Rowan professor supports intent of bill to post syllabi but warns of staffing burdens and safety risks

A discussion-only hearing on Assembly bill A3807 opened with supporters saying the intent—to give students earlier access to course expectations—was sound, but witnesses and campus representatives urged the committee to address practical and safety concerns.

Doctor Bill Fried, identified with Rowan University and the university senate, told the committee he supported the bill’s goals but warned that posting syllabi for every undergraduate section would impose a significant operational burden. He said Rowan offered what he described in testimony as a very large number of core sections and that ‘‘posting that many syllabi would require additional personnel and also software to handle that.’’ Fried added that many faculty are hired after the student registration deadline, making a hard pre-registration posting date infeasible.

Fried also raised safety concerns: ‘‘I will be a target,’’ he said, describing incidents in which faculty who teach on race, class and gender have received threats and harassment. Francine Pfeffer of the New Jersey Education Association echoed the need to balance transparency with faculty safety and labor considerations.

Assemblyman Miller, who said he intended the bill to ensure students know potential course costs and materials before classes begin, acknowledged those operational and contract-related concerns and said he looked forward to working with stakeholders to refine the proposal and consider portal-based solutions that reduce administrative burden.

The committee did not take formal action on A3807 at this hearing; members and witnesses agreed to continue stakeholder engagement and technical drafting to address the timeline for posting, labor-contract impacts, and protections for faculty.