This probably belongs in the Current Events forum, but I'm going to grant myself some leeway, because a number of the comments following the story point an angry finger at football.
Many alumni of the former Douglass College have a very contentious relationship with Rutgers, preferring to see themselves as Douglass -- rather than Rutgers -- alumnae, and wishing to have no connection, whatsoever, Rutgers University, as if that were possible. I'm not making that claim on anyone's behalf; at least two of the story's respondents make explicit statements to that effect.
So, interesting topic. President McCormick manged to do what I thought was impossible, and that was to consolidate all of New Brunswick's liberal arts college fiefdoms into the School of Arts & Sciences. Douglass Alumnae are trying to keep their separation alive by Balkanizing their fundraising efforts from the Rutgers Foundation, and -- presumably -- continuing to hammer home the message to current and future students that they are not actually attending Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Again, please don't take my word for it. Judge their alumnae by their own words.
While I don't want to take away anyone's pride of group affinity at Rutgers -- your identity at Rutgers may have manifested itself largely within your own, whether it was marching band, Cook, Targum, Res Life, intramurals, crew, Greek, honors program, etc. -- has the alumnae effort to to maintain a discrete (and, in fact, totally separate) identity outside the overarching umbrella of the university gotten to the point where its advocates have completely lost touch with Douglass's actual role at Rutgers?
Many alumni of the former Douglass College have a very contentious relationship with Rutgers, preferring to see themselves as Douglass -- rather than Rutgers -- alumnae, and wishing to have no connection, whatsoever, Rutgers University, as if that were possible. I'm not making that claim on anyone's behalf; at least two of the story's respondents make explicit statements to that effect.
So, interesting topic. President McCormick manged to do what I thought was impossible, and that was to consolidate all of New Brunswick's liberal arts college fiefdoms into the School of Arts & Sciences. Douglass Alumnae are trying to keep their separation alive by Balkanizing their fundraising efforts from the Rutgers Foundation, and -- presumably -- continuing to hammer home the message to current and future students that they are not actually attending Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Again, please don't take my word for it. Judge their alumnae by their own words.
While I don't want to take away anyone's pride of group affinity at Rutgers -- your identity at Rutgers may have manifested itself largely within your own, whether it was marching band, Cook, Targum, Res Life, intramurals, crew, Greek, honors program, etc. -- has the alumnae effort to to maintain a discrete (and, in fact, totally separate) identity outside the overarching umbrella of the university gotten to the point where its advocates have completely lost touch with Douglass's actual role at Rutgers?