Rutgers does A LOT of things right... but what can it do to become ever better?

[MikeRU1766]

At the start I want to be clear. Rutgers is a GREAT university considering how many students it churns out every year who are constantly talked of by employers as very "well prepared and ready for the work place" in comparison to student from other universities. And Rutgers was also rated #33 in the world for research. They also should be commended for the amount of progress and new construction they are accomplishing despite constant budget cuts. (Thanks to Rutgers ability to obtain grant money and also to team up with corporations) And I could go on and on.

So anyway with that all said I wanted to ask the board what your #1 issue you have with Rutgers that you want to be improved and corrected. I ask because despite the success of Rutgers students in the workplace and business world, they seem to donate less to their University than other colleges. I assume there must be SOMETHING that has rubbed student the wrong way which causes them not to donate as much after they have left. So please this is not a BASH RUTGERS thread by any means. It is more a "constructive criticism" thread to educate us all about what our experiences were and where we could improve.

I'll start the thread off with my #1 issue...

Rutgers has WAY TOO MANY HOLES you can fall into that cause you to not be able to graduate on time. I think they should really have a freshman orientation class that explains the most common situation that have caused past students to not be on schedule. I think this would improve goodwill too because I think a lot of student have this happen to them and they feel "RU Screwed" and then do not want to donate.

Anyway, what do you all think?

 

[mildone]

They could get off to a great start by handing out free hookers and blow. I'm just saying.

 

[ru75]

This is a trick question, right?

 

[ru75]

They could get off to a great start by handing out free hookers and blow. I'm just saying.

you need 5 stars for special treatment

 

[MikeRU1766]

Lol come on guys I was trying to be serious. I am truly curious because there must be SOMETHING that is causing our grads to donate so much less than almost ALL the other Big10 schools.

 

[ru75]

it goes back to Colonel Henry, screwing the university after it changed names and he bequeathed 10K. We are nothing if not traditionalists.

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

Well, personally, I would like to see stronger play from the QB position, for starters.

 

[RUonBrain]

Fire Flood!

(Someone had to say it)

 

[nick614]

Fundraising starts from the top down. You need a fundraiser first and an administrator second. Same with the AD and head coach, these are fundraising positions. You need people that know how to open up the pockets of the wealthy donors.

 

[CoachMagoo]

Do nothing to make life easier for students. Those holes you mention are a metaphor for life's challenges. The reason so many Rutgers graduates are ready for the workplace is because Rutgers doesn't coddle its students; it is the real world. Having to take an extra semester to graduate (as I did) is a great life lesson in humility and planning.

 

[RU_87]

I suspect it has to do with disposable income. I think a lot of families in NJ are struggling. Even though Salaries seem higher in the NorthEast the cost of living, taxes, etc are much higher leaving much less disposable income. Then take into account if one has an extra $100 per month, week or whatever they need to consider longer term stability of jobs and the need to save for the rainy day, save for kids opportunity to go to college, save for retirement, save for being able to afford healthcare when retired and/or "in-between" jobs. Hence, do you take the extra $100 and put it into the IRA or 401k, 529 plan, general liquid savings account, etc. Some people tell me that the cost of living is not much different elsewhere but the costs are in different services...for instance in (probably most of) NJ, our taxes cover garbage pickup and other parts of the country the property owner has to pay a separate service. I concur that there may be some of these differences...but when I see a similar size house, townhome, property at somewhere near half the cost of what it is to buy in NJ and the associated taxes that much less, I'd really like to feel what it is to live with that extra money to spend on services, cars, donations, etc. I've traveled a lot in past, not as much recently, but even in the travels I've experienced much lower costs outside of NJ...in some cases right next door in Pa. From small cost examples to large cost examples...for instance, iPhone LCD / Screen replacement...I go to a mall in Central NJ area and it cost me $120-$150 to have the screen / LCD replaced vs. I was in Philadelphia (Manayunk area) and I see a shop so I stop in...cost me $80 to replace the LCD & Screen. OK...i'm speaking in micro-terms and this is one very small purchase in the grand scheme of things...but a huge cost difference. But, I believe other costs are very similarly different.

I will note that I do donate to Rutgers regularly and I'd say a considerable amount. Mostly to the sports program, however some academically as well. Which leads me to some thoughts of when I was younger and fresh out of school...I received calls to donate, but at that time I had a younger sister struggling to pay to go to Rutgers. So, I kind of thought that if I'm going to give someone $'s toward education wouldn't it be better to give my sister some $'s to use to pay Rutgers. Not sure how many people are in the same boat...but I would assume since the school has a lot of students from NJ that there has to be a lot of people that have family going to Rutgers and do something similar...or would consider doing that prior to donating. As the years go by, giving to a sister becomes giving to your own kids to pay for school, etc.