Rutgers' FY04 State Budget: How to Help

February 11, 2003

Members of the Rutgers Community:

Many of you responded to my January 29 e-mail message about the proposed budget cuts for New Jersey's public four-year colleges and universities by asking what you can do to help. I very much appreciate your interest in Rutgers and for wanting to be involved to protect our institution.

There are several important things that you can do before the budget is finalized in June to raise public awareness of the damage to Rutgers and its students of significant budget reductions. The most critical is to contact our elected officials to convey your concerns and reiterate the case for a strong state university. A second step that you can take is to send letters to the editors of New Jersey's major newspapers to let them know that Rutgers is essential to prosperity and opportunity in our state. Finally, you can encourage friends, classmates, family members and professional acquaintances to weigh-in on this issue.

Whichever courses of action you choose, it is important that you use your own words; the most compelling case for Rutgers is one that originates with you.

If the proposed reductions are implemented, there will be damaging effects on our ability to educate our students and serve our state. During the coming months, the university's primary focus is to have the proposed cuts restored. At the same time, however, we must prepare to manage the reductions if they are not fully reversed. In addressing the proposed reductions, I assure you that my administration will work hard to preserve academic quality and instructional programs, and maintain core services to students.

Thank you for your support.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey