three weeks and will be busy through the add/drop period and then beyond, but the
semester starts officially on Friday, January 22nd.
3) Dr. Spang and the Academic Leadership Team have scheduled Beginning of Semester
Activities for all faculty and many others tomorrow, January 20, 2021. There are seven
full-time faculty recommended for tenure this month, which is submitted by resolution for
the Board’s approval.
4) This past season, our Foundation Director, Lindsey Daniello, and our Foundation Chair,
Karen Albanese, who is also an RCBC alumni, have spearheaded the largest Giving
Tuesday in College history. President Cioce thanked Dr. James Kerfoot, Vice Chair of the
Board, for his contribution. The Foundation set a goal of $5,000.00 and raised over
$20,000.00 for the students. Trustee Renee Liciaga serves as Liaison to the Foundation
Board as well, and she has been a firecracker on this effort. Things are tough all over and
Dr. Cioce believes the community heard about the need, and it resonated that their
contributions directly impact student scholarships for tuition and textbooks.
5) Town Halls: Stephanie Berdugo-Hernandez, our Alumni Trustee, was unable to join us
at the Board Meeting this evening. There is a summary in the President’s written report
that describes Town Halls held last year. The Vice President of Workforce Development,
Anna Payanzo Cotton, provided information on some of the co-hosting duties, but some of
the numbers are pretty impressive. In calendar year 2020, we held 34 Town Halls, which
, Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees
January 19, 2021
Public Meeting Minutes
Page 4 of 41
we started at the end of March 2020 and ran through the end of December 2020. We had
over 30,000 views. We met and had great conversations with 45 faculty at RCBC, 45
students, 10 staff, and 10 community members. Last week was not included in that number.
Stephanie, our Alumni Trustee, was able to connect us with the Higher Education Student
Assistance Authority (HESAA) and we held a session that was geared toward parents and
prospective students, and navigating federal and state financial aid challenges. Also,
Trustee Dorion Morgan has agreed to help us provide a session later in February. President
Cioce thanked Trustee Morgan for the session in late summer and for his assistance in the
spring. For those interested, especially our new Trustees, the Town Halls are located on
our Facebook page and the link is located in the written report.
6) The College’s new Strategic Plan was presented for ratification this evening, but actually
became effective in January 2021 through 2025. Dr. Anita Rudman, Associate Provost,
led this effort and shepherded a very diverse group of co-chairs, and everyone had an
opportunity to contribute and make their voices heard.
President Cioce invited questions and there were none.
This concluded the President’s Report.
2. Board Reports
A. Finance/Facilities Committee: Chair George Nyikita reported:
Chair Nyikita announced that the Finance/Facilities Committee met virtually on Tues.,
January 12, 2021, at 3:00PM, and the Committee discussed various financial and budget-
related items, as well as facility-related items. Chair Nyikita asked Mr. Thomas
Czerniecki, Senior Vice President of Administration and Operations, to read the items all-
inclusive for the Board.
Mr. Czerniecki proceeded with a review of Tabs 1 through 9 for the Board’s
consideration:
Finance/Facilities Committee Action (Resolution(s) for Approval)
Tab #1: Resolution #2021-019-01, A Resolution to approve and ratify requested business-
related travel
Tab #2: Resolution #2021-019-02, A Resolution to approve and ratify contracts
Tab #3: Resolution #2021-019-03, A Resolution to approve the Adoption/Affirmation of
Certain Board Policies. There are three that we are updating in the Academic area.
Tab #4: Resolution #2021-019-04, A Resolution to ratify an addendum to the contract with
Looney Advertising and Branding to provide an additional $105,000.00 of digital
