Officials with the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, the state conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and the Health Professionals and Allied Employees said Thursday that in addition to its effect on tuition and aid, Christie’s budget would result in fewer faculty and programs, less research, and larger classes.
Already, they said, New Jersey ranks near the bottom nationally in state funding for higher education.
Rutgers communication and information professor Dan O’Connor, president of the New Jersey AAUP, questioned Christie’s decisions regarding higher education when he “is banking $640 million in unspent state revenue to create the largest budget surplus in 30 years.”
Anxiety in N.J. over college-aid funding
With demand up, many wonder how they’ll get help after Gov. Christie’s line-item budget vetoes.
July 10, 2011, By Rita Giordano, Inquirer Staff Writer