President says Kean is growing and on the rise

By Davaughnia Wilson | Published September 30, 2022

President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D., delivered his Open Day Address in Wilkins Theatre on Aug. 31 and described Kean University as a hidden gem that is on the rise to becoming elite, and an R2 Carnegie designation.

He said Kean is not striving to be elite based on the narrow definition embraced by Ivy League schools. 

Kean’s definition of elite is inclusive, expansive, forward thinking, and forward reaching. Repollet said he imagined a world where being elite is not incompatible with inclusivity. Instead a part of what makes Kean elite is centered around how best we uplift the members of our community. 

“We’re creating a new definition of elite that is our own, the Kean elite,” Repollet said.  “Educating students of all backgrounds, to give back, to embrace universities across New Jersey.”

Repollet said over the past century Kean has made a name for itself and is on the path to achieving greatness. Many are unaware of Kean’s rich history and the culture that the university has created for its students, faculty and staff. 

The university’s regional ranking has risen from 132 to 126 according to the U.S. News and World Report, he noted, and went on to list Kean’s recent accomplishments. 

This past summer, Amazon Prime featured Kean on its tour, The College Tour. The tour featured students from all backgrounds, race and ethnicity, athletes, non-athletes and students from the different colleges to understand what it truly like to be a part of the Kean community.

“They were so impressed they featured us on their tour,” Repollet said.

This fall, Kean welcomed its largest freshman class in history, the largest enrollment for Kean online and a total of over 4000 new students to the university. Kean is also celebrating the largest student body at Wenzhou Kean with an enrollment of over 4000 students and growing. 

“We will continue improving on this number to ensure that every student persists to graduation,” Repollet said.

Kean has always been committed to access and affordability. The university awarded more than $1 million in new housing scholarships for the academic year, a 540 percent increase. 

The Freshman Merit Scholarship awarded increased by 80 percent, Transfer Merit Scholarship increased by 17 percent and the Kean Foundation scholarship increased by 14 percent over the last two years. 

“We have maintained a steadfast focus on providing access to higher education, respective of students who are historically excluded,” Repollet said. “We are making sure we keep the education we offer affordable, for our students from all kinds of backgrounds’

Kean is growing and on track to acquiring R2 Carnegie status. Repollet was proud to announce that graduation and retention rates are higher than the national average. He added that 75 percent of the last freshman class returns to Kean as sophomores, a 5 percent increase from the previous year. 

In September 2021, Kean welcomed 55 new tenure-track faculty members and this year, welcomed an additional 53 new tenure-track faculty members. 

Repollet said the faculty is the backbone of the institution. They play a crucial role in assisting students at Kean to achieve great success and to reach new heights.

The university’s focus on safety and wellness has allowed them to draft a new policy on remote work. In October, the university will enhance flexibility while preserving its commitment to students.

“We will offer one day a week of remote work to those whose responsibility can be fulfilled at a distance,” Repollet said. “I am excited about this new flexibility, but let me be clear, our students will always come first.”

He pledged to students that they, the faculty and staff, will prioritize students and remain accessible at all times.

During his first year as president, Repollet focused on infrastructure and his second year was dedicated to academics. The next two years, Repollet promises to focus on culture. 

He added that the Kean community must ensure that the university’s mission statement aligns with the core values they possess.

“We will not always see eye to eye but we will work together collegiately and collaboratively to coalesce around a set of shared values to guide us,” Repollet said. 

This past spring, Repollet joined a group of students on a transformative experience to Georgia and Alabama on the civil rights journey. The Travel Learn was organized to empower students to become more actively involved in current social justice movements. 

Those who attended the Opening Day Address were urged to visit the Human Rights Gallery to view a special exhibit created by Kean students during last spring’s Travel Learn that highlights the civil rights journey.

Repollet described the experience as bringing “our history to life in a powerful way.”

On Sept. 30, the university will host the first ever President’s Alumni Ball to recognize some of the university’s most distinguished alumni and announce the winners of this year’s Presidential awards. 

Twelve faculty and staff members along with five students will be honored at the award ceremony. From the Kean University Foundation, they will receive monetary awards and recognition of outstanding achievement in areas such as teaching, scholarship and service in alignment with the university’s three pillars of safety, equity, and academic excellence.  

Repollet mentioned his monthly Town Hall meetings and some of the concerns students raised such as feeling stigmatized by the dorms in the quad and the dining halls closing relatively early. 

He took the initiative to revitalize the quad, both inside and outside, soon making the quad the “place to be” as well as extending the hours of the dining hall from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight. The university also added six electric vehicle charging stations across campus.

“We must make these essential changes to our ways of operating,” Repollet said. “We are evolving quickly and we can’t operate like we did in the past. All the pieces are coming together and we must challenge ourselves and each other.”

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