RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: Chairperson Cotter called the meeting to order at 1:27 p.m. Her chairperson’s report included comments on the following:

• President McCormick’s response to, and acceptance of the Senate’s October 2006 Report and Recommendations on Status of Full-time, Non-tenure-track, Non-clinical Faculty, and her thanks to McCormick, Executive Vice President Furmanski, and the Board of Governors for implementing many of the recommendations, as well as her thanks to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee co-chairs and members;
  
• updates on major university initiatives and the Senate’s role in those initiatives, including the Middle States accreditation process, and preparation for the upcoming capital campaign which includes review and prioritization of submitted proposals; 
• a New Brunswick Enrollment Management Task Force newly created by Furmanski to examine and make recommendations on enrollment, recruitment, admissions, financial aid and retention in New Brunswick, with which the Senate’s Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee will work in an integrated fashion to address those areas university-wide;
  
• the Senate’s and other groups’ ongoing evaluation of various proposals for restructuring New Jersey’s of higher education system; and
  
• continuing efforts to improve the budget situation.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY: Executive Secretary Swalagin’s report included:

• Agenda: The meeting’s agenda, including time limits, was approved as distributed by the secretary.
• Minutes: On motion and duly seconded, the Minutes of the February 16, 2007 Senate meeting were approved as distributed by the secretary.
• Communications: The following communications were presented by the secretary:  President McCormick’s Response to the Senate’s October 2006 Senate Report and Recommendations on Status of Full-time, Non-tenure-track, Non-clinical Faculty
  
• Schedule of 2007-2008 Senate and Senate Executive Committee Meetings
• Call for Nominations for 2007-2008 Senate Officers and Executive Committee Members, and Representatives to the Boards of Governors and Trustees
  

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: President McCormick’s administrative report included comments on the following:

• Governor Corzine’s February presentation of the proposed fiscal year budget for 2008, which includes a modest increase for Rutgers;
• Rutgers’ continuing efforts in Trenton to persuade legislators to approve the governor’s proposed budget increase;
• the status of restructuring and merger proposals, which he described as “on pause” for now, and his acknowledgment of the principles proposed by the Senate on that issue; and
• an ongoing process, headed by Phil Furmanski, which involves more than 100 faculty, staff and students in establishing priorities for the next capital campaign.

President McCormick then responded to questions on subjects which included:

• the recent reduction of the number of varsity sports at Rutgers, and related budgetary issues;
• “plain language” ethics regulations for state employees which were newly promulgated by the legislature, and Rutgers’ ongoing negotiations with the state on some of the difficulties arising out of those regulations;
• activities and discussions regarding new articulation and transfer legislation;
• diversity and Affirmative Action;and
• financial support for outstanding scholars at Rutgers.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

 

Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee (FAPC) - Ann Gould and Paul Panayotatos, Co-chairs

 

Response to Charge S-0415, Faculty Retirement Incentives

FAPC Co-chairs Paul Panayotatos and Ann Gould presented and summarized their committee’s report and recommendations on Charge S-0415, shown above. Following the presentation, and without discussion or amendment, the report and recommendations were adopted unanimously by the Senate.

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) - Tricia Nolfi and Jonathan Tittler, Co-chairs

Response to Charge S-0608, Merger Proposals

Original Charge: Proposals to Merge Rutgers, UMDNJ, NJIT: Revisit the structural and governance aspects of the proposals to merge all or part of UMDNJ, and perhaps NJIT, with Rutgers University, with or without splitting the merged entity into parts. Review President McCormick's recent testimony (11/09/06) on this subject before the Lesniak-Caraballo Legislative Task Force on Higher Education, as well as previous Senate reports and recommendations concerning the merger proposal put forth three years ago by the Vagelos Commission. Are there additional key principles to emphasize beyond those enunciated by President McCormick? What are the broad pros and cons of the various structural and governance models that have been proposed? Which of the concerns and recommendations put forth by the Senate in November 2003 are still valid and worthy of reiteration? Consult with the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee concerning personnel ramifications of the various proposals. Also obtain input from the Newark and New Brunswick Faculty Councils and from faculty governance groups in Camden.

USGC Co-chairs Tricia Nolfi and Jonathan Tittler began by outlining some suggestions the committee had made to the report that morning, which were described as “mainly formalistic” and “not substantive.” The Senate then adopted the report and its recommendations, with few opposed or abstaining.

OLD BUSINESS: There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT: Vice Chairperson Rabinowitz reported on the March 2, 2007 Senate Executive Committee meeting. Executive Committee minutes are available on the Senate website.

 

REPORT OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES: There had been no board meetings since the last Senate meeting.

CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISONS: A report from the Newark Faculty Council had been distributed with the meeting packet. Jozef Kokini, chair of the New Brunswick Faculty Council, reported on the activities of that group.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 2:36 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate