Kean Jersey City
Former names | New Jersey State Normal School at Jersey City (1927–1935) New Jersey State Teachers College at Jersey City (1935–1958) Jersey City State College (1958–1998) New Jersey City University (1998–2026) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Semper Discens |
Motto in English | Always Learning |
| Type | Public university |
| Established | 1927 |
Academic affiliations | Sea-grant, space-grant |
| Endowment | US$12.5 million[1] |
| Chancellor | Andrés Acebo |
| President | Lamont Repollet |
| Undergraduates | 6,800 |
| Postgraduates | 2,350 |
Other students | 510 (continuing education) |
| Location | , U.S. |
| Campus |
|
| Colors | Kean Blue Jersey City Green Jersey City Gold[2] |
| Nickname | Gothic Knights |
Sporting affiliations | United States Collegiate Athletic Association |
| Website | kean.edu/jerseycity |
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Kean Jersey City is a public university[3] in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education and is a state-designated research university. It is also the newest acquisition in Kean University's system of campuses, acquired on July 1, 2026.[4] The campus was formerly known as New Jersey City University.
Historical chronology
[edit]- 1927: The New Jersey State Normal School at Jersey City was chartered. The institution was built to accommodate 1,000 students and an eight-room demonstration school in its one building, Hepburn Hall, on 10 acres (40,000 m2) on what was then Hudson Boulevard.
- 1935: The name was changed to New Jersey State Teachers College at Jersey City. The institution was authorized to offer a four-year teacher education program and award the bachelor of science degree in education.
- 1936: A degree program in health education and nursing was initiated in cooperation with the Jersey City Medical Center for the training of school nurses.
- 1958: New Jersey State Teachers College at Jersey City became Jersey City State College and was authorized to award the bachelor of arts degree.
- 1959: The institution began to offer the master of arts degree in elementary education.
- 1968: Jersey City State College became a multipurpose institution, authorized to develop a liberal arts program and to enlarge teacher preparation programs.
- 1981: The Thomas Edison Film Festival established as the Black Maria Film and Video Festival at NJCU Media Arts Department.
- 1985: The institution was awarded a $5.7 million Governor's Challenge Grant for an expanded Cooperative Education Program, which would serve all academic majors.
- 1998: The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education approved a petition submitted by the JCSC Board of Trustees requesting that the institution be granted university status and renamed New Jersey City University. The university was restructured into three colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, and Professional Studies.[5]
- 2003: NJCU joined with the City of Jersey City, the Jersey City Board of Education, and New Jersey Transit to collaborate on the Jersey City Bayfront urban development plan.
- 2012: After 19 years, NJCU President Carlos Hernandez retired. Under his tenure, three new buildings were erected and, in 1998, the school became a university.
- 2013: On September 20, NJCU inaugurated Dr. Sue Henderson to be the 12th president of the University, the first woman to hold the position.
- 2016: First building of major campus expansion opened.
- 2022: In June 2022, NJCU declared a financial emergency and sought a $10 million lifeline from the state government.[6][7][8] Henderson resigned as president of the university, effective July 1.[9][10][11] In August, Governor Phil Murphy called for an investigation into NJCU's dramatic change in financial standing from a surplus of $108 million in 2013 to a deficit of $67 million amid plans to expand NJCU's campus. It was later learned that there was never a surplus and those facts were misreported. The university did have a $22.7 million operating deficit.[8][12] The university announced a cut of 37% of its academic offerings. Campus expansion was curtailed.[13]
- 2025: In early 2025, Kean University submitted a proposal to execute a merger with New Jersey City University. On March 5, the NJCU Board of Trustees voted to move forward to explore a letter of intent.
- 2026: On January 12, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation formalizing the merger with Kean University.[14]
- 2026: On July 1, New Jersey City University officially joined Kean University as Kean Jersey City. The university was restructured into six colleges, mirroring Kean University academics. NJCU students effectively became Kean University students, expanding access, research opportunity, and support services.[15]
Academics
[edit]Kean Jersey City is organized into six colleges.[16] It offers 59 undergraduate programs and 31 graduate programs.[17]
Kean Jersey City students have the opportunity to study across at all locations within the Kean University USA system of campuses, including Kean University Union, Kean Ocean, and Kean Skylands; and abroad in China at Wenzhou-Kean University.
Campus
[edit]Jersey City Campus
[edit]The university's landscaped main campus is situated on Kennedy Boulevard.[18] The university's administrative center is Hepburn Hall,[19] designed by Guilbert and Betelle and completed in 1930.[20]
The Frank J. Guarini Library is available to students as well as staff for learning materials as well as Cortadito's, a Cuban Coffee shop.
A six-story Arts and Sciences building named Karnoutsos Hall was designed by architect Michael Graves.[21], the namesake of the Michael Graves College, Architecture and Design. The 77,000-square-foot (7,200 m2) building houses 14 classrooms, 10 computer labs, faculty offices for nine departments, and the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences.[citation needed]
Other academic buildings include: Rossey Hall, the Science Building, the Professional Studies Building, Fries Hall, and Grossnickle Hall.[citation needed]
The Visual Arts Building on Culver Avenue features a Maya Lin sculpture in the entrance garden area.[22]
- Grossnickle Hall
- Karnoutsos Hall
- Guarini Library
- Science Building
- Business, Education & Professional Studies
Kean at Harborside
[edit]In September 2015, the NJCU School of Business opened at Harborside Plaza directly on the Jersey City waterfront with views of Lower Manhattan. Following the NJCU-Kean merger, the School of Business was relocated to the Jersey City Campus, with the buildling renovated and rebranded as Kean at Harborside, an executive space and event center.
West campus
[edit]

Renovated buildings on West Side Avenue are also part of the school, including the West Side Theatre, which is used for theatrical productions and community events.[23] Another building houses the Business Development Incubator program.[24] The affiliated University Academy Charter High School opened in 2002 and offers scholarships to students with a high grade average.[25]
Construction began on the 21-acre (8.5-hectare) "West Campus" between West Side Avenue and Bayfront on Route 440 in the mid-2010s. Plans for further expansion were curtailed in 2022 due to financial difficulties and decreased enrollment.[26] This would have more than doubled the university's footprint, and was to have included academic buildings, residences, retail spaces, parking, and a promenade.[27][28] The first building, a student residence, opened in 2016.[29] A new performing arts center[30] would have housed the Joffrey Ballet School.[31][32]
Athletic complex
[edit]The university's Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex is located less than a mile southwest of the main campus, near Droyers Point on Newark Bay.[33] In 2017, the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer entered into a facility usage partnership with the university to upgrade the natural grass soccer training field at the complex to professionally approved standards. Under the partnership, national and international teams are allowed to train at the facility ahead of their matches at Red Bull Arena. Phase one of the project began in early June 2017 and involved regrading, aeration and reseeding of the training facility. The project, which is ongoing, will also involve overall maintenance of the training facility.[34]
Campus living
[edit]The university operates three residence halls: Co-op Hall, a corridor-style facility with common area bathrooms and study lounges for freshmen and first year dorm students; Vodra Hall, a traditional dormitory with shared bathrooms between rooms for upper-class students and special needs individuals; and West Campus Village, its newest suite-style residence hall on its west campus at University Place. As of the Fall 2026 semester, students will only be housed in West Campus Village.
Athletics
[edit]Kean Jersey City is a full member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.
Student newspaper
[edit]The Gothic Times is New Jersey City University's official student newspaper. It was reintroduced in 2001 and prints monthly issues, excluding June, July and August. It features stories about campus happenings as well as articles on lifestyle, sports, arts and entertainment. It also includes an editorial and opinion/advice section.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Overview of New Jersey City University". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ↑ "Brand Style Guide" (PDF).
- ↑ "Statement to Senate, No. 3811" (PDF). Senate Higher Education Committee. State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ↑ "#keanjerseycity #cougarsclimbhigher | Kean University". LinkedIn. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Feature Article: Decades – NJCU Celebrates its 90th Year". New Jersey City University. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- ↑ Zeitlinger, Ron (June 28, 2022). "New Jersey City University president steps down; school declares financial emergency". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ↑ Moody, Josh (June 29, 2022). "President Out as NJCU Declares Financial Emergency". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- 1 2 Rosario, Joshua (June 29, 2022). "How New Jersey City University went from $108M surplus to 'financial emergency'". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ↑ Oudhnarine, Haresh. "Sue Henderson Announces Resignation as NJCU President". The Gothic Times. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ↑ Heinis, John (June 28, 2022). "NJCU Board of Trustees accepts resignation of President Dr. Sue Henderson". Hudson County View. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ↑ Rosario, Joshua (September 28, 2021). "NJCU Faculty Senate give President Sue Henderson vote of 'no confidence'". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- ↑ Moody, Josh (August 12, 2022). "New Jersey university faces scrutiny amid financial emergency". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ↑ Maher, Jake (September 1, 2022). "NJCU's West Side story doesn't appear headed for a happy ending". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- ↑ Jennings, Rob (January 13, 2026). "Massive merger between 2 N.J. universities gets OK from state". NJ.com. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- ↑ Staff, ROI-NJ (July 1, 2026). "NJCU and Kean University complete historic merger". ROI-NJ. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Academic Programs | Kean University". www.kean.edu. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Kean Jersey City | Kean University". www.kean.edu. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Library Guides: NJCU Neighborhood: NJCU Neighborhood".
- ↑ "Hepburn Hall". New Jersey City University. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ "The State Normal School at Jersey City | James Betelle, Where Are You?". January 23, 2008.
- ↑ "Karnoutsos Hall". New Jersey City University. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Visual Arts building". New Jersey City University. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ "The West Side Theatre". New Jersey City University. Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Business Development Incubator (BDI)". New Jersey City University. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ "College Agreements".
- ↑ Maher, Jake (September 1, 2022). "NJCU's West Side story doesn't appear headed for a happy ending". The Jersey Journal.
- ↑ Zinsli, Christopher (March 5, 2006). "Want to cook? Be a nurse? Start a tech firm?". The Hudson Reporter.
- ↑ McDonald, Terrence T. (September 3, 2015). "Jersey City building boom coming to NJCU campus with $350M plan". NJ.com. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ↑ Solorzano, Erika (May 15, 2015). "NJCU breaks ground for new $50 million dormitory at 'West Campus'". NJ.com. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ↑ Elamroussi, Aya (February 24, 2019). "Centerpiece of NJCU development will now rise 10 stories and include twice as much housing". nj.com.
- ↑ Wolmart, Alex (February 20, 2019). "Eat, sleep … and dance: Joffrey Ballet School coming to Jersey City's University Place". ROI-NJ.
- ↑ Digs, Jersey (February 18, 2019). "University Performing Arts Center Gets Height Increase, Doubles Unit Count".
- ↑ "Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex" Archived March 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. New Jersey City University. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ Thor, Ira (July 12, 2017). "NJCU Athletics, New York Red Bulls Partner to Upgrade and Utilize NJCU Soccer Training Facility New Field to be Practice Site for National, International Teams". NJCU. New Jersey City University Athletics. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
External links
[edit]- New Jersey City University
- Universities and colleges established in 1927
- Educational institutions in the United States established in 1927
- Sports in Hudson County, New Jersey
- Universities and colleges in Hudson County, New Jersey
- 1927 establishments in New Jersey
- Buildings and structures in Jersey City, New Jersey
- Public universities and colleges in New Jersey
