First-Draft Ideas on Response to Budget Issues, February 4, 2003

On the specific issue of restructuring, to suggest that any restructuring task be assessed for financial impact first an proceed only with those that cost nothing or guarantee immediate (not long term) savings. On the general education of the public:

• Explain that Public Research Universities compete with other Research Universities public and private for attracting and retaining quality faculty; faculty make the university what it is.
• Clearly hospitals, fire department or jails are as important as education. The major difference is that damage done to such areas can be reversed when funding become available in a reasonable short amount of time. Not so in Universities which are reputation based. Universities undergo peer review from other universities and membership in the AAU can be bestowed or removed. Damage done by a few years of cuts, when all faculty that can leave (which are the ones one wants to retain) will do so, can undo decades of growth and require decades to rectify.

1. State legislators and citizens need to be aware of hazards and great harm that proposed budget cuts hold for the University.

2. In comparison with most other States, University operating costs are considerably lower.

3. Quality higher education does cannot be achieved on the cheap.

4. Return on dollar investment in most state Universities is very good. What statistics to we have on dollar return for Rutgers and the State economy?

5. How does New Jersey prepare for the emerging "knowledge economy" without sustaining and enhancing higher education in the state.