Governor signs bill following unanimous support in both Senate and Assembly

Montclair State Receives Official Designation as Public Research University

MSU
Posted

On July 21, 2017 New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed legislation designating Montclair State University as a public research university. Already classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a research doctoral institution, and classified by the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education as a doctoral degree-granting institution, this latest acknowledgement formally recognizes the very substantial transformation that has occurred in recent years at New Jersey’s second largest university.

“The University greatly appreciates the strong bipartisan support for this legislation in both the New Jersey Senate and the Assembly, the support of the legislative leadership in both houses, and the support of the Governor,” says Montclair State University President Susan A. Cole. “Having our home state officially recognize what has already been acknowledged in the national higher education community is both welcome and appropriate and will further strengthen the University’s ability to contribute to the education of the state’s workforce, to create new knowledge in fields important to the state, the nation and the larger world, and to help fuel New Jersey’s future economic growth.”

Montclair State’s continuously expanding research activity spans a wide range of areas, and the University’s scholars and scientists are receiving federal funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Departments of Energy, Defense, Agriculture and Education, NASA, and others, as well as from corporations and foundations. Montclair State is also actively engaged in research collaborations with other research universities across the country, and, with a highly qualified faculty and comprehensive programs, the University now grants about 5,200 degrees each year.

In addition to aligning with Montclair State’s existing national designation, the state’s recognition of the University’s status as a public research university will expand eligibility of Montclair State students for Tuition Aid Grants, enhance the University’s ability to conduct its complex business more effectively under regulations that are better suited to its needs, and will enable the University to compete more effectively for additional research funding.