Announcement of the NJCU President’s Community Advisory Council

Dear Members of the NJCU Family:

We are thrilled to share an exciting development that will help author a new chapter in our university’s relationship with the community we proudly get to serve. Today, I am announcing the establishment of the NJCU President’s Community Advisory Council — a vital initiative that will strengthen the bond between our revitalized mission and our neighboring communities.

Over the past 18 months, we have worked diligently to engage with our local community in meaningful ways. These efforts have fostered growing collaboration and shared responsibility — setting the stage for this community council. The creation of this council represents our commitment to continuing these efforts with even greater focus and purpose by building a permanent connection to the places, spaces, and voices that feel our resilient mission and ensure that its impact endures in our communities.

The NJCU President’s Community Advisory Council will serve as a dynamic platform for open dialogue, partnership, and collective action. It is designed to ensure that NJCU and the community work together to achieve shared goals that benefit us all. Whether it’s driving educational initiatives, economic development, or social well-being, this council will be the conduit through which diverse community voices are heard and respected, and ultimately engaged to do extraordinary things in collective service to our community.

By working together, we can build a stronger and more connected community that supports educational excellence, fosters economic mobility, and promotes justice and equity for all in the most diverse communities in our country.

This council is more than just a body of representatives; it is a symbol of our shared commitment to a brighter, more intentionally connected future. I am confident that through this initiative, we will make lasting contributions to the growth and well-being of both our mission and the community we call home. So many of our most stubborn of challenges and inequities are systemic and societal. No one individual or organization can dismantle them. But we can do it together. The remarkable stories that are rooted on our campus and our greater community are a tribute to that truth.

As we embark on this new journey, I invite each of you—students, faculty, staff, and community members—to engage with this council and take an active role in shaping the future of our university and our community. I will call on you to continue writing our story of unparalleled purpose and worthy resilience. Together, we will continue to build on the strong foundation we have laid and work hand in hand to achieve our shared vision for the future we are building. Together, we will usher in our second century with an indispensable mission that touches more people and sets high expectations while lifting our community up to meet them.

Yours in service,

Andrés Acebo
Interim President
New Jersey City University