Nancy Solomon, Managing Editor, New Jersey Public Radio
Nancy Solomon is the Managing Editor of New Jersey Public Radio.
Rutgers Students, Faculty Protest Merger Plans
Monday, February 06, 2012
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Under the proposal, Rutgers's Camden campus will merge with Rowan University. (John Reiser/flickr)
- Join the Discussion [5]
Students and professors from Rutgers University's Camden campus protested a proposal to merge their school with Rowan University at a New Jersey Senate hearing on Monday.
The South Jersey campus merger is part of a larger proposal by Governor Chris Christie to reorganize the state's medical and dental school in Newark, which would move part of it to New Brunswick and contract with a private non-profit to run its hospital there.
"Rowan is going to be one of the finest universities in the country when this is over," Christie said last week during a call-in show on radio station Jersey 101.5.
Christie wants to fold Rutgers-Camden into Rowan, he says, to create a nationally recognized school for South Jersey that would include a law school, a medical school and would centralize research.
But many Rutgers-Camden students, professors and alumni are opposed to the idea. The law school faculty signed a letter opposing the proposal, and students are circulating petitions and protesting at the state capitol.
Law school dean Ray Solomon said his school's good reputation has been built for more than 65 years and is identified with the Rutgers name.
"We would not be as strong as we are now," said Ray Solomon, dean of the Rutgers-Camden Law School. "We recruit nationally now, and we would not be in a position to do that as well, at least not in the short run."
Most objections focus on keeping the name: Rutgers. The law school has a new building and many of its programs are tied to working on behalf of the people of Camden, Solomon said.
Rowan University was formerly called Glassboro State College and changed its name after a $100 million gift from Henry Rowan.
Christie's plan would have to be approved by the Rutgers University Board of Trustees.
Comments [5]
petition to stop this has been created at: http://www.change.org/suggested?petition_id=233225
As a Rutgers Alumni, I do NOT want Rutgers to merge with Rowan. I am sorry, but no. I will have to attend the discussions now, as I will make sure this Gov. knows that his proposal is not accepted. He should be working on reforming how admin offices work, how much TAs and Instructors get paid, bulling within the school, research programs, and promoting greater academic goals within a SINGLE institution. He wants to merge merge merge, but before anyone wants to do this, they should first fix the current issues!
Rutgers-Camden is a fine institution. Rowan University is as well. I have attended both, but chose to finish my degree at Rutgers-Camden.
The argument shouldn't be that one is better than the other; it pits us against each other (not a good goal). The true argument is taking away Rutgers as an option for Southern New Jersey students.
If Rutgers wasn't in Camden, I would have ended up going across the river to Drexel or Temple.
I wonder how our Governor can so forcefully push this plan without financial details. This will not be free. We need the details. We need a cost analysis and a weighing of all the options before making a decision. Will this be at the cost of the taxpayers, tuition hikes or both? Why are we not considering a consortium between the schools in southern New Jersey where they share each others resources, but remain the same. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey should be an option to all New Jersey residents from the north to the south. Stop the merger, sign the petition voice your concerns to officials at http://www.r2rmerge.com
As a Rutgers-Camden student I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS MERGER!
I chose Rutgers over Rowan even though I travel further distance to the Rutgers-Camden campus. I chose to attend Rutgers-Camden over Rowan even though it cost me more for my degree. If I wanted a degree from Rowan I would of went there. More people nationally know about Rutgers. If this merger takes place and my degree says Rowan instead of Rutgers, I want a refund for the difference in cost for my degree at the Rowan price. RUTGERS-CAMDEN should remain just that! The name isn't for sale, nor are the alumni, those who work at and attend this college.
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