Rutgers-Camden to be absorbed by Rowan University? Forum

[BostonNJ]

I agree,

I am currently at Rutgers Camden, and we are "guaranteed" our Rutgers diploma. If that was not the case there would be lots of angry law students suing, something they want to completely avoid. Also again Rutgers wants its Alumni, Alumni mean money. They will not give them to Rowan, it doesn't work that way. Rutgers has ever intention to keep as many alumni in their roledex as possible.

Lastly, this merger looks like its about to flop. To much money on advertisements against it. Rowan has shot its self in the foot multiple times. Things are really rolling in Rutgers favor right now. Finally, after speaking to many, I think the law school would be forced to carve itself out of the deal if the merger went through. Most likely it would merge with Rutgers - Newark to create "Rutgers Law." The accreditation process is so expensive and such a burden that I think the governor and the legislature will choose to keep the law school the way it is, especially after getting a resolution against the merger from the NJ Bar Association.

The merger talk screwed our rankings, but we will def bounce back with a vengeance next year when clarity is in the air!

[defiance96]

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[Fletcher Reed]

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[mrtoren]

The merger talk screwed our rankings

How? The rankings were already calculated by the point the merger idea went public in January.

If that's true, then it looks like there are other issues apart from the possible merger that are negatively impacting the school. Does anyone know why the ranking plummeted if it has nothing to do with the merger?

Private practice salaries showed a marked drop this year. I believe that accounts for most of it. However, this kind of a ranking shift is not unusual. The only schools you should really be concerned about are U Penn, Temple, Villanova, and Drexel. Rutgers fared well against the latter two. Look at the competitors in the market; employers don't care about national rankings.

[Fletcher Reed]

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[mrtoren]

Private practice salaries showed a marked drop this year. I believe that accounts for most of it.

I think you are saying that the reported salaries of RU-Camden grads droped significantly which accounts for the big drop in ranking. If this is the case, why are RU-Camden grads making so much less?

You would have to call each and every graduate and interview them about the job search. Seriously, the law school doesn't know why. The ABA doesn't know why. The NALP doesn't know why. Some years produce a dud class. Without a known cause, this is probably a short-term issue relating to the weak economy. If you're scared off by it, then go to a different law school.

[mrtoren]

My biggest concern is accreditation. Apparently, if the merger would go through, the transfer from Rutgers-Camden's name to Rowan's would mandate a temporary loss of accreditation. According to some news sources, that suspension could last up to five years (Ref: http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/ind ... er_ta.html). Now, I'm not really concerned about the school's placement (I would be surprised if it changes dramatically); however, I am concerned about eligibility to sit for the bar exam. I don't know if New Jersey and Pennsylvania regulations explicitly state that graduation from an ABA-accredited law school is required. I put in an email to Rutgers-Camden; I'll let you know what they say.

[Fletcher Reed]

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[mrtoren]

My biggest concern is accreditation. Apparently, if the merger would go through, the transfer from Rutgers-Camden's name to Rowan's would mandate a temporary loss of accreditation. According to some news sources, that suspension could last up to five years (Ref: http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/ind ... er_ta.html). Now, I'm not really concerned about the school's placement (I would be surprised if it changes dramatically); however, I am concerned about eligibility to sit for the bar exam. I don't know if New Jersey and Pennsylvania regulations explicitly state that graduation from an ABA-accredited law school is required. I put in an email to Rutgers-Camden; I'll let you know what they say.

"...in order to sit for its bar exam, the state of New Jersey requires that candidates receive a degree from an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law school." - New Jersey State Bar Foundation

http://www.njsbf.org/images/content/1/1 ... Lawyer.pdf

I found that shortly after. Provisional accreditation may allow graduates to sit for the bar. I'd like to find out what the school has to say...hopefully they'll get back to me tomorrow.

[Fletcher Reed]

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[mrtoren]

"Christie plans to push forward with Rowan-Rutgers merger despite outcry"

"Christie reiterated he wants the takeover in place by July 1..."

"'They’re going to merge,' Christie insisted..."

"Christie dismissed the idea of a partnership in place of a takeover."

"...supporters of Rutgers-Camden contend degrees from Rowan — not well known outside South Jersey — will be less prestigious than those from Rutgers, which has a national reputation."

"Christie said both universities should be preparing for the takeover"

He also mentioned he does not care about the extreme costs or if the law school loses it's ABA accreditation.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/0 ... rward.html

Yes, I know what he has said. But do you understand how state politics work? Chris Christie is a governor, not a dictator. He was not crowned. His words do not necessarily become law. A divide exists between what Mr. Christie wants and what Mr. Christie gets. And as much as I hate to admit it, the Governor does care about the law school's ABA accreditation. It is one of the prime anchors in his grand vision of a flourishing South Jersey research institution. A deal will be reached, IF the merger goes through, to ensure a smooth transition of accreditation.

Its down to this: you either have faith or you don't. You either climb on board or you jump ship. The deadline is a little over ten days from now and we won't have any definitive answers at that point either. Perhaps law school officials can answer some of your questions at the Dean's day event, but they know about as much as we do. Sometimes you have walk through the darkness to find the light.

[Fletcher Reed]

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[Fletcher Reed]

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[mrtoren]

mtoren-
You mentioned a little over 10 days. What date were you given for the 1st seat deposit deadline?

I agree that a decision needs to be made by the first deadline, so many of us are trying to gather as much information as possible.

I thought it was April 1st. Perhaps that was for a different school though..?

[BostonNJ]

Its pretty well known that the accreditation issue is a "red hearing" argument, Rutgers Camden will not lose this, at most it will go through a "provisional" stage that will last one year. A deal will happen and a compromise will be met, there is no doubt about it. As someone said earlier, sometimes you have to walk threw the darkness to get to the light, this is true in this situation. No one likes uncertainty, we are all a little startled here, however once you meet these professors you will know that we are all in good hands. No one will let the school lose its accreditation, and no one will allow whatever the new school is called to fully lose its Rutgers Identity.

There will be compromise there always is...

The dean has also said in a meeting to all the students recently that if there was a merger; the admissions department will NOT loosen its standards but actually raise them. They will cut the class so in half, and "buy" students with high LSAT and GPA scores to assure the region that we are still the same high quality law school (with a medical school attached now). However, again I doubt a merger will happen the way Christie is advocating, I think there will be some type of compromise to retain the Rutgers identity.

[johansantana21]

One TTT merges into another.

I'm sure the sun will still rise tomorrow.

[Fletcher Reed]

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[mrtoren]

"Rutgers Law Has Lowest Admitted Students Day Turnout, Can You Guess Why?"

"When I went to Dean’s Law Day in 2009 it was incredibly crowded. People were everywhere. This year the attendees will likely be unable to fill a room."

"According to an email sent to students from Dean Solomon (because students are encouraged to volunteer to help on Deans Law Day) there will only 80 prospective students attending the event. That is less than half the amount of students who attended last year."

"The only explanation for this horrid display of disinterest could be the merger of Rowan and Rutgers."

"The biggest problem with a plan with no details is just that. It has no details. Literally no one knows what is going to happen, and that makes a big life choice such as an investment in professional level education impossible to make."

-From the following article:

http://savejersey.com/2012/03/save-rutg ... guess-why/

What would we do without you Fletcher?

[highlander1]

@Fletcher
RU-C made it clear that
1.) CO2015 students are GUARANTEED Rutgers degrees- not just “current” law students as you feared.
2.) The funds for maintaining accreditation are secured. The CO2015 will be able to sit for the bar exam.
3.) NONE of Professors are RU-C Law are jumping ship (quality of education will remain unaffected).
4.) The RU-C law alumni will not disappear into thin air IF (and the if is getting bigger as Christie is continuing to screw up) Rowan comes about.

Dean’s Law Day was pretty fun. The faculty, alumni, and students (both prospective and current) were all very nice.
I can’t speak for Camden, but the area surround the RU-C campus was surprisingly delightful (Philly is VERY close by, and the skyline looks really nice). I get that you’re concerned, but really, the merger (IF it happens) is not going to dramatically affect your chances in finding a job.

[20130312]

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[ths115]

I can tell you that 3 is a straight up lie. Also, did you really just say the RU-C campus is surprisingly delightful? I think you got lost and ended up in Philly, because there is nothing delightful about the RU-C area.

4 additional faculty added recently all who were aware of the pending merger...

[I.P. Daly]

One TTT merges into another.

I'm sure the sun will still rise tomorrow.

I don't think Rowan currently has a law school.

[mrtoren]

I can tell you that 3 is a straight up lie. Also, did you really just say the RU-C campus is surprisingly delightful? I think you got lost and ended up in Philly, because there is nothing delightful about the RU-C area.

Its a question of personal tastes, but I thought the University District was pretty nice. Its a lot lower key than being in the heart of Philadelphia and for people me like me, that's an attractive feature. Don't get me wrong, a couple blocks further into Camden looks like an American version of war-torn Baghdad. But the campus itself felt close-knit, candid, and welcoming.

I'm excited to start this fall.

[Fletcher Reed]

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[mrtoren]

Are the forums glitchy or what? Terrible April's Fool joke.