New Jersey City University’s AFT Local 1839 Establishes $25,000 Scholarship Fund with the NJCU Foundation
JERSEY CITY, N.J. | New Jersey City University (NJCU) announced today that AFT Local 1839 — the American Federation of Teachers local union that has represented NJCU faculty, professional staff, and librarians since 1972 — has authorized a $25,000 gift to the NJCU Foundation to establish a scholarship fund benefiting students on the Jersey City campus.
The scholarship will be awarded to students who demonstrate financial need, academic achievement, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, a connection to the values of organized labor and public higher education, and a record of community service. The investment, structured as a restricted educational grant administered by the NJCU Foundation in accordance with its established policies and procedures, reflects the union's longstanding commitment to student success, educational equity, and the broader academic mission of the university.
Founded in 1972, AFT Local 1839 has been active in collective bargaining and shared governance at NJCU throughout its history and has long been committed to advancing the interests of its members alongside the educational mission of the institution and the students it serves.
Dr. William Calathes, Professor of Criminal Justice at NJCU and President of AFT Local 1839, reflected on the significance of the scholarship in the context of the union's 54-year history on campus.
"AFT Local 1839 has been a part of this campus since 1972. We were here when it was Jersey City State College. We have bargained alongside every administration, fought for fair contracts, defended shared governance, and advocated for the academic integrity of this institution through every chapter of its history. The men and women who built this local — the faculty and staff who gave years, in some cases entire careers, to this campus and to these students — deserve to be honored. This scholarship is our way of doing that. It honors our past while investing in the future of this institution.”
“In recent years, we worked alongside President Acebo and his administration with a shared sense of duty to ensure that this campus’s vital mission didn’t simply endure but was positioned to continue reaching thousands of lives as it enters its second century,” Calathes continued. “We look forward to seeing students who reflect the values of labor, public service, and education carry that legacy forward."
NJCU President Andrés Acebo praised AFT Local 1839 for a commitment he said reflects the deepest values of the union's half-century on campus.
"For more than 50 years, AFT Local 1839 has been a vital partner in the life of this university. In recent years especially, we have done difficult and consequential work together focused on centering our students and honoring our storied mission. Through that, I have come to know a membership not only for its advocacy, but for its resolve, its care for this campus, and its belief in what this place makes possible. I have also felt, personally, the strength of that community. The goodwill and fellowship extended to me by so many members has mattered, and it has strengthened me in moments that demanded steadiness and conviction and offered timely reminders of what our faculty and professional staff have poured into generations of students on this campus for decades. Their impact has touched my personal life and that of countless loved ones whose stories were shaped on this campus. This generous legacy gift reflects more than a history of advocacy and for that I’m grateful to Dr. William Calathes, the AFT Local 1839 Executive Committee, and the members they represent. It reflects a deep and enduring investment in our students and in the future of this campus on the precipice of its second century.”
The announcement adds to the growing momentum of a planned centennial campaign — details of which will be announced at a later date — that will benefit student scholarships and community engagement on the Jersey City campus following the merger of NJCU with Kean University in Summer 2026. The AFT Local 1839 commitment joins the recently announced Silverman Family Scholarship, established by prominent real estate developer and philanthropist Paul Silverman with an initial $50,000 endowed gift to the NJCU Foundation. Together, the two commitments bring the total pledged toward the centennial campaign to $75,000. NJCU was chartered in 1927 as Jersey City State Normal School, and 2027 will mark the 100th year of the campus in New Jersey's second-largest city.
The NJCU Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization, will continue to operate as a separate entity following the merger of NJCU with Kean University to form Kean Jersey City, and will continue its mission of raising critical funds and providing scholarships that enable the campus's students to enter to learn and exit to serve.
About NJCU:
New Jersey City University is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, NJCU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Consistent with our mission, NJCU is recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social mobility, ensuring students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of New Jersey. On July 1, 2026, NJCU is expecting to complete a merger with Kean University to join the Kean University system to become Kean Jersey City.
Contact:
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301