Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Kean University is First in NJ to Join National Moon Shot for Equity Partnership

Kean University is the first University in New Jersey to join Moon Shot for Equity, a national network of colleges and universities committed to eliminating equity gaps in higher education by 2030.

Moon Shot for Equity aids 15 research-based practices best designed to remove systemic barriers to student success and ensure students graduate. The practices include training leaders in change management, providing equity-focused professional development, expanding community-based partnerships, offering retention grants for needy students, and more.

“By signing on as a vanguard institution in the Moon Shot for Equity partnership, Kean is leading the state in its commitment to taking decisive action that will reduce equity gaps and make a college degree more accessible,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D.

EAB’s Vice President of Partnerships, Tom Sugar, said, “Colleges and universities that are serious about erasing equity gaps must do the hard work required to remove systemic barriers that make it more difficult for students to succeed, especially those most often left behind.”

Moon Shot for Equity provides research-backed practices, policies, and technology that have proven to reduce equity gaps in helping college students reach their goals quickly for less money and a better career outcome.

“The Moon Shot for Equity initiative is results-oriented,” said Kean Board of Trustees Chair Steve Fastook. “It takes our already significant efforts to the next level and sets a course for fully achieving the access, opportunity, and equity that we envision for our students.”

In 2022, Kean was named one of the country’s most economically and ethnically diverse universities by U.S. News & World Report. Kean was also ranked in the top 50 national universities for increasing students’ social mobility–a measure acknowledging the University’s success in supporting economically disadvantaged students.

Deputy Chief of Staff Itunu Balogun said that “working with EAB and our Moon Shot partner institutions, the Kean community will coalesce around shared, data-driven goals to reshape our systems so all Kean Cougars can continue to climb higher.”

Kean’s designation as New Jersey’s first Urban Research University has reaffirmed the University’s commitment to equity and inclusion and positions the University as a leader in research and policy for and about urban communities. Moon Shot for Equity highlights the University’s initiatives that aim at equity gaps in higher education.

“Our goal is to save our students time and money on the path to achieve their educational and career goals,” said Neva Lozada, Ed.D., Kean’s Assistant Vice President of Administration. “Kean is committing to invest the resources to provide all of our students, faculty, and staff with the tools they need to succeed.”