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A group dedicated to keeping Westminster Choir College at its longtime campus in Princeton, N.J., says it has armed itself with a well-known attorney and entered talks to spin the institution off from Rider University.
The Coalition to Save Westminster Choir College in Princeton Inc. announced Wednesday that it has met with Rider University leadership about the idea of turning the choir college into a freestanding institution. The coalition’s representatives were asked to submit a written proposal for consideration by Rider’s Board of Trustees and expects to meet again with the university’s leaders within 30 days, it said.
Facing budget gaps and financial pressure, Rider has considered several options for Westminster. The choir college, which became a part of Rider under an agreement in the early 1990s, is located about seven miles away from the university’s main campus in Lawrenceville. Rider first considered moving Westminster to Lawrenceville. After that idea was met with opposition from students, faculty and alumni who said the Princeton campus was specifically suited to host a choir college and a unique part of its institutional identity, Rider announced it would instead try to sell Westminster.
Rider’s leaders said they preferred to sell Westminster and its land as a package. But they also said they would consider selling them separately, which would likely require Westminster to relocate its operations.
The Coalition to Save Westminster Choir College in Princeton has retained Bruce Afran, a lawyer who recently settled property tax litigation brought by homeowners against Princeton University. Afran questioned in a Wednesday statement whether Rider has the right to sell Westminster’s campus under the agreement that brought the institutions together.
“The 1991 agreement was intended to preserve the historic Princeton campus and maintain Westminster’s ‘separate identity,’” Afran said. “The merger agreement did not give Rider the right to benefit financially from the sale of the campus.”
The coalition did not share any financial details about its spin-off proposals.
“We have had a frank and productive discussion with Rider’s leadership and have proposed that, instead of litigation, Rider and the coalition begin discussions to return Westminster to its former status as an independent educational institution,” coalition member Howard McMorris said in a statement. “We believe good-faith discussions like this can aid Rider in its financial future while preserving Westminster Choir College as an independent, world-class cultural institution.”
(Update: Rider provided a statement Thursday morning.)
The coalition asked for a meeting, and Rider's leaders listened to the group's concerns, said Kristine Brown, university spokeswoman, in a statement. Rider agreed to consider a spin-off proposal, which it is now waiting to receive.
"We appreciate the interest of the coalition and others in the future of Westminster, while at the same time the process to identify other interested parties to acquire Westminster continues," Brown said. "Our goal remains the same: to find an institution willing to acquire Westminster and maintain its important legacy."
