Rutgers Senate approves no confidence vote against President Holloway

The no confidence vote stemmed from recent labor disputes, a spike in housing and dining costs. and Holloway’s unresponsiveness to the community.

Flag hanging at the campus of Rutgers University

Rutgers University-Camden in Camden, N.J., Monday, July 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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The Rutgers University Senate on Friday approved a no confidence proposal against President Jonathan Holloway.

The original resolution cited recent labor disputes and Holloway’s unresponsiveness to the community as part of the rationale. The proposal was amended to include a spike in housing and dining costs.

In addition to raising tuition by 6% over the summer, the Board of Governors had raised housing costs by 5% and the meal plan by 7%.

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“Rutgers is a landlord with monopoly grade power,” said Dr. Rob Scott, an associate anthropology professor at the New Brunswick campus and member of the senate who helped draft the resolution.

Scott added the increase “hurts students, their parents and local communities.”

University spokeswoman Dory Devlin said Holloway “will continue to work collaboratively with the university community and the University Senate.”

“During the three years that he has served as president, in conjunction with the faculty, staff, students and all the talented members of the Rutgers community, Jonathan Holloway has strengthened Rutgers, from making the university a higher education leader during the pandemic to raising our national and international reputation,” she said.

Senators debated the no confidence resolution for an hour, before they took a vote. The vote came on a day when Holloway was expected to address the senate, which includes the university’s faculty, staff, students and alumni. Holloway’s appearance has been pushed back to February 2024.

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