EXCUSED:  Ardeshna, Booth, Bugel, Burley, Civile, D'Anna, Denham-Barrett, Dreyer, Eaton, Gross, Honeycutt, Kane, Kustka, Langsam, Leavy, Levy, Manyaga, Miller, Patton, Puhak, Samant, Schneider, Settles, Sheflin, Shinn, Siddiqui, Soto, Strom, Takhistov, Zurlo

• Agenda: The meeting's agenda, including time limits, was approved by the Senate.
• Minutes: The Minutes of the December 8, 2017 Senate Meeting were approved as distributed by the Executive Secretary.
• Communications: The following communications were presented by the Executive Secretary:
• President Barchi's Response to Executive Committee Statement and Resolution on Rutgers, a Safe and Welcoming Environment
• President Barchi's Response to Executive Committee Resolution with Background on Three-Plus-One Programs
  

• his sympathies to Chancellor Strom's family on the death of Strom's father;
• future administrative reports, and how and by whom they will be presented;
• recent weather conditions, and Facilities Services responses;
• an anticipated, but not yet public, announcement about Rutgers' endowment;
• the ongoing Middle States Reaccreditation process;
• issues of hate speech and prejudice, and a planned, related, March 27 symposium;
• efforts to maintain affordability of Rutgers education; and
• an increase in Rutgers' minimum student wage, which will be paid from the president's strategic funds for the first few years.

• Cornerstone, and ongoing difficulties therewith;
• when he might meet with Governor Murphy;
• his response to Senate recommendations on staff promotion and salary adjustments, on which he offered to follow up with Vivian Fernandez if the matter was not resolved;
• Big Ten athletics;
• the potential for student members of the Board of Governors;
• standards for adjudicating academic integrity; and
• New Jersey State funding for Rutgers.

whereas he has served with distinction in this office for 21 years; and

whereas over the course of these years he has consistently provided thoughtful guidance and leadership to senators, to senate chairs, to the Executive Committee, to the other standing committees of the senate, and to the university; and

whereas he has made invaluable contributions to the promotion of shared governance at Rutgers in many and various ways

Therefore be it resolved

that The Rutgers University Senate expresses its sincere gratitude and appreciation to Ken, and extends to him its best wishes for a happy, healthy, and fulfilling retirement.

To Rutgers, for the degrees, the salary, and the benefits, and the opportunity to work for them;

To RCM for changing the way the Senate is funded, and hopefully making possible some communication and technology improvements that weren’t possible for the Senate in the past;

To the administration, and in particular Barbara Lee and Roberta Leslie, for the level of communication and responsiveness the Senate now has;

To the Senators who are here today, and all those who participate regularly. You are the true heart and soul of the Senate. I hope you realize how important what you do really is.;

To the Senate’s committee chairs, who work for little or no reward other than knowing they’re making Rutgers a better institution;

To Linda and Mary Mickelsen, who assisted me as Senate Secretary over the past two decades;

To the many and all people at Rutgers, both here and gone, who have shown me kindness, acceptance, cooperation and appreciation over these 40 years;

Finally, and especially, thanks to two colleagues whose support, guidance, and friendship is so important to me, my two best, favorite lunch buddies: Ann Gould and Jon Oliver.

It’s been great. Thanks, and good luck.