Brief Intro/History
Kean University
www.kean.edu
Founded 1855, Union
Founded in 1855 as a teachers college in Newark, Kean University is now a comprehensive, global institution of higher education. Serving a richly diverse population of more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Kean’s mission is to provide an affordable, accessible and world-class education that prepares students to think and respond critically and creatively in a rapidly changing world.
The University continues its legacy as a top producer of teachers in New Jersey and is a growing educational hub in the fields of health care, technology, architecture and more.
The Kean faculty is recognized for teaching distinction, scholarship and service. The University’s six undergraduate colleges — the College of Business and Public Management; the College of Education; the College of Liberal Arts; the College of Natural, Applied and Health Sciences; and Michael Graves College; and the New Jersey Center for Science, Technology and Mathematics — offer more than 50 undergraduate degrees over a full range of academic subjects. Together with those colleges, Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers six doctoral degree programs and more than 60 options for graduate study leading to master’s degrees, professional diplomas or certifications.
Kean’s main campus in Union, New Jersey is 30 minutes from New York City and an hour from Philadelphia. Also in New Jersey, Kean Ocean offers courses in Toms River and Manahawkin, while additional bachelor's degree completion programs are provided at Kean Skylands in Jefferson.
Kean is the only public university in the United States to have a campus in China. Wenzhou-Kean University, a partnership with Wenzhou University, is an English-speaking campus for Chinese, Kean USA and international students located on a 500-acre campus in the foothills of Wenzhou, China.
In Union, nearly 2,100 students, or about 13 percent of Kean’s student body, live in the University’s seven residence halls. The newest — Cougar Hall — opened in Fall 2018, offering two-bedroom suites with shared bathrooms and kitchenettes, a business center, common areas, a community kitchen and study spaces for its 380 freshman residents.
Those students and thousands of others who commute to campus participate in more than 160 academic, professional interest and philanthropic student groups. The University fields 14 Division III men’s and women’s athletic teams and has eight sports facilities, including Harwood Arena and Kean Alumni Stadium. Students also participate in a full schedule of intramural and recreational athletic activities.
Kean’s Human Rights Institute holds an annual conference and offers a broad range of programs to raise awareness of human rights violations worldwide and inspire action among students, teachers and the general public.
With five theatres on campus, Kean Stage and Premiere Stages contribute to the intellectual life of the community with programs, plays and concerts that reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of central and northern New Jersey. Five galleries on the main campus conduct an eclectic exhibition program that often integrates the visual arts with academic programs.
Kean opened the Liberty Hall Academic Center in Fall 2019, adjacent to Liberty Hall Museum, a historic landmark in New Jersey that houses some of the last undiscovered treasures of the American Revolution. The Center is a two-story, 40,000-plus square foot building that houses the Department of History, the Kean Archives, a research library, classrooms and seminar rooms, an exhibition space and offices. The Center offers enhanced programming opportunities for Liberty Hall Museum and serves a an educational resource for all Kean students.
Kean remains committed to excellence in higher education and continuing its long tradition of access, opportunity and affordability for students seeking a college degree. Each year, Kean proudly builds on this distinguished history as it stays focused on guiding students to academic and professional success.
Dawood Farahi, Ph.D., became Kean University’s president on July 1, 2003.