The Princeton University Office of Community and Regional Affairs is pleased to share this June edition of Regional Roar, a monthly newsletter for regional thought leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders. Regional Roar offers updates about forward-looking perspectives, innovation, and collaborative partnerships that support the growth and vitality of our region.



New Jersey's two-year institutions are a vital part of the state's education ecosystem. The June edition of Regional Roar highlights partnerships between Princeton and New Jersey community colleges to create a unique academic community for instructors, advocate for transfer student opportunities at highly selective schools with generous financial aid, and strengthen scholarship in the humanities across the state.

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Collaborating with Community Colleges Across NJ

Community College Faculty Program creates unique academic community for New Jersey instructors

At Princeton University, a shared commitment to liberal-arts education with New Jersey’s two-year public institutions is reflected in programs that support community college students and faculty from across the Garden State.

The Program for Community College Engagement creates collaborative opportunities for two-year institutions through four anchor programs: the Community College Faculty Program, Community College Teaching Fellowships, Teaching Transfer Initiative, and the Prison Teaching Initiative. Other programs like the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity's Transfer Scholars Initiative and the Lewis Center for the Art's Trenton Arts Fellowship provide pathways for students and community members to connect with Princeton University.

The Office of Community and Regional Affairs partners with the Program for Community College Engagement to administer the Community College Faculty Program, which provides New Jersey community college faculty members and administrators with the opportunity to undertake advanced study. The program allows selected faculty to enroll in courses to further cultivate their understanding of the subjects they teach, consult with distinguished scholars in a variety of fields and become a part of the University's academic community. 

Rowan College of South Jersey Assistant Professor of Communication and Creative & Performing Arts Stephanie Gomes credits her involvement with the program with inspiring her to overhaul her assigned reading lists and incorporate more experiences outside of the classroom into her courses. Since joining the program in 2024, Gomes has enrolled in five courses ranging from linguistics, to fiction, to musical theater. Gomes said access to these humanities course at Princeton helps “fortify instructors” who may have gaps in their experience due to scheduling or program demands during their undergraduate or graduate education. Continue reading

More about Community College Engagement:

Mercer County Community College & Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton Announce Inaugural Trenton Arts Fellow

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Gomes

Advocating for Transfer Students

NJ community college faculty and staff convene at Princeton for Transfer Pathways Institute

On a recent Friday at Princeton University’s Carl A. Fields Center, community college faculty and staff from across New Jersey gathered to discuss a question central to their work: how can they help more community college students successfully transfer to selective four-year colleges and universities?

The inaugural Community College Transfer Pathways Institute brought together nearly 90 administrators, educators and advisers from 17 community colleges to learn about transfer student opportunities at Princeton and other highly selective schools that provide generous financial aid. 

“I appreciate the recognition of the talent and motivation of community college students,” said Victor Stolberg, associate professor and counselor at Essex County College. “It’s wonderful to see how transfer students thrive once they get into these colleges and universities.” Continue reading

More about Transfer Programs:

Transfer Scholars Initiative prepares N.J. community college students to thrive at selective four-year schools

Photo by Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications

Strengthening the Humanities

NJ Community Colleges Partner with Princeton University to Strengthen the State’s Humanities Ecosystem

On April 17, 2026, over 60 humanities faculty from community colleges across New Jersey met at Princeton University to discuss the centrality of the humanities to higher education and civic life in the state. 

The event, which was co-organized by Princeton University’s Program for Community College Engagement (PCCE), the Princeton Humanities Initiative, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH), and the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC), was the second annual convening of humanities faculty from New Jersey’s two-year colleges at Princeton. 

“Partnering with Princeton and the New Jersey Council for the Humanities allows NJCCC to amplify the vital, often underrecognized work happening in humanities programs across New Jersey’s community colleges,” said Linda Scherr, chief academic officer of NJCCC. “By bringing together our faculty with Princeton’s thought leaders, resources, and reach, we are creating new pathways for collaboration, expanding access to the humanities, and demonstrating their relevance and impact in our communities.” Continue reading

More about Humanities:

Humanities at Princeton: Taking a Big Swing at Big Questions

Photo by T. Kevin Birch

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