Excuse Us for Living

Rutgers President Responds!

Dear Mr. Fontana,

Thank you for writing to me about the recently announced proposal to merge Rutgers-Camden into Rowan University.  I appreciate having your viewpoint and the link to your “Excuse Us for Living” blog.

This proposal, made by Governor Christie’s advisory committee on the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, is part of a larger recommendation for statewide restructuring that would also integrate the UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the UMDNJ School of Public Health, and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey into Rutgers University.  The proposed restructuring, which Governor Christie has endorsed, is still at a conceptual stage, and many significant administrative and academic details would need to be addressed if this proposal moves forward.  To take effect, such a plan needs to be put forward by an act of the Governor (and, if accomplished through legislation, by both houses of the Legislature), and approved by the Rutgers Boards of Governors and Trustees.

I will take your views into consideration and will be talking with members of our governing boards and with others in the Rutgers community before I make my formal recommendations on how the university should proceed.  The recommendation I make will be based on what I believe is best for the entire university and achieving excellence for Rutgers.

I welcome you to read my recent testimony before the New Jersey Senate Higher Education Committee on the advisory committee report, in which I provided my position on the Rutgers-Camden proposal. My testimony is at http://www.president.rutgers.edu/statement_020612.shtml.  You may also want to visit the university’s website about the advisory committee’s report and recommendations: http://medicaleducation.rutgers.edu.

You have my best wishes.

Sincerely yours,

Richard L. McCormick
President