NJCU Faculty Union Gives $200K More to Support Research and Teaching

Mike Torres, a history professor at New Jersey City University, spent last summer buried in archives, researching how Hudson County’s immigrant communities shaped local labor laws. He didn’t have a big grant from a foundation. His funding came from an unexpected source: his own union.

Torres is one of dozens of faculty and staff who’ve received grants from AFT Local 1839, the union representing NJCU professors, librarians, and professional staff. This week, the union announced its second major gift—a $200,000 commitment to continue funding research and academic projects across campus.

“We believe in investing in our own,” said union president Dr. Lisa Farese. “Our faculty and staff are the heart of this university. When they have the resources they need to do innovative work, everyone benefits—students most of all.”

The donation, which follows a $150,000 gift in 2021, brings the union’s total investment to $350,000. The money goes directly to grants that faculty and staff can apply for through an open, competitive process. Past projects include everything from a study on green infrastructure in urban neighborhoods to a digital humanities project that mapped the history of slavery in New Jersey.

“It’s not just about the money,” Torres said. “It’s about the message it sends: that our union sees our work as valuable. That it’s willing to put its own resources on the line to support us.”

How the grants work

Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000 each. Applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff. The union says it prioritizes projects that involve students, address community needs, or advance social justice.

This latest round of funding is open to all union members, including adjunct professors—a group that often gets left out of traditional research funding. For adjuncts like Maria Gonzalez, who teaches English part-time while raising two kids in Journal Square, the grant she received last year for a poetry anthology about the Heights neighborhood made all the difference.

“I don’t have a lab or a big office,” Gonzalez said. “But the union gave me the chance to do something that matters to my community. That’s huge.”

Why it matters for Hudson County

NJCU isn’t a wealthy institution. It’s a public university that serves a student body where nearly half are first-generation college students and many commute from across the county. Research funding from traditional sources—federal grants, corporate sponsors—is harder to come by here than at more affluent schools.

That makes the union’s commitment especially significant. It’s not just a feel-good story. It’s a practical way to keep talented faculty and staff at NJCU, and to ensure that research happening here reflects the community’s real concerns.

“When we study the gentrification of Bergen-Lafayette or the health impacts of air pollution near the Turnpike, we’re not just writing papers that sit on a shelf,” Torres said. “We’re giving our neighbors information they can use.”

What people are saying

University officials praised the union’s gift. “This partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to academic excellence,” said NJCU President Dr. Andrés Acebo. “We’re grateful for the union’s continued investment in our faculty and staff.”

Some faculty members, though, note that the union’s funding comes at a time when state support for public universities hasn’t kept pace with rising costs. “It’s great that the union is stepping up,” said Dr. Kevin O’Brien, a sociology professor. “But ideally, we wouldn’t need to rely on our own union to fund basic research. That’s a conversation we need to have with Trenton.”

What’s next

The union will begin accepting applications for the new round of grants this spring. Faculty and staff who are members of AFT Local 1839 can find details on the union’s website. There’s also talk of creating a permanent endowment to sustain the fund long-term.

For now, the money is already making a difference. And for people like Mike Torres, it’s a reminder that even at a public university with tight budgets, there are still ways to invest in the work that matters.