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Gov. Chris Christie

Governor Christie came out Tuesday in support of a proposal to eliminate the board of trustees at Rutgers University, saying the schools imminent merger with the states medical university presented an opportunity to streamline its governing structure.

Christie, a Republican, endorsed a bill sponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, to eliminate Rutgers board of trustees and cede its powers to the universitys board of governors. He did so as Rutgers is preparing to absorb much of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey starting Monday as part of a larger restructuring of the states higher-education system that also gave Rowan University in Glassboro UMDNJs School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Rutgers governance structure is confusing and not in compliance with what most of the rest of the country does, Christie said. I think to streamline their governance now, as were creating a new Rutgers on July 1, would be the right thing to do.

Rutgers said in a statement that Sweeneys bill violates the 1956 law that made Rutgers the state university. The law, known as the Rutgers Act, which requires both boards to sign off on any governance changes at the university.

It is clear, after reviewing the text of the legislation that it would violate the legislative contract contained in the Rutgers Act, the statement said. Clearly, any changes to the governance of the university should be the product of a deliberative and considered process that involves stakeholders from the university.

After Sweeney introduced the bill on Monday the same day the Legislature approved a state budget for the coming fiscal year that sends more money to Rutgers and Rowan Rutgers officials pledged to fight any effort to eliminate its board of trustees.

The board is largely advisory, but it does have the final say over the disposition of property and other assets that Rutgers, previously a private school, owned when it was made a state university in 1956. The board of governors does most of the decision making.

The trustee board which has 88 members according to the universitys website, including alumni and gubernatorial appointees dates to the schools founding in 1776 and was a vocal opponent of plans to merge Rutgers-Camden with Rowan when the Legislature debated the higher education restructuring last year.

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Christie endorses plan to eliminate Rutgers' board of trustees on eve of merger with UMDNJ