Dear colleagues,
In my first month and a half as interim provost, I have been inspired by the vibrant, purposeful work happening across our campuses. Just last month, we received the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a national affirmation of our deep commitment to serving the public good. This recognition joins our existing designations—as an R2 research university, Leadership For Public Purpose designation, an HSI, and a minority-majority institution—not as a list of labels, but as proof of our unique character: a university that pursues excellence, access, and impact “without compromise”.
The merger with Bloomfield College initiated in 2023 is a strong expression of the Montclair State University unique character. The unwavering vision for Bloomfield College at Montclair State University is that it offers a distinctive differentiated experience and unique curricular programs that is also an integral college of Montclair State University. As New Jersey’s only four-year Predominantly Black Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution, Bloomfield College embraces community advocacy as a core feature and aims to “educates, empowers, and engages students to provide stewardship to communities."
Our commitment to realizing this vision informs our next important step with Bloomfield College.
While the integration has been underway, critical work to fully realize the “One University, Two Campuses” vision remains. Most significantly, we are now completing the formal affiliation of all Bloomfield faculty with their corresponding academic departments and schools, which will be in addition to their formal Bloomfield College of Montclair State University affiliation.
This is not a change in direction, but the fulfillment of a promise. It is the structural step that makes our shared vision tangible by:
Ensuring Equity and Parity: Formally connecting every faculty member to the university’s processes for advancement, research support, and professional collaboration.
Amplifying Distinct Strengths: Intentionally preserving and championing Bloomfield’s essential mission as a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) within the larger ecosystem of a comprehensive public research university with a highly diverse student body.
Building Our Collective Capacity: Creating a unified academic community where expertise from both campuses can intersect, innovate, and deepen our impact on students and society.
As President Koppell said regarding our Carnegie classification, we demonstrate that a university can pursue “a complex set of socially critical objectives without compromise.” This faculty affiliation is exactly that: a practical commitment to making our complex, mission-driven model work for everyone.
We are building something distinctive in higher education. Only three other universities hold the same set of distinctions: R2, HSI, Engagement, and Public Purpose. Thank you for your partnership as we take this concrete step to strengthen it.
Best regards,
Fatma
