Grant funds a windfall for college
BYLINE: Bob Jordan, Asbury Park Press, N.J.
Dec. 28--Brookdale Community College's urban outreach programs in Asbury Park and Neptune are receiving a boost from the federal government in grants that could total up to $571,000.
The recently appropriated so-called set-asides represent "money that isn't normally available and goes the extra mile to help with some important programs," Webster Trammell, a school vice president, said Thursday.
The aid includes $243,000 for the development of the school's Center for Excellence in Technology, Telecommunications and Economic Development (CETTED) to provide learning and training for incumbent, unemployed, and underemployed workers.
Trammell said Reps. Frank J. Pallone Jr. and Rush Holt and Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, all D-N.J., secured funding for the programs in the budget bill.
Pallone said that "by investing in the education of our children and young adults, we are building a stronger future for our entire community." Holt said in a prepared release, "I want to ensure that our state receives a fair return on its tax dollars, and one way to do so is to invest in quality projects that affect central New Jersey residents."
School spokesman Stephen Nacco said the money is earmarked for programs that provide educational technology to the region as well as promote mathematics, science, and technology. The focus of the outreach will be Brookdale's Eastern Monmouth Higher Education Center in Neptune, Nacco said.
Trammell said the money has to be "used precisely as stipulated. You have to run the program as specified and provide evaluations and fiscal audits."
Trammell, who is in charge of government relations for the school, said, "We have a long-standing relationship with all of our representatives in Washington and they've taken a particular interest in outreach programs, which give people a chance to come in and get a leg up on the courses they'll take at Brookdale."
Brookdale has 14,026 full- and part-time students enrolled for the fall semester, according to its Web site. Brookdale's Board of Trustees recently voted unanimously at its annual meeting to re-elect Howard Birdsall of Brielle as its chairman and Jacob Elkes of Freehold vice chairman.
Birdsall, chairman for the past four years, has served on the board since 1988. Elkes joined the board in 1996 and has been vice chairman since 1998.
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