(upbeat music) - We're now joined by Dr. Pamela Monaco, President of Ocean County College.

Dr. Monaco, great to have you with us.

- Thank you for the invitation.

- You got it.

We'll put up the website of the college.

Tell us a little bit about the institution and the students you serve.

- We are the oldest community college in the state of New Jersey.

We were founded 61 years ago.

We serve a variety of students.

You know, we're an open access institution, so we provide opportunity for people right outta high school.

We work with our Vo Tech, we have early college students, and we have working adults and seniors, all of whom are looking for a different life.

- Dr. Monaco, let me ask you this, the perception of some about community county colleges, very often they don't understand who you are, what you do, who you serve, and why you're so important.

Where do you think that perception on the part of some comes from?

- Oh, honestly, I think that it really is a reflection on people valuing four-year degrees, universities, and they don't understand community college is the only American higher education entity that was founded in the United States.

It was the whole principle started from the University of Chicago, which believed that there needed to be local colleges that could educate the people right there and not have them have to give up their homes, move away and so forth.

And what we do is we provide the first two years for those who want to transfer.

It's the same quality as you would get at Rutgers or any of the others.

- That's right.

- Much more affordable price.

And you get more personal attention, because we do not have large classes, we have small classes.

And for the students who are trying to figure out who they are, where they want to go, it gives them an affordable way to experiment, discover themselves, and be able to transfer with no problems at all.

- Dr. Monaco, talk about preparing your students for careers.

We happen to be aware of the initiative you have.

I think it's called the Dental Assistance Program.

- Yes.

- I mean, becoming a dental assistant, that's just one area.

Talk about that program and also the larger initiative to help young people be prepared to enter the workforce trained and ready to go.

- Well, traditionally, Ocean County College has focused on being a transfer institution, but we are very responsive to the needs of our residents in the county.

And these days, particularly young people, they want to get a degree that will them into a career, and dental assisting is just one of the examples.

Part of the appeal is that you know where you're going to go, you're going to get a good income, and it's also quick.

That's another feature I would say of the younger people these days is the idea of two years or four years seems like a very long time.

And the dental assisting, they get to work in, you know, with a dental chair, with people, they're going to be equipped and they can go right into a career.

We are also developing a dental hygiene program, a radiography program.

We have a very well respected nursing program with some of the highest pass rates for this standardized test in the state.

- And also, I know that the dental programming is done in cooperation with Delta Dental, one of our longtime partners.

And they've talked about, they told us about that initiative.

Is that a fair assessment?

- Oh, yes.

I mean, they work hand in glove with us, maybe chisel and tooth with us, and have been wonderful supporters in terms of helping us with funding.

These are very expensive programs.

And then also providing us with the context to really develop good advisory boards.

- There's also another reason I mention this, because the role of foundations and corporations and support of higher education, support of what we do as well, is so important.

Particularly at a time when government funding of higher education is let's just say precarious at best.

What's it like to be a college president in 2025, particularly as it relates to the economics of running the institution?

- I'd say one has to have a skin, a rhino hide, and an intestinal fortitude.

You know, it's a tough time.

When I went into higher education decades ago, you know, there were lots of jobs, there was lot of support there.

Nobody questioned higher education or very few did.

Today, what keeps me going, and I think all of my fellow presidents, is that students still need us.

And we just have to pivot and figure out where our allies are.

And as you said, we are very fortunate with having a very good foundation and still many corporations and other entities who need our graduates and who are willing to invest.

- That's right.

Before I let you go, the future of Ocean County College and the community slash county college universe moving forward, what do you see?

- Well, we are very fortunate here in that we are well supported by our commissioners, and it is the county that puts forth a great deal of our funding.

- So you get county funding from Ocean County as well?

- Oh, yes.

It's our number one funding source actually.

I think that we are going to continue to be regarded as sort of the underdog in the higher education universe, but, you know, underdogs have grit and stamina and we know how to run the race and we're not going anywhere.

People need us, you know, technology changes.

We are the entity that not only prepares people for the workforce, but we also are able to provide the incumbent workers with the new training, the new technology, the new skills that they need.

So, we're here for the long run.

- Dr. Pamela Monaco, President of Ocean County College.

We'll be having other college presidents from the community slash county college universe, because they are doing important work now more than ever.

Doctor, thank you so much for joining us.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you.

- You got it.

I'm Steve Adubato, thank you so much for watching.

We'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by Bergen New Bridge Medical Center.

Citizens Philanthropic Foundation.

Delta Dental of New Jersey.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

United Airlines.

The Turrell Fund, a foundation serving children.

Congress Hall.

A Cape Resorts property.

And by Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

Promotional support provided by NJ.Com.

And by BestofNJ.com.

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