RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: Chairperson Cotter called the meeting to order, and commented on the following:

• her experience as chair over the past three years;
• a summary of the most-significant Senate activities over those three years, including:
• recent statements and activities related to proposed restructuring of higher education in New Jersey;
• status of full-time, non-tenure-track faculty, and the recent Senate recommendations which led to abolition of the four-year rule;
• massive recommendations on undergraduate education;
• review and endorsement of the University copyright policy;
• overhaul of Senate bylaws, including addition of staff Senators;
• proposals to add clinical or professional practice faculty in some units; and
• consideration and recommendations on undergraduate student admissions and recruitment;
• her thanks to current and former chairs of standing committees, longtime Vice Chair Sam Rabinowitz, Parliamentarian Jillian Curtis, Administrative Assistant Linda Mickelsen, and Executive Secretary Ken Swalagin;
• additional thanks to longtime Senator Mike McKay, who is retiring, former Senate Chair Kathy Scott, who is becoming Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs in New Brunswick, and Camden Student Senator and Student Affairs Committee Co-chair Kim Mauroff for her diligence and Senate service even on issues which were not related to Camden.

Vice Chairperson Sam Rabinowitz rose and thanked Martha Cotter for her dedication, hard work, and significant contributions to the Senate and its issues over the past years. Cotter received a standing ovation from the Senate.

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 March 23, 2007 Senate meeting were approved as distributed by the secretary.

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

• praise for Cotter’s leadership of the Senate, particularly for her shepherding through the Senate an “extraordinary package of recommendations on restructuring in New Brunswick”;
• the athletic success of the women’s basketball team, and their and Coach Stringer’s eloquence and poise in responding to the controversy resulting from Don Imus’s on-air comments;
• the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, and Rutgers’ new method of communicating with the community via cell phones when emergencies arise;
• recent scandals involving the relationship between certain financial aid officers at some US colleges to the bankers who provide student loans to their students (Rutgers students borrow directly from the federal government, and may choose to borrow from banks, but Rutgers does not have a list of preferred providers for such loans);
• meetings earlier in the week in Washington, DC between 20 Rutgers students, himself, and every member of the New Jersey Congressional delegation or their chiefs of staff, in which financial aid was the primary topic of discussion;
• the ongoing capital campaign and related priority-setting process being led by Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Philip Furmanski;
• developments in the Rutgers and NJ state budgets; and
• his continuing commitment and increased focus on promoting and ensuring diversity at Rutgers.

President McCormick then asked School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Executive Dean Robert Goodman to speak about the ongoing Middle States Accreditation. Goodman then summarized the process and current status of the accreditation, including Rutgers’ self-study report, which will be shared with the Senate early next fall, and which will be discussed with the Middle States accreditation team in October 2007. A full team of reviewers will visit Rutgers in March 2008. Goodman said the evaluation will focus on assessment of student learning outcomes, and he asked for the participation of the Rutgers community in the process.

President McCormick then responded to questions from the Senate, on topics which included:

• the Don Imus controversy; and
• McCormick’s recent communication to Rutgers College Governing Association on recycling, energy conservation, and related issues [LINK].

McCormick concluded his report by thanking the Senate and extending “Congratulations on an outstanding year.”

ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT: Secretary Swalagin announced the results of that morning’s election of Senate officers, Executive Committee members, and board representatives.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) - Martha Cotter and Jillian Curtis, Co-chairs

Response to Charge S-0408, Interim Report on Academic Integrity Policy Review

Original Charge: Review the current University Policy on Academic Integrity, particularly with respect to University-wide standards of academic integrity and differences in local academic cultures. Also consider levels of student education on academic integrity, vehicles for prevention of violations which may help reduce reliance on punishment, and methods of centralized reporting of all offenses to facilitate appropriate recourse in cases of multiple-offenders. [Originally issued with a report deadline of March 15, 2005. Subsequently placed on indefinite hold until the University administration's committee completes its review of the policy.]

Chairperson Cotter, who also co-chairs the ASRAC, gave the chair to Vice Chair Rabinowitz so she and ASRAC Co-chair Jillian Curtis could summarize the status of charge S-0408 on the Academic Integrity Policy review. Cotter said that there was no report or resolution ready for the Senate on this issue, but that she and Curtis felt an update would be appropriate. Curtis summarized the background of the charge. Cotter commended Phil Furmanski, Don McCabe, and the Ad Hoc Academic Integrity Committee for their work, particularly in revising the policy following the survey of faculty and students on their experiences with the policy. Cotter explained the policy generally. She said that some ASRAC members still have concerns that need to be addressed, and that there are a number of ambiguities to be clarified and resolved before ASRAC can formally recommend that the Senate approve the policy for implementation. Given the importance of this policy, and the need for its acceptance by faculty, students, and others, there needs to be wider discussion among faculty, student government, deans, directors, chairs, etc. The ASRAC feels that the policy should be presented to the whole Rutgers community, and that input therefrom be solicited before the Senate makes its final recommendations. Although the ASRAC had intended to submit to the Senate a written interim report containing several recommendations, that reporting was postponed at the suggestion of the Ad Hoc Academic Integrity Committee. Cotter said that the ASRAC hopes to have closure on this charge next academic year.

There were no questions or discussion. The report being for information rather than action, there was no vote.

Chairperson Cotter resumed the chair.

Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) - Menahem Spiegel, Chair

Response to Charge S-0414, Student Fees

Original Charge: Examine all student fees collected for university-wide purposes paid by Rutgers University undergraduates on all three campuses. Research the origins of these fees, the programs and projects that they have funded in the past and any future plans for the use of these funds. Recommend best practices for the appropriate use of this fee money in light of these findings. In addition, recommend ways in which university-wide student fee information can be made more widely available to all Rutgers University students.

Senators Menahem Spiegel and Edward Ng, BFC chair and BFC Student Fees Subcommittee chair, respectively, presented the BFC report and recommendations on Charge S-0414, Student Fees. Following discussion that included one friendly amendment, the Senate adopted the report and its recommendations.

Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) - Natalie Borisovets, Chair

Response to Charge S-0602, Course-Textbook Reserve Requirement 

Original Charge: Consider the New Brunswick Faculty Council’s Report and Resolution Regarding Requiring Course Textbooks to be Placed on Reserve, and make recommendations for review and action by the University Senate on this issue.

ICAC Chair Natalie Borisovets summarized her committee’s report and recommendations on Charge S-0602, Course Textbook Reserve.

Following discussion which included suggestions for amendment of language related to use of “personal” or complimentary copies of textbooks provided to faculty by publishers, the report and its recommendations were adopted unanimously by the Senate.

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

Response to Charge S-0604, Shared Governance

 
Senators Tricia Nolfi and Jonathan Tittler, USGC co-chairs, presented and summarized their committee’s report on Charge S-0604, Shared Governance. They accepted as friendly Senator Gayle Stein’s motion to amend to include a recommendation that “a staff body be formed and brought into operation.” The Senate then adopted unanimously the report and its recommendations.

Student Affairs Committee (SAC) - Valerie Johnson and Kimberly Mauroff, Co-chairs
and Equal Opportunity Committee (EOC) - Gus Friedrich, Chair

Response to Charge S-0702 (formerly S-0406), Tolerance and Sensitivity 

Senators Valerie Johnson and Kimberly Mauroff, SAC co-chairs, presented and summarized their committee’s (ultimately made a joint charge with the EOC) report and recommendations on Charge S-0702, Tolerance and Sensitivity. Senator Paul Panayotatos moved to amend the report by correcting the names of the committees, which amendment was accepted as friendly by the co-chairs. Following discussion, the Senate adopted unanimously the report and its recommendations.

OLD BUSINESS

There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS

There was no new business.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT - Samuel Rabinowitz, Vice Chairperson

 

Vice Chair Samuel Rabinowitz reported on the April 6, 2007 Senate Executive Committee meeting.

REPORT OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES

Senator Paul Leath, Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors, reported on the April 13, 2007 Board of Governors meeting. Senator Mark Vodak, Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, reported on the April 25, 2007 Board of Trustees meeting.

CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISONS

Senator Stan Hall reported on the plans and activities of the Newark Faculty Council.  Senator Leath reported on the plans and activities of the New Brunswick Faculty Council.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m.

Kenneth W. Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate