Union County College welcomes Dr. Demond T. Hargrove as the new Vice President for Student Development. Dr. Hargrove comes to Union after more than 20 years in student development at New Jersey City University.

Dr. Hargrove most recently served as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at NJCU. In this role, he was responsible for the leadership and vision of the Department of Athletics, Learning HUB Tutoring Center, Office of Student Outreach and Retention (SOAR), and TRiO Learning Communities Program. Dr. Hargrove developed the SOAR office and in its inaugural year, the retention rate for first time, full-time students increased by four percentage points.

He also oversaw the University-wide student retention services, including peer mentoring, academic tutoring, and student-athlete development. He identified and launched an assessment platform that led to the establishment of key performance indicators for all divisional departments. Dr. Hargrove improved the overall budgeting process by establishing a divisional annual reporting protocol. Additionally, he co-chaired the University’s Middle States accreditation Self Study Review working group Student Support Services.

At Union, Dr. Hargrove is the chief student affairs officer and is responsible for the leadership and management of the Student Development Division. He will plan, organize and direct student services and operational programs in admissions and records, financial aid, student activities, recruitment, academic advising, athletics, veterans’ services, disability resources, and student discipline. He is also responsible for student success initiatives such as increasing graduation rates and other student success outcomes which include the areas of retention, course completion, transfer, and career placement.

“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Hargrove to the administration at Union. His many years of leadership experience and policy assessment in the areas of student development made him the optimal choice for the Vice President position,” stated Union President Margaret M. McMenamin.

Dr. Hargrove has his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from Seton Hall University. He has a Master’s degree in Counseling from NJCU and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Jersey City State College.

From left, Assemblyman Jamel Holley, Councilwoman Patricia Perkins-August, Union County College President Margaret M. McMenamin, Assemblyman Jerry Green, Union County College Student Government Association President Brian Burger, and Union County College Foundation Chairman J. Anthony Manger. Photo by John O’Boyle

Union County College Foundation’s 2nd Annual ‘Close the Gap’ Campaign Surpasses Goal

With over 100 guests and volunteers in attendance, the Union County College Foundation surpassed their goal and raised nearly $40,000 at their 2nd Annual Close the Gap Campaign cocktail reception. Held last week in the Richel Student Commons at the College’s Cranford campus, this campaign was developed by a small group of dedicated community volunteers to support the College’s strategic initiative to help shrink the ever growing achievement gap that exists for African American students and to provide financial assistance to help these students complete their degree on time.

During the VIP reception, attendees had an opportunity to meet Carl Banks, former New York Giants Super Bowl Champion and President of G-III Sports. Other supporters of the campaign who attended the event were Assemblyman Jerry Green and Assemblyman Jamel Holley who were members of the Host Committee and significant advocates for the campaign.

United States Senator Cory Booker served as Honorary Chair of the event. He sent a video that was shared with attendees in which he thanked supporters of campaign for their generosity and reminded everyone of how an education can change one’s life.

The funds raised last evening will be used in many ways, such as to provide financial support for tuition, academic boot camps, books and supplies, emergency funding, employment or public transportation. Already a number of students who have received Close the Gap funding this summer will receive their degrees and transfer to four year institution.

If you are interested in donating to the Close the Gap Campaign, or are interested in learning about other ways in which you can provide financial assistance for students at Union County College, please call (908) 709-7505, email foundation@ucc.edu or visit the Foundation’s website at www.uccfoundation.org.