New Jersey City University (NJCU) recently unveiled a refreshed mission and introduced its first vision statement.

“I am filled with immense pride and gratitude as a I reflect on the collaborative journey we have undertaken to articulate a new mission and vision statement for New Jersey City University,” Interim President Andres Acebo said in a Feb. 2 press release from the Jersey City-based institution. “This monumental achievement stands as a testament to the power of shared governance and the strength of our collective commitment to shaping and serving the future of our institution.”

Mission statement

“New Jersey City University empowers its students through a highly accessible, equity-driven, and transformative education. An NJCU education focuses on students’ personal, professional, and civic development to facilitate their socio-economic mobility. We uplift our diverse community of students, including historically underserved and underrepresented, first-generation, and adult learners.”

Vision statement

“We aim to inspire intellectual curiosity, nurture conscious citizenship and community engagement, and uplift our community through teaching, research, and service by dedicated and supportive faculty, staff, and partnerships that create opportunity.”

Acebo described the collaborative process in crafting these statements as a result of work and feedback from faculty, staff, students, administrators, trustees and community stakeholders who came together to articulate shared values and aspirations.

“The thoughtful discussions, diverse perspectives, and collective wisdom that have shaped our new mission and vision statement truly exemplify the renewed spirit of shared governance at NJCU,” said Acebo.

Acknowledging the diverse Jersey City community it serves and its status as the oldest public, four-year, minority and Hispanic-serving institution in New Jersey, NJCU released both statements in Spanish, as well.

Community effort

Acebo described the thinking behind both statements.

“Our mission, the heart of our educational endeavors, cements our dedication to creating an inclusive and empowering environment for all our students,” he said. “Through shared values of academic excellence, social responsibility, and community engagement, we aspire to provide transformative educational experience that prepares our students for the challenges and opportunities that their remarkable lives will confront.”

“Our vision, a beacon guiding us forward, paints a brilliant and worthy picture of the future we collectively seek for our community. It is a future where intellectual curiosity and social impact thrive, and where we serve as a model for advancing knowledge, cultivating conscious citizenship, and promoting equity,” Acebo explained.

“I am proud of the unprecedented spirit of collaboration and shared governance that led to our refreshed mission and vision statements. The Board is dedicated to serving the people of Jersey City, Hudson County, and New Jersey, and believe the only way to successfully accomplish this is by including all of NJCU’s constituents in the process,” said Luke Visconti, chair, NJCU board of trustees. “NJCU is the on-ramp to the middle class for our students. As chair, I am personally committed to leading the Board in continuing the shared governance necessary to best serve our community.”

In addition to yielding the two statements, Acebo said that the process also strengthened the bonds that tie the community together.

“It is a pertinent reminder that, as we navigate the evolving complexities of higher education, our greatest asset is our collective intelligence, compassion, and commitment to our students’ success,” he said.

Enrollment up

The new mission and vision statements mark a continuation of NJCU’s momentum as 2024 gets into full swing, which also included recent positive news on the enrollment front.

On Jan. 26, NJCU announced significant year-to-date growth in new graduate and undergraduate enrollment for the spring semester.

The school reported year-over-year (spring 2023 to spring 2024) increases for:

• Graduates – 27.31%
• Undergraduates – 26.45%
• Undergraduate transfers – 34.38%

“This is the direct result of a concerted and collaborative effort to strengthen an institutional mission of meeting a population where they are, of breaking down institutional and system barriers of access, and a deliberate focus on the sustainability of a mission for an extraordinary community of overwhelmingly working-class, first-generation students,” said Acebo. “Every partnership and every decision we have made together over the last year has had this as its aim.”

He thanked the faculty, students and community stakeholders for their efforts as NJCU continues to work out of a budget mess that ensnared the institution and led to the state’s appointment of a fiscal monitor.

The fiscal mismanagement and budget woes predated Acebo’s tenure, but he is tasked with leading the school as it works through the issues. Acebo says that there is a lot more to do – but stressed that NJCU has intentionally anchored itself to a community and mission that makes its efforts worth the challenges.

“We are very optimistic about what these enrollment increases represent as we continue to reimagine what a comprehensive public institution can deliver to the community it serves,” said Acebo. “The strategic decision our administration made early in our recovery efforts linking enrollment management to academic affairs for the first time is furthering our mission-driven charge, and these are the early results of those efforts.”