Leading with Heart: President Joe Bertolino on Education and Community at Stockton University

Mike sits down with President Joe Bertolino of Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey. President Joe shares captivating insights into his New Jersey roots in Glendora and his distinguished journey through academia and various presidencies, emphasizing the pivotal role of relationships and accessibility in leadership.

President Joe delves into Stockton's remarkable evolution, spotlighting its pioneering interdisciplinary programs and its pivotal role as an anchor institution in Atlantic City. He sheds light on innovative initiatives such as dual enrollment programs with high schools and strategic partnerships with community colleges, aimed at democratizing access to education.

The conversation offers a compelling glimpse into Stockton's visionary trajectory, envisioning it as a preeminent destination campus renowned for its cutting-edge programs and interconnected curriculum. President Joe underscores the profound impact of fostering relationships and community spirit in shaping Stockton's enduring legacy and future trajectory.

Listeners are invited to delve deeper into Stockton University's vibrant tapestry through engaging social media channels and exciting campus events. Discover firsthand how Stockton is spearheading dynamic innovations and reshaping the landscape of higher education in New Jersey and beyond.

https://www.instagram.com/ospreyprez/

https://www.stockton.edu/

GET YOUR JERSEY FEST TICKETS NOW! https://www.seetickets.us/event/jersey-fest/588283

Music: "Ride" by Jackson Pines
jacksonpines.com

Thank you to our sponsors:
New Jersey Lottery: njlottery.com

Make Cool Sh*t: makecoolshit.co

Albert & Whitney CPAs:  awcpasllc.com

Mayo Performing Arts Center: mayoarts.org/events-calendar

Contact the show: mike@greetingsfromthegardenstate.com

Transcript

0:22

all right what's up everybody welcome back to another episode of greetings from the Garden State powered by the New Jersey Lottery I'm your host Mike H

0:28

we're here in Galloway New Jersey today at Stockton University with President Joe berino President Joe welcome to the

0:33

show great to see you thanks Joe welcome to the show President Joe I like that

0:38

that's good yeah that's good um boy it's been a long week uh but so uh glad we

0:44

were able to actually make this work because you had a little flooding issue today and I was like down here I was

0:51

really pumped up to talk to you but I'm glad we glad we made it work we uh yeah I I I have a home in the mica sweet

1:00

area and we've had a lot of rain so we're right by the river and pulled out

1:05

of my driveway and made it about 50 ft down the road and then I was like hm I

1:11

can't really go any further cuz there's just water everywhere so that's not good

1:16

um but once the tide went down I I I then contacted my neighbor cuz I'm new to the area right said

1:23

um yeah how how how often does this happen somebody recommended waiters oh

1:29

so yeah yeah I'm feeling really good about yeah maybe a canoe you know something like that that'd be really

1:34

cool yeah um well like I said I'm glad that we're here and I so I went to TCNJ

1:41

and I we play I play baseball there and we would come to Stockton you know twice a year most of the time to play uh but

1:48

I've never actually like been on campus and I graduated in 2012 and I'm sure there's been a lot of changes since then

1:54

but it's this campus is incredibly impressive like kind of you know setback

1:59

you know off the main main drag out there um but this is a beautiful campus yeah it's a pleasant surprise isn't it

2:05

folks for sure like a little Oasis it is it is I I don't think folks um know too

2:11

much about us and when they find their way out here they're they're stunned by I see I mean we have um about 1,600 plus

2:20

acres of uh Nature Preserve in some respects here in the the pine Barons and

2:26

it's just um it's just beautiful we have a Two Lakes um some great facilities uh it's

2:35

hard not to just look around and and be AED by the the beauty of the place and

2:41

then 15 minutes down the road we have the Atlantic City Campus which is right

2:48

on the boardwalk right on the beach it's it's pretty incredible it's a spectacular place it really is um and so

2:56

let's talk about you a little bit sure so you're a jersey guy right a New Jersey Bo born and raised born and

3:01

raised Camden County County what was that experience like for you has that

3:07

shaped you to the man that you are today uh oh I don't know um I I I grew up a very traditional

3:17

lower middle class Suburban boy in glandor New Jersey okay my father worked

3:24

for Bell Telephone in Philadelphia he was a switchman uh my mother was a nurse

3:30

at Cooper yeah and so um went I am I am

3:35

the product of of 16 years of Catholic School sure the regional St Teresa's and runed Paul I 6 and Haden Township and

3:43

and then was shipped off to the University of Scranton in northeast Pennsylvania okay but um I I don't think

3:50

that my uh my my growing up experience was was really that exciting yeah sure

3:56

it was just uh Average Joe cut yeah right yeah um yeah it's it's it's

4:05

interesting because I spent actually the last 30 years not in New Jersey yeah exactly uh my partner and I we have a

4:12

home in the Asbury Park area but good for you I love Asberry Park I'd go there

4:17

tomorrow actually wonderful it's beautiful y um but most of my career

4:24

started in in Pennsylvania then um almost 20 plus plus years in the New

4:30

York City area okay then Vermont Connecticut and then back down here um

4:37

really an opportunity to come home after a 30 plus year career yeah my father

4:45

still lives in my childhood home in candora yep my sister and uh her family

4:52

my two nephews and my brother-in-law they live in Williamstown um and he here I am now in

5:01

in uh Sweetwater uh mikica and uh my

5:06

husband Bill he is uh at our home in in Asbury most of the time um he act he's

5:13

actually the vice Chancellor for enrollment management for ruter in Newark oh okay cool yeah so competition

5:21

kind of story but you know um and folks usually ask us about the commute and I

5:28

remind them that the secret to 31 years by the way he not living to get

5:34

so to say it right um it's good advice yeah it works for us it works for us so

5:40

it's good yeah um yeah I I nothing nothing too eventful my parents were musicians okay my father had his own

5:47

band he you know the the if you've ever seen the movie The Wedding Singer sure um yeah that's what my father did most

5:54

weekends he he played he's a trump player and he had his own band a very creative name they were called the

6:00

naturals oh good and every weekend he was playing a wedding um and it was

6:08

great it was it was I was very fortunate I I grew up with uh uh really really

6:14

supportive parents and um uh I was blessed I don't think I fully

6:20

appreciated that sure I don't think anyone really does in the moment you know then to look back and you're like

6:25

oh it's it's amazing how smart your parents get as you get older so to speak yeah as they say you look back a sliding

6:31

scale yeah you know a sliding scale that's right yeah that's right uh so you really I mean uh the 30 years that you

6:37

spend outside of Jersey you didn't go very far you know um no no you know like

6:43

as you were saying like you know Pennsylvania New York City all those areas um Academia like that path how did

6:49

that start for you why did it start for you completely by accident okay um I

6:55

actually went to the University of Scranton in North my dad is also a Scranton is he he's a

7:02

royal okay that's great um and I will share with you that that was a complete

7:09

surprise my mother um

7:14

was was was friends with um one of the neighbors down the street and her son was going to the University of Scranton

7:21

and um she said I think that you should you should we should go look at the University of Scranton I had no interest

7:28

in this whatsoever I was going to go to LEL okay where all of my classmates went

7:34

to if you graduated when you graduated for Paul the six right um but my mother just insisted so one

7:42

day my uh my father comes into my room one night and he says now listen very carefully you're going to apply to the

7:47

University of Scranton and if you get accepted you're going to go you're going to go visit you don't need to go to the

7:55

university of scant yeah but your mother is driving me crazy so you need to do

8:00

this and um got in we went visited uh and on the drive back I

8:08

leaned up from the back seat and said that was great um I think I want to go to the University of Scranton my father

8:14

was perplexed my mother was delay yeah um and why that's important I think is

8:20

because it it shaped that experience actually shaped who I am today and began

8:26

the process of that because um uh part of of the Jesuit tradition is

8:34

this concept known as Cur personalis care for the whole person right and that

8:42

philosophy essentially led me to a profession as both a social worker and

8:49

then an educator okay um I was in the Seminary for a brief period of time oh wow um and then I graduated college

8:57

decided yeah I don't think I want to keep doing doing this and then I was like oh I need a job yes so the dicese

9:05

let me dases of Camden let me take a leave and they assigned me to St James

9:10

high school in Carney Point New Jersey okay they've since closed but I was a

9:15

high school teacher there taught religion for four years loved it loved

9:20

it loved it loved it I um at some point thought you know I

9:26

think I'm want to be a GU counselor so that wound up going to Ruckers Camden to get my mssw sure and then since I was

9:36

going to Ruckers I was like I know I I can't do all this traveling I can't teach full-time I need to find a

9:42

graduate assistantship and this is my long path to higher education route

9:49

um I wound up getting a graduate assistantship at what was then Glasper

9:56

State sure um though I was a student at Rucker Camden right and George bford I'll never forget

10:04

it he is he was the the director resident's life there um gave me a job I

10:10

was like great I can get out of my parents basement I'm going to yeah live on campus be a

10:16

counselor um and about five months into that gig he looks at me and he says I

10:25

think you should do this fulltime and I said do what full time said you can work

10:31

in Residence Life I'm like wait this is like a job for like someone's going to

10:37

pay me like real money right um and give me a place to live and give me a meal

10:42

plan and give me benefits where do I sign up yeah right and

10:49

so I through his help I wound up applying to a whole bunch of

10:55

places and in one day I had I had four

11:00

interviews lined up I went to all of them in one day I went to my mailbox that's when we used to have mailboxes

11:06

came with paper yeah I was given three rejection letters okay and I

11:14

took those rejection letters I was so angry with George cuz I was like you you told me this was going to work out I

11:19

quit my teaching job blah blah blah he took those letters put them in a file folder took out a Sharpie and wrote

11:26

stupid file and he said and those are the people who were not smart enough to hire you I

11:33

guarantee you're going to do okay that file is very thick sure these days yeah

11:39

um as is mine you know and and um George

11:44

came to my first inauguration when I became president of Lyon State a and

11:50

here I am now at Stockton my mother was a 1977 Alum and this is my 12th year as

11:57

a college President and my third presidency so that was my that's how I found my way and then I just kept going

12:06

yeah I just kept going it's really all in student Fair student fairs right and so third

12:12

presidency yeah uh so Lyndon State what was the second one uh Southern Connecticut in New Haven I was I was at

12:18

Lyon for four years I was at Southern for seven years before coming here and

12:23

it was it was fortuitous I I wasn't looking for a new position I had assumed that I was going to finish my stint in

12:33

um in Connecticut Stockton called called

12:39

again um I told my father and my mother passed away a couple years ago my father

12:48

um he's he's a man of faith and I'm one of those people that believes I'm going

12:53

to be where I'm supposed to be sure he said to me Stockton you know

12:58

you're mother went to Stockton I said yes Dad I know the mom went to Stockton as a non-traditional returning adult

13:04

student um well I'm going to have to discuss

13:09

this with her cuz every day my father goes to mass yeah and then goes down the street to the cemetery so later that

13:18

evening he calls and says your mother and I have discussed it and it is time for you to come

13:24

home um that's like the cutest thing I've ever heard though it's it's char in it's adorable

13:31

and you don't say no to Dad exactly right especially when you know mom's mom

13:36

too you know you know yeah um yeah I I mean I I I again I believe things happen

13:42

for a reason yeah me too and it's not a coincidence right um so I think I'm at

13:47

the right place at the right time um and I'm excited about the possibilities yeah so beyond you know

13:55

like uh your your parents essentially being like this is a good place what were things about Stockton that

14:02

made it an appealing place for you to come you know return home essentially but also kind of the next sure step in

14:07

your career well look at the end of the day it's also about reputation it's it's it's nice to go to

14:14

a place for personal reasons but you know I I I have uh I've been very

14:19

fortunate I've been blessed with a great career and I think uh it's important to

14:25

to go to a place where you know that you're talents um will be best utilized

14:34

um Stockton I was familiar with President klan's work I was familiar with um uh president s Kemp's work

14:42

Stockton was not the same Stockton I grew up with right I I feel like it's the same Stockton that I grew up with

14:49

it's it's incredible what it what had been happening here people were talking about Stockton from not just a um a

14:56

state perspective but from a national perspective uh things were building here programs

15:02

were developing I I mean the the uniqueness of the interdisciplinary

15:08

program is a national model the fact that we've built an Atlantic City Campus

15:15

and this was probably the most important piece to me and that we

15:20

were an anchor institution um specifically in Atlantic

15:26

City but anchor institution means something um that we were a partner and

15:34

taking responsibility for and with the community in which we live yeah and as a

15:41

public institution I've only LED public Regional institutions as a public institution I see it as a moral

15:47

responsibility to serve the community in which you live um my my partner bill is

15:55

at Rucker's newwork which is an anchor Institution I was very familiar with the

16:01

amazing work that they were doing up there and I thought what an

16:07

opportunity um to be the anchor institution in the southern part of the

16:12

state right in a community that needs it that needs it that needs that needs someone helping you know there and and I

16:20

think in a post pandemic world right um I'm a I'm a social worker by training

16:28

so given all of the shifts in mental health

16:34

the needs of students and of community members um it just made sense yeah for

16:43

me right um I mean I could rattle off all the amazing programs and and um I

16:49

mean I often I often tell folks look we're an anchor institution we've got two beautiful campuses we got

16:56

a couple of lakes uh we have got one of the most significant Coastal resiliency

17:04

programs in the country um who do you think takes care of the beaches all

17:10

along this Corridor people don't even realize this um it's Stockton right the

17:16

the number of students that are involved

17:21

particularly in in environmental work um is pretty significant um I mean look at

17:29

this place yeah right absolutely talk about a a a learning lab a living

17:35

learning lab if you will um it's right here and it's in Atlantic City and you

17:41

also I think get an opportunity to be in a rural setting and an urban setting

17:48

yeah simultaneously for sure which is different you know than we're talking about Ruckers Newark way very different

17:55

because Lyndon was a rural campus right and Southern was an urban campus yeah

18:02

and here it's the best of both worlds so you you you can't I I I I'm

18:12

often I smile when people find their way here because they're pleasantly surprised by

18:20

what they find right absolutely I mean as was I you know I mean I've been down especially in the last so July we did a

18:27

whole swing of episodes through Atlantic City we did uh the Claridge Hotel we did Doc's uh Oyster House we did Tony's

18:33

Baltimore Grill we did the Tennessee at beer hall and we' worked with Chris Paladino and the Helix and you know was

18:39

instrumental in the in the project down in Atlantic City and just like knowing about AC itself like I love it and I

18:46

don't even gamble I just like like to go food and all the stuff um but then coming out here like you're talking

18:52

about it's just this incredible kind of uh you know not partnership but Jos of

18:58

kind of what you have going on here but then also the campus in Atlantic City that's also part of that Urban

19:03

environment too um before we take our quick Break um one thing that I do want to also ask you is you're talking about

19:10

you know uh Stockton and where you've been and your career and and all that kind of stuff and I'm just curious if

19:16

you can almost if you can kind of not quantify this but almost kind of like talk about yourself in a sense what do

19:23

you think makes you unique as a president of a university

19:29

President Joe um I I'm not very much into

19:35

formalities sure um as you can see I'm not wearing a tie you're lucky I'm wearing a jacket quite frankly yeah that

19:41

was the best thing about getting laid off is like I'm never going to wear a suit ever again I think that if you and I were to walk around campus together

19:47

most folks would say hey President Joe yeah and um it drives my staff crazy

19:54

that the they put me on a schedule I'm looking at some of my staff now and they

20:00

know that once I leave my office um I'm GNA keep stopping uh to say hi to check

20:06

in on people whether whether they're a student or whether they're the

20:12

groundskeeper or housekeeper it doesn't matter um so for me relationships matter

20:20

yeah being available accessible approachable matters um because there

20:28

are five pillars that I focus on at all of the institutions that I've

20:33

LED and that is I have an expectation as president the people who are part of

20:39

this community and I take very seriously my responsibility to the 13,000 folks that are connected with this institution

20:46

sure um that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity respect kindness

20:54

compassion and civility dignity respect kindness compassion and

21:00

civility in this world at this time that isn't always easy right and it's not

21:07

something that always happens yeah so um My Hope Is that we can model it and our

21:14

modeling it here for our students to then take with them when they go out end

21:20

of the world yeah no I love that that was very well said but you know I put you on the spot but boom just like all

21:26

these other questions I've asked you nailed so uh let's take our break great uh so we'll be right back this is the

21:32

Green from the day podcast I'm Mike Cam he's President Joe we at Stockton University in Galloway New Jersey

21:37

greetings with gate podcast powered by the New Jersey Lottery did I say that I don't think I did sorry Lottery uh we'll

21:42

be right back the male Performing Art Center is the heart of arts and entertainment in Morristown New Jersey empac presents over 200 events annually

21:49

and is home to an Innovative Children's Arts education program to see impac's upcoming schedule of worldclass concerts

21:55

standup comedy family shows and more head to Mayo arts.com or or just click the link in our show

22:01

notes hey folks I want to tell you about the crew over at make cool these are The Magicians who recently gave our

22:06

podcast a jaw-dropping makeover you know how we roll here at greetings with the Garden State podcast right we're all about that Garden State attitude well

22:13

make cool shares that same Vibe and they've got something absolutely epic to offer it's called the unlimited cool

22:19

design subscription it's a game changer my friends imagine this unlimited creativity One Flat monthly fee and none of that boring stuff it's

22:25

like having your very own Army of design superheroes on speed dial whether you're a fresh fre startup or a season business

22:31

looking to shake things up the team at make cool has got your back it's all about making your brand Sizzle no matter where you are in your journey so

22:38

if you're ready to turn your ideas into mind-blowing realities then it's time to connect with make cool can check them out on Instagram at weake coolshit

22:44

or visit their website we makecool shit. remember that's co.com all right we're back for Segment

22:51

two of this episode of Gus with guard and save power by the New Jersey Lottery we're here at Stockon University with President Joe good to see you again uh

22:57

good to see you too those a great break you know got rested relaxed all that kind of stuff uh but first second we

23:03

learned all about your story which I think is a really interesting kind of trajectory of a career um taking you to

23:09

here you know at Stockton now uh a lot of the stuff that we do on this show is

23:15

geared towards like letting people know how awesome New Jersey is that's like literally the whole basis of the show a

23:21

lot of the people that we've worked with whether it's Wes Matthews that Choose Or Chris Paladino with Dev Co and the Helix and you know I mentioned some other

23:27

people off mic too but people trying to keep people in the state and that is one

23:33

thing you know like I'm a tcj grad so like I was a product I went out of state

23:38

initially and then eventually came back um talk to me about why it's important

23:46

this is not immediately obvious to keep high school students here you know to go in because there are a lot of great

23:51

institutions in New Jersey um and people do sometimes leave for whatever reason

23:57

that may be but talk to me about that importance well you know it's interesting I I think that

24:02

uh folks often assume that The Grass Is Always Greener sure well pretty green

24:09

out here do Prett good so I I I think we often don't appreciate what's in front

24:16

of us or what we have at our own backyard yeah which I think is the

24:21

responsibility of Institutions like Stockton to make sure that we're introducing the institution who are what

24:28

we value what we do and most importantly what you have to gain by being part of

24:35

the community um I often remind legislators particularly since we are a

24:41

a public Regional institution a couple things one public Regional institutions

24:47

around the country um not just here in the State uh

24:52

educate more students from their states yeah than any of the other large

24:59

flagships are privates and if you if you look at that all of our public

25:05

regionals most of the students that go there 95 plus perc are all from the

25:11

state of New Jersey yeah and so that is who we are educating secondly I I think

25:18

it's important to remember that institutions like Stockton are

25:24

institutions that were cre created whether they were

25:30

created in a traditional sense or in a non-traditional sense um to

25:37

serve students from primarily working class families right and to provide

25:45

access to education and opportunity that students May otherwise not have had

25:52

right and so when you look at the population here at Stockton 41 plus% of our students are

26:01

pel eligible which means they meet a particular economic

26:07

threshold that requires additional assistance that is not an insignificant

26:13

number right um almost half of our students come from a diverse population

26:20

again not insignificant sh so we are educating the future employees and

26:28

employers right of the state and um when

26:33

appropriation time comes around with the legislators I often remind folks that it's our students that are actually

26:39

going to stay in the state and pay taxes yeah and create jobs yeah um not that I

26:46

don't have love for other institutions sure but yeah that is a fact so we

26:52

shouldn't take for granted the what institutions like stock

26:58

St do does for a community and for a state and in Stockton's case we're we're

27:05

the only game in town right I mean if you think about where we're located in comparison now yes there are other

27:12

institutions in the South Jersey region um and and most of those institutions

27:18

are larger more research focused and that's great yeah

27:24

but not not every large research institution or a D1

27:31

institution um is the right fit for a student uh for many of our students um

27:37

they're looking for a a smaller place um a smaller student of Faculty ratio a

27:45

more personal experience there's something to be said

27:50

for me walking around campus and people know who the president is yeah or people

27:56

know who some of the other Vice residents and administrators are I'm pretty confident that if there

28:02

were other places you went to and you asked students who the president was they couldn't answer that question

28:09

yeah right um no they may not all be able to answer the question here either sure but if I was walking across campus

28:16

they would they may not know my name but they would know who I was right I I think that matters yeah I agree

28:22

um and and I I think um the the other

28:27

piece is again as a public Regional institution what is our responsibility

28:34

to the community because it's not just about um ensuring that students from the

28:42

state come to college here and stay here and live here and work here but there is

28:48

an entire Community within a 20 M radius

28:54

of both campuses that count on Stockton for their economic survival

29:02

yeah so our our arm if you will um our

29:08

influence is far-reaching um again I I I I don't I don't take that

29:14

for granted I think I think it's an important responsibility um related to high school

29:19

students I I will share with you two things first um we have about 2500

29:27

students in our dual enrollment program that is not an insignificant number so

29:32

we have high school students who are already taking college classes we'll have stockt in credits um and can

29:42

complete their degree much sooner and at a lower cost

29:47

right because they were able to partner with Stockton and take classes with

29:53

college over classes and high school yeah um that is amazing and I think that

30:00

that at at Stockton while the the number of students in the program is high we

30:06

are not yielding as high a number of students from the program to stockum

30:12

okay so that's work that we need to do and I think one does that by saying if

30:18

you're in high school and you are taking stockt in courses then and you're

30:23

getting stocked in credit then as far as I'm concerned you're a of the stocking Community yeah and so how do I and how

30:32

do we as a community work and connect with the high schools so that students

30:39

feel as though they're part of their High School community and they're part of the stocking Community right and the

30:44

sooner you you make that connection the sooner you involve uh those students in

30:50

this community in some way shape or form the sooner they'll develop a sense of Pride and it'll just be a natural

30:56

transition yeah I love that and also yeah that's a great kind of segue because I was going to ask how do you do

31:02

that and obviously the dual enrollment program is obviously a big one um but also partnering with local community

31:07

colleges and different things like that is also a big thing too right the the Community College piece is key now it's

31:13

been difficult because during the pandemic the Community College

31:19

enrollment tanked yeah and it's crawling back slowly but this this is important

31:30

because the enrollment issues facing community

31:35

colleges have an enormous impact on public regionals like Stockton yeah

31:42

because over 50% of our students probably transfer in yeah from community

31:50

colleges so right now our largest feeders are uh Atlanta cape and

31:59

we have signed a number of agreements with both of those institutions 3+1

32:05

programs where students can um take three years of their degree at Atlantic

32:13

Cape receive Stockton credit receive their associates degree do a year on the

32:19

campus proper at Atlantic Cape at the Atlantic C price y so that they only have to do their final year here that's

32:27

a gives students a slew of money sure um it also helps the Community College

32:32

because the students are graduating and completing their community college degree right and they're Comm completing

32:38

their degree here um so so in the Health Sciences for example we signed uh

32:45

several M us uh both again with um with ocean and with Atlantic Cape and

32:52

sustainability in um environmental science in coastal resiliency but my my

32:58

favorite is actually with camman County we just signed um an agreement with

33:05

camman County for through the business school uh in um uh

33:13

tourism and uh I'm sorry not tourism Esports management okay cool Esports

33:19

management uh and and this is um this is pretty cool we actually have a world

33:25

championship Esports team here at Stockton and my parents should

33:31

have just let me play video games honestly you know I mean it's I I'll confess that uh I

33:39

am old enough to remember Atari and pong that was the big

33:47

sure and I so wish I had we had saved that probably worth a fortune for sure

33:54

but um I until I came here to Stockton I I

34:00

assumed that um I was concerned about students being behind the screen all the time and

34:08

while while I supported gaming I also was concerned about the the Social

34:16

Development of individuals my own uh my own nephews includ it um and during an

34:26

event here there was a student who stood up and said gaming at Stockton changed my life

34:36

because while I am engaged in gaming I'm actually meeting and

34:41

interacting with people from all over the world right which then gave me the confidence to stand up in this room

34:49

today to speak to you and for me that was a lesson learned um so we have

34:57

signed into this agreement with Camden County where a student can get their

35:02

Esports management degree their Associates at Camden County and then

35:07

come here to get their Bachelors yeah and it is um I think it's a transformational program frankly for

35:14

sure really exciting that is really interesting and not something that I would have even realized is I mean I

35:19

knew like universities and schools and stuff like that were kind of trending in that direction um but I still because I

35:26

you know been out of the game for a while I don't play video games anymore and I'm out of school uh but knowing

35:31

kind of like how that's evolved and it's you know a necessary piece now like if you're not doing it you're you missed

35:38

the boote you know um so talk to me also about how I mean obviously like the campus is incredible you have all these

35:44

different initiatives to kind of partner with um you know high schools the dual enrollment program with the community colleges as well uh but kind of like

35:51

your vision of Stockton in the future you know like obviously there's a lot of good things that are trending right now

35:57

m but how do you kind of continue to push those forward and things that you're hoping to kind of accomplish within your first few years as president

36:04

here yeah I I think um first there there's the issue of stability okay that

36:11

the world has been through quite a bit yes um and so trying

36:17

to level set um is not an insignificant

36:23

task um My Hope Is that um Stockton will

36:28

will be um a place a destination campus

36:33

if you will where folks who are interested primarily in the Health

36:40

Sciences um in coastal resiliency in sustainability in

36:46

environmental science um in business development in tourism um Etc these are

36:54

top quality programs for us you can't be all things to all people sure um but I

36:59

would hope that when when folks think of Stockton or they hear

37:06

about Stockton like oh you know that's that they've got they've got a solid program in nursing and in mental health

37:15

and wellness support right they have one of the best Esports programs in the

37:20

country they have one of the best coastal resiliency programs they're unmatched you want to go coastal

37:26

resiliency here where you go yeah um and particularly in the hospitality

37:34

field I I think there's a lot of opportunity here um and I don't know if

37:40

if we have tapped into it we have but I I I I just think there's more yeah I

37:47

think stocking can be more right um I want people to

37:54

know who we are where we are um and I want the folks that attend to

38:01

this institution to be proud of where they come from right

38:06

um I I hope that our population will

38:12

continue to grow to reflect the people that live in the

38:18

state and that live in the region yeah um and that means that this is going to

38:24

be a more diverse community on a number of different fronts um and I wouldn't

38:33

underestimate how the curriculum is shaped here the the interdisciplinary

38:41

curriculum is is pretty special it's in many ways students are creating their

38:48

own programs they they there's kind of a mix in match yeah yeah kind of

38:54

experience um and there's an interconnectedness if if you look at the

39:00

buildings behind me it's called the academic spine and we were joking earlier the the names are AB b c d e f

39:10

but it is not lost on me that all of

39:17

those buildings are connected right because the curriculum here is connected

39:26

the people people here are connected the experiences here are connected um I'll

39:33

give you a great example we actually have a program in Atlantic City right now uh the live work learn program so

39:40

students can actually and it's a very competitive program but what will happen

39:45

is is that students will stay here for the summer they will live on the

39:51

Atlantic City Campus with a million dooll views and they will um

39:57

they'll work for an employer and it'll be both an internship and a

40:03

job and the employer will pay for their

40:08

housing and they'll get an educational and academic experience at the same time sounds incredible um so there is all of

40:17

the connectedness between the living the learning the working I I I think that's special I

40:24

think that's unique to to Who We Are we're also a young institution so excuse

40:31

me um so their advantages and disadvantages to that um the advantage to that is

40:41

um everything can be new right folks are

40:46

not um they're not dug in to a particular

40:52

tradition or mindset I think there this is what we do you know yeah I think there's there are opportunities to be

40:58

Innovative right um and most

41:04

importantly I think folks here care about one another

41:09

um you know I I'm I'm often I I teach a leadership class which I will go to

41:16

after this and I'm going to give you the class I'm going to give your entire audience the class right now and I'm not

41:22

going to charge them U but they're also not going to get any credit great um

41:27

leadership is all about relationships period the relationships we have the

41:33

relationships we want to develop the relationships we want to change th those we want to shape those we want to

41:39

end um in my role as a pres I

41:47

manage I'll use a different word I navigate relationships right every day I

41:54

navigate people I've often been

42:00

asked what do you want your legacy to be and I chuckle every time somebody

42:07

asks me that question and I I give the same

42:12

answer when I was in Lyndon when I was in Southern and now here if you were to

42:18

go downstairs you'll see a wall and it's got a bunch of paintings on it all the past presents they haven't been men here

42:25

if you go to my pre two other institutions there were walls with pictures of prid my my picture is now on

42:32

some of those wall outside departed um I I usually refer to those as the wall of

42:38

Dead Presidents um because someday I'll be dead and my picture will be up there

42:45

and no one will remember they'll be like oh okay he was a president beyond

42:51

that your name can be on a building your your you you something can be need for

42:57

you but more often than not when you see names on buildings you have no clue who

43:03

those people are you look at pictures and portraits that you have no context right and not that those things aren

43:10

nice and that they're they don't have value I think they do um but I ask my

43:19

students do me a favor 20 years from now

43:24

when you come back here to campus and you walk through the student center and you

43:29

see that portrait of me

43:34

um I hope that if you have a student in

43:40

toe that you'll look at them and you'll say I knew that guy he was the president

43:45

when I was here you know what he cared about us he was a good guy

43:52

yeah our Legacy is in People our Legacy is in Rel

43:58

relationships someone gave something to me I just told you a bunch of stories

44:03

sure and they're all about relationships and interactions that have shaped who I am and I in turn hope to do that for

44:13

other individuals who in turn will do that for other individuals yeah um

44:20

that's a likey absolutely we just

44:25

um usually in that Legacy you you don't uh you don't always live long enough to

44:31

see it but that's not what's important right so yeah yeah no I love that answer

44:38

and I think it really just goes back to all the stuff that we were talking about you know in the first segment in this segment too particularly in this segment

44:43

with how the uh uh the community aspect of it right

44:48

relationships and how like the community on this campus the community beyond the campus the way that you interact with

44:54

the immediate community and the surrounding area around this campus and the Atlantic City Campus um and how they

44:59

all kind of like work together yes you know and I think that all the the live work learn stuff that we were talking

45:05

about before I think that is so interesting and so unique um especially in an area like that that you know needs

45:12

people to kind of come to it see it work in it live it like understand what makes

45:17

that particular Community a special place to to be um and I'm just glad that

45:23

you know there's a place like this and you that are kind of doing that for that for that place so uh if people want to

45:30

learn more about you people want to learn more about Stockton Where should they go we'll put all this stuff in the

45:36

show notes as well but where should they go to do that well I think that they can follow me on H social media I have a I

45:42

have a pretty significant social media presence I think uh ospre pre Ash ospre

45:49

pre that's pretty good on yeah you that cool yeah I can't take credit for any of it and and look I um

45:57

um I'll also confess that yes some things I post but but I also have a a

46:03

team of 20 one-year-olds that that con and that's not what they're doing that

46:09

are like you know President Joe I'm going to snap this picture say x yeah um

46:15

but but it's great it's great because uh um I think the studenty community members see it

46:23

um authenticity matters um and I hope

46:31

that then if nothing else folks will come to to visit us and to to see what

46:37

we're about in fact I think on April 20th uh we have a discover Stockton day

46:43

y so we'll have uh so folks can can register for that and bring your

46:49

students um and and and come and see what we're about and even if you don't have a student come on out anyway and

46:55

see what you're about I'll feed you a lunch so that sounds pretty that's fine um awesome well I

47:01

really appreciate you mean I know you're a busy guy I'm glad you were able to get here today and we were able to kind of put this together I really appreciate

47:07

you taking the time and my pleasure talking with us for a little bit cuz I think this this is our first foray into

47:12

the academic world in Jersey um and I couldn't think of a better way to kind of kick it off yeah me too yeah

47:18

absolutely uh so yeah thank you appreciate it uh so this has been the greenest of the G State podcast powered

47:25

by the New Jersey Lottery we were here in in Galloway New Jersey almost forgot at stock University with President Joe

47:31

berlino we'll make sure we'll put all the uh links and everything in the show notes Bel greetings from theard state.com so you can get all of our

47:36

other episodes will be P posted this year we're crushing it with guests this year I don't know if you knew that but we this is just another in the long line

47:43

of really great guests so thank you everyone again for listening again greet us with the RSA podcast powered by the New Jersey Lottery we'll catch you next

47:50

time do you want to you

47:58

bab do you want right oh tell me before you go way do

48:06

you