Andrés Acebo led New Jersey City University through the most critical period in its 98-year history, orchestrating a remarkable financial and academic recovery while bringing energy to an institution that seemingly was on the verge of closing.
And he did it with humility.
Earlier this month, when Acebo had the ‘interim’ tag taken off his title, officially becoming the school’s 13th president, he made sure to let everyone his efforts always were about a greater goal.
“This moment is not about me — it is about us,” he said on that day. “(It’s) about the generations who have walked these steps before us: immigrants who carried hope across oceans, first-generation college students who carried dreams across generations.
“They made this campus the most beautiful thing a university can be — a mirror of its community.”
The ceremony drew hundreds of guests, including leaders from higher education, government, and the community. In a video address, Luke Visconti, chair of the NJCU Board of Trustees, emphasized the impact of Acebo’s tenure.
“Andy, you didn’t just save our university—you’ve positioned it to thrive,” Visconti said. “His vision has secured our campus for generations to come.”
As the youngest known president to lead a public university in New Jersey and only the third Hispanic to lead a four-year public institution in the state, Acebo’s story of service and purpose resonated deeply with attendees, underscoring the university’s commitment to social mobility and student success.
The vote from the board to remove the interim tag back in July was unanimous — and represents perhaps long overdue recognition for Acebo, who agreed to become president during the school’s darkest hour, Jan. 17, 2023, when it was seemingly days and weeks away from going bankrupt.
Visconti acknowledged all this and more when he made the initial announcement.
“President Acebo and his management team have provided exceptional leadership during the most critical period in our university’s history, and while he may have carried an interim title, the transformative work he has accomplished alongside our campus community has been anything but temporary,” he said.
“Under his leadership, our campus has experienced unprecedented change — he reduced institutional debt by tens of millions of dollars, drove three consecutive semesters of double-digit transfer enrollment growth, secured the first positive financial outlook in NJCU’s history from Moody’s, and established numerous academic and community partnerships that have strengthened our campus connections throughout the region.
“In recognition of these demonstrated results, the board determined he has earned the permanent title, and his vision has helped secure the future of our campus for generations to come.”
Acebo’s efforts have been beyond impressive.
Since taking office during a financial emergency, Acebo’s leadership resulted in Moody’s Ratings upgrading NJCU’s outlook from “negative” to “stable” in February 2024, followed by Fitch Ratings doing the same in November 2024.
In May 2025, Moody’s upgraded NJCU’s outlook from stable to positive — the first time Moody’s has ever assigned a positive outlook to the university.
During the same month, the school announced it had signed a Letter of Intent advancing a proposed historic merger that would integrate NJCU into Kean and enhance access to innovative and inclusive higher education across New Jersey.
The university was ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and 10th nationally in CollegeNET’s 2023 Social Mobility Index, maintaining its No. 1 state ranking and Top 20 national position in 2024. The university graduated 1,667 students in Spring 2024 — an 8.2 percent increase in bachelor’s degrees from 2023, and an additional 1,544 in 2025.
Under his leadership, NJCU introduced the most significant overhaul of its general education curriculum in decades, allowing every course on the approved New Jersey Council of County Colleges list, including those without direct equivalencies, to be accepted at NJCU for general education credit.
The NJCU University Senate, with 95 percent in favor, overwhelmingly voted in favor of the reforms to the General Education program — thus making NJCU the most-transfer friendly institution in the State of New Jersey.
In Spring 2024, NJCU continued making transformative changes to higher ed, dismantling systemic barriers that students face in their degree completions, as the university introduced a pledge of guaranteed schedules for its students. Additionally, NJCU announced plans to absorb the cost of books into the price of tuition beginning in Fall 2024, which will eliminate the uncertainty about the cost of college.
Acebo’s impact, however, is far greater than any metric.
It is his leadership, praised for being both empathetic and strategic, that sets him apart.
Adam San Miguel, an alumnus, described it this way: “(Andy) brings his whole self into every space: his culture, his compassion, and his sharp sense of humor.
“Andy listens. He learns. And then, he acts with purpose and heart.”
For information about ew Jersey City University, go to njcu.edu
Source: https://binje.com/visionary-leader-acebo-who-helped-save-njcu-with-his-heart-and-humility-was-beyond-worthy-of-being-named-schools-13th-president/