Kevin Riordan: Idea of combining Rowan and Rutgers-Camden needs a thorough vetting

Combining Rutgers-Camden and Rowan into a single university would be contingent on academic, political, and economic decisions that haven't been made.

Unless they have, and it's all a done deal. Which strikes me as a stretch, even for New Jersey.

But the state is already trying to figure out the future of another of its institutions of higher education: the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Also, the brand-new Cooper Medical School of Rowan University is rising over Broadway in downtown Camden. And the long-proposed light rail line between Camden and Glassboro, home of Rowan's main campus, recently got a boost from the Delaware River Port Authority.

So the time is right to consider the notion of blending South Jersey's two well-regarded but very different universities into a bigger, better powerhouse of academic research and spinoff economic development.

"Some people are worried, and I understand the worry," says Wendell Pritchett, chancellor of Rutgers-Camden, which has 6,600 students, 1,100 employees, and an annual budget of $66.8 million.

"My view is, this [talk] is not new," he says. "In higher education we're always talking about organizing and reorganizing. And names and organizational structures do change."

A name change - I like R2U - might be the least complicated part of making urban Rutgers, and suburban Rowan, into a single entity.

"I wouldn't call it a downside, but there would definitely be a period of time [during] which the two would have to get to know each other, and mesh," says Ali A. Houshmand, Rowan's interim president.

The Glassboro-based university has 11,000 students, 1,200 employees, and an annual budget of $250 million.

Like Rutgers-Camden, Rowan wants to be recognized as a research institution, where top-ranked scholars and scientists publish original, even groundbreaking, books and papers, and potentially lucrative partnerships with the private sector thrive.

It's an attractive vision, particularly with higher education hungry for revenue.

"I am not going to say 'I'm desperately opposed' to anything" that would enable Rutgers-Camden to thrive, Pritchett says.

But the chancellor also tells me, twice, that "we're very interested in staying connected to Rutgers."

Perceived by some as historically neglected by its parent in New Brunswick, Rutgers-Camden has in recent years become a force for downtown and community redevelopment.

"Think of what we could do for Camden with more resources," Pritchett says.

Houshmand, meanwhile, notes that the economy of South Jersey as a whole would benefit from a larger, research-focused university. High school students in the eight southern counties have less local access to higher education, and a lower percentage of the adult population holds college degrees than in North Jersey, he says.

Another factor: The legacy of Henry Rowan, the South Jersey philanthropist whose $100 million gift nearly 20 years ago transformed a rather obscure state college into a university with a far higher profile. Not to mention, a far more dynamic campus.

"We're very sensitive to the commitment we've made to Mr. Rowan, and have been in very close communication" with family members, says Thomas Gallia, vice president for university relations.

After all, he notes, the unprecedented donation made possible the development of the Rowan College of Engineering. And that "has put us in the position" to take advantage of opportunities, he adds.

Despite his enthusiasm, Houshmand is also cautious.

"We have no idea where this is going to end up, and whether it will take place," he says, adding that such an undertaking "will require participation and creativity among many constituencies."

After all, both Rowan and Rutgers are public universities.

"We belong to the taxpayers," Houshmand says.

As one of the owners of both these quality institutions, I wonder whether a merger would be best for them, and for South Jersey. I'd like to know more, which is why a more detailed public discussion is a must.