(SALEM) - Assembly Higher Education
Committee Chair Celeste M. Riley (D-Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem) issued the
following statement on Monday criticizing the decision by the board of governors
at Rutgers University to allow University President Robert Barchi to serve on
the advisory boards of two firms that do business with the
university:
“The board last
week voted to raise tuition and fees for in-state students, making it harder for
students of moderate financial means to attend the university. Yet the board
sees no issue with allowing President Barchi to get paid to serve on advisory
boards for companies that do business with the university. One of the companies
has in the last five years received $15 million from
Rutgers.
“This is clearly
a conflict of interest that should never have been sanctioned. The mere
perception of impropriety was reason enough to ask President Barchi to cut ties
with these companies.
“President
Barchi’s service on these boards have pushed his annual compensation to more
than a million. Rutgers has increased its tuition and essentially closed its
doors to students who could barely afford the tuition before this most recent
increase, while allowing its president to benefit from a business relationship
that seems to go against the school’s very own code of
ethics.
“That’s a
terrible message to send to our young people contemplating higher education in
the state.”