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After leading Georgian Court University for nearly a decade, President Joseph Marbach will retire next summer, GCU announced Oct. 22. 

Marbach became the first male and first non-religious president in the private Catholic university’s history, according to the school. He assumed the post July 1, 2015. GCU also noted he’s among the longest-serving current university presidents in New Jersey. 

In a statement to the university community, Marbach said although he’s approaching retirement, “my work at Georgian Court is not finished.” 

“Serving as President of Georgian Court University has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply grateful to the university community—including our faculty, staff, students, and alumni—for everything they’ve done to make the past nine years so rewarding,” Marbach said. 

“Over the next year, I will continue to support the university’s strategic and academic growth and work closely with the community to fulfill our mission and commitment to our students,” he added. 

Looking back 

GCU listed many of Marbach’s achievements to date at Central and South Jersey’s only Catholic university, including: 

• Led the development and launch of GCU’s strategic plan, “The Strategic Compass…for an Even Better Tomorrow”;  
• Under Marbach’s leadership, GCU initiated nine new undergraduate programs as well as the first doctoral degree in the school’s history and three new master’s programs; 
• Announced the name change of the School of Business to the School of Business and Digital Media in 2015, reflecting the growing use of digital technology; 
• Helped form local partnerships with multiple county and community colleges – including most recently with Ocean County College – and seven Catholic high schools throughout the state. 
• Oversaw the launch of the Center for Professional Studies and the renaming of the Hackensack Meridian Health School of Nursing and Wellness at GCU; 
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, led the university through the shift to all online classes and established a public vaccination clinic on campus in partnership with a local Walmart and then-New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. According to the university, it was also the first institution of higher education in Ocean or Monmouth counties to require vaccines for students living on campus;
• In 2022, GCU became the first university in New Jersey to offer employees a compressed four-day workweek; 
• The university became smoke-free and tobacco-free in 2022;
• Negotiated the sale of 42 acres of primarily unused land to Beth Medrash Govoha; 
• Oversaw the creation of the GCU Promise program, providing support to first-year and transfer students in financial need;
• This year, GCU was the first university in the state to extend its deposit deadline due to complications with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). That followed an earlier freeze in tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year.

After nine remarkable years as the leader of Georgian Court University, President Joseph R. Marbach, Ph.D., has announced his decision to formally retire, effective June 30, 2025. pic.twitter.com/I4IOecG35f

— Georgian Court University (@Georgiancourt) October 22, 2024

What’s ahead 

The outgoing leader will establish the President Joseph R. Marbach, Ph.D. Endowed Scholarship to support students with financial need, the university also announced.

The board of trustees will appoint an interim president to serve following the conclusion of Marbach’s tenure June 30, 2025, as it conducts a search for a permanent successor. Michele Aronica, chair of the board of trustees, said the university “has thrived and grown in significant ways” under Marbach’s leadership. 

Bishop David O’Connell, the 10th bishop of Trenton, said the role of president of a university “is not a job for the ‘faint of heart,’” speaking from experience as president of The Catholic University of America. 

“For the last ten years, Dr. Joseph Marbach has led Georgian Court University admirably and well as the only Catholic university located in the Diocese of Trenton,” O’Connell added. “As he concludes his tenure here, I express much gratitude for his service and prayerful good wishes for his future endeavors.”

Other higher education leadership changes:

• Rutgers President Holloway to step down (updated)
• Rider President Dell’Omo to step down in 2025
• TCNJ names interim Bernstein as 17th president
• Seton Hall alumnus named university’s 22nd president