Faculty at New Jersey City University in Jersey City say the state comptroller’s report released last week merely confirmed what people at the 90-year-old institution said they already suspected — that their current budget crisis was egregiously self-inflicted. “Everyone here — union members and even some students — knew that the [previous] administration was mismanaging the place,” said American Federation of Teachers union negotiator Bill Calathes.
Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh dug into the public university’s budget details. And, according to his report, there was “…a collective failure of leadership, a failure of governance, at a really difficult time…” Walsh found the school had gone on a building and spending spree but its revenues didn’t keep pace, despite tuition hikes.
Walsh recommended an independent financial monitor for the university. Its new, interim President Andres Acebo now heads the effort to rescue the school, with a cash infusion from state taxpayers. NJCU said in a statement, “No funds were misappropriated … senior administrators whose conduct is discussed in the Report are no longer employed at the University … (which) has implemented additional reductions to eliminate the deficit over the next two years…”
Faculty are lobbying Trenton lawmakers for $25 million to help the university recover financially, and with more oversight.
