Donna Brazile will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. in Newark

by: Rosi Efthim

Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 10:13:14 AM EST

King's assassination triggered her commitment to political and social activism, she says, and she started local: at age 9, she campaigned for a candidate who promised to build a playground in her neighborhood.

In 2005, Donna Brazile held the Senator Wynona Lipman Chair in Women's Political Leadership at CAWP, the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, where she participated in CAWP's groundbreaking Ready to Run program. This year's Ready to Run, by the way, is March 20, with a run-up program the day before focused on  women of color interested in campaigning for any level of office.

Brazile is Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee, in the focus areas of Voter Registration and Participation, and Chair of DNC's Voting Rights Institute.

Brazile of course was also Al Gore's campaign manager, and incidentally the first-ever African-American woman to manage a presidential campaign. She is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, a syndicated political columnist and a regular on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

The event begins at 5:30pm Tuesday, January 12 in Centennial Hall at the Main Library, 5 Washington St. in Newark.  Doors open at 5 p.m.  

Beef 'O' Brady's goes all in on Rutgers Football

by: Jason Springer

Sat Dec 19, 2009 at 06:35:08 PM EST

Beef 'O' Brady's, the casual-dining chain of more than 260 "family sports pubs," has spent about $5 million to be the title sponsor of the St. Petersburg Bowl, with naming rights for the college football game secured for next year.

The game, to take place Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, will be televised nationally on ESPN and will pit the University of Central Florida Knights against the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights.

The chain doesn't have a large presence in Rutgers' home state of New Jersey, but there's some brand recognition among the many people from New Jersey and New York who vacation in Florida, Vojnovic said.

"One downside of this I guess is that you really have no guarantee of which teams you get and whether they fit in your [geographic] niche," he said. "Being a regional player, it's trickier for us. We're in 24 states, but mostly in the Southeast, so that limits it a little."

New Jersey College Football

by: Hopeful

Sun Sep 20, 2009 at 12:57:00 PM EDT

We Are Penn State?

Enrollment and Aid requests continue to rise at Rutgers

by: Jason Springer

Mon Jul 13, 2009 at 10:21:34 PM EDT

Rutgers University expects its enrollment to top 53,000 this fall.

That would be a record number and continue a trend that has seen enrollment at New Jersey's largest public university increase by more than 35 percent over the last decade.

Courtney O. McAnuff, Rutgers' vice president of enrollment management, says one reason for the increase is that fewer students are dropping out. He attributes that to both the economy and university programs to improve student retention.

In another sign of the times, Rutgers says requests for financial assistance are up 29 percent. About 86 percent of its students receive financial aid.

Rutgers to become "Yellow Ribbon" University

by: Jason Springer

Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 11:15:00 AM EDT

Following our April 13 meeting, I shared with Executive Vice President Philip Furmanski and President McCormick our recommendation that Rutgers join the "Yellow Ribbon" Federal program. Dr. Furmanski concurred with our recommendation and President McCormick immediately approved it.

As a "Yellow Ribbon" university, out-of-State veterans will be able to attend all campuses of Rutgers University without paying the additional out-of-State tuition charges. Under the program, the Federal government pays up to 50% of the cost of the out-of-State tuition differential and Rutgers waves the remaining 50%. This allows veterans from out-of State to apply their military tuition benefits at Rutgers in the same way as an in-State veteran would.

Rutgers Math

by: Jason Springer

Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 07:02:27 PM EST

Rutgers University collected $1.2 million for its trip to the PapaJohns.com Bowl last December. But by the time expenses were paid and the coaching staff given its performance bonuses, the school lost more than $184,000, according to reports filed with the NCAA.

While the football team's expenses were more than covered through the Big East Conference -- which pools payoff money -- the university spent more than $200,000 to send faculty, staff and 187 members of the band and cheerleader squads to the game.

Will Rutgers Tennis Return?

by: Hopeful

Thu Feb 26, 2009 at 01:26:09 PM EST

"I ask that he makes the restoration of the six varsity sports that were cut in summer 2006 a top priority.

"Men's heavyweight crew, lightweight crew, fencing, swimming, diving and tennis and women's fencing may not have received the same spotlight as football.

"But members of these teams were scholar-athletes in the truest sense who performed for the love of competition and achieved some of the highest grade point averages and graduations rates of any group of students at Rutgers.

If you were in charge at Rutgers, would you put your resources into trying to compete with the Florida's, U.S.C.'s, and Oklahoma's of the college football world when even Notre Dame can't manage it, or would you support smaller, less famous sports?

Busy news day for Rutgers

by: Jason Springer

Wed Feb 25, 2009 at 10:15:44 PM EST

At a time when the economic slowdown has stunted development across New Jersey, Rutgers University officials said today they will spend $500 million over the next three years to expand and upgrade the school's campuses.

The spending, to be financed mostly through the sale of bonds, will fund more than 20 building projects on the Camden, Newark and New Brunswick-Piscataway campuses, said Antonio Calcado, the university's vice president for facilities and capital planning.

The projects include tens of millions of dollars in work on new dormitories, a $25 million Institute for Health Sciences in New Brunswick, a $12 million renovation of the recreation center in Camden and an $18.2 million expansion of the student center in Piscataway.

Some $60 million will go toward deferred maintenance across the university. Another $15 million has been earmarked for classroom improvements.

"I think it's fair to say we've tried to accelerate as much as possible, because we can be of help in the big picture," he said. "These are good jobs -- union jobs, high wage-paying jobs -- with benefits."

Tim Pernetti, a CBS College Sports executive and a tight end for Rutgers from 1990-93, is expected to be introduced Thursday as the Scarlet Knights' third director of athletics since 1972. A press conference is scheduled for Thursday at the Paul Robeson Campus Center in Newark, according to two people close to the situation.

The people requested anonymity because Pernetti, 38, still has to be formally approved by the school's Board of Governors when they meet Thursday morning.

Rutgers ranked 6th best return on investment

by: Jason Springer

Sat Dec 20, 2008 at 02:13:29 PM EST

Rutgers University is near the top of a survey that ranks colleges on their return on investment.

The survey in the January issue of SmartMoney magazine looks at what graduates earned three and 15 years after leaving school, then compared it to what they paid in tuition.

Rutgers ranked sixth, ahead of Ivy League schools like Princeton and Harvard.

In a new twist on traditional college rankings, SmartMoney took a crack at quantifying the long-term value of a college education. Our goal was to spotlight the relationship between tuition costs and graduates' earning power. Working with consultant PayScale.com, which recently published a groundbreaking survey on alumni salaries, we first looked at what graduates from 50 of the most expensive four-year colleges earn in their early and midcareers. Then we factored in their up-front tuition and fees. The result? A unique "payback" ratio for each school.

The survey found the median salary for Rutgers graduates was about $50,000 three years after graduation and about $92,000 after 15 years.

Shout out to 10K: Of course he is a scapegoat

by: Thurman Hart

Mon Dec 15, 2008 at 12:56:19 PM EST

The Courier-News opines:

It was time for Robert Mulcahy to go.

But that doesn't mean he deserves to be the fall guy for all of the controversies swirling around the Rutgers University athletics department.

Well, yeah, he does.  He was the Athletic Director.  The steady sucking sound we've heard has been the stream of stories about how the Rutgers Athletic Department sold its soul for a bit of glory.  That was his decision.  So he deserves to be the fall guy, the scapegoat, whatever.  It's why he got such a big paycheck every month.

Personally, I think he's being tossed over Rutgers having to borrow more money to complete Boondoggle Stadium.  But that's just me.

Rutgers wants to sell Stadium Naming Rights

by: Jason Springer

Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 11:48:10 AM EDT

Nelligan Sports Marketing is hoping to sell naming rights to the Rutgers University football stadium for $1.5 million to $2 million dollars.

[...]

Rutgers is in the midst of expanding the venue by 13,500 seats to 56,000. However, the school is $30 million short of its fundraising goals to complete the $102 million expansion.

Because of the current financial crisis, the university is considering scaling back plans.

Nelligan said a naming-rights deal would include tickets, year-round advertising and rights to sell products and services to the university.

The Big Question

by: Hopeful

Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 02:40:56 AM EDT

Is UVA really so much more prestigious than Rutgers?

The comments in response overwhelmingly say "Yes."

This is time for all the regulars and the lurkers to come forward here and let us know if you agree.  

Capitalizing on Corruption

by: Thurman Hart

Thu Sep 18, 2008 at 05:57:34 PM EDT

The new institute will have broader horizons, said its new director, Adam Graycar, former director of the Australian Institute of Criminology. It will work internationally with agencies, companies, non-governmental organizations, and nations who seek to strengthen their economic and governmental infrastructure and integrity.

I look forward to seeing this new endeavor crank out some research.  It should be enlightening.

Schiano says there's no buyout clause

by: Jason Springer

Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 09:42:43 PM EDT

There is no such thing, Schiano said. There certainly were a lot of things talked about and it was all very important to me. As long as Rutgers and the state of New Jersey are committed to being the best, we're going to grow responsibly. I think that's what we've done.

The coach said the option was discussed, however.

Could I have had it if I wanted? Yes. But I'm part of something bigger than just football. I'm part of Rutgers University, Schiano said. I felt the commitment was there. I don't want to do things that way. When you're part of something there has to be trust.

Schiano said the barbs put no extra pressure on him to win big to legitimize the money the school is investing in the program.

I've been at a few places and there's always some dissent. It's not just at Rutgers, Schiano said. No matter how popular the program is, there's always a faction that doesn't agree with it. I don't feel any pressure and I don't think our players do.

On this issue however, if there isn't a buyout clause and the University came up with "creative practices" (to put it nicely) in order to make a contract work, is Schiano responsible?  Also, if there is no clause, who started the rumor and what is to gain from it besides increased pressure to get the stadium expansion project completed?

Comptroller to take a closer look at Rutgers' Finances

by: Jason Springer

Mon Jul 28, 2008 at 08:26:09 PM EDT

The state comptroller's office today opened an inquiry into fiscal practices at Rutgers University, the university said today.

The review is focused on the financial management of the university's athletics department and was triggered by Star-Ledger reports last week that detailed hidden side deals with head football coach Greg Schiano.

The comptroller is seeking records detailing university-wide procurement and contracting practices; the finances and money-management practices in Rutgers athletic department; and compensation packages for all team coaches.

He is seeking information to determine whether he's going to do an audit, said Weinberg . I am pleased that he is looking into it. The whole thing needs a little bit of sunshine on it.

Time to pull the plug on the stadium expansion

by: Hopeful

Sun Jul 27, 2008 at 02:07:58 AM EDT

According to state and university officials, the fundraising drive encountered obstacles that were not quite so obvious when Corzine and Lesniak first announced the stadium campaign this past winter. They cited a series of unexpected hurdles, among them a national recession that hurt all types of fund-raising, and the whirlwind presidential election that has swallowed up hundreds of millions in donations that might otherwise have gone to universities or athletics. At the same time, restrictions imposed by Corzine's ethics advisers out of concern for the propriety of a governor asking for cash further complicated the effort.

I'm sorry, but since donations to Presidential candidates are limited to $2,300 ($4,600 with General), I don't buy this story.  Furthermore, here are the total New Jersey political donations in Presidential years:

2000: $60,341,819
2004: $58,165,634
2008: $45,018,637 (so far)

So we can see that blaming this fiasco on Obama and Clinton is just spin.

The bottom line is that Rutgers finally has a decent college football program, and that is nice, but this stadium expansion is just too much. We now face the prospects of serious damage to the academic program.  Some states -- yes, I'm thinking of the South -- have a kind of right-wing socialism where sports entertainment is provided by state funds and corrupt rich patrons.  But New Jerseyans have three professional football teams to follow, even if they are named after cities just over the border, and so funding this stadium further is irresponsible.  

Stop a War, Go to Court

by: Thurman Hart

Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 08:57:35 AM EDT

Of course, that isn't true.  Young people, in my experience, care very deeply.  You just won't hear about what they're doing in our corporate controlled media.  Bad for advertising revenues, I suppose.

Rutgers, for example, held organized and well-planned protests to mark the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.  But unlike previous years, not much was mentioned in the press.  This, despite the fact that over six hundred people participated and the peaceful protest even drew anti-protestors.  Come on - the Klan gets better coverage than this, and for a cause that's unremorsefully aimed at inciting violence rather than quelling it.

Why bring this up now?  Make the jump.

Rutgers Walkout Organizer Recieves Court Summons

by: Blueberrymints

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 09:09:55 AM EDT

On Friday a member of Rutgers Against the War received a summons for activities during the March 27th Rutgers Walkout Against the War. The student was the only person to receive a summons for the activity despite the fact that the walkout was organized by a coalition of multiple groups.

The official charge: ?Did engage in conduct which caused a physically dangerous or hazardous condition, specifically by organizing and participating in a protest march onto route 18 disrupting traffic in violation of N.J.S. 2c: 33-2A(2)?

An official response will be released from the student and the walkout coalition about the police charges.

Military to Students in the NJ Nat'l Guard: "Forget this Semester"

by: kwilkinson

Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 05:01:19 PM EST

It's heartbreaking to read today in the Rutgers Observer that at least 91 Rutgers-Newark students in the NJ Guard will be mobilized, many to leave for Iraq in June, when half our guard goes.  Because of the new limit on deployments to just one year (which somehow probably ends up being 18 months):

...many of the students that will be called in for duty will have to participate in at least three weeks of intensive training. Because of this they may have to leave sometime in late March or early April.

The irony is that many of these students sign up with the Guard for the tuition money, and they will be forced to withdraw for the Spring semester, delaying by an additional semester (plus their year in Iraq) their chance to complete their education.

Not to mention, there's no telling how many times these students have already been deployed.  Are they on their second? third?

Corzine Will Lead Fundraising Effort for RU Stadium Expansion

by: Juan Melli

Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 06:02:58 PM EST

We are writing to ask you to convey to the Board of Governors our intention to lead a fundraising campaign to raise $30 million in contributions for Rutgers' project to expand the football stadium. Further, we are pleased to report that even before the public announcement of our campaign we have already identified $3 million in seed contributions.

This whole episode of wanting to expand the football stadium while cutting funding for academics blows my mind. There's a waiting list of thousands of people wanting to attend games. Why not increase ticket prices for non-students and either use the revenue to save up for an expansion or put some of that into academics? It's stunning that the priorities of the university are so ass backwards. If they ever expect to get a dime from this alum, they need to get their priorities in order first.