Back


Woodbridge News

Print this Page

June 2, 2004

It is the lucky scholar, indeed, whose term paper subject shows up in person to lend a hand with research.

Students in the EC-181 MacroEconomics class at Georgian Court University were thrilled last week when Woodbridge Mayor Frank G. Pelzman paid a visit to provide background for their assignment: If I Were the Mayor of Woodbridge, What Would I Propose for the Next Fiscal Year Budget?

"I didn't think there was anyone who could offer greater insight on the subject than the Mayor himself," said professor Kevin Robinson. "I invited him to come to class, and he did."

The Mayor spoke about the process of creating and shaping a municipal budget, delving into the nuances involved in dealing with multi-faceted items such as union contracts, utility assessments, bidding procedures and property taxes.

"The Mayor has an extensive and varied business background in both public and private sectors, and it showed during his lecture," said Robinson. "The students were impressed by his ability to explain complex issues and field hypothetical budget questions."

The course is part of Georgian Court University's innovative Professional Studies Program, which offers accelerated degree completion via classroom and distance learning courses taught by experts with real-life experience in the field.

At the end of the class, Professor Robinson promised to pass on the students' research to the Mayor, who vowed to give them a thorough reading. "One of the strongest assets a community can have is a solid partnership between local government and academic institutions," said the Mayor. "Judging from this class, Georgian Court University is poised to make a significant contribution in this regard."