As a champion of holding a referendum on gay marriage, Chris Christie also ought to give New Jerseyans a chance to vote on his shotgun wedding proposal for Rutgers-Camden and Rowan universities.
The latter is easily the most contentious element of the governor’s admirably ambitious plan to reorganize/revolutionize higher education statewide, largely by dismantling the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, aka, the college that helped make then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie a star (he famously sent UMDNJ no-show job holder and state Senator Wayne Bryant to the slammer).
Under Christie’s long-awaited, yet-to-be-publicly-debated proposal, most of UMDNJ’s assets would be divvied up between Rutgers’ New Brunswick and Newark campuses. Rowan would absorb the Rutgers campus in Camden, where the rising, Glassboro-based teachers’ college-turned-university will open a medical school with Cooper University Hospital later this year.
Key goals, the governor says, include getting rid of the “patronage pit” of UMDNJ; providing Rutgers-New Brunswick with a medical school; and creating a first-class research university in South Jersey.
“Let there be no doubt about it, this change is going to happen,” he declared.
“It’s going to happen because it’s what’s right for New Jersey."
Christie, who’s nothing if not sure of himself, may be right.
Then again, maybe not, according to unionized faculty members and others at Rutgers.
“(We) agree with the goal of a great research university in South Jersey, but collaboration or consortium is better than a merger,” the Rutgers AAUP-AFT said in a statement, adding, “the loss of the Rutgers brand name for South Jersey, and the costs of the merger, would do more harm than good.”
Others on campus are unhappy with the idea; critics are assailing the merger as more about politics than pedagogy; and there’s also an online petition drive against the move.
Seems the issue is pretty contentious, just like marriage equality, which the governor now says should be settled via a referendum.
“I think this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, or the hands of the Senate President or the Speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature,” Christie said Tuesday.
"Let’s let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state.”
Let's see choices are: cleanout the patronage pit or listen to the unionized faculty members? I'll take Christy plan for $500, Alex.— jimmymack- I'm a Christie supporter myself, but this goes beyond the unions v. Christie. This is totally different than the reforms he is trying to make at the primary education levels (which I have worked on and which parents largely support). This is not just unpopular with the unions. This is infuriating the current and former students of Rutgers-Camden, who went to the university in part for the Rutgers brand. This doesn't help them. — Justin Nelson
- If the public can vote on gay marriage then they should be able to vote on the school mergers and everything else. Let the voters do Christie's job while he's pandering to the right-wing fantatics across the country.— dontlikeneocons
- 63% voted in 2008 pres. race what % would vote on this 10 % ?— barb908
- So it is a good idea, but the union controlled rag sides with the union slugs and bosses...after all, there has never been a union person who cares about saving money or spending our tax dlooars....Christie is right...do what is the best of the states educatinal programs.....and the feelings of the unions should not even be considered....they are jsut time wasters and people who don't care about their jobs and never work to improve the schools...they are only concerne about putting in time and freeloading off the state— nuggett
- This Governor is using his office for the sole purpose of advancing his national right wing political agenda. He is blindly convinced that his opinions and policies are the only correct ones. He is intolerant of anyone who disagrees with him. With no social conscience , he can afford to ignore the effects of his actions.— richw38
- So christy thinks that a medical school that has norcross's hands all over it won't be a patronage pit?— flavious27
- If Christie really wanted to eliminate the problems at UMDNJ he would also dismantle the Newark components of the school. Simply changing the name of the Newark based units to the New Jersey Health Sciences University is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The Rowan Plan is simply a way of keeping Sweeney quiet (Rowan is in Sweeney's senatorial district).— BobSG
- I am sure this is another Republican dirty trick so some Republican crony will benefit. I am sure the fat governor will cash in too as soon as the people of New Jersey throw him out of office in the next election, the same way the angry American people threw Bush out in 2008.— eldiablodelsol2009
- Ha no one threw Bush out. There are these things called term limits required by our constitution. — Justin Nelson
- The constitution is not meant to be a collection of laws, but the foundation for laws with basic rights defined and the limits on government provided for therein. It's cluttered up enough as it is with different gambling provisions for the lottery, Atlantic City and most recently sport betting. The Legislature needs to do what it was elected to do and that is pass laws, and not keep punting to the constitution's referendum requirements as a way not to take a position on a controversal issues.— MarleneColes
- Rutgers-Camden has attracted international attention and esteem to the South Jersey area by developing innovative, multi-disciplinary programs like the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology (http://ccib.camden.rutgers.edu/) Center for Children and Childhood Studies (http://children.camden.rutgers.edu/) and the Department of Childhood Studies (http://childhood.camden.rutgers.edu/). These programs are leaders in academic fields as well as in the Camden and South Jersey community, bringing badly needed resources and services to the City of Camden. At the same time, programs such as these, as part of the Rutgers system, have attracted international faculty and graduate students from around the world to Camden, and international esteem of peer research institutions. Rowan simply doesn't have the stature, infrastructure, or resources to support all of this. The attention paid, and success resulting from, Rutgers-Camden will be lost at Rowan and set the region back immeasurably.— Patrick Cox
- Let me first just say how ridiculous all the registration requirements are just to comment on this story. Secondly, this story generally misses the point by making this another issue about the unions v. Christie. Is anyone listening to the students? I am a recent grad of the law school at Rutgers-Camden, and my fellow alumni as well as the current students are very concerned about the loss of the Rutgers name. It doesn't really hurt me as a graduate, but people who are there now and went there with the expectation of having a specific and recognizable name on their diploma are not even being considered. Names aren't everything, but in the legal profession, the name of Rutgers is going to look a lot better on a resume for a job outside of NJ than Rowan. It matters, and no one is listening to the students.— Justin Nelson
- Riordan, That is totally nonsense. How do people of the state know about the academic state of Rutgers-Camden? A select committee of experts already looked into Rutgers-Camden and made the recommendation. As an academician of South Jersey for two decades, I agree that their recommendation is right on the money and Christie-Norcross should excute it. Of course faculty members are opposed to it because their pay-check jobs are at stake. With union and no retirement age, they can keep on collecting paychecks at home until they die. They are afraid that sweet deal might be gone during the merger. That is why so much talk about collaboration and cooperation, more resources and not merger. They are just trying to protect their lifetime fat state paychecks.— chromatin1
- We've heard enough from chromatin1. He's a partisan with absolutely no knowledge of Rutgers-Camden's high stature and its positive effect in Camden. As many of the posts indicate, student satisfaction is high, not low. The record of the campus' outstanding faculty speaks for itself. The issue is not union benefits. Rowan too has a union. What it lacks is the necessary infrastructure to support what already exists within the Rutgers system. Beyond that, of course, take away the degree, and undergraduate enrollment will fall. Already this report has cast a dark cloud over decisions for the coming year. What's needed is not a vote, but the cost-benefit analysis that is notably lacking in the Barer report. The burden for consolidation should be on Rowan, and so far the best we've heard is how exciting it would be to join Division I sports. Come on. This is a serious issue with a great deal at stake. Let's treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves.— hfg
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