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History

The Beginning

The New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Education Restructuring Act was passed by the New Jersey Legislature on June 28, 2012, and signed into law by Governor Chris Christie on August 22, 2012. It integrated all units of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), except University Hospital in Newark and the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, into Rutgers on July 1, 2013.

As required by the Rutgers Act of 1956, both the Rutgers Board of Governors and Board of Trustees approved the integration at their November 19, 2012, meeting, allowing the restructuring to move ahead.

On March 8, 2013, Rutgers received official word from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the agency that provides accreditation for both Rutgers and UMDNJ, that it agreed to include within the scope of Rutgers’ accreditation the integration of the entities coming into Rutgers from UMDNJ and the governance changes outlined in the statute.

The Integration Process

Integrating people, services, and systems is complex and takes time to implement. The process began long before July 1, 2013, and continues beyond it.

The day-to-day work of integration kicked off in August of 2012, when key committees met and functional teams were formed. The committees, offices, and teams that helped to usher in this new era for Rutgers are listed below.

Executive Steering Committee

Chaired by Rutgers President Robert L. Barchi, M.D., Ph.D., the Executive Steering Committee was the primary decision-making body of the integration. It continues to be responsible for oversight and guidance for the overall integration program beyond July 1, 2013.


 

Integration Management Office

Christopher J. Molloy The Integration Management Office, led by Christopher J. Molloy,  Ph.D., interim chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, coordinated activities; resolved issues at the working level; reviewed clinical, research, and academic strengths among the proposed restructured units; and developed plans for the expanded university.

Molloy worked with Denise V. Rodgers, M.D., former UMDNJ president and current vice chancellor for interprofessional programs at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, to provide the collective leadership needed to accomplish this historic transformation of health professions education in New Jersey.

Functional Teams

The Integration Management Office established 12 functional teams that were made up of both Rutgers and UMDNJ faculty and staff. Together, they identified issues, established work plans, made crucial decisions, and ensured a smooth operational integration was achieved. The teams covered the following areas:

  • Academic/Educational: accreditation, academic policies, faculty employment, graduate programs, professional programs, libraries
  • Advancement/Development: fundraising organizations, endowments, restricted funds, prospect/donor relationships, systems
  • Clinical Programs/Affiliation Agreements: clinical services and affiliation agreements, faculty practice plans, managed care contracts, clinical faculty affairs, finances, Chandler Health Center, University Behavioral Health Care
  • Communication/Government Affairs: marketing, branding, stakeholder communications, news and media relations, government affairs
  • Compliance: compliance policies, governance, Corporate Integrity Agreement, compliance and ethics education, academic compliance
  • Facilities and Capital Planning: real estate planning, project review, utilities management, lease/landlord review, document control, space management, public safety
  • Finance and Procurement: university accounting, student accounting, treasury, payroll, tax, university budgeting, grants and contracts, risk management, treasury, internal audit
  • Human Resources: labor relations, benefits, employee relations, policies and procedures, human capital management, HRIS/IT, training and organizational development
  • Information Systems: telecommunications, central services, identity management, student/financial aid, finance/payroll, research, human resources, clinical applications, contracts
  • Legal: contracts, policies, litigation, integration team guidance
  • Research: grants and contracts, intellectual property, research technology, federal and sponsored grants, clinical trials, Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, biosafety, technology partnerships
  • Student Services: student recruiting, admissions, enrollment, registrar, student billing/collections, scheduling/classroom management, student affairs