President Repollet Celebrates ‘Kean on the Rise’ in Opening Day Address

Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D., today told a packed auditorium of faculty, staff and students at his Opening Day Address that “Kean is on the rise” and called on them to be part of the University’s continuing transformation.

“This is the time to reflect on who we were, reexamine who we are now and reimagine who we are ‘growing’ to be,” Repollet said. “We’re committed to making sure there is space for everyone here at Kean. If we commit to this, together we will make it happen.”

WATCH: President Repollet 2022 Opening Day Address

Kean’s Fall semester begins Thursday, September 1, with a record freshman class expected at Kean USA. Kean Online also boasts record enrollment, and enrollment at Wenzhou-Kean University continues to grow. More than 4,000 students will be studying at Kean’s campus in China this year.

In his address at Wilkins Theatre on Kean’s Union campus, Repollet looked back on his accomplishments since taking over as president in July 2020, including navigating the University safely through the COVID-19 pandemic; boosting investment in faculty and facilities; and focusing on equity at Kean and across higher education.

He then painted a picture of the future that includes a new wellness campaign for faculty, staff and students; updating the University’s mission statement; and academic achievement.

“What does our future look like?” he asked. “Graduation rates higher than the national average; retention rates higher than the national average; a thriving research university that supports our students in persisting to graduation and launching into successful careers; and an urban research university that never forgets its roots serving our communities across New Jersey.”

In late 2021, Kean University was named New Jersey’s urban research university by Governor Phil Murphy. Kean is also pursuing an R2 research Carnegie classification, and this year was elevated to Professional/Doctoral University status by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

Repollet told the audience, “Our students will always come first.”

“Students, you are part of our ascent, and you can be confident that your Kean degree will continue to accrue value and prestige over time,” said Repollet, who has vowed to bring the University from great to elite.

“We will never be ‘elite’ based on the narrow definition embraced by Ivy League schools and the like,” he said. “We’re creating a new definition of ‘elite’ that is our own — educating students of all kinds, from all backgrounds, to give back, to embrace communities across New Jersey.”

History Professor Frank Argote-Freyre, vice president of the Kean Federation of Teachers, said he was encouraged by the speech.

“President Repollet adds a lot of excitement and positive energy to the Kean campus,” Argote-Freyre said. “It was like a pep rally, but a pep rally that sets guidelines for future years and goals to measure ourselves by.”

Kean junior Krista O’Grady, a junior biology/health professions major from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and a field hockey player, said she thought the president’s message was great. 

“The support of the president really drives what we see improving in the past two years, both academically and athletically,” she said.

The president ended his speech by following a tradition he said he employs at the start of every school year, acknowledging that for educators, the fresh start really begins when students return to the classroom.

“Happy New Year,” he wished the crowd.