Tax hikes talk of the Legislature

Tax hikes talk of the Legislature: "Along with those increases, lawmakers are looking to scrap the governor's planned $50 nightly tax on the state's hospital beds aimed at bring in $281 million annually and his planned $169 million in cuts to state colleges and universities."

Knowledge gaps seen in students

Daily Record - Dover - Knowledge gaps seen in students: "'I went, in California, to all public schools, and when we were growing up, in high school, the aspiration was to go to one of the UCs,' said Robyn Rodriguez, an assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers, New Brunswick. 'It was not a question of public or private. It was about 'Which UC would we get into?'

'There's a real sense of an investment in going to a public university, and it doesn't seem so true here,' Rodriguez added.

Students cited the desire to go away for college, the state's 'bad reputation,' and the draw to colleges in bigger cities, such as nearby New York City or Philadelphia, as reasons to attend college outside of the state."

'Big brother' trims RU's security force

'Big brother' trims RU's security force: "Rutgers University will lay off more than half its civilian security force this summer as it installs a $2.5 million surveillance camera system to monitor dorms on the New Brunswick/Piscataway campus, school officials said yesterday."

A brewing tax revolt, minus the masses

A brewing tax revolt, minus the masses: "The problem is he's almost alone. Look around, and you see few signs that voters are angry at Corzine over the planned increase in the sales tax.

The governor's office has received nearly four times as many complaints over the proposed spending cuts in higher education.

And most legislators, even conservatives, say they have barely heard a peep from their constituents about the sales tax increase."

Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/17/2006 | Legislature tells colleges to explain their spending

Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/17/2006 | Legislature tells colleges to explain their spending: "During an often contentious three-hour hearing yesterday, the Assembly Budget Committee implored college leaders to explain why administrative spending has outpaced enrollment growth in recent years while yearly tuition increases have averaged about 8 percent.

'People are really beginning to lose not only faith, but lose patience,' said Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D., Camden), committee chairman."

State funding down from 48% to 19%

North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!: "The report found that from 1983 to 2006, the share of the state budget going to higher education sank from almost 10 percent to just over 5 percent. In 1990, across all sectors of public higher education in New Jersey, the state contributed 48 percent of college budgets; in 2004 it was 19 percent."

Gotta love it

North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!: "Sen. Wayne Bryant, D-Camden, the committee chairman, is on the payroll at Rutgers University, where he earns $35,000 a year as a part-time lecturer at the law school in Camden. He recently resigned a $36,000-a-year part-time position as a program support coordinator for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey."

Coming to the Quad: Billboards

APP.COM - N.J. colleges told to raise more private funds, not to rely on state | Asbury Park Press Online: "'You need to get creative to find other revenue sources,' an angry state Sen. Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, told college and university presidents gathered in a Statehouse committee room. 'The truth is you hire lobbying firms. The truth is you do advertising when it is not needed.'

Colleges and universities should consider solar energy, billboards and 'wi-fi' wireless Internet systems to generate more private dollars, said Sen. William L. Gormley, R-Atlantic.

Senators asked higher education officials to submit to the committee a list of lobbyists hired and the amount spent on them, as well as a list of all employees at state institutions earning more than $100,000 and their titles."

Students Protest Cuts

CourierPostOnline - South Jersey's Web Site: "For over an hour, 13 busloads of students from colleges across New Jersey -- including Rutgers University's three campuses, The College of New Jersey, Seton Hall University, Ramapo College of New Jersey and The College of St. Elizabeth -- waved signs, chanted and told stories of how resulting tuition increases are expected to affect their peers."