PRESIDING OFFICER: Paul Panayotatos, Chairperson

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

Chairperson Panayotatos called the meeting to order at 1:16 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Rutgers Student Center, College Avenue Campus, New Brunswick. He welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially members of Rutgers governing boards and new Senators. He asked all Senators to attend their standing-committee meetings, and to be attentive to the executive secretary's emails.  Panayotatos's chairperson's report included comments on:

• a special welcome to Senator Robert L. Barchi, the new Rutgers University President, with whom he has interacted and established what he called "an excellent working relationship";
• unprecedented opportunities for Rutgers with the medical school;
• the format for the remainder of the Senate meeting, which would include a brief recess after President Barchi's administrative report, during which non-senators who wished to do so could leave the meeting;
• his previous terms as Senate chairperson, particularly during a previous governor's proposal to restructure higher education in New Jersey, which the Senate opposed;
• acknowledgment of the importance of grassroots movements of faculty, students and others at Rutgers in advocating change to the current restructuring plans, which is much improved over the original proposal; and
• the many other achievements of the University Senate.

INTRODUCTION OF STANDING COMMITTEES AND THEIR CHAIRS, PARLIAMENTARIAN, AND EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF NEWLY TENURED FACULTY

Chairperson Panayotatos introduced the standing committees and their chairs, who then spoke briefly about their committees' activities and plans. He also introduced Senate Parliamentarian Victor Greenhut, and Senate Executive Secretary Ken Swalagin. Noting that the Faculty Caucus that day had included a reception for newly tenured faculty, and the importance of service by faculty, Panayotatos asked the newly tenured faculty present to rise and be congratulated.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT - University President Robert L. Barchi

Chairpeson Panayotatos introduced President Barchi's first administrative report to the Senate, and reminded those present that the report and the subsequent question-and-answer period would be streamed live and recorded.

President Barchi then presented an administrative report, which included comments on topics including:

• his working relationship with Senate Chairperson Panayotatos;
• the importance of shared governance and the University Senate [Follow this link to read President Barchi's Senate-specific comments.];
• enrollment statistics;
• new Livingston dormitories, which opened on time and on budget;
• Camden facilities and housing;
• opening of the Gateway building;
• plans to open a Rutgers facility at Atlantic Cape Community College;
• a solar array at Livingston Campus, which is expected to come online in January;
• integration with UMDNJ;
• legislated changes in Rutgers administration, including appointment of chancellors and provosts;
• a strategic plan for Rutgers, the success of which will require participation from the Rutgers community;
• marketing, and projecting the Rutgers image; and
• fundraising, and the capital campaign.

President Barchi then responded to questions, or heard comments,on subjects including:

• all-funds budgeting;
• the bond issue, and bonding capacity;
• the need to update the technology used as Rutgers' student record database;
• how students and others can be involved in promoting the bond referendum and voter participation;
• expected changes to Rutgers' administrative personnel structure;
• opportunities for involvement in the strategic-planning process;
• EOF and financial aid; and
• the Livingston solar canopy, and green vehicles at Rutgers.

RECESS AND RECONVENE

At 2:38 p.m., Chairperson Panayotatos announced that there would be a seven-minute recess, after which the Senate meeting would continue. The Senate meeting reconvened at 2:47 p.m.

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

• Agenda: The meeting's agenda, including time limits, was approved as distributed by the executive secretary.
• Minutes: The Minutes of the April 27, 2012 Senate Organizational/Election Meeting were approved as distributed and amended by the executive secretary.
• Communications: The following communications were presented by the executive secretary:
• Administrative Responses to Senate Reports and Recommendations:
• President McCormick's June 4, 2012 response to the Senate's Report and Recommendations on Charge S-1003 on the Academic Calendar, Part 2
• Interim President Edwards' August 8, 2012 response to the Senate's Report and Recommendations on Charge S-0812A, Part II, Evaluation of Upper Administrators
• Interim President Edwards' August 8, 2012 response to the Senate's Reports and Recommendations on Charges S-1006 and S-0915 on Staggered Terms for Staff Senators, and on Conducting Staff Senator Elections
• Interim President Edwards' August 15, 2012 response to the Senate's Reports and Recommendations on Charge S-1104 on Online Teaching Evaluations and Best Practices in the Evaluation of Teaching Performance from the Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) and the Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee Response to the ICAC report and recommendations

ELECTION OF NEWARK STUDENT MEMBER OF THE SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND GRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

At the time of the organizational meeting in April, no eligible candidates were nominated for the positions of Newark Student Member of the Executive Committee, or Graduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees. The election for those positions was held at this meeting, with the Senate electing:

• Daniel Rosario, Newark Student Member of the Executive Committee
• Michael Haibach, Graduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees

COMMITTEE REPORT

Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Response to Charge S-0808A on Implementation of 2006 Senate Recommendations on Availability of Syllabi - Natalie Borisovets, ICAC Chair, summarized her committee's report and recommendations on Implementation of 2006 Senate Recommendations on Availability of Syllabi. Senator Dan Schantz proposed that the ICAC be charged with looking at enforcement and monitoring issues related to availability of syllabi. Chairperson Panayotatos said that the Executive Committee would issue a charge to the ICAC to revisit the matter. Senator Leslie Fishbein proposed a friendly amendment to change the report's second recommendations to read, "If at the time of registration a current draft syllabus is not yet available, a syllabus from the last time the course was offered by the same instructor (with a disclaimer), should be available." The amendment was accepted as friendly by Borisovets on behalf of the ICAC. Senator Joel Shapiro moved a friendly amendment to add "if appropriate" to the amended second recommendation. This amendment was also accepted as friendly. [Note: Link above goes to the report as amended and adopted.] Following additional discussion, the report, as amended, was adopted by the Senate.

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 recent Board of Governors meetings. Senator Martha Cotter, Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees meeting, reported on recent Board of Trustees meetings.

CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISON REPORTS: Samuel Rabinowitz, a member of the Camden faculty, reported that Camden Chancellor Wendell Pritchett has encouraged the Camden faculty to form a campus faculty council, and that the council should be in place by the end of this semester. Rabinowitz also said that Pritchett had discussed Camden campus strategic planning with faculty.

ADJOURNMENT: On motion and duly seconded, the meeting adjourned at 3:31 p.m.

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