Kean’s Faculty and Staff Union: Repollet Is ‘Right Choice’ to Lead University Through Challenging Times

UNION CITY, N.J.—Leaders of the union representing faculty at Kean University say the appointment of Lamont Repollet as the university’s new president offers hope for the university, which is needed now more than ever given the existential threats the COVID-19 pandemic presents to higher education. Union leaders also voiced confidence that Repollet’s experience as state education commissioner—a commissioner who involved all stakeholders in policy decisions—could open up a new era of faculty-administration cooperation.

Repollet has been New Jersey’s commissioner of education since June 2018. His tenure as commissioner was marked by a strong commitment to reaching out to and involving all stakeholders in education policy, said James Castiglione, associate professor of physics and president of the Kean Federation of Teachers, which represents 500 university faculty, lecturers, professional staff and librarians.

“The KFT congratulates Lamont Repollet on his appointment. We are pleased that the board of trustees has selected someone who is committed to public education and believes in true collaboration,” Castiglione said. “Our members are ready to roll up their sleeves and work with him to address the academic and financial issues our university faces, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are excited to begin this new chapter for Kean with someone who believes in, and listens to, the professional voices of those around him. The KFT is looking forward to partnering with Repollet to create a university that empowers students to become the next generation of leaders, educators and socially responsible adults.”

Donna M. Chiera, president of the KFT’s state affiliate, AFT New Jersey, which represents more than 30,000 educators and professional staff, said Repollet has the experience to carry Kean through and beyond the pandemic. “Across the country, the COVID-19 crisis has caused unprecedented health, educational and financial challenges for higher education,” said Chiera. “The appointment of Repollet is the right choice to lead the educational community through these unsettling times. As New Jersey’s commissioner of education, he consistently demonstrated his ability to solve problems by listening to, respecting and valuing the voices of the professionals doing the work.”

Randi Weingarten, president of KFT’s national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, said, “Kean University has a long history of being one of the nation’s primary institutions for teacher education, among other subjects and careers. Unfortunately, the last few years blemished that legacy. With the appointment of Lamont Repollet, a person who both respects the education profession and has a track record of working with others to create a greater good, we are hopeful that we can turn the page. Repollet is the leader the Kean community needs now, particularly with the challenges it confronts due to COVID-19. In the long term, we hope that Repollet, working with the wonderful Kean faculty, will help the school realize its potential as the premier New Jersey institution it is destined to be. New leadership will open the door for Kean to become the economic and educational engine that Union County needs.”

Prior to Repollet’s service as state education commissioner, he was superintendent of the Asbury Park School District. Repollet is also a Kean alumnus who earned his master’s in educational administration from the university.

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