RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE

MINUTES: Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE: February 19, 2016

TIME AND PLACE: 1:10 p.m., Multipurpose Room, Camden Campus Center, Camden Campus

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Abacan, Ahmed, Alder, Anderson, Arezzi, Barchi, Benford, Bhuyan, Boikess, Borden, Borisovets, Chandler, Chayko, Cherniss, Covello, Cruz, Dasari, Davis, DiVito, Dreyer, Durham, Esposito, Faenza, Fitzgerlad-Bocarsly, Gillett, Goh, Gonzalez, Gould, K. Gursoy, M. Gursoy, Haddon, Heckscher, D. Hughes, Huselid, Israel, Jamknanwala, Janniger, Joergensen, Kelshikar, Killingsworth, Krapivin, Kressel, Kustka, LaPointe, B. Lee, K. Lee, Maloney, Marcone, Markert, Meyer, Murphy, Nissen, Norville, Oberdiek, Okuwobi, Oleske, Oliver, Otto, Pirrello, Pitt, Puhak, Pusukur, Rabinowitz, Robinson, Saltzman, Schulberg, Schwartz, Scoloveno, C. Scott, K. Scott, Settles, J. Shapiro, Sharp, Sheflin, Spiegel, Stein, Sung, Szabo, Tamburello, Theiss, Thomson, Toney-Boss, Torres, Van Stine, Williams, Winkler, Zurlo

EXCUSED:  Avadhani, Balog, Barraco, Boruchoff, Bridgeman, Bugel, Burley, Chau, Y. Chen, Cotter, Delnevo, Drachtman,  Fagley, Fletcher, Gold, Grant,  Joo, Kalan, Kuzma, Langer, Jane Lewis, McKeever, Meck, Miranti, Morrell, Mouradian, O'Connell, Ponzio, Prestigiacomo, Roth, Ryan, Samant, Shaban, Shapley, Singh, Struwe, Szatrowski, Takacs, Wagner, Wakim, Wang, White, Winterbauer

ABSENT:   Ahluwalia, Aioub, Alizadeh, Anthony, Asker, Balmer, Barbarese, Barone, Blanchett, Calabrese, Cantor, Capone, Charles, R. Chen, Coiro, Cooper, Covington, Deans, A. Desai, R. Desai, Dixon, D'Souza, Eastman, Edward, Edwards, Eisenstein, Farmbry, Farris, Fehn, Feldman, Fennell, Gabriel, Gajic, Ganesh, Goodman, Gower, Gramieri, Grave, Hayton, Holzemer, Holzer, J. Hughes, Johnson, Kolbaba, Kukor, LaBella, Lei, Jan Lewis, Lindenmeyer, Lu, Lynch, Mahon, Mahtabfar, March, Martinez-San Miguel, Maruna, Mazurek, McGinnis, Messer, Miller, Moran, Palmer, Pandey, Parisi, Pintar, Portillo, C. Potter, J. Potter, Ramsamy, Salmond, Santana, Scheck,  Schiavo, Scotto, M. Shapiro, Shinbrot, Stauffer, Strom, Thomas, Toth, Wasserman, Wise

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY: Faculty: Of 103 total: 46 present (45%), 32 excused (31%), 25 absent (24%); Students: Of 44 total: 22 present (50%), 6 excused (14%), 17 absent (39%); Administrators: Of 42 total: 6 present (14%), 2 excused (5%), 34 absent (81%); Staff: Of 17 total: 12 present (67%), 1 excused (9%), 4 absent (24%); Alumni: Of 5 total: 3 present (60%), 2 excused (40%), 0 absent (0%)
View Senate Attendance Record for this academic year

CALL TO ORDER, DETERMINATION OF QUORUM, AND CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT - Ann Gould, Chairperson

Chairperson Gould called the meeting to order at 1:29 p.m. in the Camden Campus Center Multipurpose Room, Camden Campus. She welcomed everyone, and thanked Chancellor Phoebe Haddon for hosting and for providing lunch. She also gave a brief summary of the meeting agenda.

SECRETARY'S REPORT - Ken Swalagin, Executive Secretary

SPECIAL ELECTION FOR RBHS STUDENT MEMBER OF THE SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Senator Deelip Mhaske had resigned his Senate and Executive Committee positions, citing work obligations and inability to attend meetings. RBHS Student Senator Oluwatoniloba was elected by acclamation to the position for the remainder of this academic year.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Response to Charge S-1504 on Determination of Student Attendance - Natalie Borisovets, ICAC Chair

The ICAC had been charged as follows: Develop guidelines that would allow units and individual instructors to comply with U.S. Department of Education requirements that Rutgers keep records for students receiving federal financial aid that substantiate students' participatory attendance in the classes for which they are registered.

ICAC Chair Natalie Borisovets summarized her committee's report and recommendations on Charge S-1504, on Determination of Student Attendance. The report was discussed at some length, with strong student opposition voiced. On Senator Theiss's motion, duly seconded, action on this report was postponed to April.

Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee (RGPEC) Response to Charge S-1505 on Implementing ORCID Identifiers [Click here to view the PowerPoint slides that accompanied this report presentation.] - Anthony Tamburello, RGPEC Chair

The RGPEC had been charged as follows: Investigate and make recommendations with regard to an implementation of ORCID identifiers (i.e., issuing ORCID IDs) at Rutgers. If deemed appropriate, make specific recommendations for incremental implementation, for example, beginning with the graduate schools. Identify benefits, processes, timeline, who would be involved, and approximate costs. 

RGPEC Chair Anthony Tamburello summarized his committee's report and recommendations on Charge S-1505 on Implementing ORCID Identifiers, and read the accompanying resolution, which was adopted without further discussion, with one opposing vote.

[Chairperson Gould said that Senate Bylaws require that agenda items docketed for Senate action must be addressed before administrative or other non-action reports.]

Introduction* of University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-1403 on Process for Unit Mergers or Other Structural Changes - Jon Oliver and Robert Puhak, USGC Co-chairs

The USGC had been charged as follows: Consider whether the University Senate should establish a general procedure, timeline, template and process for merging, dissolution or making structural changes to any University unit. Consider how such a process could assist the University and units in working in a deliberate, consultative and rational way so that all issues, impacts, concerns and benefits can be properly considered on a timely basis. Make recommendations on time limits and process.

This report included changes to Senate bylaws/related University Policy, so in accordance with established parliamentary procedure it was introduced at this meeting, to be voted on at a subsequent meeting. USGC Co-chairs Robert Puhak and Jon Oliver presented the report, with Puhak summarizing. There was no discussion.

OLD BUSINESS

Executive Committee Amendment/Revision to University Structure and Governance Committee's November 2016 Response to Charge S-1410 on Honorary Degree and Commencement Speaker Selection Processes – Peter Gillett, Senate Vice Chair

This report's recommendations and resolution were being revised in response to President Barchi's request to add timelines. The linked report displays in blue text the changes made at this meeting. The Senate adopted the original report at the November 2015 Senate meeting, and by that action this became a Senate report rather than a USGC report, so the following resolution was brought by the Senate Executive Committee:

Whereas, the Rutgers University Senate, in November 2015, adopted a resolution and recommendations on Charge S-1410 on Honorary Degree and Commencement Speaker Selection Processes; and
Whereas, President Barchi responded to the Senate after receiving the report, and asked that some modifications be made, particularly adding timeframes to the recommended processes; and
Whereas, the Senate Executive Committee, as well as the co-chairs of the University Structure and Governance Committee, have discussed and agreed upon proposed changes indicated in blue text in the revised document;
Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the University Senate adopts the changes proposed, and the revised recommendations.

Senate and Executive Committee Vice Chair Peter Gillett summarized the revision, and read the resolution, which was adopted unanimously by the Senate without further discussion.

CAMDEN CHANCELLOR'S REPORT - Camden Chancellor Phoebe Haddon

Camden Chancellor Phoebe Haddon presented a Camden Chancellor's Report. The presentation on that report is linked above. Haddon then responded to questions, or heard comments, on her report and related issues.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT - University President Robert Barchi

University President Robert Barchi presented an Administrative Report that included comments on:
 SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT - Senate Vice Chair Peter Gillett reported on the February 5, 2016 meeting and activities of the Senate Executive Committee.

REPORTS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES: Senator Alexandra Williams, Student Representative to the Board of Governors, reported on the February 3, 2016 Board of Governors meeting. Senator Menahem Spiegel, Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, reported on the February 11 Board of Trustees meeting. 

CAMPUS FACULTY AND STUDENT LIAISON REPORTS: Senator Samuel Rabinowitz, a member of the Camden Faculty Council, reported on that group's recent plans and activities. Camden Student Senator Brandon Theiss reported on recent Camden student plans and activities. Senator Mark Killingsworth, New Brunswick Faculty Council Chairperson, reported on that group's plans and recent meeting. Senator Justin Schulberg, New Brunswick Student Member of the Senate Executive Committee, reported on New Brunswick student governing association activities. Senator Edmund Janniger, Newark Student Member of the Senate Executive Committee, reported on Newark student activities. Senator Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly, RBHS Faculty Council Chair, reported on that group's plans and recent activities.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 4:02 p.m.

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