NEW BRUNSWICK -The two Rutgers University governing boards gave the green light to a plan Wednesday that calls on lawmakers and university officials to meet and hammer out the details of the merger with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey before signing off, according to several published reports.
The two Rutgers boards, the 11-member Board of Governors and the 59-member Board of Trustees, held a joint meeting in New Brunswick and presented their two-page “Principles Regarding Higher Education Restructuring.”
The brief lays out the conditions that Rutgers would have to accept in a merger deal. The key factor is making sure that Rutgers University’s Camden campus “retains its independence and autonomy” even after merging with Rowan University.
Senate Democrats introduced legislation Monday regarding the controversial merger, which among other things, calls for Rutgers University-Camden to remain intact.
In a statement issued later, the governor’s office offered its support and renewed its commitment to getting this done by the end of the fiscal year.
“We are encouraged that the Rutgers governing bodies have established a joint committee and are ready to engage in this reorganization of higher education in New Jersey,” spokesman Michael Drewniak said. “We look forward to bringing these discussions to a successful conclusion by June 30.”
