<p>Rowan has taken on an enormous debt load in recent years, so much so that it's bond rating is now in serious jeopardy and they are unable to borrow the additional money they need. Five years of interim management has led to a lot of poor financial decisions. Meeks, who does the bond rating, has advised them to raise additional money through more tuition--so watch for that.</p>
<p>Rowan's second plan has been to attempt a takeover of part of Rutgers University to use that campus as collateral to secure more loans (and interest, all of which will require higher tuition to pay). This plan has been backed by Christie but roundly opposed by the people of NJ. In particular, it is opposed by 71% of the Southern New Jersey counties, where Rowan is (Poll:</a> Rowan, Rutgers-Camden merger opposed | MyCentralJersey.com | MyCentralJersey.com). So Rowan is heading down a road toward massive tuition hikes and being thoroughly disliked by its community. At the time, it will also have a monopoly on higher ed in South Jersey, which will allow all the tuition hikes it wants without open competition and no affordable state school for the people of South Jersey to attend.</p>
<p>Get more info and sign the petition to stop the injustice here: Stop</a> The Merge - Rutgers 2 Rowan</p>
<p>I don’t have access to Rowan’s books. But this missive is clearly a Rutgers-Camden orchestrated propaganda piece. As to Rowan’s mismanagement of finances, Rutgers’ football coach was the highest paid public employee in the history of NJ, insisted on a huge stadium/facilities expansion as part of his contract extension, and he quit mid-contract anyway. Oh, well. And Rowan didn’t spend $30,000 to have a Day with Snooki. What’s that about Glass Houses?</p>
<p>This is NOT a Rowan takeover plan. I really don’t think that it’s that much about Rutgers-Camden either. This is something that has been discussed since the 1970s, and the bird has never flown, mainly due to the protests of the professors & administration staff. From where I sit, this is more about Christie wanting to break up the University of Medicine and Dentistry, a longtime political hack patronage haven, especially for Democrats, as well as “consolidating resources”. </p>
<p>I’m not a flag-waving Christie fan, either. He’s spending taxpayer funds on ugly and needless Stalag 17 barbed wire “terrorist” fencing along the AC Expressway and the SJ Coastline. But I have to agree 100% with him: Rutgers is one of America’s oldest universities and has a “good” reputation for many things, but a “great” national reputation in nothing.</p>
<p>I totally read the OP as being by someone with an agenda. It seems that the Rutgers people are afraid of losing their name. Maybe they have a point because it is more well known. The merger people need to come up with a way so they can keep their name in the picture somehow. Maybe they will stop protesting so much. Sharing resources can’t be a bad thing. They need to admit that and help find a way to make it work, rather than crying about how Rutgers will be ruined. Rutgers Camden is NOT a large school and I don’t agree with what they claim to be worried about, except for the loss of the Rutgers identity.</p>