Eight ways the NJ higher education landscape changed in 2014

With New Jersey continuing its notorious "brain drain" export of more than 30,000 college students every year, much of the focus in higher education in 2014 remained on expansion: breaking ground on new academic buildings, increasing housing options at the state's colleges, and offering new ways to obtain college degrees. There also were leadership changes, a new name for one community college and — of course — political battles. Here's a look back at some of the changes in the higher education landscape last year:

1. Stockton UniversityCollege buys Showboat

Stockton College made clear that it has no plans to stop its explosive growth, buying the shuttered Showboat Atlantic City to create a campus in the city, asking the state for university status, continuing to enroll record numbers of students, and breaking ground on new academic buildings. The school paid $18 million for the property, which will be repurposed to include about 20 classrooms, 10 lecture facilities, a dance studio, and other arts spaces.

The school has been growing dramatically in recent years, and last year began petitioning the state to become Stockton University. Stockton finished a $25.36 million fundraising campaign last year and for the fourth year in a row enrolled a record number of students.

2. Rowan University continues expansion

Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand has set aggressive 10-year goals, which include doubling enrollment, quadrupling research funding, and increasing the university's operating budget to $1 billion, from $400 million. The university last year enrolled its largest, most diverse freshman class ever, approved its first-ever Ph.D. programs, and began (delayed) construction projects aimed at increasing classroom space. Rowan is hoping to continue that growth with new faculty members, ever-increasing enrollment, and new academic programs.

Rowan University also dropped its standardized test requirement for many applicants, another change that could lead to increased application and enrollment numbers.

The university has now grown to the point that  it can no longer stage one large, unified commencement ceremony, so for the first time, Rowan will have a series of smaller ceremonies this spring. (Speaking of commencement, Gov. Christie delivered last  year's address at Rowan.)

3. Gloucester County College becomes Rowan College at Gloucester County

One pipeline Rowan University hopes to build out over the next few years is transfer students from community colleges. The university signed a deal with Gloucester County College, which changed its name to Rowan College at Gloucester County, that offers students conditional acceptance to Rowan University after they spend two years at the community college. Any students rejected from Rowan University during the normal application process will receive a letter explaining the deal, under which they can attend the community college and be guaranteed transfer admission to the university. Administrators and lawmakers also hailed the move as opening higher education by making it more affordable.

4. Rutgers makes governance changes, after a Sweeney stand-off

A long, complicated political battle saw state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) attempt to increase the number of political appointees to Rutgers University's main governing board, a move that saw immediate opposition from Rutgers activists and board members. Sweeney made a rare appearance at a hearing of a committee he does not sit on, successfully urging fellow lawmakers to approve his bill. As the fight dragged on, the Senate ultimately passed the bill, and Sweeney delivered an ultimatum of sorts, offering Rutgers a chance at compromise.

Months later, the Rutgers board approved governance changes that, while minor relative to Sweeney's initial proposal, gave both sides a chance to claim compromise. The Legislature unanimously passed legislation supporting the changes.

Earlier in the year, Rutgers-Camden also constituted its Board of Directors, a governing body that potentially has broad oversight over the campus but has so far kept to a largely advisory role.

5. New ways to obtain college degrees, but another is shut down

With college graduates continuing to fare better than their non-degree-holding counterparts (and New Jerseyans agreeing college is worth the cost), a variety of new avenues for obtaining degrees and earning college credit popped up in 2014. Rowan College at Gloucester County partnered with Gloucester County Institute of Technology next door to offer high school and associate's degrees at the same time; the state unveiled a new plan to offer college credit for non-academic work experience, and Rowan University and Stockton College agreed to offer a joint program that will give students bachelor's degrees from both schools.

At the end of the year, news broke that Drexel University's off-campus degree programs are shutting down. Burlington County College has partnered with Drexel for a decade to offer the Drexel programs on the BCC campus, which the school had lauded as an affordable, accessible way for students to obtain bachelor's degrees. Burlington County College currently has about 300 students in that program, who will be allowed to finish.

6. New Camden entity receives eminent domain power, eyes health sciences building

The Legislature granted a new joint board between Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden broad powers, including eminent domain, which apparently was a surprise to Gov. Christie. Asked on his monthly radio show, Christie appeared unaware of the eminent domain bill , even though he had already signed.

The new board hired CEO Kris Kolluri, who set a goal of developing degree programs and training a health professions workforce in the city. Kolluri introduced the board's first program, a medical apprenticeship and training program for high school seniors in Camden. The board's first budget focused on construction, with Kolluri and board members making clear their goal of creating a multidisciplinary "health sciences" building that will house academic programs from Rutgers-Camden, Rowan University, and other schools and private companies.

7. Phoebe Haddon becomes Rutgers–Camden chancellor

Wendell E. Pritchett left his post as head of Rutgers-Camden this year, replaced by Phoebe A. Haddon, who had taught for three decades at Temple University's law school before joining the University of Maryland as the dean of its law school. Haddon said she would seek to continue Pritchett's focus on civic engagement and advance the causes of diversity, accessibility, and affordability. Among the ways she hopes to do that are improving student advising and creating clearer paths to graduation.

8. Tenure takes longer

Faculty and administrators welcomed a law that took effect last summer that will now give them six years to build their research portfolios before being reviewed for tenure. Previously they had five years.

Schools also will be able to grant tenure to faculty hired from colleges where they already have tenure, a change that administrators said would give them more flexibility to hire established scholars.