Sussex County Community College (SCCC) was selected as part of the joint solicitation of four revolving Capital Facilities Bond programs among a list of 54 projects. SCCC will receive $1,052,851 in funding for technology and infrastructure needs.
In a release from the Department of Higher Education, the 54 projects, including SCCC, will support the growing infrastructure and technology needs of New Jersey's higher education sector to continue advancing access to high-quality postsecondary education. As part of the Higher Education Equipment Leasing Fund (ELF), $82 million was allocated for 25 awards.
SCCC is set to receive $1,052,851 to improve technology on the College's main campus to enhance and expand educational opportunities for students. The College will upgrade classrooms to include Interactive solutions such as interactive whiteboards to promote active learning and increase student engagement. The network will be upgraded with network switches and a new storage area network to support more machines on the network, increase connectivity, and improve overall network security. The College will also utilize this grant to transform the traditional library into a multi-use learning commons space that aligns with modern student needs.
According to the award list, these projects relate to the "delivery of Educational Services. The Active Learning Classrooms will be new generation technology to all lecture rooms; the library and the computer lab projects will serve to upgrade all open student lab computers and four computer labs. The server room upgrades will help SCCC move all systems to the "cloud."
"New Jersey remains committed to investing in our students so that more bright young people are motivated to pursue a higher education right here in our state," said Governor Phil Murphy. "In many respects, that starts with campus facilities and resources. By funding capital improvement projects that both revitalize and expand campus offerings, we not only affirm our commitment to high-quality postsecondary education but demonstrate a commitment to growing talent across the Garden State."
"Having modern technology throughout the campus is critical to the College's Mission so we can provide a 21st-century education for our students," stated SCCC President Jon Connolly. "Through the ELF grant, the College will be able to enhance innovation, improve interactivity in the classroom environment, and prepare students for entering the competitive workforce."
The four revolving bond programs through which funding is being released are the Higher Education Capital Improvement Fund (CIF), the Higher Education Facilities Trust Fund (HEFT), the Higher Education Equipment Leasing Fund (ELF), and the Higher Education Technology Infrastructure Fund (HETI). Established by the Legislature, these bond programs form a critical piece of New Jersey's commitment to directly address funding for the preservation, renewal, and construction of facilities and equipment at New Jersey's institutions of higher education as well as their technology needs.
"Since 1994, New Jersey's CIF, HEFT, ELF, and HETI grant programs have provided approximately $1.7 billion in State-supported investment in New Jersey's colleges and universities," said Executive Director of the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority Sheryl Stitt. "Today's announcement of an additional nearly $400 million in grant awards demonstrates a continued commitment to providing modernized classrooms, labs, and technological infrastructure at New Jersey's colleges and universities that are on par with the best schools in the world. The New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority is honored to play a part in these important programs and to work in partnership with Secretary Bridges, Governor Murphy, and their teams. Congratulations to all the institutions receiving funds through this competitive grant cycle."
The nearly $400 million in grant funding will help enhance the postsecondary experience in New Jersey with awards to facilitate the transformation of campus spaces to meet the needs of 21st-century learners. This includes projects to create flexible, multi-purpose spaces that offer physical space and state-of-the-art connectivity to support virtual learning, research, and collaboration.
Grant funding is being awarded from each bond program as follows:
The full award list is available here.
