Peaceful Protest To Support Westminster Choir College Tuesday

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Members of the Westminster Foundation are urging students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends to join a peaceful protest in support of the Westminster Choir College on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

The protest will coincide with Gov. Phil Murphy’s appearance as part of the Rebovich Institute’s speaking series. Read more here: Gov. Phil Murphy To Speak At Rider University Sept. 24

The program involving Murphy is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Organizers are asking protesters to bring letters to be hand delivered to the governor, asking him to consider the history and future of the Westminster Choir College, and how it has positively impacted the state and the world.

“Speak from your heart,” organizers said in a flyer. “Make it personal.”

The protest was planned after Rider called off its proposed $40 million sale of the college to China-based Kaiwen Education. Instead, the choir college will become part of the university's existing Lawrenceville campus in September 2020. Read more here: Rider Calls Off Choir College Sale; Campus Moves To Lawrenceville

“This proposal comes after absolutely no input from our community, certainly not with our compliance,” faculty members said in a statement provided to the media Monday morning.

They believe that if the campus is allowed to move to Lawrenceville and sell the current Princeton property, the institution will die and irreparable harm will be done to the Princeton community.

“There are no adequate facilities in Lawrenceville to house Westminster’s specialized, professional-level programs, nor will there be by August 2020,” faculty members said. “The move is by unilateral decision of the Board and the administration, with absolutely no input from faculty or other supportive groups, nor has the greater community been involved in determining who or what would occupy a twenty-acre campus in the middle of Princeton.”

Despite its world-class reputation, Westminster Choir College has faced deficits throughout its history, including the era that preceded and led to its merger with Rider in 1992. Since then, Rider has made significant investments in Westminster Choir College, including improvements to facilities, support for performances and tours, and significant financial aid for students, officials previously said.

However, the faculty doesn’t believe Rider President Greg Dell’Omo and the Board of Trustees are good faith stewards for the college, and say that the college was not a financial drain on the university before Rider began attempting to sell it.

“The staggering losses suffered during the past three years (around $11 million in lost revenue plus legal expenses, and a 60 percent decline in Westminster enrollment) are a direct consequence of Rider’s foolish attempt to monetize Westminster,” the faculty said. “In any other institution, such wastage alone would be cause for removal of senior leadership.”

Representatives from Rider didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Monday morning.

Protesters are asked to meet outside the Cavalla Room located inside the Ludeke Center at Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, at 12:45 p.m. They are asked to make signs in support of keeping the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, and to maintain a respectful presence throughout the protest.

In addition to the protest, faculty is asking everyone to contact lawmakers and the Attorney General’s Office to voice their concerns. They also ask for support for the Westminster Foundation.

“Unaffiliated with Rider or Westminster Choir College, the Foundation comprises friends, alumni, and faculty who lead the fight to keep Westminster in Princeton,” faculty said. “Rider officials have ignored repeated requests from the Foundation to hold talks about Westminster’s future.”

Read more here: Westminster Foundation Opposes Selling Or Moving Westminster Choir College

In 2017, Rider commenced an intensive worldwide search for a partner for Westminster Choir College that began with 281 potential suitors and review of 13 formal proposals of interest, five of which expressed interest in Rider's preferred option of maintaining and operating Westminster in Princeton. No U.S. higher education institution expressed interest in operating Westminster in Princeton, university officials said.

The search came at the recommendation of a Special Committee the Rider Board of Trustees convened to study ways to strengthen the University, which included the potential consolidation of the two campuses. Read more here: Rider Sells WCC To Chinese Company For $40 Million

The decision also came after the State Attorney General's Office raised some questions about the sale of the choir college to Kaiwen Education. Questions from the Attorney General centered around the reasoning for the sale, how the sides arrived at the price, Rider's efforts to sell the college to another education institution, why Rider would sell to a newly incorporated non-profit entity in New Jersey and steps Rider took to ensure Kaiwen would continue Westminster's educational traditions and curriculum, among others.

The attorney general's office also questioned what Rider would do with the money it makes off the sale and how the sale is in the best interests of the students and faculty. Read more here: State Raises Concerns Over Rider's Sale Of Choir College