Written by Phil Dunn
The battle now raging over a proposed merger of Rutgers-Camden and Rowan University, although new to South Jersey, has already been fought on many campuses across the country.
A Courier-Post review suggests those disputes regularly focused on similar points — notably, uncertainty over a merger’s cost and concerns over its impact on a school’s students, staffers and alumni. The review also notes the disputes often ended in similar fashion — without a merger.
“In general, every merger is different,” observed Lesley McBain, a researcher and analyst with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
But, she noted, “We are talking about complex institutional organizations and they become intertwined with the culture of the community. Anything seen as a change for the better or worse can arouse passion.”
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