We know, we know: There will be critics. It’s Jersey. We’re skeptical of outsiders — and don’t mind saying so.
Sure enough, my inbox was being filled by some of them on Monday, just minutes after Rutgers University announced it was hiring William Tate IV to be its 22nd president.
But if you were at Tate’s opening act, you’d realize he won’t be bothered by it all. He seems to welcome challenges — and the grit and resilience needed to overcome them. It’s a big part of the reason the school was able to lure him away from LSU, where he was finishing up his fourth year as its president.
More than that, it’s familiar footing from his childhood.
“I’m from the south side of Chicago, Bronzeville,” he said — nothing that Bronzeville is never confused with a Chicagoland suburb. “There is a lot in common between the grit, resilience and toughness required to negotiate Bronzeville and here in the great state of New Jersey.”
The key, Tate told the assembled members of the Rutgers Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, is to channel that energy into all the school does.
He called it, ‘The Rutgers Edge’ — something he discovered years ago at the University of Maryland, where he interacted with a lot of Jerseyans.
“There’s an attitude that was always consistent with the same kind of moxie that you got in Chicago,” he said. “Come on, I’m going to make it work.”
Tate said his goal is to link that New Jersey attitude to the Rutgers spirit, taking advantage of all Rutgers has to offer.
And there’s plenty there. He saw it all when researching the school, he said.
Tate said he saw the Rutgers Edge in its commitment to research.
“I can tell what a university is going to be like when I see the research expenditures,” he said. “I can tell if it’s going to be a vibrant intellectual environment, or if it’s going to be slow moving. And what I saw from the numbers, the way they were accelerating, was that there’s a lot of amazing research happening here, which tells me that Ph.D. students and doctors and post-docs are there in that environment.
“And if they’re being funded really well, that means they’re interacting with undergrads, which is the difference between having a liberal arts experience and one in a major research university.”
Tate said he saw the Rutgers Edge in the faculty.
“Across the board: Outstanding in the biomedical sciences, outstanding in philosophy, outstanding in public policy, outstanding in law, outstanding in business,” he said.
Tate said he saw the Rutgers Edge in Camden and Newark, noting that Rutgers-Newark is now ranked higher than many flagship universities.
“That tells you a lot,” he said. “It’s really impressive to be in that position.”
How does Tate pledge to keep all this going? By bringing the Rutgers edge to the Legislature.
“The state university and the legislators have to see themselves as partners,” he said.
Tate noted that at LSU he managed to secure increased funding in each of his four years.
How did he do it? With a different type of attitude: Humility.
For all the talk of toughness, Tate said there are times to tone it down – times to make everyone realize Rutgers is here to work together.
“When I arrived at LSU, I went over (to the Legislature) and put together a business plan for LSU that I thought was consistent with the economic development strategies of the state,” he said. “We made the case that we were going to really invest in areas that were going to advance the state of Louisiana.
“I did the same thing in South Carolina, when I was a provost. I tried to work in partnership with the state legislators as well as the governor’s office.
“In both places, I found that to be an effective strategy.”
Being seen as a true partner – and not someone lecturing – goes far, he said.
“It’s part of the reason why higher ed is in a little bit of a pickle from a federal perspective,” he said. “You have to humble yourself and say that you’re in partnership with the people and really try to build what the people are seeking.
“If you’re not connected to them, you have a real problem.”
Tate hopes this philosophy will provide the ultimate Rutgers Edge.
“It starts with humility, coming to them and saying: ‘What do you all need? What can we do to be better for the community? That’s where I’m going to start,” he said.
