More law and justice at Gloucester County College

Posted: Tuesday, June 24, 2014, 7:57 PM

Gloucester County College kicked off another construction project Tuesday, holding a ceremonial groundbreaking for an expansion to its Law and Justice Education Center.

The center houses the school's criminal justice, law enforcement, paralegal and pre-law degree programs, along with the Gloucester County Police Academy. A 6,500-square-foot expansion will include two new forensic labs and a new classroom, along with renovation of existing spaces.

Currently, 500 students and 3,000 police academy cadets use the building each year, the school said. Construction is expected to be complete spring 2015.

"We've got an expansion of a building that's creating jobs — terrific," said Lyman Barnes, the county freeholder who serves as education liaison. "We've got the support of educating the residents of this county in a cost-effective way in a phenomenal institution, and in doing so, we've got the support and the legacy of educating and training the people that are going to protect the residents of this county for decades to come."

The ceremonial groundbreaking was the fourth in recent weeks for the college, which is slated to receive $19 million from the state for construction and renovation projects.

A $750 million bond referendum for education projects will fund 75 percent of the law and justice expansion, paying $1,499,508. The county makes up the difference, or $499,836.

The bond referendum, approved by voters in fall 2012, was combined with other state sources to create a $1.3 billion pot. Colleges and universities across the state submitted wish lists in spring 2013; other Gloucester County College projects include a Nursing and Allied Health Center, Business and Corporate Center, Adult Center for Transition, and Student Services and College Readiness Now Center.

Project	State funding	Description
Nursing and Allied Health Center	$8,573,526	41,418-square-foot center for health programs: smart classrooms, eight simulation and nursing labs, and two computer labs
Business and Corporate Center	$532,575	Renovate existing health center, repurposing for business degree programs
Law and Justice Education Center	$1,499,508	Addition to existing Law and Justice Education Center: convert existing forensics lab into classroom, replacing with two new labs, create a resource room, and add another classroom
Adult Center for Transition	$4,015,800	14,550-square-foot facility "to facilitate in the transition of care for more severely disabled students," featuring assistive technology, computer room, small group classrooms, and vocational workshops
Student Services and College Readiness Now Center	$4,386,906	20,345-square-foot addition of six classrooms, computer lab, three small group classrooms, and large group instructional space. Renovation of existing 16,300-square-foot space

"This college was prepared from the faculty, the staff, the student body, to take a look at the needs and the wants of higher education in the county of Gloucester," said Frederick Keating, the president of the college.

"This is the higher education bond at work. But that bond doesn't work if it doesn't come in to the county and the county accepts their role and relationship and their matching percentage, and this county has done so," Keating said. "So now we are on the verge of putting all four projects in motion at the same time."

Next week, Gloucester County College will transition to a new name, Rowan College at Gloucester County, to reflect the school's new partnership with Rowan University to offer increased transfer opportunities for students.

Speakers at Tuesday's groundbreaking used the occasion to discuss that partnership and the other Gloucester County College construction projects, praising the school in general for progress and expansion.

"Our commitment is here: We offer affordable, outstanding education to the residents of Gloucester County," said Robert Damminger, the county freeholder director, "and even those who from out of county want to come here, we'll take them, too. Their money is just as green as everybody else's, but we think we have the finest school in the State of New Jersey and we couldn't be prouder."

Also in attendance were two state senators: Donald Norcross (D., Camden) and Fred Madden (D., Gloucester). Norcross, described by Damminger as "one of the pushers of the higher education bond act," represents the college as part of his state legislative district. (It is also in the congressional district he would represent if he wins his race this fall for the House of Representatives slot left open by Rob Andrews stepping down.)

"When we talked about the groundbreakings, what does that mean? That means there's growth. And when we're talking about growth with education, that means that our children, our next generation, are learning. And in this case the police officers, law enforcement of the next generation," Norcross said.

"Back in the late '70s, in a community college just a little north of here, Camden County, I actually was a law enforcement public administration major. And we didn't have a special building, we didn't have any of that, and now we look at today, Gloucester County College is now the premier school for law enforcement education," Norcross said.

When not in Trenton, Madden, an alumnus of Rowan (back when it was Glassboro State College), is director of the police academy and dean of law and justice at the college.

State Sen. Fred Madden (D., Gloucester), dean of Law and Justice at Gloucester County College and director of the Gloucester County Police Academy, checks out his police academy students during the groundbreaking.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Madden said, two changes were clear in the police community: More dogs were needed, and better use of technology was needed as well.

"And the world of technology has changed so much since the 9/11 terrorist attacks that the opportunities that need to be provided for our students on a baseline are more critical now than they were then. And the college will provide that," Madden said, citing teaching of crime scene mapping and the new possibilities with the forensic labs that are part of the expansion.

"My money says that when they go to job interviews, these [skills] are going to set these students apart from any students around," he said.