Kean University Spends $219,000 On State-Of-The-Art 22-Foot Conference Table

When Kean University commissioned and paid for a state-of-the-art conference table which set them back a massive $219,000, many students and some teachers were shocked, however grand the new table might be.

The table, which is 22 feet long and made from the finest oak, was specially manufactured by a company in China, where Kean recently opened a campus, and serves as the centerpiece of a new conference center.

Meanwhile, while the majority of the teachers dismissed criticism of the purchase outright, many students were stunned that public university funds would go towards such an item.

Freshman Melrose Johnson said about the purchase of the table, “That’s ridiculous. It’s a table. You’re just sitting around it,” while her friend, Sydney Espada asked reporters, “I mean, does it talk to you or something?”

So what did Kean University get for their $219,000 investment?

The oak table is custom-designed and has advanced multimedia capabilities, including a wide array of audio equipment and other electronics to be used during conferences. It can accommodate speakers from up to 25 international locations, according to university officials.

Each of the table’s 23 seats has its own microphone, as well as Bose speakers, five power outlet panels, one of which hooks up to projecting equipment synched with screens inside and outside the conference room and an equalizer, amplifier and feedback suppressor, which are housed in a separate cabinet.

Some students from Kean weighed in on social media, as was to be expected, about the purchase of the table versus other services which are lacking on the campus, like parking and classroom supplies, as well as against the cost of their tuition.

Kean students currently pay around $5,621.75 per semester or $11,243.50 annually for New Jersey students, and $8,826 per semester or $17,652.25 annually for out-of-state-students.

Raewkon Culver, a Kean freshman, said he thinks the tuition is reasonable overall but that the $219,000 spent for the table could have been put toward helping students to afford the fees. “They should help some of these kids with their tuition, instead of buying a table,” he said. “There’s some people that are struggling, taking out a lot of loans.”