New Jersey commission recommends combining state's public universities

TRENTON — The Commission on Health Science, Education and Training recommended yesterday that three of New Jersey's public universities consolidate their resources to solve the problem of New Jersey's ailing health education system.

The fellowship of 15 of the finest minds in the nation — including molecular biology and Wilson School professor Leon Rosenberg and former President Shapiro GS '64 — announced yesterday the results of its report on health education at a statehouse press conference.

The commission's objective is to "enhance [the] quality, competitiveness and synergetic focus" of the medical education system of New Jersey, retired Johnson & Johnson Vice Chairman Robert Campbell wrote in a letter to Gov. James McGreevey.

The problems and necessary adjustments were included in the commission's report.

McGreevey said he was concerned about setting up better medical program in New Jersey schools.

The state's performance in the field of health education is clearly below average, according to the commission's report.

Commission chair Roy Vagelos elaborated on New Jersey's subpar performance. The potential for success is apparent to Vagelos. Although New Jersey is one of the wealthiest state per capita, medical students and patients constantly seek guidance and health care in other states, he said.

"We could be great," Vagelos said. "What do we lack?"

According to the commission's report, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is "highly centralized," despite being located in Newark, New Brunswick-Piscataway and Camden-Stratford. Vagelos believes there is a "one size fits all" mentality ruled by a "bureaucratic" organization. In contrast, the top 10 state medical schools, whose average National Institutes of Health monetary awards were nearly $140 million more than UMDNJ's financial award, are more autonomous, he said.

Also, graduate students and postdoctoral students at Rutgers and New Jersey Institute of Technology, which are also found in the three UMDNJ sites, find that there are many administrative hassles.

A restructuring of NJIT, Rutgers and UMDNJ into a new university system currently referred to as the "University of New Jersey" is at the core of the commission's recommendations.

This a merger of two imperfect entities to create one large imperfect entity, one member of the commission said. The three autonomous UNJ campuses would be in the existing UMDNJ cities.

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The UNJ will benefit the state because there will be increased training and high quality workforce, business, economic and social vitality and more state pride.

The UNJ's chancellor should be located in a neutral location, such as Trenton, the commission said.

A Board of Regents would have ultimate governance authority. Trenton would be an ideal location because it would be closer to the legislature.

Critics believe that the three universities would lose tradition. Even the topic of school mascots was discussed.

The official name of the new university system is tentative, but it was made clear that the Rutgers name would somehow be integrated.

Tuition costs and student residential areas were also concerns expressed at the conference.

Despite anxieties, McGreevey said the new blueprint for New Jersey health education system coincides with his goal of making the Garden State, and more specifically its medical school system, comparable to other areas in country.

Shapiro showed his genuine embrace of the plan by saying that the "the ripple effect [of the system] will be enormous."