New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a hard-won higher education restructuring bill Wednesday.
The bill gives Rutgers University a coveted medical school and elevates Rowan University to a research university.
The legislation paves the way for shifting the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey to Rutgers and Rowan.
It also links Rowan and Rutgers-Camden for joint science collaborations, but does not merge the two, which was a deal-breaker for some.
Christie promoted the changes for months before the Democrat-led Legislature agreed.
South Jersey Democratic Party leader George Norcross III added his muscle to the bill.
Copyright AP - Associated Press