Strategic Relationship with Kean - FAQ
NJCU Pursues Strategic Relationship with Kean: Frequently Asked Questions
Securing Our Legacy, Embracing Our Future: A Bold Step Forward
For nearly a century, New Jersey City University has been a cornerstone of public higher education, empowering generations of students in Jersey City, Hudson County, and beyond. As we prepare to welcome our centennial class and celebrate 100 years of academic excellence and social mobility, we are also taking bold and strategic steps to secure NJCU’s legacy for its second century.
In pursuit of that goal, NJCU is embarking on a strategic merger with Kean University, an institution that shares our deep commitment to student success, access, and opportunity. This decision is driven by our steadfast dedication to strengthening NJCU’s mission, preserving our role as an anchor institution, and ensuring a sustainable future for our students, faculty, staff, and community.
This moment is about more than just institutional transformation—it is about fortifying NJCU’s promise to the students and families we serve. By working toward a partnership with Kean University, we are not only securing NJCU’s presence in Jersey City for generations to come, but also expanding opportunities, resources, and academic pathways that will benefit current and future students.
As we navigate this next chapter, our commitment to transparency and open communication remains unwavering. The FAQs below provide clarity on this process and address the questions most important to our community. Together, we will honor our past, embrace the opportunities of today, and build a future where NJCU continues to thrive for the future.
On March 5, 2025, the NJCU Board of Trustees, in compliance with the April 2024 Transition Plan mandates from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, announced NJCU would pursue a strategic merger with Kean University and, as a first step, authorized NJCU leadership to negotiate a Letter of Intent with Kean University.
It is important to emphasize that no decisions have been made regarding the proposed merger. NJCU academics, athletics, arts and other programs will continue uninterrupted as the process unfolds. Currently enrolled students – and those who enroll as first-year students for 2025-2026 — have our pledge that their programs will continue and, if eligible, will graduate on time. There is no change in our obligations to students, eligibility for sports for our student-athletes, and other agreements. Nothing has changed and no changes will be made without communicating to the NJCU community, particularly students and their families. Similarly, all obligations made to faculty and staff will be honored as we proceed with the process to achieve a merger. We have positioned NJCU as a strong, desirable partner in this proposed merger, and Kean University’s desire to merge with NJCU is a testament to our ongoing commitment to our students’ future.
As the two institutions negotiate the terms of a definitive agreement over the coming months, a shared goal is to preserve NJCU’s mission and legacy, foster growth and innovation, and further strengthen NJCU’s commitment to students, faculty and staff, alumni and the Jersey City and Hudson County communities we serve.
We recognize the importance of sharing accurate and timely information with the NJCU community throughout this process. This page will serve as a resource and will be updated as more details become available. Please refer to the FAQ below and direct additional questions to questions@njcu.edu.
Pursuing a Strategic Merger
Serving our students and preserving our educational mission are NJCU’s priorities. In addition to its close geographic proximity, Kean University’s commitment to traditionally underserved student populations, and the breadth of its academic, research and athletic offerings and its shared commitment to student persistence and social mobility align with NJCU’s refreshed mission, making Kean University a particularly good fit for our community, and one that will serve our current and future students well.
The process of making this merger a reality has just begun. NJCU’s Board of Trustees has decided to pursue a strategic relationship with Kean University, which has proposed a full merger. Discussions are ongoing. Importantly, no decisions have been made about the nature and structure of a long-term relationship between NJCU and Kean University.
No. Nothing is happening right away. NJCU and Kean University presidents soon will sign a Letter of Intent that allows leadership at the two institutions to explore important details with the goal of reaching a definitive partnership agreement.
There are many details to work out as, together, NJCU and Kean University work toward our shared goal of establishing a permanent relationship before the start of the 2027-2028 academic year. Discussions have commenced and are ongoing. NJCU will continue to share significant updates with students, families, faculty, staff and alumni through our usual communications platforms as appropriate.
Typically, it can take 18 to 24 months for regulators to grant final approval to a merger between two higher education institutions, but we cannot say with certainty how long the process will take. Crafting any such permanent relationship is a complicated matter involving the approval of both university boards, regulators, accreditors, and others. NJCU leadership recognizes the importance of the State’s support in making the proposed merger successful.
NJCU’s Future
No decision has been made about the future name of the merged institution.
All details about the nature and structure of a long-term relationship between NJCU and Kean University will be decided by both parties as we work toward a long-term relationship that ensures the NJCU legacy and mission will continue.
There will be no immediate change to NJCU’s athletic programs. All teams will continue to complete according to their competitive schedules. No decisions have been made to change the program in any way. NJCU is keeping student athletics and our educational mission at the forefront of all decision-making.
NJCU and Kean both offer competitive DIII programs, so we will likely see a lot of synergies when planning. Importantly, we will work closely with NCAA and ECAC representatives to secure the best outcomes for both institutions.
This is one of the many issues that the two institutions will work to address, but the expectation is that NJCU’s main Jersey City campus will remain open as part of the relationship with Kean University.
Alumni, faculty and staff, and community support has been indispensable to the remarkable revitalization that has been taking place over the last two years at NJCU. NJCU is thankful for and uplifted by the ongoing support of our current and prospective students, dedicated faculty and staff, and engaged community partners. You are NJCU’s best ambassadors – keep up the great work!
NJCU also remains grateful for our generous donors and external financial supporters. You have enabled the University to enter the merger process as a vibrant and valued partner. Your continued support will help us to bolster our educational mission with a very fitting celebration of our centennial in 2027.
NJCU Students
Yes! NJCU will conduct classes, engage in NCAA sporting events and all traditional student activities. We are matriculating our centennial class this fall, which is a proud and historic milestone for our institution. Our proposed merger with an equally strong and celebrated partner like Kean University will ensure our institution’s mission to deliver a vibrant, meaningful and valuable education for generations to come.
NJCU students will likely notice no changes during the 2025-2026 academic year. All new students who enroll in 2026-2027, as well as all continuing students who remain in good standing, will be able to graduate with a degree in their academic programs. NJCU will continue regular academic instruction, including all student support services, as programming and services are enhanced with our strategic partnerships. After both presidents sign a Letter of Intent in the coming weeks, NJCU and Kean University will begin to work out the details of a permanent relationship between the two institutions.
During the 2025-2026 academic year, NJCU and Kean University will work to determine the nature and structure of a long-term strategic relationship. The goal of both institutions is to identify a permanent relationship that ensures that the NJCU legacy and mission will continue. That future relationship will enhance academic and other opportunities for current and future students at both institutions by building upon the strengths of each. A primary focus is to ensure that NJCU’s current and future students have an avenue to complete their education with the least amount of disruption.
Absolutely. We encourage students to register for fall 2025 classes and pursue their studies as planned while NJCU and Kean University work toward our mutual goal of establishing a permanent relationship. The result of that work will be enhanced academic and non-academic offerings, opportunities and resources for students from both institutions.
NJCU will continue to support new students’ and continuing students’ academic journeys through endowed scholarships, honors scholarships, and presidential scholarships, as well as discounts stemming from community and business partnerships.
Current student athletes will maintain their current eligibility status throughout the 2025-2026 academic year, and likely beyond. Our athletic teams are poised to compete through spring 2026, and no changes have been made in their competitive schedules.
Absolutely. Anyone who earns and has earned an accredited degree from NJCU should be proud. New Jersey City University is an accredited four-year private institution with a nearly 100-year history of delivering a top-rate educational experience. Nothing can take away that distinction. Our institution has changed names and restructured multiple times over the years, but our legacy and mission remain. A degree from NJCU carries weight with employers as well as with other academic institutions.
Every detail about the nature and structure of a permanent agreement between NJCU and Kean University remain to be worked out, as the two institutions undertake the work of defining the terms of a merger agreement. NJCU will continue to share significant updates with students, families, faculty, staff, and alumni through our usual communications platforms as appropriate.