JERSEY CITY, NJ | New Jersey City University (NJCU) has announced new leadership for its Department of Student Development and Community Engagement. After an extensive search Erin J. McCann was named the university’s next vice president for student development and community engagement, while Dr. Joy L. Smith was named the first assistant vice president for student perseverance. Both administrators will return to the university after serving the NJCU community early in their higher education careers.
McCann, who has lived in Jersey City his entire life, will return to NJCU after serving as vice president for student life and development and university Title IX coordinator at Saint Peter’s University since August 2019.
Smith has held leadership positions at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey since September 2016 – most recently as Associate Provost for Student Support and Services starting in August 2022.
“I am pleased to welcome you Erin And Joy Home of New Jersey City University to lead our recently redesigned Department of Student Development and Community Engagement,” said Interim President Andrés Acebo. “As our university continues to focus with unwavering purpose on its renewed mission to center and advance our students, I am confident they will provide meaningful leadership in our student success goals and our student retention initiatives as outlined in our Academic Master Plan and Strategic Enrollment Plan. I am especially grateful that two servant leaders whose careers previously brought them to NJCU believe so wholeheartedly in the important work we do that they feel compelled to rejoin our community. Each of their unique academic backgrounds will strengthen the innovative work we do on behalf of our exceptional students, alongside our compassionate faculty and staff. I look forward to their engagement, contributions and advice as we forge new paths at NJCU.”
NJCU transformed the former Division of Student Affairs into the Division of Student Development and Community Engagement in November 2023, emphasizing four key pillars: a student-centered approach, expanded support services, community engagement, and a cultural shift to foster a culture of community in every aspect of university life. The redesigned division continues to emphasize the holistic development and success of its students and offers new initiatives to meet the diverse needs of NJCU’s student body, including social services and mental health support. The division’s mission is to provide comprehensive support and opportunities for the holistic development of students, ensuring they graduate as well-rounded individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resilience they need to succeed after graduating from NJCU.
“I am thrilled to return to NJCU as Vice President of Student Development and Community Engagement,” said McCann. “When I returned to campus this spring to discuss this opportunity, I felt like I was returning home. The NJCU community is special, as are the students we are privileged to serve every day. I am so honored to lead this department and have the chance to engage and support the students and our community.”
McCannwho will take over as head of the department on July 29, served as Saint Peter’s top student affairs officer and was responsible for the programs, facilities, budget and personnel for student life and development and member departments. There, she was responsible for the dean of students, student activities, recreation center, residence life, counseling, health services, dining halls, campus safety, conferences and off-site events, and the NCAA Division I athletics program, and served on the cabinet and executive team.
Of particular note, McCann led the university’s response to COVID-19 – including developing Saint Peter’s COVID reopening plan – managed the construction and opening of Panepinto Hall (a new six-story residence hall), and oversaw the athletic department during its history-making run to the Elite Eight in 2022.
McCann also helped secure over $750,000 in grants and arranged several large contracts including liquor rights, food services, student health and sports medicine. She was the direct supervisor of 10 senior professional staff members and the overall supervisor of approximately 100 professional and support staff members, over 150 student staff members and 125 third-party contract staff members.
McCann returns to NJCU, where she served as associate dean for campus life, legal and academic standards, and senior Title IX investigator from 2011 to 2018.
Overall, McCann has more than 20 years of higher education experience in emergency response, crisis management, student conduct, academic standards, Title IX, athletics, disability services, capital project management, budgeting, oversight, community partnerships, and all areas of student development.
Previously, she held leadership positions as Dean of Online Student Development at Berkeley College (2009-2011) and Associate Director of Student Life at Stevens Institute of Technology (2006-2009). She has also held positions at Rutgers University (2005-2006), Gibbs College (2003-2005), and Hudson County Community College (1999-2003).
McCann grew up in the Greenville section of Jersey City and has deep roots in the community. She holds a BA in English and a minor in history from Plymouth State University and an M.Ed in instructional technology from American Intercontinental University. She currently lives in Maywood, NJ with her fiancé, Mark, and their three dogs.
The new position of Associate Vice President for Student Persistence was created to advance many of the goals announced in the university’s first Academic Master Plan, unveiled in February 2024, and the parallel Strategic Enrollment Plan, released in April 2024. The position will be responsible for leading and enhancing the university’s efforts to promote student retention, persistence and success, including tailored support and specialized individualized help. In this role, Smith will design and implement strategic initiatives aimed at improving student engagement, academic success and the overall college experience. Working with the Division of Academic Affairs, Smith will use data-driven approaches to identify and address challenges, which will ultimately promote student achievement and increase graduation rates. She will rejoin the university community on August 1.
“I’m really looking forward to coming home,” Blacksmith he exclaimed. “My (full-time) career in higher education began at NJCU in 2006 as an OSP/EOF advisor. I have had the privilege of working with some of the best students, colleagues, mentors and leaders in education here; it was here that my passion was solidified. As Associate VP for Persistence, I have the opportunity to give back to a community that means so much to me. My goal is simple: to help the University break down all the barriers that prevent students from achieving their academic, professional and personal goals. Thank you, NJCU, for welcoming me back.”
As Associate Provost for Student Support and Services and Chief Diversity Officer at Georgian Court, Blacksmith currently oversees the campus’s EOF, TRIO-SSS, Global Education, Career Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Health Services, Student Life, and Student Success and Retention offices. As part of her leadership roles, she leads GCU’s student support and services teams to maximize student development, success, and retention. As Chief Judicial Officer and Title IX Coordinator, she also administers the Student Code of Conduct and works with the Dean of Students in developing and reviewing student policies and procedures.
Blacksmith has also served as GCU’s Chief Diversity Officer for Student Affairs since January 2021, serving as the institution’s primary administrator for diversity, equity and inclusion for all academic and student affairs units and as an advisor to the President’s Cabinet. Previously, she served as director of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program from 2016 to 2023.
Before joining the Georgian Court Blacksmith was Director of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program at Hudson County Community College from 2014 to 2016 and Associate Dean for Retention and Assessment at Rutgers-Newark Business School (2012 to 2014).
She spent six years at NJCU (April 2006 to September 2012) as a program advisor in the Opportunity Scholarship Program (EOF).
Blacksmith He also served as Assistant Director of Admissions and the Summer Challenge Program at New Jersey SEEDS (2005–2006) and as Retention Counselor in the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Syracuse University (2003–2005).
She is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administration (NASPA), the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), the Educational Opportunity Fund Professional Association of New Jersey (EOFPANJ), and the Tri-State Consortium of Opportunity Programs and holds various leadership positions with the CIC, EOFPANJ, and the Tri-State Consortium.
Blacksmith is currently an adjunct professor at Georgian Court and has been a part-time faculty member at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education since 2018, where she teaches courses on race, ethnicity, and inequality in education, urban education, education and society, and introduction to education.
She holds a BA from Syracuse with majors in Psychology and African American Studies, an MS in Cultural Foundations of Education from Syracuse, and an Ed.D. in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from Rutgers University. Smith lives in Fords, NJ
About NJCU:
New Jersey City University is a comprehensive public regional institution of higher education based in Jersey City, NJ, dedicated to the development of our students, our city, our communities and our state. We are a game-changing force for our students and have been recognized as one of the nation’s top colleges for promoting their economic advancement. In fact, NJCU was ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and in the top 10 in the nation in the CollegeNET Social Mobility Index for 2023. Whether enrolled in one of our bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programs across our three campuses, NJCU students have access to an affordable, diverse environment and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the state of New Jersey.
—www.NJCU.edu—
Contact:
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications | [email protected] | 201-200-3301
