Second Opinions
MRI Reviews
Insurance Accepted
Open Late Nights
On-Site X-Ray Machine & Ultrasound
For Diagnostics & Emergency Injuries
Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment in East Brunswick, NJ - Finally Feel Your Feet Again
That burning sensation that won't let you sleep. The numb toes you can't feel on the carpet in the morning. The tingling that runs from your calves down into your heels with no warning. If any of that sounds like your evenings, you already know what you're dealing with - even if no one's put a proper name on it yet.
You're not imagining it, and you're not stuck with it.
Peripheral neuropathy affects more than 20 million Americans, and far too many of them have been told to just "live with it" or manage it with another prescription. At NJ Sports Spine and Wellness in East Brunswick, NJ, we've helped patients who'd all but given up on feeling normal again - and we've done it without surgery, without long-term pain medication, and without the endless runaround.
If you're tired of the nerve pain, the numbness, and the nighttime burning in your feet, let's talk about what might actually be driving it - and what we can do about it.
- Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment in East Brunswick, NJ | NJ Sports Spine and Wellness
- Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment in East Brunswick, NJ - Finally Feel Your Feet Again
- What Is Peripheral Neuropathy?
- Neuropathy Symptoms We See Every Day in East Brunswick, NJ
- What Causes Peripheral Neuropathy?
- Our Approach to Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment
- Related Conditions We Treat
- Why Patients Choose NJ Sports Spine and Wellness
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is what happens when the nerves outside your brain and spinal cord - your peripheral nerves - stop communicating properly with the rest of your body. Picture those nerves as a network of wires running out from your central nervous system to your hands, feet, arms, and legs. When one of those wires is compressed, inflamed, starved of nutrients, or damaged by disease, the signals it sends get scrambled on the way to the brain.
That's the reason neuropathy symptoms can feel so contradictory. Your foot might feel like it's on fire while you simultaneously can't feel the floor underneath it. Your fingers might tingle for hours and then go suddenly numb. The nerves are sending mixed messages, and your brain is doing its best to translate the static.
Here's the most important thing to understand: neuropathy is almost never a standalone disease. It's a symptom of something else - a compressed spinal nerve, uncontrolled blood sugar, a vitamin deficiency, an autoimmune reaction, or repetitive strain. Real treatment starts with figuring out what's actually causing the damage. Anything short of that is just masking the problem.
Neuropathy Symptoms We See Every Day in East Brunswick, NJ
Every patient describes their nerve pain a little differently. But almost everyone who walks into our East Brunswick, NJ office describes some combination of the following:
- Burning feet at night - the kind that has you kicking the covers off and regretting it a minute later
- Tingling in the hands and feet - persistent pins and needles that never fully goes away
- Numb toes or loss of sensation - you stub your toe on furniture you didn't feel
- Sharp, electric-shock- like nerve pain that comes and goes with no obvious trigger
- Muscle weakness in the legs or hands that's starting to affect your balance or grip
- Sensitivity to light touch - a bedsheet or sock suddenly feels painful
- Cramping or twitching in the calves or feet, especially late at night
- The "invisible sock" feeling - pressure or tightness on your feet that isn't actually there
- Loss of sensation that's slowly creeping upward from your toes toward your ankles
If you've been dealing with any of these for more than a few weeks, it's worth getting looked at. Nerve damage tends to progress, and the earlier we intervene, the more we can typically do.
What Causes Peripheral Neuropathy?
There isn't one cause, which is a big part of what makes neuropathy so maddening to deal with. Some of the most common contributors we see at our East Brunswick, NJ clinic:
- Diabetes - the leading cause, and the one responsible for diabetic neuropathy
- Spinal nerve compression from herniated discs, stenosis, or misalignment
- Vitamin deficiencies, particularly B12, B1, and B6
- Autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjogren's syndrome
- Chemotherapy and certain medications that have nerve toxicity as a side effect
- Repetitive use injuries that compress nerves over time (think carpal tunnel, tarsal tunnel)
- Chronic alcohol use or exposure to environmental toxins
- Thyroid and kidney dysfunction
- Idiopathic neuropathy - when testing doesn't turn up a clear cause
One cause a lot of practices overlook? Your spine. A substantial number of peripheral neuropathy cases trace back to nerve root compression in the lower back or neck. When those nerve roots get irritated, the symptoms can show up far from the actual source - in your feet, calves, fingers, or hands. Because we're a sports, spine, and wellness practice, the spinal connection is always part of how we evaluate your case. It's often the piece other providers have missed.
Our Approach to Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment
Most clinics treat neuropathy with medication and a wait-and-see attitude. If that doesn't work, you get a referral to a surgeon. That's a short menu for a complicated problem.
At NJ Sports Spine and Wellness, we take a different route. We're a conservative care practice by design, which means we start with non-surgical options and build a treatment plan around the specific picture your body is showing us. Our team evaluates your nerve function, your spinal health, your muscle strength, your gait and balance, your medical history, and yes - what's already been tried. Then we put together a plan that goes after the cause, not just the surface symptoms.
Non-Surgical Treatment Options
DRX9000 Spinal Decompression.
When nerve compression in the spine is part of the picture - and it often is - our DRX9000 decompression system gently relieves pressure on the affected nerve roots without any incisions or injections. For patients whose neuropathy stems from a herniated disc or stenosis, this can be a turning point.
Chiropractic Care.
Targeted adjustments restore proper motion to the spine and joints, reducing mechanical stress on irritated nerves. For the right patient, this is one of the most direct ways to calm nerve symptoms in the feet and hands.
Physical Therapy and Neuromuscular Reeducation.
We use guided exercise progressions to rebuild strength, retrain balance, and help your nervous system relearn how to talk to your muscles. This matters enormously if neuropathy has started to affect how you walk, stand, or grip.
LiteCure Laser Therapy.
Our class IV LiteCure laser delivers deep therapeutic light into damaged tissue to reduce inflammation around irritated nerves and support the body's natural repair process. It's non-invasive, drug-free, and well-tolerated.
Electrical Stimulation Therapy.
Low-level electrical currents help calm overactive pain signals and encourage nerve healing. It's one of the more effective tools for patients who haven't responded well to medication alone.
Acupuncture.
Acupuncture has a surprisingly strong evidence base for nerve pain and neuropathy symptoms. Our licensed practitioners use it as a standalone option or as part of a broader plan.
Functional Medicine and Nutritional Support.
Nerve health depends heavily on what you're putting into your body. If deficiencies, blood sugar swings, or chronic inflammation are slowing your recovery, we identify it and address it - with practical, livable changes.
Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Work.
Tight muscles around irritated nerves make everything worse. Hands-on therapy relieves that tension, improves circulation to the nerves, and creates a better environment for healing.
When More Is Needed
If conservative care isn't moving the needle far enough - and we'll tell you honestly if it isn't - we coordinate with surgical partners who specialize in minimally invasive techniques. That means smaller incisions, less disruption to surrounding tissue, and a lower risk of infection compared with traditional open surgery.
But here's what matters: the majority of our neuropathy patients never reach that step. Our goal is always to exhaust effective non-surgical options first. The best surgery is often the one you end up not needing.
Related Conditions We Treat
Our East Brunswick, NJ team also treats a range of nerve and musculoskeletal conditions that overlap with or mimic peripheral neuropathy:
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Sciatica
- Cervical and lumbar radiculopathy
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Herniated and bulging discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Post-surgical nerve pain
- Restless legs syndrome
- Chronic foot and lower leg pain
- Neurological impairments associated with spinal injury
Why Patients Choose NJ Sports Spine and Wellness
Same-Day Appointments
Nerve pain doesn't politely wait six weeks for an opening, and we don't think your care should either. We offer same-day appointments for new and existing patients whenever our schedule allows, because nobody dealing with burning feet at midnight wants to hear "we can squeeze you in next month."
A Conservative-Care Philosophy
We don't reach for injections, prescriptions, or surgical referrals as the first move. We believe in working with your body's capacity to heal - and we've seen how far that approach can go when it's applied consistently by clinicians who actually know what they're doing.
A Multi-Disciplinary Team Under One Roof
You won't be bounced between three different offices with three conflicting opinions. Our chiropractors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pain management specialists, acupuncturists, and podiatrist/foot and ankle surgeon all work together - same building, same chart, same plan for you.
Minimally Invasive Referrals When Surgery Is Warranted
In the smaller subset of cases where surgery is truly the right call, we refer to specialists who use minimally invasive techniques. Smaller incisions. Less tissue disruption.
Advanced In-House Technology
We invest in the equipment that actually moves the needle: the DRX9000 spinal decompression table, LiteCure class IV therapeutic laser, AlterG anti-gravity treadmill for gait retraining, shockwave therapy, NormaTec compression, and on-site X-ray and ultrasound for same-visit diagnostics.
A Treatment Plan With an Actual Finish Line
Our plans have a destination. We track your progress, adjust what isn't working, and don't keep you coming back indefinitely. The point is getting you better - and getting you back to the things you've been avoiding.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Your first appointment at our East Brunswick, NJ office is really a conversation, not an assembly line. We'll sit down and talk about when your symptoms started, what makes them better or worse, and what you've already tried. From there, we'll do a thorough physical and neurological exam - testing reflexes, sensation, strength, range of motion, and balance. We may take on-site imaging if it adds clarity to what we're seeing.
Then we'll walk you through, in plain English, what we think is going on and what the options look like. You'll leave the visit knowing exactly what the next step is, what treatment would involve, and what realistic improvement could look like for someone with your history.
No pressure. No upselling. Just a straightforward plan.
Ready to Stop Just Coping? Call Today.
If you've been dealing with burning, numbness, tingling, or nerve pain, and you're done waiting for it to get better on its own - we'd like to help. Peripheral neuropathy rarely improves without intervention, but with the right approach, most patients see real, measurable change in how they feel day to day.
Call our East Brunswick, NJ office at (908) 866-7246 to schedule. Same-day appointments available.
Frequently Asked Questions About Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment
It depends on what's causing it and how long it's been going on. Nerve irritation from spinal compression, nutritional deficiency, or early-stage diabetes often responds well to treatment, and many patients see meaningful symptom improvement. More advanced or long-standing nerve damage may not fully reverse, but we can usually reduce pain significantly, improve function and balance, and slow or stop further progression. The earlier you start, the more we can typically do.
There's no single "best" treatment - it depends on what's causing the nerve damage. For most of our East Brunswick, NJ patients, the strongest results come from a combination approach: spinal decompression (when compression is part of the picture), targeted physical therapy, LiteCure laser therapy, electrical stimulation, and nutritional support tailored to nerve health. We don't use a one-size-fits-all protocol, because no two neuropathy cases are really the same.
If you've had numbness, tingling, burning, or nerve pain for more than a few weeks - or if your symptoms are spreading or getting worse - it's worth getting evaluated. You don't need a formal neuropathy diagnosis to come in. If you've noticed changes in how your feet feel, a loss of grip strength, or balance issues you didn't have a year ago, that's reason enough for an exam.
No referral needed. You can schedule directly with our office. If you've already seen another provider, bringing along any recent imaging, bloodwork, or test results makes your first visit more efficient - but it's not required.
Every patient's timeline is different, and your provider will give you a more specific estimate once they understand your case. Some patients notice a meaningful shift in the first few weeks; others are working with a longer treatment arc because of how long the issue has been developing. We check in on progress regularly and adjust the plan based on how you're responding - so you're never in the dark about whether something's working.
Latest News in East Brunswick, NJ
East Brunswick Celebrates Grand Opening of New Ice Arena with Full Day of Community Events
TAPintohttps://www.tapinto.net/towns/east-brunswick/sections/community-happenings/articles/east-brunswick-celebrates-grand-opening-of-new-ice-arena-with-full-day-of-community-events
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Under clear skies and mild spring temperatures, residents from East Brunswick and neighboring communities gathered Saturday morning to witness a long-anticipated milestone: the grand opening of the East Brunswick Ice Arena.Families, young athletes, and longtime residents filled the new facility, many eager to be among the first to step inside and take part in a day that township officials described as historic for the community.The event drew a wide range of attendees, including local...
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Under clear skies and mild spring temperatures, residents from East Brunswick and neighboring communities gathered Saturday morning to witness a long-anticipated milestone: the grand opening of the East Brunswick Ice Arena.
Families, young athletes, and longtime residents filled the new facility, many eager to be among the first to step inside and take part in a day that township officials described as historic for the community.
The event drew a wide range of attendees, including local elected officials, township council members, community leaders, and representatives from the New Jersey Devils organization. The atmosphere throughout the morning was energetic, with music, announcements, and activity across both rinks.
Mayor Brad Cohen, joined by Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, County Clerk Nancy Pinkin, and members of the Township Council—including Council President Dana Zimbicki, Councilman Dinesh Behal, Councilman Kevin McEvoy, Councilman James Wendal, and Councilwoman Dana Winston—helped mark the official opening.
Members of the East Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce were also in attendance, including the President, Crystal Pleasant.
In his remarks, Cohen thanked the Township Council, the Recreation and Parks Department, and all those involved in bringing the project to completion. He also acknowledged the work of the project’s architects, the DMR Architect team, and highlighted that the arena was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
Council leadership echoed those sentiments, recognizing the contributions of union labor and others who played a role in the development. The mayor also noted a symbolic touch nearby: streets in the adjacent Legacy Place development have been named after retired New Jersey Devils jersey numbers.
Behind the scenes, the Recreation and Parks team worked throughout the morning to ensure the event ran smoothly. Ice Arena General Manager Devon Ketch could be seen moving throughout the facility, coordinating logistics and assisting staff as the crowds continued to grow.
The grand opening was designed as a full-day community celebration, with programming scheduled across both rinks. Figure skating exhibitions, alumni and community hockey games, and public skating sessions kept the ice in near-constant use.
Pre-registration for public skating sessions filled quickly, with many time slots fully booked in advance—an early indication of strong community interest in the new facility.
Throughout the day, visitors also gathered at the Arena Grill, which remained busy serving food and refreshments to attendees.
The schedule of events on opening day included a welcome address from the mayor, skating exhibitions, alumni games, hockey matchups, and multiple public skating sessions across both rinks, offering opportunities for residents of all ages and skill levels to participate.
Township officials said the arena is expected to serve as a year-round hub for recreation, youth sports, and community programming.
Residents interested in future programming, including figure skating, hockey leagues, and learn-to-play opportunities, can find additional information on the township’s website:
Figure Skating: https://www.eastbrunswick.org/1028/Figure-SkatingHockey Programs: https://www.eastbrunswick.org/1029/Hockey-ProgramsLearn to Play Hockey: https://www.eastbrunswick.org/1056/Learn-to-Play-Hockey
Online registration for programs is available through Finnly Connect:https://www.eastbrunswick.org/1046/Finnly-Connect
As the day continued, the steady flow of residents through the arena made one thing clear—the new facility is already becoming a focal point for the East Brunswick community.
New Partnership Brings Contemporary and Re-imagined Operas to East Brunswick, NJ Area
TAPintohttps://www.tapinto.net/towns/east-brunswick/categories/press-releases/articles/new-partnership-brings-contemporary-and-re-imagined-operas-to-east-brunswick-nj-area
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ —East Brunswick Arts Commission (EBAC) and Hub City Opera and Dance Company, Inc. (HCODC) announced a new collaborative partnership that will bring new and reimagined operatic works to the East Brunswick, NJ area.The partnership will play an important artistic role in bringing high-quality, professional operatic performances to the area at affordable prices. The first collaboration will feature “Food Meets Opera,” a double bill of operas that explore television and food. The perfor...
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ —East Brunswick Arts Commission (EBAC) and Hub City Opera and Dance Company, Inc. (HCODC) announced a new collaborative partnership that will bring new and reimagined operatic works to the East Brunswick, NJ area.
The partnership will play an important artistic role in bringing high-quality, professional operatic performances to the area at affordable prices. The first collaboration will feature “Food Meets Opera,” a double bill of operas that explore television and food. The performances will take place on March 21, 2026, at 7 pm, and March 22, 2026, at 3 pm, at the Elliot Taubenslag theater, home of Playhouse 22. Tickets can be purchased at www.playhouse22.org. Seating is assigned, and early-bird discounted tickets are available until March 15, 2026.
The first opera, “Bon Appétit!” by Lee Hoiby, with text by Julia Child adapted by Mark Shulgasser (presented under license from G. Schirmer, Inc., copyright owner), features Julia Child baking a chocolate cake on stage. The second opera, “The Cook-Off,” with music by Shawn Okpebholo and libretto by Mark Campbell( commissioned by Chicago Opera Theater’s Vanguard Initiative), dramatizes a television cooking competition called “America Loves Food,” where three contestants vie for the $100,000 prize for the best Mac ‘N Cheese.
According to Annamaria Stefanelli, president of HCODC, “Our partnership with EBAC is the perfect melding of both organizations’ purpose. Like the East Brunswick Arts Commission, we exist to serve and enrich our community. We do this by bringing contemporary works to our audiences that not only entertain but also raise issues they can relate to. What better way to do this than by mounting a production about TV and food? These operas promise a great experience for new opera goers and a fresh look at opera for our more seasoned attendees. And they are hilarious and poignant at the same time.”
About East Brunswick Arts Commission
The East Brunswick Arts Commission (EBAC) brings the arts to life for the entire community and serves as the township’s cultural hub. Founded more than 50 years ago, EBAC advances a vision of making the arts accessible to all by presenting high-quality concerts, visual art exhibitions, family programs, festivals, and immersive learning experiences for diverse audiences. In recent years, EBAC has produced more than a dozen programs, reaching thousands of attendees, launching young musicians into professional careers, and supporting local artists. EBAC is committed to expanding participation, increasing free and low-cost programming, and continuing to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive cultural life in East Brunswick and surrounding communities.
For upcoming programs, please visit
https://www.eastbrunswick.org/326/East-Brunswick-Arts-Commission
About Hub City Opera and Dance Company
Hub City Opera and Dance, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, based in New Brunswick, NJ, and formed in 2017, whose mission is to produce innovative operatic works that educate and entertain. The company’s mission includes enriching the community and bringing music education to the area through outreach programs offered to schools, colleges, and civic institutions.
For more information about Hub City Opera and Dance, please visit www.hubcityopera.org.
Online Registration Open for Free Public Skates at the Grand Opening on the East Brunswick Ice Arena
Dawn Millerhttps://www.tapinto.net/towns/east-brunswick/sections/community-happenings/articles/online-registration-open-for-free-public-skates-at-the-grand-opening-on-the-east-brunswick-ice-arena
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - The countdown is on to the Grand Opening of the East Brunswick Ice Arena on Sunday, March 22. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. and run through 6 p.m. For people interested in getting out on the ice for the free public skate sessions on March 22, online registration is open now. Spots are filling up fast for the free public skate sessions. The sessions available are from:Registration is required and can be completed online. Skates are included for the free public skates on March 22. Helmets are recommended and skaters ...
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - The countdown is on to the Grand Opening of the East Brunswick Ice Arena on Sunday, March 22. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. and run through 6 p.m. For people interested in getting out on the ice for the free public skate sessions on March 22, online registration is open now. Spots are filling up fast for the free public skate sessions. The sessions available are from:
Registration is required and can be completed online. Skates are included for the free public skates on March 22. Helmets are recommended and skaters should dress warm.
Online registration is also open for the off-ice training sessions. Off-ice training sessions on March 22 include:
Registration for the off-ice training sessions can be completed by filling out the online Jot Form.
There is a full calendar of activities going on at the upcoming Grand Opening of the highly-anticipated township ice arena. On Rink One, the following activities are on tap for March 22:
On Rink Two, the following activities are scheduled:
The East Brunswick Ice Arena also unveiled its online registration for public skates as well as other programs being offered at the rink. Registration is done through Finley Connect. In order to prepay for public skates or register for one of the rink's upcoming programs, a Finley Connect account is required. A Finely Connect account can be set up on the East Brusnwick Recreation Department website by clicking on Ice Arena and then on Finley Connect. There is also a PDF available with step-by-step directions for setting up a Finley Connect account.
Following the grand opening, the EB Ice Arena has four public skate sessions in March including:
There is a complete public skate session for April available online and pictured below. Skaters can rent skates for $8 or bring their own for public skates. The pricing for public skates is:
Multi-visit passes are available at discounted rates. For additional information about the East Brunswick Ice Arena, visit their website and follow the rink on Facebook.
Celebrating East Brunswick Residents Making Their Mark
Dawn Millerhttps://www.tapinto.net/towns/east-brunswick/sections/community-happenings/articles/celebrating-east-brunswick-residents-making-their-mark
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - From the classroom to the athletic field to branches of the military and beyond, East Brunswick residents are making their mark and here are a few highlights for this winter.Anna Sawicki is a graduate of East Brunswick High School and a member of Lebanon Valley College's women's track and field team. This winter, during the competitive indoor season, the Flying Dutchman took home the Middle Atlantic Conference Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship. The team finished in first place out of 16 teams with 107 po...
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - From the classroom to the athletic field to branches of the military and beyond, East Brunswick residents are making their mark and here are a few highlights for this winter.
Anna Sawicki is a graduate of East Brunswick High School and a member of Lebanon Valley College's women's track and field team. This winter, during the competitive indoor season, the Flying Dutchman took home the Middle Atlantic Conference Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship. The team finished in first place out of 16 teams with 107 points. Lebanon Valley clinched the title on the final day of the MAC Championships. Their coach, Melissa Byler, was named Coach of the Year. It was the Flying Dutchman's first conference title since 2014. Sawicki was a big part of the team's title, recording personal best long and high jump marks while earning her best 60-meter hurdle time. The sophomore is making her first National Championship appearance on March 13 in the pentathlon. Sawicki is majoring in exercise science at Lebanon Valley.
Also, this month, East Brunswick's Amirah Jannati was awarded the Trustee Scholarship through Elmira College's Scholars Program. Elmira's Scholars Program awards full-tuition scholarships to full-time, first year students. Applicants must have an unweighted grade-point average of 3.7 or above. They must submit letters of recommendation, a personal statement and write a 500 to 750-word essay based on a prompt. Applicants not awarded full tuition receive the college's $30,000 Trustee Scholarship, which is the highest merit scholarship offered to deserving students.
Another township college student making her mark in the classroom is Juliana Garber. Garber is a double major at Boston's Emmanuel College, majoring in graphic design and marketing. She was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2025 semester. Students must have a grade-point average of 3.5 or above and carry at least 16 credits to receive Dean's List honors at Emmanuel.
Emma Cohen is among the 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be elected for membership into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Cohen, an East Brunswick resident, is a student at Kean University. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the United States' “oldest and most selective, all-discipline collegiate honor society.” Membership is by invitation only. A nomination is required as is approval by the Kean University chapter. Invitations are offered to a select group who must be in the top 10 percent of their senior class. Only 7.5 percent of juniors nationwide are considered for membership.
There were more fall semester honors for two East Brunswick residents attending Fairleight Dickinson University's Florham Campus in Madison. Pierre Ibrahim and Mindy Brown were named to the university's Honors List for the 2025 fall semester.
Finally, this winter, East Brunswick's Alexander Makaron was among the recent promotions of New York Army National Guard Members announced by Major General Ray Shields. Promotions were granted based on a soldier's “overall performance, demonstrated leadership abilities, professionalism and future development potential.” Makaron, a member of the 27th Financial Management Support Unit, was promoted to the rank of sergeant first class on February 3.
Rutgers May Lay Off 38 Faculty Members
Carly Baldwinhttps://patch.com/new-jersey/newbrunswick/rutgers-says-it-may-lay-37-faculty-members
The faculty union says Rutgers should make cuts from RU Athletics, running at a $516-million deficit since joining the Big Ten.NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ —Potential lay-off notices were given to 38 Rutgers adjunct faculty members on March 6, according to the professors' union, and confirmed by the university.The school is required to let professors know by a contractual deadline if their position may not be renewed for next year, according to the terms of an agreement Rutgers has with one of its faculty unions, the AAUP-AFT....
The faculty union says Rutgers should make cuts from RU Athletics, running at a $516-million deficit since joining the Big Ten.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ —Potential lay-off notices were given to 38 Rutgers adjunct faculty members on March 6, according to the professors' union, and confirmed by the university.
The school is required to let professors know by a contractual deadline if their position may not be renewed for next year, according to the terms of an agreement Rutgers has with one of its faculty unions, the AAUP-AFT.
All 38 teachers are defined as "lectures" in the School of Arts and Sciences; they received notices last Friday they may not be re-appointed to their jobs next year. The university said there is a chance some could be re-hired.
The 38 faculty members teach about 100 classes, and this will have a direct impact on students, said Hank Kalet, vice president of the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union.
The faculty union said Rutgers continues to pour money into its athletics program (currently operating at a $516-million deficit), and the school looks to academics any time it wants to save money.
The compensation for adjunct professors accounts for less than one percent of the university’s budget.
"The money 'saved' by these cuts is minimal and could easily have been found in wasteful spending rather than in essential teachers’ salaries," said Heather Pierce, president of the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union. "Rutgers needs to reexamine its priorities. Its focus must be on the quality education and cutting-edge research that have propelled Rutgers into the ranks of the nation’s finest public universities, making it a draw for students around the world."
The two Rutgers faculty unions say Rutgers finances should be in very good shape: Rutgers has tuition hikes every year (tuition increased four percent in 2025, and another tuition hike is coming in fall 2026). Rutgers total enrollment is up by more than three percent. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the university's unrestricted reserves have grown by more than 50 percent, as has its endowment, which now exceeds $2 billion.
The only place Rutgers runs at a loss is its athletic department, according to accounting data the university previously made public to the media. Rutgers Athletics has famously rung up a $516.9 million deficit since the school joined the Big Ten athletic conference in 2014.
Non-tenure-track lecturers teach about a third of all classes across the university. They are the most vulnerable members of the faculty; they teach on short-term contracts, are paid per class and seldom qualify for health benefits.
The Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union represents roughly 3,000 lecturers overall. Rutgers AAUP-AFT represents more than 5,000 full-time faculty, graduate workers, postdocs and more at Rutgers.
Rutgers has dug a $500 million hole since joining the Big Ten. Where did the money go? (NJ.com)
Disclaimer:
Service Areas
