Integration Updates

Path to Integration

Executive Summary of Bloomfield Integration Status Reports

December 13, 2023

July 1, 2023, the effective date of the merger that created Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, also marked the start of what is known as the Integration Phase of the historic merger, the first between a public and private higher education institution in New Jersey.

Administrators agree that the steps ahead in this integration phase are perhaps even more complex than those leading up to the merger. Montclair and Bloomfield College colleagues are tasked with aligning the two campuses across multiple fronts, including policies, technology, program offerings, student services, campus life and human resources, to name a few.

Undertaking these detailed tasks are some 80 people from both campuses, organized into 12 functional areas each led by the respective vice president or their delegate under the guidance of an executive steering committee chaired by Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales and Interim Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President Benjamin Durant.

While many projects will take time, some early accomplishments include collaborative enrollment planning, an alignment of tuition/fees and financial aid, policy reconciliations, process alignment, consolidating/renegotiating contracts to achieve cost savings and prioritizing systems consolidations that achieve cost savings or improve the overall student experience, including allowing students on the waitlist for Montclair housing to live on the Bloomfield campus. Human Resources has also been integrated, including making the professional development sessions offered to staff through Montclair's Leadership University also available to Bloomfield employees who manage people.

What is the Integration Phase?

The Integration Phase focuses on identifying, planning, scheduling and implementing all the steps for operating as one entity while honoring Bloomfield’s historic identity and continuing its mission to provide students who are often from underserved communities with a distinctive liberal arts college experience that includes access to the resources of a large public research university.

Planning these integration steps revolves largely around the requirements set forth by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), the U.S. Department of Education and other governing bodies. As part of these requirements, MSCHE’s Complex Substantive Change Team visit took place on November 30 to follow up on the progress of the merger.

Here are highlights of the progress underway, culled from committee biweekly status reports.

Technology

Technology integration activities make up a significant part of the integration work and began with the restructuring of information technology staff. The Student Systems team is leading the transition to the Workday Student platform and is working toward the implementation of a new Bloomfield student portal. To improve internet security on the Bloomfield campus, a more secure password-protected WiFi network has been implemented, along with a public guest WiFi. Cybersecurity enhancements include a new Google 2-Step Verification for all Bloomfield employees.

Highly anticipated plans call for Bloomfield students to receive Montclair NetIDs by May 1, 2024. Once accomplished, Bloomfield students will gain access to the Student Recreation Center at Montclair, Montclair’s meal plans and residence halls, and other services. Some short-term solutions may make access to these services possible prior to students receiving Montclair NetIDs, which will also allow for students enrolled at Bloomfield or Montclair to live at either campus beginning as early as 2024-25. In fact, short-term solutions were implemented this fall, allowing for 50 Montclair students to gain access and move into the Schweitzer Hall residence on the Bloomfield campus, and have access to the dining hall.

On the administrative side, there are plans to integrate certain third-party software with Colleague such as the use of Symplicity for student conduct, AIM for disability accommodations and Pyramed for student health records and appointments. In the short term, a project is underway to add Bloomfield meeting and event spaces into Montclair’s online space utilization system, 25 Live. Further efficiencies will include replacing Bloomfield’s emergency alert system with RAVE, the system used on the Montclair campus, to ensure unified communications.

Upcoming major milestones include moving Colleague to Montclair-hosted servers and infrastructure in spring 2024. In addition, Bloomfield's Learning Management platform will be migrated from Blackboard to Canvas during the summer of 2024. Finally, Montclair Network staff are seeking solutions to install a redundant internet link for Bloomfield as a fail-safe to protect against any main Internet failure.

Libraries

Bloomfield College faculty and staff were quickly given remote access to electronic resources such as databases, ebooks, journals and streaming media through their Montclair NetID. Bloomfield students can access these resources from computers at Sprague Library and once they receive NetIDs, they will also have remote access, as well as the ability to print on the Montclair campus.

Since the merger, all Bloomfield faculty, staff and students have been able to borrow books and media from Sprague Library and take advantage of an expedited interlibrary service known as EZBorrow. Another enhanced service is the ability to book study spaces online. Bloomfield Library’s nine study rooms can be booked online, and through QR codes posted at the study rooms.

A longer-term project to be started in 2024 is to make it possible to search for Bloomfield and Montclair collections through a single unified catalog.

Curriculum Offerings

Not the least on the planning roadmap has been the integration of academic majors and programs. Faculty from both campuses will collaborate on academic programs that may be offered at both institutions, connections between undergraduate and graduate programs, and other synergies. Academic program offerings that will remain active at the College in fall 2024 have been updated on the website. A new degree program to be offered by Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, a BA in Applied Studies, received approval earlier this summer and is expected to be officially launched on the College website in 2024.

Enrollment Management

Bloomfield College of Montclair State University is actively implementing a comprehensive enrollment management strategy focused on recruitment and student success. The Montclair Call Center has incorporated the College into its operations, training its staff on Bloomfield College offices, processes and personnel functions to efficiently respond to callers' questions.

Additionally, the Admissions team has launched a new communication plan for prospective students and applicants, accompanied by a recruitment publication reflecting our campus integration. The Admissions office has initiated the rollout of Slate as its CRM, and is taking advantage of its numerous enhanced targeting features.

Plans also include establishing a staffed, one-stop office to conveniently route and respond to questions from both internal and external College constituents.

Communications & Branding

University Communications and Marketing explains that how we refer to the College is an important practical consideration during the integration phase as it sets protocols and guidelines for communications and branding. An editorial guide for the use of the Bloomfield College of Montclair State University name has been created, and is posted on the MyBloomfield portal along with the newly approved logo assets and instructions for ordering new business cards and stationery that carry the new logo. The editorial guide is also posted on the Montclair website.

Social media handles have been updated to reflect the new College name, new digital communications for students and alumni have been created, and a plan for rebuilding the Bloomfield Drupal website on Montclair’s WordPress platform is underway and expected to be completed by the end of this academic year.

Integrating Bloomfield people and their stories into existing Montclair publications such as the In The Know newsletter began as early as August. A weekly BC News newsletter for Bloomfield students was launched in September through Montclair’s Student Communications office in collaboration with Student Development and Campus Life staff who work on the Bloomfield campus. Additionally, the next issue of Montclair magazine, the first to be published since the merger, will carry news devoted to Bloomfield College of Montclair State University and its alumni.

Also in the development stages is a paid advertising campaign to expand the visibility of the College. Plans include digital advertising and the placement of light pole banners along key campus streets, in downtown Bloomfield and along other Bloomfield Township thoroughfares.

Alumni & Giving

The Bloomfield College Alumni Association (BCAA) has been working closely with Montclair’s Office of Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement to integrate alumni services and communications, and to co-plan events. Homecoming 2023 was the first of many events to bring Bloomfield and Montclair alumni together.

On November 29, Alumni Engagement hosted An Evening with President Jonathan Koppell and Chancellor Marcheta Evans as an opportunity to gather on the Bloomfield campus to hear about the Bloomfield College of Montclair State University mission and vision as we move forward. All Bloomfield faculty and staff were invited to attend along with alumni.

Working with the BCAA, the University also launched a crowdfunding initiative around Giving Tuesday to raise funds for scholarships. What’s more, existing Montclair alumni newsletters such as Alumni Connections and E-vents have been incorporating Bloomfield people and news since August.

Additional activities are being planned for spring 2024, including a reunion celebration on the Bloomfield campus for the Classes of 1973 and 1974 – 50th Reunion, Classes of 1998 and 1999 – 25th Reunion and Classes of 2013 and 2014 – 10th Reunion. Bringing these alumni back to campus to celebrate their milestone anniversaries is a significant step in integrating alumni engagement.

Advisory Board

A new Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Advisory Board, comprising leaders from both the Montclair and Bloomfield campuses and members from the external community, has been formed to ensure that the education Bloomfield delivers is up to date and relevant, and reflects best-practice standards. This collaborative team of ambassadors is committed to positioning students to graduate with the in-demand skills employers need, through the creation of innovative opportunities for experiential learning and assisting with the acquisition of external funding and resources to support them in their educational journey. Supporting the established vision for Bloomfield College of Montclair State University will be key for consistently fine-tuning the distinctive experience of a Bloomfield education within the context of the larger doctoral research university.

Progress Continues

The process of integrating our two campus locations is highly detailed, and demands focus and effort. It digs deep – mentally, physically and emotionally – and a patient and methodical mindset is what grounds us and binds us. We are grateful for what has already been accomplished by our colleagues across both campuses, as well as for the resiliency of our students.

The integration teams are fully and collaboratively committed to the successful integration of our two campuses. The rewards on the horizon are already evident, and there is so much more to come!

Sincerely,
The Bloomfield Integration Committee