OXFAM Rutgers organization raises awareness of hunger, poverty and inequality overseas
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MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017
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Hobbs defends $6M loan from U. bank Kira Herzog NEWS EDITOR
The spending habits of Rutgers athletics have been under fire this week after NJ Advance Media reported that the department could owe the University more than $20 million by 2021. The Athletics Department operates on an annual budget of about $84 million, according to the article. Athletic Director Pat Hobbs described the current spending as an investment. “I view Rutgers as a turnaround, and when you turn things around it does not happen immediately,” Hobbs told The Daily Targum. “It takes an investment of time and resources, and we are making those investments so I have confidence in where we are going. But it is going to take some time.” In four years, when Rutgers becomes eligible to receive the full benefits of Big Ten membership, the University will receive over $40,000 to cover salaries, scholarships and facilities — but in the meantime, the program is under strict scrutiny, particularly by Rutgers faculty, according to NJ Advance Media. On Friday, the Rutgers Faculty Council voted to pass a resolution,
publicly deploring the Athletic Department’s spending. The faculty council works side by side with the Office of the Chancellor to offer guidance and advice. In their document, they pointed to the most recent National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) financial report to show that the fiscal situation is moving in a downwards trajectory. “The athletics program’s financial situation remains a matter of very serious concern: Clearly, the program has failed to meet its financial targets for expenditures, revenue and deficit reduction — and there is a substantial likelihood that athletics will continue to drain large amounts of resources away from the academic mission of the University,” the resolution reads. What follows is a call for the Athletic Department to undergo a review by an external party, cut its “chronic deficit spending” and make its financial plan available as quickly as possible. Hobbs said that while he understands the concerns being raised, he wishes the conversation could have been initiated in a more productive manner. See loan on Page 5
In light of a recent resolution by the faculty council, Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs defended the spending habits of the Athletics Department. He said the $84M overall budget of the department is being used as an investment in the future success of Rutgers athletics in the Big Ten. Google Maps
Rutgers holds 35th annual ‘Let’s Talk Adoption’ conference Jillian Pastor contributing writer
On Sunday, the Rutgers School of Social Work held its 35th annual conference on adoption. The event helped guide pre- and post-adoption processes through a series of 30 educational workshops and lectures. RUtgers.edu
On Sunday, the Rutgers School of Social Work presented the Concerned Persons for Adoption’s (CPFA) 35th Annual “Let’s Talk Adoption” Conference. Attendees joined the conference for a full day of more than 30 workshops on preand post-adoptive issues. CPFA is a New Jersey non-profit organization, founded more than 40 years ago as a support group for anyone concerned with adoption. The organization focuses on three functions — acting as an independent support group, an advocacy group and an educational resource for New Jersey, according to their website. CPFA is associated with the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC). Together, they have lobbied for, and helped draft, state and federal legislation, according to their website. Robert O’Connor, an associate professor at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, ser ves as a program director and training manager for several
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federal grant programs on anti-racism and multicultural issues and was the keynote speaker at the event. O’Connor is an adoptee with experience in the foster care system and brings his personal perspective to his presentations and writings. In his presentation at the conference, he shared his expertise on transracial topics and adoption. O’Connor explained how racial identity and self-esteem act as determining factors in healthy children and families in their communities. In a former interview with ABC News, O’Conner said that it’s very important to believe in biculturalism versus assimilation. “Parents need to make sure their homes represent not just their culture but the child’s culture, and it can’t be what I refer to as ‘cultural tourism,’” O’Connor said. “The family needs to see themselves as a family of color as opposed to a white family that adopted a child of color.” Also at the conference was a panel moderated by Pam Hasegawa, See conference on Page 7