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Galloway, N.J. — Following a yearlong study, a higher education consultant shared recommendations for the future of ������Ƶ’s presence in Atlantic City at the Sept. 11 Board of Trustees meeting. 

“������Ƶ is not ready to proceed with Phase III expansion in Atlantic City at this time, as the university must first establish a clear identity and purpose for Atlantic City,” said TJ Logan of Brailsford & Dunleavy. Phase III is currently a 2.25-acre parking lot between Hartford and Albany avenues owned by AC Devco. 

Logan said ������Ƶ could do that by repositioning the Atlantic City campus, which includes two residential buildings and an academic center, as a pre-professional and professional campus to support upper-division, graduate and nontraditional students in advancing their post-graduate careers. 

This would allow the university to position the Galloway campus as a starting point for undergraduate students, Logan said. 

The Brailsford & Dunleavy presentation was the culmination of the work of a task force chaired by Trustees Jose Lozano and Ray Ciccone that President Joe Bertolino established last summer. 

“One of my first priorities as president was to develop a strong business and strategic plan for Atlantic City,” Bertolino said, noting the Board of Trustees and ������Ƶ administrators will review the recommendations before any decisions or plans are made. 

“To be clear, these are recommendations based on the research and study completed by this group,” Bertolino said. 

The consultant also advised ������Ƶ to continue building relationships and exploring partnerships in Atlantic City to provide students with experiential learning opportunities and to conduct a master plan for the University District.  

“This would enhance the sense of place and improve the pedestrian experience around the Atlantic City campus, inform decision making and reinforce ������Ƶ’s role as an anchor institution,” Logan said. 

Read more about the consultant’s report. 

Also at the meeting: 

• Bob Heinrich, vice president for Enrollment Management, shared that the fall 2024 first-year class is the most diverse in ������Ƶ history, with 48% of students identifying as minority or mixed race. This increases the overall minority representation in the student population to 42%. 

• The board approved a 10-year nearly $200 million contract with Chartwells to continue as the university’s food service provider through 2038. 

• Melanie Chin, a Biology major from Hillsborough, was sworn in as the Student Trustee Alternate. 

The next meeting of the ������Ƶ Board of Trustees is Dec. 4.