In the final year of an initial five-year commitment, Rutgers' president says he is looking forward to the future and has no plans to step down.
NEW BRUNSWICK -- When Rutgers University lured Robert Barchi out of retirement to become its president in 2012, he told reporters he was making at least a five-year commitment to the university.
Now, in the midst of his fifth year at the helm of Rutgers, the 70-year-old is happier than ever with the state of the university and feels more energized than he has any point in his tenure, he told NJ Advance Media in an interview Wednesday.
"As of right now, I have no intention of stepping down this year," Barchi said. "As long as I think we are on a positive trajectory... I am willing to continue in the job for a while."
Instead of a contract, Barchi has a hiring agreement with the Rutgers Board of Governors that includes no specific end date. The lucrative deal ends only when Barchi resigns or the board terminates it.
The board gave Barchi high marks in a performance review earlier this year, a 2 percent raise and a $97,000 bonus. He's set to make $676,260 this school year with an additional $101,439 in bonuses.
In notifying Barchi of his bonus in February, Rutgers Board of Governors President Greg Brown thanked him for his dedication and leadership.
"We are delighted with the progress Rutgers has seen this past year," Brown wrote.
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In 2012, Rutgers tapped Barchi, an Ivy League-educated physician and former president of Thomas Jefferson University, for his medical and administrative expertise as it prepared to merge with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Aside from the Rutgers-UMDNJ integration, the largest higher education merger in American history, Barchi's term has been marked by the university's entrance into the Big Ten Conference, a $1 billion fundraising campaign and a makeover of the College Avenue campus in New Brunswick.
Barchi has also navigated a series of scandals and controversies involving Rutgers sports programs. He overhauled the athletic department last school year by replacing the athletic director and the head football and basketball coaches.
"We are a very, very different place," Barchi said. "This is not the Rutgers it was 20 years ago, or 10 years ago. It's not the Rutgers it was five years ago."
And more changes are coming, Barchi said.
Rutgers hopes to enhance the student experience by improving its bus system and plans to debut new virtual classrooms in 2017. A 30-year plan completed during Barchi's tenure calls for continued construction and renovation on the campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden.
On Friday, Barchi will address students and faculty in his annual State of the University speech and look toward the future.
"I think the state of Rutgers is good. It's strong and getting stronger," Barchi said. "As long as we continue to make contributions here and continue to see progress, I am looking forward to every day I come into the office."
Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.