Learn How the Proposed Merger Hurts Faculty

Millions Wasted on Consultants, While Patients Get Nothing

Since September 2022, the RBHS Chancellor has spent $ 1 million on consultants. The Chairman of the combined school Neurosurgery department was hired at $2.5 million per year, one of the highest salaries in the country. (Only football coach Schiano makes more!) RBHS spends over $3 million on bonuses annually for administrators. There are millions for these endeavors but not enough to hire faculty. NJMS Anesthesiology faces huge shortages that put patients at risk. Other clinical departments in both medical schools have difficulty hiring and face an ever-increasing workload. This prevents faculty from giving the highest quality patient care. 

No Shared Governance

While there are no bylaws for a combined medical school, faculty are being told they won’t be able to vote on any document once it is completed. 

NJMS/Newark Faculty Lose Their Dean

The LCME recently informed Rutgers that any combined school must have one Dean. As NJMS Dean Johnson is advanced in his career and RWJMS Dean Murtha has been recently hired, it is likely that Dean Murtha would become the single Dean for both schools. Sure, faculty will have Associate Deans, but why should Newark faculty have to seek out a conflict-prone Dean who is based 30 miles away?

Salary and Benefits Inequity

NJMS Clinical Faculty make more in salary than RWJMS faculty. The University cares nothing about this inequity even though faculty are doing the same work. The University has shown no interest in bargaining with the faculty union over a variable compensation negotiation that would help close this gap. 90% of RBHS faculty that applied for salary equity increases to date have been denied. 

You Can’t Trust What You’re Told

Did you know NJMS was put on “warning” accreditation status by the LCME in October 2021. Dean Johnson did not announce this to students or faculty until February 2023.  You may see beautiful renderings for a new $600 million building for a “new school.” However, none of the new Newark RBHS buildings Rutgers committed to constructing in 2017 has been built.