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President Series · #374

How a $22M Deficit Transformed into a Mission-Driven Renaissance at NJCU - with Andrés Acebo, President, New Jersey City University

Andrés Acebo

Jun 17, 2025 53 min
How a $22M Deficit Transformed into a Mission-Driven Renaissance at NJCU - with Andrés Acebo, President, New Jersey City University

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What this conversation answers

  • 01

    How did NJCU overcome a projected $22 million operating deficit?

  • 02

    What strategic steps led to the first balanced budget in seven years?

  • 03

    How is the university preparing for a strategic merger with Kean University?

  • 04

    What does it mean to lead a university in your home community as a first-gen graduate?

  • 05

    How can regional public universities honor their mission while embracing transformation?

  • 06

    Achieving financial stability through difficult but necessary decisions

Show notes

It's YOUR time to #EdUp

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In this episode, President Series #374, (Powered By ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ ), & brought to YOU by HigherEd PodCon

YOUR guest is Andrés Acebo, President, New Jersey City University

YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio

  • How did NJCU overcome a projected $22 million operating deficit? 
  • What strategic steps led to the first balanced budget in seven years? 
  • How is the university preparing for a strategic merger with Kean University? 
  • What does it mean to lead a university in your home community as a first-gen graduate? 
  • How can regional public universities honor their mission while embracing transformation? 

Topics include:

  • Achieving financial stability through difficult but necessary decisions 
  • Transforming a fiscal emergency into institutional renaissance 
  • Preserving the mission of serving first-generation, underrepresented students 
  • Streamlining academic portfolio to focus on high-demand programs 
  • Securing over $24 million in state stabilization funding 
  • Cultivating a "culture of possibility" where students are empowered 
  • Creating a sustainable future through strategic merger initiative 
  • Overhauling transfer pathways to become the most transfer-friendly university in New Jersey 

For #EdUp subscribers only via the extended conversation:

  • Finding strength in community during crisis leadership 
  • Processing the emotional weight of leading institutional change 
  • Responding to critics while staying mission-focused 
  • Bringing a generational perspective to higher education leadership 
  • Building confidence in an institution's resilience despite challenges 

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