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Higher-education leaders press for shared AI resources and equity in training pathways
Summary
Representatives from New Jersey's universities and community colleges urged shared research tools, statewide curricula and targeted investments so smaller institutions and disadvantaged students can access AI training and careers; community colleges highlighted partnerships with Intel and an NSF consortium.
Higher-education leaders told the Senate committee that aligning curricula, sharing research tools, and funding access are necessary to avoid an AI-driven widening of educational inequality.
Judith Sheft, executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology, described CSIT programs that support startups and research and cited results the office has tracked since 2020: "The companies have created 558 new jobs," she said, and outlined grant programs that help early-stage companies scale.
Dr. Joseph Marbach and representatives of two- and four‑year institutions urged making AI resources available to less‑resourced colleges so students statewide can build skills. "Smaller teaching oriented institutions such as Georgian Court do not have the resources to invest in such initiatives and instead must rely on publicly available resources and platforms," one witness said.
Aaron Fichtner, president of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, emphasized community colleges' role in equity and workforce mobility. He described partnerships with Intel and an NSF-funded applied AI consortium and urged the legislature to support paid work-based learning and curricula that provide 'robot‑proof' skills — problem solving, teamwork and communication — alongside technical training.
Lawmakers and witnesses agreed on the need for shared services, coordinated curricula and intentional funding to prevent well-resourced institutions from leaving smaller colleges behind. Follow-up hearings and workshops were proposed to map curricula and strengthen transfer pathways.
