Sale of New Jersey campus to Beijing company due

Despite legal challenges and political opposition, the sale of a New Jersey college to a Chinese education company is scheduled to be completed on Monday.

In June 2018, Rider University in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, signed an agreement in June 2018 to sell its second campus, Westminster Choir College, to Beijing Kaiwen Education Technology Co Ltd for $40 million, with a sale date of July 1.

A private school founded in 1926, Westminster is a residential music college located on a 23-acre campus in Princeton, New Jersey. It has had a reciprocal program with its Ivy League neighbor Princeton University in which a limited number of students at either school could take classes at the other.

"At Westminster's core is a four-year music college and graduate school that prepares men and women for careers as performers and as music leaders in schools, universities, churches and professional and community organizations," the college's website says.

Kaiwen Education was known as Jiangsu Zhongtai Bridge Steel Structure Co Ltd until December. The company is also spending $16 million for capital and working capital expenses, according to campusreform.org, a college news website.

"Kaiwen Education's obligation to act in full accordance with US laws and regulations is outlined in the Purchase and Sale Agreement, including the requirement to obtain all necessary licenses and accreditations," Rider University spokeswoman Kristine Brown told Campus Reform in an article published Friday. "Furthermore, Rider would not have moved forward if we didn't believe in Kaiwen's commitment to and strategic plan for Westminster.

"Discussions regarding the future of Westminster Choir College are continuing," Brown told the website. "We have no additional information to share at this time, but will do as soon as we are able."

In February 2018, Rider University President Greg Dell'Omo announced the signing of a "nonbinding" term sheet for the sale.

"Kaiwen Education intends to make offers of employment to faculty and staff as well as continue committed student aid at the time of closing in the form of endowed scholarships, tuition discounts and other grant obligations," Dell'Omo wrote.

Two local lawsuits attempting to block the sale also have been announced.

"I have been retained by tenured faculty at both Rider and Westminster to file suit on their behalf to block Rider University's continued damage to this vaunted music college," Westminster Foundation lawyer Bruce Afran told patch.com on Friday. "We will move to block any effort by Rider University to move Westminster Choir College and sell the endowed campus that has served the needs of the musical world for over 80 years.

"The state-of-the-art Cullen Center and Westminster's many other specialized facilities cannot be replaced at Rider's Lawrenceville campus, and a move of the Choir College will severely damage this institution," he said.

Afran said that unless Rider ceases the sale, the lawsuit will widen, with tenured faculty joining as plaintiffs.

Princeton Theological Seminary, which also has a reciprocity agreement with Westminster, also has sued to block the sale. The seminary cited a 1935 trust stating that if Westminster didn't continue its mission, the college should be shifted to the seminary.

In March, the New Jersey attorney general's office launched an investigation into the sale, which focused on, among other issues, what Rider would do with the proceeds. The state sent the university almost 100 questions about the sale.