MINUTES:   Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE:   October 24, 2003

TIME AND PLACE:  1:10 p.m.,  Multipurpose Room,  Camden Campus Center,  Camden Campus

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Advani, Agha, Atwood, Bellinger, Bellino, Blakeman, Blasi, Boikess, Borisovets, Boylan, Brazier, Brodie, Bronzan, Byrnes, Caprio, Cohen, K. Cooper, Cotter, Dayal, DeLisi, Dholandas, Domb, Fishbein, Flanagan, Forman, Friedrich, Gallinar, Gillett, Glass, Goldin, Greenhut, Hall, Hallmark, Hawkesworth, Herrera, Innerfield, Josh Jackson, Kauffman, Krucher, Lanza, LaSala, Leath, Lee, Leontiades, Lin, Maradonna, Markey, Markowitz, Mathew, McCormick, McKay, Meltzer, Nerurkar, Norville, O’Connor, Oren, Panayotatos, Potenza, Rabii, Rabinowitz, Redd, Rubin, Scott, H. Smith, N. Smith, Snyder, Spero, Szerlip, Tandon, Thompson, Wang, Webb, Worrall, Zaborszky

EXCUSED:  Ambar, Axelrod, Barone, Bathory, Bodnar, Boylan, Bry, Calla, Cannon, Cerulo, Chambers, Colaizzi, A. Cooper, Darien, Davidson, E. Dennis, Dess, Doshi, Erlichson, Fenster, Furmanski, Gaunt, Gould, Hirsh, Hodgson, Hornichter, J. Jones, R. Jones, Karel, Kennedy, Keoskey, Kressel, Laguna-Diaz, Lashley, Manhoff, Maudlin, McKeever, Messer, Nedick, Novell, Plummer, Rijhsinghani, Sears, P. Simmons, R. Simmons, Sofer, Solomon, Stamato, Sukhdeo, Turpin, Vodak, Weiman, Weis, Winterbauer, Zaborszky

ABSENT:  Abbasi, Baruh, C. Bell, R. Bell, Breton, Bucko, Butler, Case, Cronk, Crown, Curry, Dadlani, R. Dennis, Deutsch, Diner, Driscoll, Evans, Foley, Gillis, Guo, Hamilton, Hara, Hughes, Hull, Hyndman, Joanne Jackson, Jessen, Kirby, Kirschner, Klein, Kokini, Lake, Leustek, Lichtenfeld, Marsh, Mensah, Merritt, Naqvi, Ocone, Pandya, Patel, Pieczenik, Reed, Roden, Roselle, Schock, Segers, Sifuentes-Jauregui, Stark, Stauffer, Szatrowski, Taghon, Tsurumi, Tuckman, Wadud, Zylstra

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY:  Faculty:  Of  92 total:  32 present (35%), 31 excused (34%) 29 absent (31%)
Students:  Of  49 total:  26 present (53%), 8 excused (16%), 15 absent (31%)
Administrators:  Of 38 total:  14 present (37%), 11 excused (29%), 13 absent (34%)
Alumni:  Of 6 total:  2 present (33%), 4 absent (67%)
View Senate Attendance Record for this year.

NON-VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT:  Boyer, Holmes

NON-VOTING MEMBER EXCUSED:  Seto

NON-VOTING MEMBER ABSENT:  Sambolin, Wright

PRESIDING OFFICER:   Paul Panayotatos, Chairperson

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT:  Chairperson Panayotatos called the meeting to order.  He welcomed everyone present, noting that this was effectively the first Senate meeting of the academic year given the September meeting’s focus on the President’s First Annual Address to the University Community.  He urged all Senators to attend and participate in meetings of their standing committees, which is where the bulk of Senate business takes place.  Chairperson Panayotatos thanked Camden Provost and Senator Roger Dennis for lunch and for the Camden Campus’s hospitality.  He then introduced student Senator Nicole Smith, who will serve as Senate parliamentarian for this academic year.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY:
Agenda:  The agenda was approved as distributed by the Secretary.

Minutes:  On motion and duly seconded, the Minutes of the May 2, 2003 Senate Organizational meeting were approved as distributed by the Secretary.   On motion and duly seconded, the Minutes of the September 19, 2003 Senate meeting were approved as distributed by the Secretary.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT:  President McCormick delivered the administrative report, which included thanks for the hospitality of Camden colleagues, and comments on:  his pride in Rutgers’ position on freedom of speech relative to recent campus events, and his encouragement of open dialog and general exchange of views, which add value to intellectual community; recent and planned meetings with students on evaluation of student services; restructuring of higher education in New Jersey, including the previous day’s issuance of reports from the three campus committees, and specific comments on governance and funding; and the 2005 Rutgers budget.

CAMDEN CAMPUS REPORT:  Camden Provost Roger Dennis presented the Camden Campus Report, which included comments on:  restructuring; achievements, honors, awards of faculty and programs in Camden; and plans for growth and development, including aspects of potential restructuring.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee - Ann Gould and Paul Panayotatos, Co-chairs
Chairperson Panayotatos passed the gavel to Vice Chairperson Rabinowitz before taking the podium as co-chair of the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee, and summarizing his committee’s report and resolution on Charge S-0308, Evaluation of current procedures for chair appointments by deans.  The committee had been charged as follows:

Original Charge:  Evaluate the current procedures for chair appointments by deans, and make recommendations for changes where needed.  In particular, evaluate the balloting procedures for the faculty advisory vote, the availability of the results to the voting faculty, the frequency of appointments that do not follow the advisory ballot of the faculty, and the procedures in the latter case.  In particular, explore the level of communication of the reasoning to the affected faculty and the existence of recourse.

Following discussion, the resolution accompanying the report passed unanimously on card vote, as follows:

Whereas, one of the most important aspects of faculty governance is for a department to select a colleague to serve as chair of the department, to represent them in matters of the department both within and outside the department and university; and
Whereas, department chairs are appointed by the dean of their school on the recommendation of the faculty; and
Whereas, departments most often convey their recommendation for chair via a department-wide vote; and
Whereas, in a number of cases the dean has exercised the decanal prerogative and appointed department chairs contrary to the recommendation of that department's faculty; and
Whereas, in many of these cases no clear or adequate explanation was provided for the dean's decision to override the vote of the faculty; and
Whereas, in some cases the dean has not followed the bylaws of the dean's own school and of the relevant department; and
Whereas, in several cases the results of the recommendation vote are not disclosed to the faculty, in some units as a matter of policy;
Therefore, Be It Resolved that the University Senate recommends that the University establish minimal rules for the selection of department chairs by deans that must be followed by all deans and departments; and
Be It Further Resolved that these rules should require the dean to consult with the faculty and obtain a recommendation for chair via a vote of the faculty; and
Be It Further Resolved that these rules should recognize that the administration of the voting process is a prerogative and responsibility of the faculty and require that unit and department bylaws do so recognize; and
Be It Further Resolved that these rules should require that at least the ranking of the candidates be reported back to the faculty at the same time as they are communicated to the dean; and
Be It Further Resolved that these rules should require that, in the cases when the decanal prerogative of not following the recommendation of the faculty is exercised, the dean provide adequate explanation to both the members of the department and the Vice President or Provost to which the dean reports; and
Be It Further Resolved that these rules should require the dean to certify, at the time of announcement of the chair selection, to both the members of the department and the Vice President or Provost to which the dean reports that all department and school bylaws have been followed; and
Be It Finally Resolved that these rules should allow faculty to report to the appropriate Provost or Vice President violations of bylaws in the selection of a chair by a dean, or to report that inadequate explanation was given for a decision by the dean to appoint a chair that does not follow the faculty recommendation, with anonymity of the reporter guaranteed.

(2)  significantly strengthen Rutgers’ leadership in teaching, research, and public service in the arts, the humanities, and the natural and social sciences so that the University is capable of providing a broad liberal arts education and appreciation of the deepest human ethics and values to students in all fields of knowledge;

Be It Resolved that the University Senate recommends to the president of Rutgers University that he seek to obtain a multi-year contract with New Jersey’s governor to attain the funding necessary to stabilize the gains Rutgers has already made, and to drive excellence for the future.  For its part, Rutgers would make specific measurable commitments including, but not limited to, the following:
(1)  provide access to the highest quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional education with a faculty of the highest distinction for the growing numbers of New Jersey citizens who are demanding these services in the context of a rapidly changing knowledge economy;
(2)  significantly strengthen Rutgers’ leadership in teaching, research, and public service in the arts, the humanities, and the natural and social sciences so that the University is capable of providing a broad liberal arts education and appreciation of the deepest human ethics and values to students in all fields of knowledge;
(3)  develop research in the sciences and the professions that will drive the knowledge-based industries that are the future of New Jersey’s ability to innovate and compete with other states, with the goal of expanding economic growth in which all citizens and their children can share;
(4)  demonstrably improve integration with the rest of New Jersey’s system of higher education through better collaboration and coordination that serves the expanding needs of students;
(5)  assume greater responsibility in assisting with critical state needs such as:  student achievement and teacher development in K-12, the health and welfare of inner cities and special regional needs, the prosperity of agriculture and the protection of the environment of the state (through the University’s land-grant mission), and continuing adult and professional education with special attention to life-long learning and the needs of New Jersey’s growing population of senior citizens;
(6)  improve productivity and transparency in managing Rutgers University as an institution.
For his part the governor of the State of New Jersey would make multi-year commitments including, but not limited to, the following:
(1)  a definite and consistent level of annual percentage increases in state funding plus funding for enrollment growth and expanding quality consistent with jointly developed master plans;
(2)  ongoing increases to eliminate past budgetary shortfalls;
(3)  an organized ongoing program of capital support that addresses the need for further growth and the reduction of deferred maintenance through both annual capital programs and bond issues;
(4)  special one-time funding for priority needs contingent on the state’s financial position in the areas of library, equipment, instructional technology, special building projects, and any one-time costs associated with any possible restructuring;
(5)  funding for special institutes and programs that will advance the reputation for academic excellence of the University and its contribution to developing and incubating businesses in New Jersey’s knowledge-based economy.

NEW BUSINESS:  There was no new business.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT:  Vice Chair Rabinowitz reported on the September 5, 2003 Executive Committee meeting and October 3, 2003 Senate Executive Committee meeting.  Executive Committee minutes are available on the Senate website.

REPORTS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES:  Chairperson Panayotatos reported on the Board of Governors June 2003 meeting.  Senator Redd reported on the July 2003 and September 2003 Board of Governors meetings.  Senator Leath reported on the October 2003 Board of Governors meeting in Camden.  Senator Scott reported on the June and October 2003 Board of Trustees meetings.

REPORT OF CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISONS:  Professor Jon’a Meyer, Vice President of the Camden Faculty Senate, presented a report of that body’s recent activities.  Senator Kauffman reported on New Brunswick Faculty Council activities.

ADJOURNMENT:  The meeting adjourned at 3:28 p.m.
 

Kenneth Swalagin
Secretary of the University Senate