PRESIDING OFFICER: Paul Panayotatos, Chairperson

CALL TO ORDER, DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM, AND CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT - Paul Panayotatos, Chairperson

Chairperson Panayotatos called the January 25, 2013 University Senate meeting to order at 1:12 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Rutgers Student Center, College Avenue Campus, New Brunswick. He said that he had met with President Barchi and Executive Vice President Edwards at the beginning of the semester to discuss pending decisions on Senate recommendations that had been submitted to the administration but on which responses had not yet been received..

SECRETARY'S REPORT - Ken Swalagin, Executive Secretary of the Senate

• Agenda: The meeting agenda was as distributed by the executive secretary.
• Minutes: The Minutes of the December 7, 2012 Senate Meeting were approved as distributed by the executive secretary. 

COMMITTEE REPORTS 


NEW BRUNSWICK CAMPUS REPORT - Interim New Brunswick Chancellor Richard Edwards

Interim New Brunswick Chancellor Richard Edwards presented a New Brunswick campus report, which included comments on:

• addition of a New Brunswick chancellor position to Rutgers' administrative structure;
• Robert L. Barchi being named president of Rutgers University;
• the New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Restructuring Act, and integration of Rutgers University with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ);
• Rutgers' strategic planning processes, and opportunities for the Rutgers community to participate in those processes;
• Rutgers contracting with Pearson to help Rutgers grow its online courses;
• Rutgers' responses to recent weather-related emergencies, particularly Hurricane Sandy, and how those response processes and general preparedness can be improved;
• achievements, awards, and honors of faculty and students;
• rankings of Rutgers programs;
• structural and administrative transitions;
• Rutgers' move into the Big Ten athletic conference, and joining the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC); and
• areas of Rutgers New Brunswick in which improvement is needed, particularly relative to other members of the CIC, such as size of endowment and number of chaired professorships.

Edwards then responded to questions on topics including:

• campus-specific administrative positions and related responsibilities;
• benefits of CIC membership; and
• makeup classes following Hurricane Sandy.

REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES: Senator Samuel Rabinowitz, Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors,  reported on the December 14, 2012 Board of Governors meeting. Senator Martha Cotter, Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, reported that the Board of Trustees had not met since the previous Senate meeting.

CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISON REPORTS: Samuel Rabinowitz, chair Camden Faculty Council, reported on recent activities of the Camden Faculty Council. Senator Daniel O'Connor, chair of the New Brunswick Faculty Council, reported on recent plans and activities of the New Brunswick Faculty Council.

OLD BUSINESS: There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS: Chairperson Panayotatos asked for a motion to move the Senate into committee-of-the-whole to discuss strategic planning. He explained committee-of-the-whole format. On motion, the Senate entered committee-of-the-whole. Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) members Menahem Spiegel (chair), Samuel Berman, and Charles Heckscher presented a "Resolution on Senate Involvement in Strategic Planning" that had been written and adopted by the BFC that morning. Heckscher read the resolution, as follows:

Whereas:

• the administration has embarked on a comprehensive strategic planning that has the potential to make major changes in many areas of the University.
• the Senate, in a report of the Budget and Finance Committee, called a year ago for a strategic planning process to make clearer the bases on which resource allocations are made.
• that report stresses that active deliberation by stakeholders is a key ingredient of successful strategic planning in universities.
• the Senate is the University's principal body for stakeholder deliberation. It is the only place where all the major constituencies - students, staff, faculty and administrators - come together for discussion of critical issues, and plays an important role in building trust and consensus throughout the University.

Therefore, We Ask That:

1. the Senate make discussion of strategic planning a top priority for the Spring 2013 semester.
2. that the Senate request a meeting between the Steering Committee or its designated representatives and the Budget and Finance Committee, with an open invitation to the Executive Committee, to take place before the next Senate meeting, in order to discuss the strategic planning process.
3. that Senate standing committees examine the process of the strategic planning under its standing charges and prepare proposals for discussion by the Senate within the next two months.

Parliamentary procedure, as applies to the appropriateness of this resolution, was discussed, and it was ruled out of order for action because the Senate was in committee-of-the-whole, and therefore could discuss, but not vote on issues. There was additional discussion of strategic planning before the above resolution was again brought to the floor. Chairperson Panayotatos said that the resolution would appropriately be brought to the Executive Committee for consideration. [Note: The subsequent Executive Committee meeting was opened to all University Senators for an open forum with President Barchi on strategic planning.] On motion and duly seconded, the Senate rose from committee-of-the-whole. A quorum count was called, and it was determined that a quorum was not present.

ADJOURNMENT: Quorum not being present, the meeting adjourned at 2:50 p.m. Discussion of strategic planning and related processes, including those internal to the Senate and its standing committees, continued afterward.

Minutes Written and Submitted by:
Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate