By Patricia Alex, staff writer.
Closed-door meetings are being held to hash out a compromise plan for the reorganization of public universities in South Jersey in the hope that Governor Christie will soften his all-or-nothing stance on the issue.
The meetings come in the wake of a rebuke of Christie this week from Rutgers University trustees, who voted to block his planned giveaway of the school’s Camden campus to Rowan University.
The reorganization involves public schools and taxpayer money, but the meetings are taking place outside of view, and participants have been reluctant to publicly reveal details. But sources familiar with the talks say some broad outlines are taking shape:
Rutgers-Camden would have a new measure of financial autonomy from the flagship in New Brunswick but still be tied academically to the state university, a change that would allow it to grow independently while still being anchored in Rutgers resources and traditions.
A joint governing board would oversee collaborations between Rutgers-Camden and Rowan, including a Rutgers affiliation with Rowan’s new medical school being built in Camden. That affiliation is thought important to the success of the Cooper Medical School.
Legislation will be introduced to change Rowan’s designation to that of a research university.
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