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Rutgers-Newark faculty members voted to protest Rutgers University's decision to invite former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to speak at this year's commencement ceremony.

(2006 Getty Images file photo)



NEWARK — The faculty at Rutgers-Newark's voted today to call for the university to rescind an invitation to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to serve as the university's commencement speaker.

The Rutgers-Newark professors joined their counterparts on the university's New Brunswick campus, who last month called for Rice to be disinvited because of her role in the Iraq war and the Bush administration's approval of controversial prisoner interrogation techniques.

In a meeting in Smith Hall, more than 100 members of the Rutgers-Newark faculty overwhelmingly approved a resolution nearly identical to the one passed in New Brunswick, participants said.

H. Bruce Franklin, a Rutgers-Newark English and American Studies professor, said he introduced the resolution to continue to raise awareness about Rice's speech.

"This is not good for Rutgers," Franklin said. "What we're doing is awarding an honorary degree and having a commencement speech from someone who is a war criminal."

Franklin said Rutgers professors would welcome Rice to campus for a policy debate, but it is inappropriate for her to be honored at commencement.

Last week, Rutgers President Robert Barchi sent the campus a letter acknowledging the controversy over Rice's selection. But Barchi said she will still speak at the May 18 ceremony in Piscataway.

Rice is scheduled to receive a $35,000 honorarium, paid by private donations to the university's foundation, and an honorary Rutgers doctorate for her appearance.

The Rutgers-Newark faculty vote came on the same day the university announced U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will speak at a free March 24 campus event on women and politics. The California Democrat will speak for free and tickets to the event have all been handed out, campus officials said.

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