Galloway, New Jersey — The use of artificial intelligence and preparing students for careers that meet the demands of an evolving workforce are two of the most important issues facing New Jersey higher education.
Fortunately, the state’s public colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to address these issues, according to several speakers at the April 13 conference at Stockton University.
New Jersey State Senator Joseph Cryan was the conference’s keynote speaker.
State Sen. Joseph P. Cryan, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said, “People are looking at the different ways that higher education can help make a difference in our communities. And I think we need to focus on and recognize that innovation happens here.” “New Jersey offers one of the most highly educated workforces in the United States. So we’re in a very good position and can adjust accordingly to what we can do. But how do we do that? That’s the conversation we need to have.”
Mr. Cryan was the keynote speaker for “The Power of Public Colleges and Universities: Advancing Innovation, Workforce, and Partnerships for New Jersey’s Future.” The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy hosted the conference along with the Stockton Office of Government Relations and University President Joe Bertolino.
“The challenges facing higher education are real and require us to remain steady, focused and, more importantly, to work together,” Bertolino said in remarks before about 100 state legislators, community and higher education leaders. “That’s why meetings like this are so important.”
In addition to Mr. Cryan’s talk, the conference also featured a panel discussion on artificial intelligence, workforce development, and public-private partnerships in higher education. The session concluded with a question and answer session with Margo Charley, Acting Secretary of State for Higher Education.
The first panel on AI featured diverse perspectives and included Marie Pryor from the New Jersey AI Hub. Gavin Lozzi ’18, ’20 Founding Director of the Housing and Community Resources Data Center Division, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Kevin Michels, founding director of the Center for Innovation and Ethics at the University of New Jersey Business School; Joe Renee Formicola, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Affairs at Seton Hall University. Gregory Williams, director of education for the New Jersey AFL-CIO.
Professor Formicola, who recently published a book titled ‘Academia’s Dilemma: What to do about artificial intelligence’, encouraged students to use AI to conduct research and look for data, but stressed that humans must still decide what it means.
“We have an obligation to teach analysis, synthesis and extrapolation to arrive at critical thinking,” she said. “Students must learn critical thinking so that they can make decisions that are beneficial not only to themselves and their professions, but also to society.”
Rozzi, who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in data science and strategic analysis from Stockton University, agreed that human “participation” in AI decision-making is essential.
“But I think we need to involve people in a thoughtful way who are actually contributing meaningfully to decision-making,” he says. “Just automatically approving everything that AI sends can be easily misunderstood.”
Michels also warned about the potential for overuse of AI and the consequences.
“The interesting paradox of AI is that our reliance on it can destroy the very important thinking skills we need to be good partners with it and make good use of it,” he said. “Don’t rely on it to develop critical thinking skills.”
From left, Alyssa Morris, deputy director of Stockton University’s William J. Hughes Public Policy Center, hosts a Q&A session with Margo Charley, New Jersey’s acting secretary of higher education.
The second panel on workforce development and public-private partnerships addressed how higher education increases opportunities for students, builds community bonds, and strengthens public services.
Michael Palladino, a professor at Stockton University, said the university is playing a leading role in meeting the growing health workforce needs of southern New Jersey and meeting the desperately needed health workforce needs.
“Regionally, these numbers are very alarming. I’m talking about Atlantic, Cumberland and Salem counties, which are among the three lowest health counties in the state. Residents of those three counties have a life expectancy that is almost four years less than the rest of the state,” Palladino said. “We have high rates of chronic disease, high infant and maternal mortality rates, and a critical shortage of health care workforce experts. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to expand our health sciences portfolio, and we are partnering with AtlantiCare, Shore Medical Center, Cooper, and Virtua to build a pathway.”
In addition to Palladino, the panel also included Joseph Youngblood, chancellor of Keene Global, Keene Ocean, and Strategic Global Initiatives; Jennifer Keyes Maloney, Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of State Universities; Aaron R. Fichtner, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New Jersey County Colleges and Universities; and Michele Siekelka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. The panel was moderated by Michael Edgenton, executive vice president of government relations for the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Charley ended the conference by attempting to dispel some misconceptions and issues about the importance of higher education. He said students with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn $2 million more over their lifetime than those with only a high school diploma.
“We can’t lose sight of that quantitative return on investment,” she said. “Whenever a discussion arises that higher education has reached its limits and is no longer worth it, we need to stop that discussion immediately.”
Chaley said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration will review the state’s higher education plan in the coming months, something she said hasn’t happened since 2019.
“We need to ensure we produce graduates who are adaptable, think critically and can find solutions to the complex changes in our current industry,” she said.
— Story: Mark Melhorn, Photos: Susan Allen and Abigail Urbacher
