A New, 1% Threat; Draining Money From Public Universities By Merger; Intvw with Andrew Shankman

There's something very dangerous happening in New Jersey. While a merger of a state research university with a state teaching university may seem like a local issue, there are significant national concerns that are play here. What happens in NJ could become a game plan played out nationwide by corporatist governors of both parties. 

Associate Professor of History and director of graduate studies for the History graduate program.  Andrew Shankman

Very, VERY raw interview notes

These are scribblings, incomplete, sometimes incoherent, not necessarily direct quotes. Go to the audio for exact words.

People of South Jersey are really facing a grave loss here. 

People trying to accomplish this are doing it for reasons that are very much not the public reasons. 

This is the first battle over whether there is going to be good, quality public\

There was a Keane commission report that was charged with looking into how to improve higher education in NJ. 

An appendix from an unknown source recommended merger of Rowan and Rutgers Camden. 

Came at about same time that George Norcross offered a medical school out of Cooper hospitall to Rutgers Camden. Rutgers Camden rejected it. Norcross then offered it to Rowan. 

Then a second study was commissioned to look at Rutgers U. of Med and Dentistry and that study adopted the appendix. 

The one difference between the first report and the second report was that the medical school has been hard for Rowan to maintain. Rowan has had financial problem. ALl of a sudden it has become imperative that Rowan grab. 

Rob: What are people who are advocating for the merger trying to say?

That South jersey doesn't get enough funding and deserves better funding. THe problem is I don't see how merger accomplishes that. There's nothing about that the problems identified for south jersey that getting more funding would solve".

It's not clear how making Rutgers Camden resources disappear improves things in Sought Jersey.

Rob: What arguments did the second study make for the merger?

Andrew: very little. "  

HEad of committee, Sol Baer, said he was not told to ask about cost, just to come with a vision of the future.

The vision was they are going to create a great university in South Jersey, that combines a medical school, law school, college of arts all combined together. 

Great universities require an immense amount of funding that no-one has talked about providing. 

Rob: What are the reputations of the two different schools. 

Andrew: we have come to have a great deal of respect for the Rowan faculty, but in many ways our respect for the faculty is inversely related to our disrespect for the administration. 

Rutgers is an integrated university. My tenure was reviewed by faculty at New Brunswick as well as Camden. My tenure was based on very high standards. 

Rowan does not have same standards because its mission is based on teaching, not research standards. 

Rob: What will happen to all the faculty at Rutgers Camden. 

People come to Rutgers camden to get a routers degree. If you look at our students, there's. 

The Secret report-- the propaganda plan available   at info.saverutgercamden.org   

The secret plan, which Rowan commissioned at $30,000, advises Rowan not to talk about details, to talk about future promises. 

Rob: What do you know about the guy who runs Rowan?

He's been decidedly unimpressive. He has a very thin CV. He's not a scholar. It seems he's been given marching orders to propagandize the merger. 

Rob: Are you saying he's been putting out misinformation?

Yes. The report advises him to do that?

Rob: so they have a guy who of questionable competence. 

The secret report recommends finding a president of national prominence"

Rowan was doing a search and all the candidates had pulled out of the search. 

Rob: maybe that's because the candidates didn't meet the criteria of the new report. 

Rob: Qui Bono? Who benefits. Where's the money? First name that comes to mind is George Norcross.

Norcross has a medical school-- Cooper Hospital-- the only medical school is the only medical school in the country not attached to a major research university. 

Rob: What about Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

It would be taken out of UMDNJ and merged with Rutgers New Brunswick

Report which Governor Christie commissioned recommended  and gov then supported was that for Rutgers New Brunswick to get Robert Wood Johnson MEdical school it would have to divest Rutgers Camden University. 

Rob: Already, Rowan is the fifth most expensive public university in the country. 

If the merger would go through, the combined student population would be about 20,000, comparable to University of Delaware. 

Combined Rowan and Rutgers Camden budget is about $330 million, compared to $770,000 for U. of Delaware. 

Rob: In a sense, since Rowan is so expensive, it's not affordable to many students, like private schools aren't. 

A lot of our students, about 30% of our students, are adults who are working. They wouldn't be able to get a Rutgers education. They couldn't go to New Brunswick or Newark. 

Because you lived in S. Jersey, you would be unable to have access to a Rutgers education like those in N. Jersey. 

Rob: speculate that this is a creeping way to move towards privatization, that raises the cost of access to public education.

Speculates that this deal is about funneling money to Cooper medical school, run by George Norcross. 

Rob: And Norcross has huge influence on politicians in S. Jersey. 

The only thing we have going for is we are going to shed light and expose and explain. 

Norcross, through a group, just acquired the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Rob: what is being done?

We think the governor now believes that he cannot merge us by executive order. 

Both Rutgers oards have to agree -- board of trustees and board of governors.

Rob: Who appoints Rutgers board of governors? 

Half  of the board of governors are appointed by Governor

But the board of trustees are not political. 

Poll says 57% of state of NJ 57% oppose merger. 

New poll says 59% oppose merger. 19% agree with merger. Even a majority of Republican oppose it. 

Rob: Is there a national issue here-- a foothold position that all states should be concerned about?

Since 2008, states have a lot less money. But there's a lot of money in university. They politicians see them as sources of money and power. 

Rob: If Rutgers University system, one of the most respected in the country, it can be done anywhere?

What's the biggest change-- that the governing board would be entirely from South NJ, 

George Norcross would have major influence on selecting board, who political careers and often, economic lives to George Norcross. Would funding be diverted to the medical School Norcross runs?

info.saverutgerscamden.org