President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. focuses on student safety at Town Hall Meeting

By Adaora Nnakwe | Published December 16, 2022

President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D., addressed Kean students on the importance of student safety, health concerns, and campus culture during the town hall meeting at Kean Hall on Dec 1. 

Repollet informed students on the current state of the university celebrating the highest freshman class enrollment of 2,000 students, the campus safety walk regarding lighting areas, blue light phones, and the renovation of the residence hall. 

“We need to make sure that who we are is depicting our mission statement and we need to truly find out our values as an organization,” Repollet said. 

He described this year with a “sense of normalcy” as he recapped the stages of the pandemic at Kean from when he entered in 2020. Last year, there were concerns about the decline in college enrollment, but now the main focus is campus safety. 

Students addressed concerns about the traffic safety for students walking on campus in between classes and Uber drop stops. Repollet mentioned that he noticed these issues around campus firsthand. 

“We need to do something in regards to the students that are entering the areas between the dorms,” Repollet said. 

He mentioned that he has encountered Uber drivers parking in front of the dining hall. These issues have concerned staff and students at Kean due to the continuous complaints about traffic safety. Students have witnessed the speeding through stop signs around campus and it is brought to the attention of the faculty.

“There’s a lot of speeding in front of Harwood after it gets dark,” Chief of Staff Audrey M. Kelley said.

Kelley suggested that like most campuses, there should be dedicated Uber drop stops similar to charging stations where students can pick up their uber delivery or pizza delivery. 

Anthony Monticello, director of Public Safety said, “If you go around campus, you see the speed zones going on. We’re doing a whole campus survey of speeding and signage. We just have to approve it to a campus plan.” 

In addition, students had questions about online classes and requested for more courses. Online courses have been on a rise since the start of the pandemic, but some students expressed their concerns on more staffing for more online courses. Students mentioned that there is a lack of staffing, especially for those who minor in africana studies at the university.

Joseph Youngblood II, Ph.D., J.D., joined the podium to inform students on the current state of Kean online and encouraged students to utilize the resources that Kean has to offer regarding online courses.

“This is our opportunity to build these programs to make them more accessible and to also allow our students that are in Kean online to experience the same cougar experiences to the extent in the virtual context primarily that you all experience on a regular basis,” Youngblood said. 

Youngblood further addressed the opportunity for students to earn a bachelor’s degree online and other certifications to help with their future careers after graduation. 

“The president has made a tremendous investment in growing Kean online and that’s going to be growing programs, we’re looking at programs to see what areas interest you,” Youngblood said.

Repollet encourages students to take charge and reach out to Dr. Youngblood and Dr. Barbara George Johnson with important issues to implement and put them into action. Adding that the university community should look at the past, access it, and use it to determine the future. 

“These town hall meetings are just as important as the work that we’re doing on the administrative side because it gives us a window into what you’re experiencing on campus and that’s important to me,” Repollet said. 

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