NJLA Blog Source
Dec. 7, 2007 Courier News On Line
The recent controversy over the Rutgers administration\’s current attempt to spend $130 million on improvements to Rutgers Stadium goes beyond the state\’s fiscal situation noted in recent columns.
It even goes beyond the Board of Governors\’ decision to eliminate a number of varsity sports to provide opportunities to the true student-athletes at Rutgers.
Unless action is taken, Rutgers stands to lose access to 11 important databases currently available through the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative (NJKI), a NJ State Library program to fund science, technology and business databases to higher education, small businesses and public libraries.
The cost to maintain access to the databases is only $1 million per year, less than 1 percent of what President McCormick wants to spend on improving the football stadium.
It is clear that President McCormick and the Rutgers Board of Governors have lost sight of the university\’s primary purpose — to be a top-rate academic institution.
As a Rutgers alumnus and current student, I am embarrassed by the actions of President McCormick and the Rutgers Board of Governors. It is time to bring back a Department of Higher Education that can provide effective oversight into institutions\’ spending plans.
ROBERT CHECCHIO
Dunellen
This post was imported from a legacy archive. Please excuse any formatting inconsistencies.