RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE:   October 18, 2002

TIME AND PLACE:  1:10 p.m., Multipurpose Room East 232, Paul Robeson Campus Center, 350 Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. Blvd.,
Newark Campus

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Adelaja, Advani, Barnes, Borisovets, Bossard, Boylan, Brazier, Caruso, Case, A. Cooper, T. Cooper, Cotter, Darien,
E. Dennis, DeRosa, Diner, Doshi, Durante, Elgallab, Fischetti, Flanagan, Forman, Gaunt, Greenhut, Grennille, Griffiths, Hirschmugl, Hirsh, Hornichter, Jason Jackson, Jones, Joo, Karel, Kennedy, Keoskey, Kirby, Kleiman, Kressel, Laguna-Diaz, Lanterman, Leath, Liberman, Lichtenfeld, Manhoff, Maradonna, Massenburg, Maurer, McKay, Mensah, Miller, Nedick, Obayashi, O’Connor, Owusu, Panayotatos, Pancholy, Pellegrine, Pieczenik, Plummer, Puniello, Rabinowitz, Ramsay, Redeker, Rijhsinghani, Roth, Salge, Samuels, Scott, Sears, Seneca, Shah, Simmons, H. Smith, N. Smith, D. Snyder, Swenson, Szatrowski, Tandon, Taylor, Wadia, Walker, Walker-Andrews, Webb, Wilkinson, Worrall, Wozniak, Zaborszky

EXCUSED:  Ambar, Barone, Baruh, Bathory, Bell, Berz, Blasi, Boikess, Bry, Caprio, Cerulo, Cohen, Colaizzi, Davidson, DeCarlo, Dekhterman, Dess, Deutsch, Domb, Evans, Friedrich, Gillett, Gould, Hall, Hart, Haugerud, Hillman, Hodgson, Holcomb, R. Hughes, Jesse, Jessen, Kauffman, Kenfield, Kenney, Kirschner, Klein, Krucher, Lee, Leustek, Markowitz, McKeever, Messer, Naus, Nordstrom, Penfield, Pottick, Preston, Rabii, Roden, Saidel, Schiavo, Shovlin, Silver, P. Snyder, Solomon, Sondahl, Thompson, Tuckman, Vodak, Wang, Wasserman, Winterbauer

ABSENT:  Bay, Breton, Bushnell, Chambers, Chism, Cicma, Cowley, Cronk, R. Dennis, Driscoll, Erlichson, Gillis, Hanlon, Hara, Hawkesworth, J. Hughes, Hyndman, Joanne Jackson, Johnson, Kokini, Lehman, Leontiades, Maudlin, Oren, Parrish, Perr, Schlegel, Stauffer, Sukhdeo, Tsurumi, Zylstra

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY:  Faculty: Of 88 total: 28 present (32%), 40 excused (45%) 20 absent (23%); Students: Of 48 total: 39 present (81%), 6 excused (13%), 3 absent (6%); Administrators: Of 39 total: 17 present (44%), 15 excused (38%), 7 absent (18%); Alumni: Of 6 total: 3 present (50%), 2 excused (33%), 1 absent (17%).  View Senate attendance record for this year

NON-VOTING MEMBER PRESENT: Redd

NON-VOTING MEMBERS ABSENT: Sambolin, Wright

PRESIDING OFFICER:  Paul Panayotatos, Chairperson

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT:  Chairperson Panayotatos told the Senate of the death of Senator Richard Pelz, and of plans for memorial services.  The Senate then observed a moment of silence in memory of Dr. Pelz. Chairperson Panayotatos said that Senator Borisovets would replace Dr. Pelz on the Senate’s Enrollment Committee, and that the committee plans to meet in Monday, October 21.  Chairperson Panayotatos then read to the Senate a Resolution expressing appreciation to Former President Lawrence, which had been unanimously approved by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Senate, as follows:

Rutgers University Senate
Resolution in Appreciation
October 2002

Whereas, Dr. Francis L. Lawrence, while President of Rutgers University, has shown consistent and sustained interest in the activities of the University Senate; and,
Whereas, during his time as President, Dr. Lawrence was instrumental in the implementation of nearly every recommendation forwarded to him by the Senate; and,
Whereas, during his tenure he promoted the exchange of information between the Senate and the University administration; and,
Whereas, during that time the Senate acted on issues of significant importance to Rutgers, and benefited from the cooperation and respect of the President and administration; and,
Whereas, Dr. Lawrence has completed his term as President of Rutgers;
Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Rutgers University Senate expresses its gratitude and appreciation for the courtesies and attention given it by President Francis L. Lawrence. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY:  Agenda: Secretary Swalagin noted that the agenda had been revised to allow more time for questions and answers following reports.  On motion and duly seconded, the agenda was approved as revised.  Minutes:  On motion and duly seconded, Minutes of the September 27, 2002 Senate meeting were approved as distributed by the Secretary.  Communications: None.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT:

Chairperson Panayotatos introduced Acting President Norman Samuels, who took the lectern.  Acting President Samuels presented the Administrative Report, which included comments on:  the current Rutgers environment, including possible restructuring, the search for a new president, and his appointment as acting president; and the report of the New Jersey Commission on Health Science, Education and Training, which included a request to Acting Newark Provost Diner, Camden Provost Dennis, and University Vice President for Academic Affairs Seneca to "reach out" to their campuses for input on the merger proposed in the Commission’s report.

Chairperson Panayotatos noted that the Senate’s University Structure and Governance Committee was being charged with examining the potential merger, but that an additional, ad hoc arrangement may also be made to involve more of the Senate.  Senator Szatrowski commented that, in light of the proposed merger, UMDNJ and NJIT should also be made aware of Rutgers ongoing formulation of a master plan.

NEWARK CAMPUS REPORT:

Acting President Samuels introduced Acting Newark Provost Steven Diner, who took the lectern and presented a synopsis of the Newark Campus Report.  (The report had been distributed to the Senate in advance, and is attached to the master copy of these minutes as Attachment A.)

A question-and-answer period followed, during which Acting Provost Diner responded to questions and comments on subjects including: parking and security; the potential for a program on biotechnology and patent law; efforts to recruit students who would become the first in their families to attend college; housing; and others.

REPORT OF THE NEW JERSEY COMMISSION ON HEALTH SCIENCE, EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, Chairperson of the New Jersey Commission on Health Science, Education and Training, took the lectern.  Dr. Vagelos summarized the commission’s report, which had been available online prior to the meeting [http://www.state.nj.us/health/hset/index.html].  A lengthy question-and-answer period followed, during which Dr. Vagelos heard and responded to comments and questions on subjects which included: the need for strong academic leaders with appropriate experience and background in order to achieve greatness; the absence of faculty issues in the advisory groups’ report; the appropriateness of the timeframe for consideration of the report; libraries and the cost of subscriptions for three separate institutions; budget shortfalls, increased enrollments and tuitions, and other risks; the need to focus on aspects other than medical education; division of funding among units which require differing degrees of restructuring; the Commission on Higher Education’s ongoing work on a long-range plan for higher education, and the perspective on New Jersey needed to decide about the state’s higher education system; nursing shortages, and cross-campus nursing research; and selection of qualified leaders.

Chairperson Panayotatos, noting that the allocated time had expired, closed the question-and-answer period.

OLD BUSINESS:  There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS:  There was no new business.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT:  Vice Chair Rabinowitz reported on the October 4, 2002 [http://senate.rutgers.edu/ec100402.html] Senate Executive Committee meeting.  Executive Committee minutes are available on the Senate website.

REPORT OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES:  Senator Wozniak reported on the October 11, 2002 Board of Governors meetings.  Senator Scott reported on the October 17, 2002 Board of Trustees meeting.

REPORT OF CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISON:  Senator Cotter reported on plans and recent activities of the New Brunswick Faculty Council, which include: consideration of the effects of the proposed restructuring; work on a draft university copyright policy; and examination of academic integrity and advising issues.

CHAIRPERSON’S CLOSING COMMENT:  Chairperson Panayotatos asked the Senate to send him or the University Structure and Governance Committee co-chairs their comments on the New Jersey Commission on Health Science, Education and Training.

ADJOURNMENT:  There being no further business before the University Senate, Chairperson Panayotatos declared the meeting adjourned at 3:25 p.m.

Kenneth Swalagin
Secretary of the University Senate