Long before plan was public, advocates developed PR strategy to sell merger with Rutgers-Camden
By Colleen O’Dea
A Rowan University-commissioned report on how to win approval for the merger of Rowan and Rutgers-Camden is being pointed to as proof that the plan is a backroom deal by critics of the merger, who called the report a blueprint for propaganda. The report was dated the day after Gov. Chris Christie announced the plan but was commissioned months earlier.
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| Learning Alliance Report, Establishing the New Rowan University |
“This secret report shows that the fix was in long before the merger was even presented to the public,” said U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who has openly questioned the motives of Christie and South Jersey Democrats regarding the plan. “It’s sad that a $30,000 report was commissioned by proponents of the merger to advise them on how to avoid the facts and mislead the public.
The report, “Establishing the New Rowan University,” predicts the strong opposition and likely legal challenge from Rutgers-Camden to the proposal it be absorbed by Rowan.
But it optimistically discusses the designation of the “New Rowan University” as a public research university anyway and lays out a communications strategy “To educate the greater southern New Jersey community about the benefits of a Rowan/Rutgers-Camden reorganization and gain acceptance and support of key opinion leaders, who are critical to the overall success of the effort.”
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