It marked the end of an era for the school, that  opened its doors during the great depression. Today, as its new president, she oversees a thriving college that maintains its career-focused education as it offers certificate programs, associates, bachelors, in addition to masters’ degrees.

“We’ve come a long way,” said Recinos, who became interim president of the New York/New Jersey college last October, and president in March.

Post-Pandemic Demands

There was no such thing as “business as usual” when the president assumed her new role. It was an unusual time for her—or anyone—to take the helm of an educational institution. After all, the college, in addition to so many educational establishments, was still adjusting to a post-pandemic world.

“I feel like I’ve had to be more reactive than proactive as president, after Covid,” said Recinos. “I couldn’t go into the position assuming all things were going back to where they were prior to the beginning of Covid. I had to decide on which course offerings would be online and which would be in-person. We’ve had to provide more online support and help students adjust to coming back on campus.”

When Recinos took over the helm as president of Berkeley College, she had two things in her favor. First, she had worked for the college for 30 years, as Senior Vice President of Student Success and Senior Vice President of Enrollment Management, among other positions. In addition, Berkeley College had already garnered a strong reputation for its online courses, which were first offered 21 years ago, long before the pandemic.

Berkeley College Accolades

Although the college offers on-campus classes in New York City and Newark, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, NJ, it’s specifically been lauded for its online successes. For nine consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans. In addition, U.S. News & World Report named Berkeley College (NJ) one of the Best Regional Colleges in the North in its 2022 edition of the Best Colleges Survey. 

In 2021 Berkeley College (NJ) was also recognized for the first time as a Top Performer on Social Mobility among colleges in the region. That’s understandable since the school uniquely focuses its education on a career-ready curriculum, from its initial secretarial classes to today’s master’s, bachelor’s, and associate’s degrees and certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. It also offers continuing education programs to enhance career credentials.

Berkeley College has also long served a large percentage of non-traditional students. Among undergraduates, 34 percent are Hispanic, 13 percent African American, and seven percent Caucasian, according to fall 2021 statistics. Also, 26 percent of all graduate students are Hispanic, 20 percent African American, and 13 percent Caucasian. In addition, the majority of students are older than 23 and have received Pell Grants. So, when Recinos became president in this post-pandemic era, she was fortunate to do so at an institution that has long held a vision and tradition of addressing the needs of changing populations.

“We were already offering online learning before Covid,” said the president. “But now we’ve had to provide more support in our infrastructure by deploying laptops and providing assistance students need to do their schoolwork.”

President Innovates

When Recinos became president, she had to make sure all students continued to benefit from the unique supportive structure the college always had. This included financial aid administrators, career services (from help with cover letters and resumes to connecting students to employers and internships), industry expert advisory boards, tuition freezes (where students can take a semester off and come back at the same tuition rate), and now stackable credentials.

“With a shortage of employees, people have begun to see shorter programs as having more value,” explained the president. “So, we have focused on stackable credits. Students come to take continuing education courses that can lead to certificates and then to an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree. It is important that students understand that they can set small goals for themselves and attain certain levels of education that can help them receive workforce skills while obtaining their credentials.”

Because Berkeley College also maintains small class sizes, professors can communicate with their students and determine their unique needs while holding them accountable. This inherent school structure has made it easier for Recinos to lead as president, and to better support her non-traditional student population and the changing needs of our times.

“As long as we keep an open dialogue with our students, it allows us to understand their priorities,” she said. “We recognize that many of our students help provide for the household. They often provide income and support to help the whole family survive. I see this with the Hispanic population a lot, although most of our students also have other responsibilities beyond their education.”

Support for Hispanics

Given its large Hispanic population, Berkeley College has long provided Hispanics with a supportive environment through its regular programming in addition to activities and events geared specifically for Hispanics. In 2020, the college established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force (DEITF) in order to remain responsive to local and national challenges of racial equality, systemic racism and social justice. As part of its Continuing Education initiative, it also began to offer a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Certificate for professionals seeking to develop diverse teams and foster an inclusive culture.

Berkeley College recently founded a University Chapter of Prospanica, The Association of Hispanic MBAs and Business Professionals, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the Hispanic community to achieve their full educational, economic, and social potential. It has also been the sponsor of the Hispanic State Parade of New Jersey for several years. In addition, more than 200 Latino leaders came together at Berkeley College on March 2, 2019, to discuss the socio-economic and political agendas of the 21 Latin American communities rooted in New Jersey. 

The college annually hosts events for Hispanic Heritage Month, including webinars and panels. In 2021, the school sponsored the Hispanics for Progress of Essex County, Inc.—Hispanic Heritage Celebration in East Orange, NJ, the city where Berkeley College was founded in 1931. In addition, it offered a webinar, “Moving Business Forward in a COVID-19 Environment,” in April 2020, at the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ.

More than 50 business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs received inspiration to excel in a challenging business environment during the 2022 Women Entrepreneurs Empowerment Summit (WEES), presented by Latinas in Business, Inc. and hosted by Berkeley College in Midtown Manhattan on Friday, June 24, 2022. 

Berkeley College provides student engagement, both on-site and online, through its Office of Student Development and Campus Life. Through this venue, students, faculty, staff, and alumni supported more than 20 nonprofits and community organizations in New York and New Jersey during the College’s 12th annual Community Service Week, from June 5 to June 10, 2022. Volunteers delivered meals, stocked food pantry shelves and painted playground equipment during the College’s largest annual service initiative, which since 2010 has contributed more than 15,000 hours of service. 

A successful Latina graduate who has also been an example in the world is Peruvian Karen Pena, Berkeley’s 2019 Alumna of the Year. In 2015, she founded Our Way to H.O.P.E., which stands for Helping Out People Everywhere. This nonprofit organization assists many families in the City of Paterson, NJ, especially those who have experienced domestic violence.

Understanding her Students

Recinos recognizes the importance of providing an educational environment for Hispanics and so many of Berkeley College’s non-traditional students. After all, she was the first in her family to go to college, and, while not being Hispanic herself, she’s been married to her Salvadorian husband for over 30 years.

“I have been immersed in the Hispanic culture and can really relate to our Hispanic students,” she said. “I see a lack of confidence in some young girls. Even though their families believe they should get a good education, they don’t always have the confidence they need. I try to be a mentor to them and let them know they don’t need to second guess themselves.”

Recinos believes much of her foundation as a leader came from having played sports as a child in Delaware, and later as a college student at West Virginia’s Davis and Elkins College, where she played field hockey during part of her education. “It helped me learn teamwork, gain confidence, and become a good communicator,” she said.

The president began her career at Berkeley in 1992 as Director of Financial Aid and took on expanded roles in technology and analytics. As Senior Vice President, Student Success, and Senior Vice President, Enrollment Management, her leadership included Campus Operations, Admissions, Marketing, Student Development and Campus Life, Disability Services, Career Services, Academic Advisement, the Office of the Registrar, Institutional Effectiveness, and the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs.

For 30 years, Recinos has been a mentor and provided support for students. And importantly, she has played a role in preparing students for an evolving remote and digital workforce.

Looking Forward

As Recinos looks toward the future, she is committed to expanding Berkeley’s already strong presence in online learning and support systems. She knows it’s a crucial step to take in this post-pandemic world, with future businesses working remotely or using a hybrid model much like that of Berkeley’s education. In addition, the school will be launching a Master of Science in nursing, a master’s in business administration, and a degree in management in New York City (beyond its NJ program) this coming fall.   

Recinos seems to be an ideal leader for Berkeley College during these times that demand a new kind of president, for she understands the importance of being innovative yet flexible, and open to effectively addressing the changing needs of today’s world. With three decades of experience at her institution under her belt, she also knows that Berkeley College is in a unique position: it has already proved successful in  keeping its finger on the pulse of students’ career needs, and understanding the diverse workforce they will join.

“Just watching our students come in, get their education, graduate and become employed has been the most gratifying thing I’ve enjoyed about my Berkeley career,” said the president. “And now, moving forward, it is important that we capitalize on every initiative and listen to our students. They are the ones dictating our future.”