Reclaim Rutgers

Santana, NJTVNews

Among the biggest critics is the faculty union, claiming Rutgers — which spends $94 million a year on sports — has lost $200 million since joining the NCAA conference in 2014.

“Once again, we’re faced with a huge bill for someone to not work for Rutgers,” the union said in a joint statement with administrators at the school.…

Star-Ledger Guest Columnist, Kathryn Neal

The search for the next Rutgers University president is underway. There is only one problem: 13,000 unionized staff have been shut out of the 23-member search committee. Executives from Rutgers governing boards and management have 10 seats; faculty have 11; and students have two. The exclusion is deliberate and part of a long-term pattern of Rutgers management disregarding staff.…

Catherine Carrera, North Jersey Record

The next president of Rutgers University should be someone willing to commit the school to carbon neutrality, according to staff and faculty who spoke at two recent town hall sessions that were part of the university’s process to choose a new leader.

“The number one priority for the next president of Rutgers is going to be to make Rutgers carbon neutral,” said Robert Scott, an associate professor in the anthropology department.…

NJ 101.5

“We look forward to welcoming a new President who shares our commitment to a diverse, equitable Rutgers that serves the people of New Jersey. We hope the Board of Governors will prioritize faculty, student and staff engagement in the search for a new president who is committed to our values. We expect that President Barchi will complete his unfinished business, including finally settling the contract and equalizing policies for the hundreds of unionized medical school faculty on the Biomedical and Health Sciences campuses who have been working without a contract for over a year now,” Todd Wolfson, president of faculty labor union, Rutgers AAUP-AFT, said in a written statement.…

Sitrin, NJ Spotlight

Five-year report celebrates achievements in funding, construction and diversity; union official takes issue, particularly on tuition

“It’s a mixed bag,” David Hughes, professor of anthropology and vice president of the Rutgers American Association of University Professors-American Federation of Teachers faculty union said. “There are bright spots for which President [Robert] Barchi should take credit, but those are overwhelmed by his failures and his misunderstanding of public higher education.”…

Union standoff
Unions have been in a tense standoff with the school over contract negotiations, and they have turned some of their fire on the athletic department’s finances.

“The mission of the university, as I understand it, it is not to create a fine athletic institution. It is to create a fine academic institution,” said Christine O’Connell, president of the Union of Rutgers Administrators.…

Professor Strike Looms at Rutgers University Campus as Faculty Demands Equal Pay, More Diversity (Maxfield, NBC)

“We are in the same boat,” Deepa Kumar, a professor and union president, said. “We are fighting for affordable, quality public education. That is why so many students were out today.”
More >>

During campus protest, Rutgers faculty threaten to strike (Carrera, North Jersey News)

“In the North Jersey and New York area we live in, the wages we have are not enough to live on,” said Soili Smith, a graduate worker.…

Colleen Flaherty, InsideHigherEd.com

Rutgers University president Robert L. Barchi on Wednesday pledged $20 million in additional funding for the systemwide Faculty Diversity Hiring Initiative. The current $22 million initiative to hire, mentor and retain professors from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds was set to expire in 2021 but will now continue through 2024.

Dozens of distinguished professors across the system signed a petition last month criticizing Barchi’s spending priorities.…

Soili Smith has limited choices: She can work a $12-an-hour job and fail to pay her bills, risking eviction. Or she can take a higher-paying summer position that requires her to miss the last few weeks of classes and fly thousands of miles to northern British Columbia, where she’ll work 14-hour days in the bush.

She chose the latter, since it’s really not much of a choice.…