Cindy Jebb, President, Ramapo College of New Jersey

In an interview with Invest:, Cindy Jebb, president of Ramapo College of New Jersey, said that a strong liberal arts foundation, paired with strategic innovation, is driving the public institution toward national distinction. “We teach how to think, not what to think. We’re here to provide a transformative student experience through international, intercultural, interdisciplinary, and hands-on learning.”

What changes and milestones have had the biggest impact on Ramapo College of New Jersey?

The last time we spoke, we were developing our strategic plan, Boldly Ascending. We are now living it and, since then, we have launched a comprehensive academic plan and a campus facilities plan. These inclusive planning efforts have driven many of our recent achievements.

We’ve been successful largely because of our incredible community. These planning processes were community-building experiences. I share this because any institution needs to understand who it is. We know who we are: a public liberal arts college. We teach how to think, not what to think. We’re here to provide a transformative student experience through international, intercultural, interdisciplinary, and hands-on learning. And we’re working toward national distinction.

Our graduates are empathetic, ethical, responsible leaders, change agents, and problem solvers who make a positive impact and thrive in an ever-evolving world. When I say we’re on our way to national distinction, I mean it. Let me tell you, our students are phenomenal. They’re smart, passionate, service-oriented, and equipped to make a difference.

We’ve affirmed our values as a tight-knit community; values like respect, empathy, intellectual curiosity, and civil discourse, all of which are more important than ever. Our picturesque campus is a collaborative place to practice and cultivate those values. Further, our partners in industry appreciate the intrinsic and extrinsic value of a Ramapo College education. Our Career Center, for example, works with hundreds of employers to share employment opportunities, provide internships, and recruit our students. In addition, we are so grateful for the investments and hands-on opportunities that companies like Becton Dickinson, Wakefern Food Corp, and Forvis Mazars have made in supporting our students.

What are some of the major milestones you’ve achieved in the last few years?

Demand for a Ramapo College education is strong, and confidence in Ramapo, across households, industries, and communities, continues to grow. Moody’s just affirmed our A2 rating  and commended our “strategic position as a regional public college.” 

Over the past three years, we’ve seen historic enrollment numbers, improved social mobility, especially among first-generation students, and improved selectivity. In fact, U.S. News and World Report describes us as a “Top Performer for Social Mobility,” and we’ve opened a First-Generation Student Center. There’s a real energy on campus. Our faculty and staff are truly second to none. We prioritize small class sizes and strong mentor-mentee relationships. Even our professional programs, like teacher education, nursing, business, accounting, and social work, are grounded in the liberal arts.

Our students are now competing for and winning prestigious fellowships and scholarships. In the last couple of years, we’ve had two Fulbright scholars, finalists for the Truman Scholarship, and students in the running for Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. In fact, one of our students recently secured an interview for a Rhodes Scholarship, which is exciting. Beyond all of this national recognition, many of our students have also earned regional and local awards and have accepted invitations to present their research at conferences across the country. Their academic seriousness is matched by their humility. Our students take their work seriously, but not themselves, which I admire.

Ramapo has also received strong support from the state, which speaks to bipartisan confidence in our mission. Recently, this has enabled us to expand our nursing and life science programs. Last month, we held our inaugural pinning ceremony for our new accelerated nursing program, which, unlike our traditional nursing program, is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree. In just 16 months, we prepare them to go directly into the nursing field and meet New Jersey’s critical healthcare needs. Not to mention, our Healthcare Advisory Board is comprised of the leaders of Valley Hospital, New Bridge Medical Center, Stryker Orthopedic, St. Joseph’s Health, and other healthcare partners, and we work with them to ensure our curricula is responsive, that our programs are meeting their workforce needs, and that, together, we are serving the needs of the region.  

Additionally, we received the largest gift in our institution’s history this past spring—$4 million. That historic donation will support our Student Emergency Relief Fund, scholarships, and our new Digital Innovation Institute. One notable example of such digital innovation is our recent award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Recognizing that 92% of all job postings in the United States require digital skills, Ramapo secured a $2 million grant from the NSF that prepares students for high-growth disciplines such as cybersecurity, data science, computer science, bioinformatics, and mathematics. 

Can you share more about your strategic plan?

We implemented a campus-wide initiative called “Priority Needs Proposals.” This allowed us to identify the talents and passions across our community. One of the resulting initiatives was the Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center, which is doing truly amazing work. Students enrolled in the IGG Center use open-source genetic data and partner with law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, and organizations like Project Innocence to identify human remains. Through this highly innovative field, our students and faculty have helped exonerate wrongly convicted individuals and brought closure to long-unsolved cases. For example, in one instance, two brothers were released from prison after being cleared. In another, they identified the remains of a ship captain whose vessel sank in 1844.

The center offers IGG certificate programs, and students actively work on real-world cases. Along with the NSF grant, these are powerful examples of how we’re driving digital innovation, and we’re also looking to expand this model to other areas.

How can higher education institutions with traditional roots, like Ramapo, strike a balance with the growing demand for career-ready technical skills?

What I love about Ramapo is that we do both. We prepare students for immediate job opportunities through leadership development, internships, and other hands-on experiences, but we also equip them with the skills to adapt and thrive long-term. That’s the true value of a liberal arts education—critical thinking, effective communication, leadership with empathy, and service with kindness.

We’re intentional about cultivating these qualities. Our leadership and service programs help students learn teamwork, discover their passions, and develop into leaders. When I talk to business leaders, whether through the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, our Advisory Boards, or our partners along the Route 17 and NYC business corridors, they all say the same thing: technical skills matter, but they need individuals who can collaborate, build relationships, and lead with integrity.

At Ramapo, we emphasize intellectual curiosity and lifelong learning because we know that today’s students will change careers multiple times. They’re preparing for jobs that don’t even exist yet. So, our role is to develop adaptable, service-oriented critical thinkers, and the proof is in the pudding, as they say; a 2023 study by the Brookings Institute affirms that earners with bachelor’s degrees in liberal arts out-earn those with lower degrees.

What opportunities do you see for your students in film, life sciences, or other emerging fieds?

As a public institution, one of Ramapo’s comparative advantages is our ability to build strong partnerships with industries and communities. Whether it’s healthcare, digital innovation, or film and entertainment, we’re working closely with partners in those sectors to provide training pipelines, apprenticeships, and workforce solutions. The film industry, for example, is growing rapidly in New Jersey, and we’re positioning ourselves to create on-site workforce development programs. We’re not just teaching technical skills; we’re graduating students who are ready to lead, collaborate, and innovate.

Do you believe the opportunities you mentioned, particularly those partnerships and industry pipelines, are only accessible through higher education?

Absolutely. I currently lead the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, and collectively, we contribute over $6 billion annually to the state’s economy. There are plenty of think tanks that analyze higher education’s return on investment, and the data consistently show that a college degree pays off in earnings and in life outcomes. 

But beyond the economic value, higher education contributes to a vibrant civil society. We’re producing critically engaged citizens who can meaningfully participate in public discourse. One of Ramapo’s core values is civil discourse. We’re committed to equipping students not just with degrees, but with the ability to lead and influence society in positive, constructive ways.

Looking toward the future, what would you say are Ramapo College’s top priorities?

Staying connected with local and broader communities allows us to remain responsive and adaptable. We have a comprehensive academic plan that will drive a wave of academic innovation—reflecting the input we’ve received from business and industry leaders.

We’re also prioritizing digital innovation and artificial intelligence. As a public liberal arts institution, we have a unique advantage in how we approach AI, not just from a technical standpoint, but also in terms of ethical and responsible use. That applies across the board: in our classrooms, research, pedagogy, campus operations, and service to our students.

Ultimately, we envision Ramapo College being the first-choice destination, not just for students in New Jersey, but also throughout the region and eventually the nation. We’re on a path toward national distinction, and –with growing support from our students, employees, industry leaders, legislators, and donors— we’re committed to realizing that vision.