President Barchi Accepts Request to Remain at Rutgers

[Tango Two]

“Bob Barchi has been a remarkable leader for Rutgers,” Stewart said. “His vision, focus and commitment have made Rutgers a much stronger university and a stronger asset to the state of New Jersey. The integration with the former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey would have been cause for reflection for most people, but Dr. Barchi continued his efforts, raised Rutgers’ academic profile and improved our reputation both nationally and in New Jersey. He accomplished this while guiding the university and its students through some difficult times in our nation.”


https://news.rutgers.edu/news/president-barchi-accepts-request-remain-rutgers/20180919#.W6Jy-3tKjmE

 

[Tango Two]

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/sto...rchi-agrees-remain-two-more-years/1356707002/

 

[RUnTeX]

I'm fine with this for the most part based on accomplishing the UMD integration and most signs looking up on that front. But I would love to know more from behind the scenes about Dutta's departure from the NB chancellor position after only one year, and what that might say about Barchi one way or another.

On the surface it seemed that Dutta was going to be a positive force so I'm disappointed that his stay was so brief. I really don't see him returning to join the engineering faculty after the paid sabbatical as he appears to have higher aspirations that he will likely pursue elsewhere.

 

[pmvon]

Fully supportive. Amazing transformation of the university and campus. He is not responsible for recruiting.

 

[retired711]

I'm fine with this for the most part based on accomplishing the UMD integration and most signs looking up on that front. But I would love to know more from behind the scenes about Dutta's departure from the NB chancellor position after only one year, and what that might say about Barchi one way or another.

On the surface it seemed that Dutta was going to be a positive force so I'm disappointed that his stay was so brief. I really don't see him returning to join the engineering faculty after the paid sabbatical as he appears to have higher aspirations that he will likely pursue elsewhere.

My guess is that Dutta saw himself as the heir apparent and thought that Barchi would leave very soon. Or it may just be that the job of chancellor of New Brunswick/Piscataway is so ill-defined that Dutta thought it encompassed more than Barchi did. Rutgers has gone back and forth over the years about having a campus-wide head at NB/Piscataway other than the university president.

 

[RUnTeX]

My guess is that Dutta saw himself as the heir apparent and thought that Barchi would leave very soon. Or it may just be that the job of chancellor of New Brunswick/Piscataway is so ill-defined that Dutta thought it encompassed more than Barchi did.

Those sound like good guesses given what's been speculated about their apparent disconnect. Too bad we'll never get the full skinny.

 

[retired711]

Those sound like good guesses given what's been speculated about their apparent disconnect. Too bad we'll never get the full skinny.

BTW, it has been a *long* time since someone at Rutgers became President. I think the last one was Mason Gross. McCormick had been at Rutgers, but of course had gone before he was appointed President. So if Dutta had ambitions of becoming President, they were a long shot.

 

[RUnTeX]

BTW, it has been a *long* time since someone at Rutgers became President. I think the last one was Mason Gross. McCormick had been at Rutgers, but of course had gone before he was appointed President. So if Dutta had ambitions of becoming President, they were a long shot.

Good point...hiring/promoting to President from within has not been the recent history. Even if his aspiration wasn't quite the presidency, it seems that maybe the amount of autonomy for the NB Chancellor role was not quite what Dutta anticipated upon taking the job.

 

[RUskoolie]

Outside of the Med School merger what has he actually done? I always read this from people and when I asked I get crickets. Please don't say all the new buildings because those were approved via the State of NJ voters in November of 2009. A master plan revision? (Which needs to be created every 10-15 years regardless).

 

[retired711]

Outside of the Med School merger what has he actually done? I always read this from people and when I asked I get crickets. Please don't say all the new buildings because those were approved via the State of NJ voters in November of 2009. A master plan revision? (Which needs to be created every 10-15 years regardless).

The credentials of the entering class keep going up even though the size of the entering class at New Brunswick is actually growing. Something must be going right. I say this even though I am not fond of the man. And don't minimize the merger as an accomplishment.

 

[Upstream]

Outside of the Med School merger what has he actually done?

And don't minimize the merger as an accomplishment.

It is more than just merging the two institutions and running them just as the always have, just under one umbrella. Under Barchi Rutgers has improved both the med schools and Rutgers. Research grants across the university have increased more than 50%. Annual fundraising increased more than 100%. Capital construction increased almost threefold. The med schools cemented a partnership with RWJBarnabas and launched the Rutgers Health network. The Honors College (envisioned before Barchi) was designed and opened. And there have been lots of other, smaller initiatives around things like improving student experience and faculty.

There is a reason the BOG wants Barchi to stay. He will end up being known as one of the most transformational presidents in Rutgers' history.

 

[srru86]

BTW, it has been a *long* time since someone at Rutgers became President. I think the last one was Mason Gross. McCormick had been at Rutgers, but of course had gone before he was appointed President. So if Dutta had ambitions of becoming President, they were a long shot.

And wasn't Gross passed over at least once by an outsider before getting the top gig?

 

[retired711]

And wasn't Gross passed over at least once by an outsider before getting the top gig?

I think that's right, but I'm not sure. It was way before my time; maybe even before I was born. But Gross was a popular president, and I am told that Bloustein's inauguration was dominated by people expressing their regrets that Gross was retiring.