Bergen Community College (BCC) recently participated in the 2025 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Leadership Congress.
Represented by Board of Trustees Chair Dorothy Blakeslee, President Eric M. Friedman, and Center for Adult Transition Coordinator Teresa Serio, Bergen had a starring role in the conference, which recently took place in New Orleans.
The Bergen leaders presented “An Innovation of Inclusivity: Fostering a Culture of Belonging Throughout the Campus Community” during the conference’s breakout sessions.
“Highlighting the incredible work of Bergen’s Office of Specialized Services in creating an inclusive environment for students with intellectual disabilities, our leaders helped tell our story about why all students belong at Bergen,” according to a LinkedIn post from the college.
The presentation covered how fostering a culture of belonging strengthens every part of campus community.
“Reimaging Community College: Innovation for a Changing World” was theme of this year’s ACCT congress. The goal to provide a platform to exchange initiatives, successes, and concerns crucial to leading community colleges. As the largest annual gathering of its kind, it holds immense significance in advancing the community college sector, ACCT said.
Center for Adult Transition
The Center for Adult Transition at Bergen Community is dedicated to providing individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) and Developmental Disability (DD) and their families the resources, support and guidance to encourage the greatest level of independence possible.
The Center collaborates with and supports individuals with ID/DD, and their families to promote access to community-based services and resources in the areas of education, training, and employment.
Bergen Community College offers the Turning Point Program, an inclusive two-year postsecondary program designed to prepare young adults with intellectual disabilities for meaningful employment after graduation. Students in the program complete coursework and vocational training while experiencing college life and developing important skills for independence.
Based on specific eligibility criteria, students enrolled in the Turning Point Program may also access additional transition resources and specialized programming through the Center for Adult Transition at Bergen Community College.
Partnership with ACCT
As part of a partnership with ACCT and the Association of Colleges (AoC) in the UK, Bergen Community College is collaborating with Southport College in England to develop an international educational exchange program focused on sustainable construction.
These community professionals, business officials, public policy leaders, and leading citizens offer their time and talent to serve on the governing boards of this century’s most innovative higher education institutions-community, junior, and technical colleges-and make decisions that affect more than 1,200 colleges and over 11 million students annually.
“Community colleges are the unsung heroes of our nation’s secondary education system,” said keynote speaker Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO of Lumina Foundation.
About ACCT
The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern over 1,200 community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States.
Founded in 1972, the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) is the nonprofit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees of community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States and beyond.
ACCT’s purpose is to strengthen the capacity of community, technical, and junior colleges and to foster the realization of their missions through effective board leadership at local, state, and national levels. For more information, visit www.acct.org.