New Jersey City University marked its 99-year history with a proud, poignant final commencement ceremony Tuesday as the school prepared for a huge merger.
The 1,551 members of New Jersey City University’s Class of 2026 received their degrees at the Prudential Center in Newark, weeks before the school is set to be absorbed by Kean University.
“For nearly a century, this campus has been holy ground for strivers — not privileged people, but determined people,” New Jersey City University President Andrés Acebo told the graduates.
On July 1, New Jersey City University will be absorbed by Kean University in Union in one of the largest mergers of public universities in the state’s history.
The Jersey City campus will be renamed Kean Jersey City.
Kean University has approximately 17,000 students and New Jersey City University enrolls about 5,500 students.
The merger comes after years of financial problems at New Jersey City University. Campus officials have said the merger will come with an unspecified number of layoffs on the Jersey City campus.
The mood was upbeat at New Jersey City University’s commencement with multiple speakers and other attendees focusing on the school’s achievements and role in serving historically underserved students.
The four-hour commencement began with a video of the university’s Musical Theater Workshop performing Alanis Morissette’s 1995 song “You Learn.”
“We don’t end today, New Jersey City University. We commence,” Acebo said.
New Jersey City University holds its commencement ceremony at Prudential Center in Newark on Tuesday.John Jones | For NJ.com
Justin Arias, who graduated with a degree in psychology, was wearing a sash noting that he is a first-generation college student.
“I’m the first in my family to ever graduate college,” said Arias, who said he is saving up for graduate school and planning a career as a school psychologist.
Asked about the merger, Arias said he is grateful that Jersey City will continue to have “a reliable source of education.”
“It’s important that each community has it and I think that New Jersey City University serves that purpose very well and the merger was just for the help of the community,” Arias said.
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, an adjunct professor at New Jersey City University from 2015 to 2019, expressed some disappointment in the events leading to the merger.
“I know it’s difficult for many folks — for faculty, for many who poured into this institution, for alumni, to see these changes come,“ Solomon said in his speech to graduates. ” And I do want to say, as a city leader, I don’t think the city did enough. I don’t think the city did its part to ensure and fight for its future.”
Solomon, who became mayor in January, said he will seek “to ensure that New Jersey City University in this merger retains the very best part of itself and is committed to ensuring that it continues to deliver as part of Kean Jersey City for our community and our people.”
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon speaks New Jersey City University holds its commencement ceremony at Prudential Center in Newark on Tuesday.John Jones | For NJ.com
Pride in Jersey City, the state’s second-largest city, was a recurring theme at the commencement.
Gabriella Martinez, who received an undergraduate degree in secondary education and math, was invited to give the student reflection.
Martinez said attending Jersey City’s public schools influenced her goal of becoming a middle school math teacher.
“Jersey City didn’t just raise me. It shaped me,” Martinez said.
“People say that this city is rough, that the kids are rough. Maybe that’s true, but I see it differently. We’re not rough, we’re tough,” Martinez said.
The commencement speaker was Jorge Plasencia, a philanthropist and co-founder and CEO of Republica Havas, a Miami-based media and communications company.
Plasencia, whose parents immigrated from Cuba, spoke of working with celebrities ranging from Shakira and Gloria Estefan while stressing the importance of staying true to one’s roots.
“My parents believed deeply in the promise of America,” Plasencia said.
“Dignity is not something based on stature. It is something that everybody deserves. As New Jersey City University continues its next chapter, its legacy continues through you,” Plasencia said.
The commencement began at 8:30 a.m., with some graduates arriving well in advance.
Maryana Soto said she left her residence in Rahway by 5:30 a.m. in order to be sure to get parking.
“It was excellent,” Soto said of her time at New Jersey City University. She earned a degree in graphic design.
“I can’t wait, with the opportunities that are coming,” Soto said.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which accredits the region’s colleges and universities, signed off on the merger last month — the last needed regulatory approvals, officials said previously.
The merger still needs approval from the U.S. Department of Education, which is expected to sign off on the deal.
Acebo’s role, if any, at the future Kean Jersey City has not been announced.
He said New Jersey City University’s mission will endure — just under a new name and as part of Kean University.
New Jersey City University was founded in 1927 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Jersey City. It became the New Jersey State Teachers College at Jersey City in 1935, then Jersey City State College in 1958, before taking its current name in 1998.
The institution was “never a logo or a signpost,” Acebo told the graduates.
“This university kept faith with its founding purpose: to open doors wider that circumstances would otherwise allow,” Acebo said.