newjerseynewsroom.com

It sounds like someone has an ax to grind with Rutgers Camden, or perhaps a vested interest of some kind to make such harsh and unsubstantiated assertions about my alma mater. Yes, I have a vested interest in the survival of Rutgers Camden as part of the Rutgers State University system. My experience there was excellent and the faculty and staff, for the most part were first rate. I do, however, recall having a political science instructor (MA who wasn't around very long) who enjoyed telling his students that they were intellectually inferior and would not have been at Rutgers Camden if they could have gotten in anywhere else. Charming fellow and I have to wonder if he is still expressing such opinions. He couldn't have known or cared that many of us were, in fact, accepted at other universities (including New Brunswick and Penn) but for financial or other reasons chose to matriculate at Rutgers, Camden campus. The high standards when I was there and my own experiences kept me there for 4 years rather than the 2 that I originally had planned before going North to New Brunswick, and I do not regret one moment for this decision. I have no doubt that my learning at Rutgers Camden helped me achieve many of the successes in my career that I have experienced. It saddens me to see still the elitist or even more unpleasant mentality that makes such negative assertions about my alma mater without offering any facts or evidence to back them up. As I recall, in the old days, it was these kinds of ignorant comments that were made about Glassboro State (now the richly endowed Rowan). In fact, I recall a few years ago reading a piece in a higher education journal that listed Rutgers Camden as one of the best small colleges in the US. In any case, my education at Rutgers Camden taught me to back up my views with facts and and I can see no evidence of this in the writer's accusations. I hope
that Rutgers Camden will remain part of Rutgers the State University system so that its students can continue to have access to the many benefits this affords them. I would hate to see this fine University's name changed to Rutgers University of North Jersey, which seems to be the direction in which things are heading. I pray that reasoned and rational people will come to their senses and find an alternative and more intellectually honest approach to cutting the State higher education budget, which I fear, is the real reason for what is being proposed.