RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE

MINUTES: Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE: November 16, 2012

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

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Ansari, Baffo, Barraco, Beachem, Berman, Bhuyan, Borisovets, Boustany, Burrell, Cashin, Cimiotti, Coleman, Cotter, Covington, Creese, Dantzler, Deenamsetty, DiVito, Evans, Farino, L. Fernandez, Fishbein, Gao, Geerdts, Gillett, Glaser, Goodman, Gould, Greenhut, Haibach, R. Harris, Jimenez, Krenos, Lakkaraju, Moran, Muse, Norville, O'Connor, Oboh, Oliver, Otto, Panayotatos, A. Patel, R. Patel, Pavlik, Pirrello, Pritchett, Puhak, Rabinowitz, Reade, Redlawsk, Robinson, Saito, Saltzman, Schantz, Seethamraju, Shamshair, Shapiro, Sikorski, Sokolov, Spasojevic, Spiegel, Stein, Taylor, Tehrani, Thompson, Toney-Boss, Trivedi, Tsakalakos, Tursi, Uzun, White, R. Williams, W. Williams, Winkler

EXCUSED: Abu El-Haj, Alizadeh, Amaya-Fernandez, Aubry, Bagchi, Barchi, Barone, Bell, Boikess, Buchholtz, Chant, DeLisi, Dixit, Edward, Edwards, Fagley, Fehn, Figueira, Finegold, Fiore, Gallo, Gaunt, Gomes, Hackworth, Hetling, Hudson, Hughes, Janes, Kukor, Lindgren, Lynch, Markowitz, McKeever, Messer, Minsky, Mitchell, Mullen, Niederman, Ottomanelli, Padgett, Pavlovic, Pottick, Rosario, Roth, Scherrer, Schrire, Schurman, Schwartz, Sheflin, Simmons,Taghon, Tancs, Thuno, Velan, Vodak, Wagner, Wang, Wasserman, Wei, Winterbauer, Yeagle, Zimmerman

ABSENT: Akinlabi, Alvi, Angell, Atkins, Avakame, Baldwin, Balog, Barcy, Bubb, Bunch, Cachel, Clear, Coghlan, Crowell, Dietrich, Dowd, Endicott, Falk, Farmer, Farris, K. Fernandez, Ganesh, Goldstein, Grabosky, Guo, J. Harris, Heckscher, Hinch, Hoffman, Holzemer, Holzer, Hyndman, Jaloudi, Karunanithi, Katz, Kenfield, Klein, Laguna, Laquidara, Lewis, Li, Lindenmeyer, Maher, Mao, Mazurek, Midlarsky, Miranti, Naus, Navrot, C. Ortiz, R. Ortiz, Pandey, Rodgers, Rogers, Sahi, Schement, Schulman, Shafer, Shiffrar, Small-Post, Solomon, Sorensen, Sowinski, Spellmeyer, Stauffer, Stillwagon, Suplee, Szatrowski, Takhistov, Van de Walle, Vander Hoff, Weigert, Wolf, Y   abut

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY: Faculty: Of 106 total: 33 present (31%), 37 excused (35%), 36 absent (34%); Students: Of 50 total: 25 present (50%), 5 excused (10%), 20 absent (40%); Administrators: Of 35 total: 4 present (11%), 1 excused (43%), 16 absent (46%); Staff: Of 14 total: 10 present (72%), 2 excused (14%), 2 absent (14%); Alumni: Of 6 total: 3 present (50%),3 excused (50%), 0 absent 
View Senate Attendance Record for this year

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 Camden Campus Center, Camden Campus. He welcomed everyone to the Camden Campus, and thanked and congratulated everyone on the success of the campaign to defeat the recently proposed transfer of Rutgers-Camden to Rowan University. He also thanked all who helped achieve success with the recent higher-education bond referendum.

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

COMMITTEE REPORTS 

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-1201 on Senate Size and Composition - Peter Gillett and Jon Oliver, USGC Co-chairs
University Structure and Governance Committee Co-chairs Peter Gillett and Jon Oliver presented the USGC response and recommendations on Charge S-1201, on Senate Size and Composition. Gillett summarized the report. The recommendations in the report included changes to Senate bylaws and the Senate's enabling University Policies. In accordance with established parliamentary procedure, the report was introduced and discussed briefly at this meeting, but was not docketed for action until the December 2012 Senate meeting.

Request to Amend Standing Charge of the Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) submitted by BFC Chair Menahem Spiegel - Menahem Spiegel, BFC Chair
Budget and Finance Committee Chair Menahem Spiegel  summarized his committee's request to amend the BFC standing charge by adding responsibility for presenting to the Senate an annual report on the Rutgers budget. The amendment would constitute a change to Senate bylaws by changing a committee's standing charge. In accordance with established parliamentary procedure, the request was introduced and discussed briefly at this meeting, but was not docketed for action until the December 2012 Senate meeting. The proposed amendment is detailed below:
BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE Standing Charge

Standing Charge: This Committee shall concern itself with all matters related to budget priorities, allocations and general planning, as provided in section 2.2.2. B of the University regulations. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

To select and study policy issues associated with the University's budget, including priorities and allocation of funds, and to develop recommendations to the Senate.
To evaluate the probable financial impact of proposed new programs being considered by the Senate.
To receive, study, and make recommendations to the Senate, and through it to the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, with respect to requests from members of the University community or others with a legitimate interest regarding Rutgers University investments.
To consider, study, and make recommendations to the Senate, and through it to the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, with respect to any investment policies of the University that may involve ethical and moral principles as established by the Boards of Governors and Trustees.
To consider broad issues related to physical plant and infrastructure, space, transportation, and safely on and among the three campuses.
Proposed Addition (exact language to be discussed at this Senate meeting): Present to the Senate an annual report on the Rutgers University Budget.

REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES: Senator Samuel Rabinowitz, Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors, and Joseph Cashin, Student Representative to the Board of Governors, reported that the Board of Governors had not met since the previous Senate meeting, but would meet on the following Monday to act on UMDNJ integration issues. Senator Martha Cotter, Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, reported on the November 7, 2012 Board of Trustees meeting., at which the finances of the UMDNJ integration were discussed in closed session, which excluded the student and faculty representatives to the board. Paul Panayotatos noted that those representatives are also excluded from the upcoming closed meeting of the Board of Governors..

CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISON REPORTS: Samuel Rabinowitz, the first chairperson of the newly created Camden Faculty Council, reported that the council had been formed, had met and elected him chair, is working on establishing its bylaws, and looks forward to deep and meaningful meetings with Camden Chancellor Wendell Pritchett. Senator Daniel O'Connor, chair of the New Brunswick Faculty Council, reported on recent plans and activities of the New Brunswick Faculty Council.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT - Paul Panayotatos for President Robert Barchi

President Barchi was excused from the meeting, but had sent to Chairperson Panayotatos his written administrative report, which was read by Panayotatos, and included comments on the following subjects:

CAMDEN CAMPUS REPORT - Camden Chancellor Wendell Pritchett

Camden Chancellor Wendell Pritchett presented a Camden Campus Report.  The report included comments on the following topics:
Chancellor Pritchett then responded to questions, or heard comments, on a variety of subjects, including:

OLD BUSINESS: There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business.

ADJOURNMENT: On motion, the meeting adjourned at 2:33 p.m.

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