The president said the administration tried to make decisions that benefit students while sticking to the school's values
NEW BRUNSWICK -- The contentious presidential election has made Robert Barchi's job more challenging, the Rutgers University president told the student newspaper.
"Everything becomes either politically correct or not politically correct or 'Let's have this person thrown out or that person fired or whatever' at the drop of a hat," Barchi told the Daily Targum in a sit-down interview. "(The campaigns have) made (decision-making) more difficult in the past months."
Barchi made the comments about five weeks after Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton after a tumultuous campaign and days after the latest of several related protests on the campus of the state university.
Last week, a faculty union and students called for Rutgers to declare itself a so-called "sanctuary campus" amid fears Trump will seek to deport people in the country illegally.
The next day, more than two dozen student disrupted a Board of Governors meeting in which Barchi stopped short of using the phrase "sanctuary campus." He said Rutgers would be a "safe haven," for its large "large undocumented student population." He added that the university won't turn over information about students here illegally unless required to by court order.
About a week after the presidential election in November, more than 1,000 students protesters took part in what they called "Sanctuary March."
Barchi told the Daily Targum the Rutgers administration makes decisions which benefit the greatest number of students while still adhering to the university's values.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.