S 171

SENATE, No. 171
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Senator ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
���� Adds two student representatives to board of
governors of Rutgers University.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning the membership of the board of governors of Rutgers University and
amending and supplementing chapter 65 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
���� Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.�� N.J.S.18A:65-14 is
amended to read as follows:
���� 18A:65-14. The membership of
the board of governors shall be classified as follows and consist of:
���� a.���� the president of the
corporation, serving as an ex officio non-voting member; [and]
���� b.��� 15 voting members,
���� i.���� seven of whom shall be
appointed by the Governor of the State, with the advice and consent of the
Senate, with one of these members being a resident of Camden County, and one of
whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President
of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly and who shall be a
resident of Essex County, and
���� ii.��� seven of whom shall be
appointed by the board of trustees, from among their members, one of whom shall
be a resident of Essex County and one of whom shall be a resident of Middlesex
County, elected and serving under the provisions of subsection I.c. or I.d. of
18A:65-15[.] ; and
���� c.���� two student
representatives who shall be full-time, regularly matriculated students in good
academic standing, and who shall be 18 years of age or older and citizens of
the United States, to be elected by the students of the university pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill) to serve on the board of governors for terms of two years commencing
at the next organization of the board.
���� The first additional
appointments made by the Governor pursuant to P.L.2012, c.45 (C.18A:64M-1 et
al.), shall not require the advice and consent of the Senate, but thereafter
such advice and consent shall be required.
���� All members, other than the
student representatives, shall serve for terms of six years, except that
the terms of those initially appointed by the Governor which began on September
1, 1956, shall expire respectively (as designated by him) one, two, three,
four, five and six years after June 30, 1956, and terms of those initially
appointed by the board of trustees which began on September 1, 1956, shall
expire respectively (as designated by the board) two, three, four, five and six
years after June 30, 1956; all of whose respective successors shall be
appointed to serve six-year terms. Governors may succeed themselves for not
more than one additional term after having served one full six-year term
(including an initial term beginning on September 1, 1956, and expiring on June
30, 1962).
(cf: P.L.2012, c.45, s.87)
���� 2.��� (New section)� a.� In
order to implement the provisions of subsection c. of N.J.S.18A:65-14, the
board of governors shall schedule a public hearing within 90 days of the
effective date of P.L.���� , c.�� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature
as this bill) on the question of the method of election of student
representatives to the board.� At its next regularly scheduled meeting
following the public hearing, the board of governors shall determine whether
the students are to be elected by the student body at large or by the members
of the student government association. The method of the selection and the
designation of eligible academic status of the student representatives shall be
determined by the board of governors.
���� b.��� For the first election
held pursuant to this section, one student shall be elected for a one-year term
as a full voting member, and one student shall be elected for two years, but
shall serve as an alternate member during the first year and as a voting member
during the second year.
���� At each subsequent election,
one student shall be elected for two years, but shall serve during the
first year as an alternate member, and as a voting member during the second
year.� Any vacancies which occur shall be filled by the student governing body
for the unexpired term only.
���� c.���� The standards for
eligibility for student representatives on the board of governors shall be the
same as those required for other student government officers.
���� d.��� The student members
shall be entitled to full participation in all activities of the board except
that they shall not participate in:
���� (1) any matter involving the
employment, appointment, termination of employment, terms and conditions of
employment, evaluation of the performance of, promotion, or disciplining of any
specific prospective officer or employee or current officer or employee
employed or appointed by the board, unless all the individual employees or
appointees whose rights could be adversely affected request in writing that the
matter or matters be discussed at a public meeting;
���� (2) any matter involving the
purchase, lease, acquisition or sale of real property with public funds, the
setting of banking rates or investment of public funds, where it could
adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were disclosed;
and
���� (3) any pending or anticipated
litigation in which the board is, or may become, a party, where it could
adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed, or any matters falling within the attorney-client privilege, to the
extent that confidentiality is required in order for the attorney to exercise
his ethical duties as a lawyer.
���� e.���� Upon assuming office,
the students shall agree to adhere to such standards of responsibility and
confidentiality as are established by the board of governors.
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill adds two student
representatives to the board of governors of Rutgers University.� Membership of
the board currently consists of the president of the university, serving as an
ex officio non-voting member, and 15 voting members, eight of whom are
appointed by the Governor, and seven of whom are members of the board of
trustees of the university.
���� Under the bill, two full-time,
regularly matriculated student representatives in good academic standing, who
are 18 years of age or older and citizens of the United States, are to be
elected by the students of the university to serve on the board of governors
for terms of two years.
���� The bill requires the board of
governors to schedule a public hearing on the question of the method of
election of student representatives to the board within 90 days of the bill's
effective date.� At its next regularly scheduled meeting following the public
hearing, the board of governors will determine whether the students are to be
elected by the student body at large or by the members of the student
government association.� The method of the selection and the designation of
eligible academic status of the student representatives will be determined by
the board of governors.
���� Under the bill, for the first
election held for student representatives, one student will be elected for a
one-year term as a full voting member, and one student will be elected for two
years, but will serve as an alternate member during the first year and as a
voting member during the second year.� At each subsequent election, one student
is to be elected for two years, but will serve during the first year as an
alternate member, and as a voting member during the second year.