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Committee releases substitute to strengthen credit transfer rules, create transfer ombudsperson
Summary
The committee released A4220, a substitute bill revising statewide transfer agreements, requiring periodic review and creating a transfer ombudsperson within the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to help resolve transfer disputes after institutional remedies are exhausted.
The Assembly Higher Education Committee released the committee substitute for A4220, a package of changes intended to strengthen the statewide transfer agreement, improve transfer of general-education and dual-enrollment credits, and establish a New Jersey transfer ombudsperson within the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.
Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt submitted a written statement read into the record describing the bill’s core elements: five-year review and renewal of the statewide transfer agreement with direct involvement from the Secretary’s office; stronger data gathering and annual reporting; and an ombudsperson empowered to resolve student disputes only after reasonable institutional efforts have been exhausted and within the bounds of the statewide agreement.
Institutional representatives supported the overall direction while asking for clarifications about the ombudsperson’s fact-specific decision-making. Jennifer Maloney (New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities) suggested involving the New Jersey President’s Council to ensure program-level expertise would inform the ombudsperson’s determinations. The New Jersey Council of County Colleges urged the committee to focus on improving outcomes for low-income, Black, Latino, male and older students who lag in transfer success.
The committee voted to release the substitute with committee amendments; roll-call votes recorded unanimous yes votes among present members.
