A Message to the NJCU Community on the Tragedy at Michigan State

Dear Members of the NJCU Family:

On Monday, we learned of yet another senseless act of violence in our country, which hit particularly close to home with the news that a college campus had been impacted — Michigan State University. The entire New Jersey City University mourns the three students — Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner — who lost their lives as they were just beginning, and resulted in five others being critically wounded.

While we are proud that NJCU is annually among the safest four-year public college campuses in the state, and we are grateful every day for the brave work of our university’s Public Safety Department, these tragic events remind us that no one among us is immune.  

What we can do is plan. At NJCU, your safety is our paramount concern. Our Public Safety team recently released this important video highlighting our university’s efforts to protect our community. Please review the video for safety advice specific to our campus, including emergency communications, lockdown guidance, and how to report suspicious activity. The video can be seen in its entirety here. Viewer discretion is advised as some portions of the video may be disturbing to some in our community. 

Finally, we know our students come from all over the country and the world and these tragic events may have impacted you or your family, directly or indirectly. Please know that there are resources available through The NJCU Counseling Center, which is here to help any NJCU student in need with confidential mental health counseling and other services. Please reach out to the Counseling Center at 201-200-3165 or via counselingcenter@njcu.edu.  The center, located in Gilligan Student Union Room 308, is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Please continue to keep all impacted at Michigan State University in your thoughts and prayers as they recover from this horrific tragedy.

Sincerely,

Andrés Acebo
Interim President
New Jersey City University