NJCU continues cost-cutting efforts with executive reorganization (updated)

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New Jersey City University announced a significant reorganization of its executive leadership team Nov. 14.

The shake-up includes the elimination of three senior management positions. It comes following Gov. Phil Murphy’s recent call for an investigation into NJCU’s finances by the state comptroller in the wake of earlier media reports that the university went from a $108 million surplus in 2014 to a $67 million deficit, with another $156 million in debt. This was later corrected, finding the university was facing a $22 million deficit.

The school says the move is part of its rightsizing efforts, due to the financial crisis declared by the board of trustees earlier this year, and that it follows what it described as significant concessions between university management and its faculty union designed to reduce costs.

“I could not be more grateful to our administrative team, namely acting President Jason Kroll, who has led NJCU admirably through this challenging period, but also our entire community of faculty, staff, students and alumni for their support during this challenging time,” said Joseph Scott, NJCU board of trustees chair.

Under the plan, the senior management positions of chief operating officer, chief strategy officer and vice president for enrollment management will be eliminated. The reorganization also calls for consolidating from six divisions at the executive level to four. The new divisions will be: Academic Affairs, Advancement, Finance and Administration, and Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

NJCU says it has already demonstrated a firm commitment to rightsizing, including instituting $10 million in cost containment strategies in recent months that have sharply reduced its budget deficit with a goal of reaching budget neutrality by June 2023.

“The sacrifices that we must make in order to solve this budget crisis are not easy, but we are dedicated to preserving NJCU as a pillar of high quality, accessible higher education and as a key component of the community in Jersey City and Hudson County,” said Scott. “We are committed to sharing these burdens throughout all levels of the university staff, and to continuing to put our students first.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:29 p.m. ET April 14, 2023, to explain that early media reports about the university’s deficit were inaccurate.