Rutgers University Senate Minutes

RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE

MINUTES: Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE: September 19, 2014

TIME AND PLACE: 1:10 p.m., Multipurpose Room, Rutgers Student Center, New Brunswick Campus

MEMBERS PRESENT: Ahmed, Akhtar, Alder, Anderson, Avadhani, Barchi, Bell, Bernstein, Bodrog, Boikess, Borden, Borisovets, Bridgeman, Buchholtz, Burrell, Caler, Chen, Cooper, Cotter, Covington, Dasari, Delnevo, Dreyer, Durham, Dy, Edward, Edwards, Elkabes, Fagley, Farris, Feldman, Fennell, Ferraris, Fiore, Fitzgerlad-Bocarsly, Gajic, Gaunt, Geis, Gillett, Glaser, Gomes, Gould, Gower, Grant, Gupta, Gursoy, Hackworth, Haddon, Hamai, Hirsch, Holtzman, Hudson, D. Hughes, Ibrahimpata, Jimenez, D. Johnson, Joshi, Karamichael, Killingsworth, A. Kim, S. Kim, Krishnamurthi, Langer, A. Lee, K. Lee, Lepucki, Jane Lewis, Maillet, Marchick, Markert, Mazurek, McGinnis, McInerney, McKeever, Meggali, Messer, Miller, Mitra, Mitchell, Moran, Mouradian, Munoz, Navrot, Norville, Oberdiek, O'Connell, O'Connor, Oleske, Oliver, Otto, Parry, V. Patel, Pintar, Pirrello, Powell, Puhak, Rabinowitz, Ramsamy, Redlawsk, Roth, Sambol, Schulberg, Schurman, Schwartz, Scott, Shapiro, Shapley, Shulman, Spiegel, Stillwagon, Struwe, Sumoked, Sun, Suplee, Svasti, Szabo, Szatrowksi, Tamburello, Thomas-Hawkins, Thompson, Tiangco, Toney-Boss, Tsakalakos, Tursi, Van Stine, Velan, Wagner, Wang, Winkler, Winterbauer, Wise, Yousaf, Zimmerman

EXCUSED: Abu El-Haj, Alizadeh, Barone, Barraco, Bolden, Deans, Draves, Grave, LoMonoco, March, Padgett, Robinson, Wasserman,

ABSENT: Allen, Alperin, Angell, Anthony, Aubry, Avakame, Balog, Barbarese, Battle, Bhuyan, Blanchett, Bugel, Cantor, Creese, DiVito, Donald, Eastman, Frambry, Hehn, Fernandez, Ganesh, Goodman, Gracias, Heckscher, Hinch, Holzemer, Holzer, J. Hughes, Iwamiya, R. Johnson, Kocak, Kressel, Kubic, Kukor, Kumar, Leibman, Jan Lewis, Lindenmeyer, Lynch, Maher, Martinez, Maruna, Millonig, Miranti, Moore, Nissen, N. Patel, Potter, Rhoads, Rogers, Sahi, Salmond, Saltzman, Schiavo, Scotto, Shafer, Simmons, Stauffer, Stein, Strom, Takacs, Triner, Van de, Walle, Velez, Vodak, Weigert,

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY: Faculty: Faculty: Of 100 total: 64 present (64%), 7 excused (7%), 31 absent (31%); Students: Of 45 total: 36 present (80%), 1 excused (2%), 8 absent (18%); Administrators: Of 42 total: 15 present (36%), 3 excused (7%), 24 absent (57%); Staff: Of 17 total: 11 present (65%), 1 excused (6%), 6 absent (35%); Alumni: Of 6 total: 5 present (83%), 1 excused (17%), 0 absent (0%)

CALL TO ORDER, DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM, INTRODUCTION OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND CHARGES, AND CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT - Ann Gould, Chairperson

Senate Chairperson Ann Gould called the meeting to order at 1:16 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Rutgers Student Center, College Avenue Campus, New Brunswick. She welcomed all present. Gould then introduced Senate Parliamentarian Peter Gillett, and Senate Executive Secretary Ken Swalagin. She updated the Senate on actions taken by the Executive Committee over the summer, including making recommendations on procedures for selecting commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients, which was done by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Senate because of an extremely compressed timeline established by the administration. She said that some of the recommendations were accepted informally by President Barchi, but others were not, and that Newark and Camden are working with their own committees, on which Senate Executive Committee members from those campuses serve.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY - Ken Swalagin, Executive Secretary

Agenda: The meeting's agenda, including time limits, was approved as distributed by the executive secretary.
Minutes: The Minutes of the May 2, 2014 Senate Organizational/Election Meeting were approved as distributed by the executive secretary.
Communications: The following communications were presented by the executive secretary:

In July, the Senate Executive Committee, on behalf of the University Senate, composed and issued a Response to Charge S-1405 on Procedures for Selecting Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients.
A Letter Removing Approval Contingency has been sent to President Barchi and others as a follow-up to the Senate's May 2, 2014 Response and May 16, 2014 Endorsement with contingency (which was made by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Senate) of Proposal for Union of Nursing Programs and Personnel on the Stratford Campus of the Legacy UMDNJ School of Nursing with the Rutgers School of Nursing - Camden.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT - Robert L. Barchi, University President

University President Robert Barchi first commented on the Senate's recommendations on selection of honorary degree recipients and commencement speakers, and related processes within the administration and Board of Governors. He then presented an administrative report, summarizing a full-text version which has been posted online here. President Barchi then responded to questions, or heard comments, on subjects that included:

the value and contributions of faculty and staff;
brain-injury risks related to football;
athletics funding and budget;
Rutgers endowments and fundraising;
the New Brunswick Honors College, and a request by Senate Vice Chair Martha Cotter that he meet with the group chaired by Matt Matsuda which had been working on planning, which suggestion Barchi accepted;
the current status of integration;
diversity at Rutgers;
the New Brunswick Strategic Plan's elements related to academic advising, and the value of faculty in advising;
scheduling of PTL contract negotiations;
diversity and retention of faculty;
the state of the physical campus and surrounding community in Newark;
Rutgers faculty salaries relative to other AAU institutions;
the level of Trenton's responsiveness and support for UMDNJ integration;
plagiarism policies and violations, and the Academic Integrity Policy, which is being revised; and
Rutgers' culture and academic atmosphere.

ELECTION OF CAMDEN STUDENT MEMBER OF THE SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE - Because no eligible candidates for Camden student member of the Senate Executive Committee were nominated during the May 2014 election, an election to fill that position was conducted at this meeting. Senate Secretary Ken Swalagin conducted the election. Nambaramey Dy, a student at the School of Business - Camden, had previously nominated himself for the position. There were no nominees from the floor. Senator Dy being the only nominee, he was declared Camden student member of the Senate Executive Committee by acclamation.

INTRODUCTION OF STANDING COMMITTEES AND THEIR CHAIRS - Chairperson Gould introduced the standing committee chairs, who then spoke briefly about their committees' activities and plans.

OLD BUSINESS: There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business.

REPORTS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES: Senator Samuel Rabinowitz, Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors, reported on the June and July 2014 Board of Governors meetings. Senators Menahem Spiegel and Robert Schwartz, Faculty Representatives to the Board of Trustees, reported on the September 2014 Board of Trustees meeting.

CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISON REPORTS: Camden Faculty Council Chair Samuel Rabinowitz reported on that group's current activities and plans. New Brunswick Faculty Council Chair Martha Cotter reported that her council will meet on October 17. RBHS Faculty Council Chair Patricia Bocarsley-Fitzgerald reported on her group's plans and activities, including electing permanent leadership this fall.

CAMPUS STUDENT LIAISON REPORTS: Senator Vetri Velan reported on New Brunswick student leadership activities. Senator Hamzah Raza reported on Newark student leadership activities.

CHAIR'S CLOSING COMMENTS: Chairperson Gould thanked the Senators for their time commitments.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 3:42 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by:
Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate