Artificial intelligence and workforce challenges were the main topics at a higher education conference held April 13 at Stockton University. The event brought together state legislators, educators, and community leaders to discuss how New Jersey’s public colleges can respond to changing demands in the job market.
Speakers said that public institutions are well placed to address these issues by preparing students for evolving careers. State Senator Joseph P. Cryan, chair of the Senate Committee on Higher Education, delivered the keynote address. “Folks are looking at different ways that higher education can contribute to make a difference in a community, and I think we need to focus in and realize that innovation happens here,” Cryan said. “In New Jersey, you provide the most highly educated workforce in the United States. So, we are deeply well positioned and able to adjust accordingly to what we can do. But how we do it, those are the debates that we need to have.”
Stockton University President Joe Bertolino addressed attendees about current obstacles facing colleges and universities. “The challenges facing higher education are real and they require us to stay steady, to stay focused, and more importantly, to work together,” Bertolino said.
Panel discussions explored artificial intelligence in academia as well as strategies for building partnerships between schools and businesses. Jo-Renee Formicola of Seton Hall University encouraged students’ use of AI for research but warned about overreliance: “We have the obligation to teach analysis, synthesis, extrapolation so that we arrive at critical thinking,” she said.
Gavin Rozzi from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs highlighted human oversight in AI decision-making: “But I think we need to have a human in the loop in a thoughtful sense where they’re actually meaningfully contributing to the decision,” he said.
A second panel examined ways higher education could help meet healthcare needs through expanded programs and partnerships with local medical centers. Stockton Provost Michael Palladino described regional health disparities as an opportunity for universities: “It’s a major opportunity for us to expand our health sciences portfolio, and we are partnering with AtlantiCare, Shore Medical Center, Cooper and Virtua to build pathways.”
Margo Chaly, acting State Secretary of Higher Education for New Jersey, closed out the conference by stressing long-term financial benefits of college degrees: “We cannot lose track of that quantifiable return on investment,” she said.
Chaly also announced plans by Governor Mikie Sherrill’s administration to revisit statewide goals for higher education later this year.
