RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE

MINUTES: Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE: December 7, 2012

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

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Abu El-Haj, Alizadeh, Alvi, Angell, Amaya-Fernandez, Aubry, Bagchi, Baldwin, Barchi, Barcy, Barone, Barraco, Beachem, Berman, Bhuyan, Boikess, Boustany, Cashin, Cimiotti, Cotter, Covington, Dantzler, DeLisi, DiVito, Dowd, Edwards, Endicott, Fagley, Falk, Farino, K. Fernandez, L. Fernandez, Figueira, Fiore, Fishbein, Gallo, Gaunt, Geerdts, Gillett, Glaser, Gomes, Goodman, Gould, Greenhut, Hackworth, Hetling, Hudson, Jimenez, Karunanithi, Klein, Krenos, Lindgren, Markowitz, McKeever, Messer, Midlarsky, Miranti, Mitchell, Moran, Naus, Navrot, Norville, O'Connor, Oliver, Otto, Ottomanelli, Panayotatos, A. Patel, R. Patel, Pavlik, Pottick, Puhak, Rabinowitz, Robinson, Rodgers, Rosario, H. Roth, Sahi, Saltzman, Scherrer, Schrire, Schulman, Schwartz, Shamshair, Shapiro, Sheflin, Sikorski, Simmons, Sokolov, Sorensen, Sowinski, Spellmeyer, Stauffer, Stein, Stillwagon, Suplee, Szatrowski, Tancs, Tehrani, Thompson, Toney-Boss, Tsakalakos, Tursi, Uzun, Vander Hoff, Velan, Vodak, Wagner, Wasserman, Weigert, R. Williams, Winkler, Winterbauer, Wolf

EXCUSED: Balog, Bell, Borisovets, Bubb, Burrell, Cachel, Chant, Coleman, Creese, Edward, Evans, Farris, Fehn, Finegold, Gao, Hughes, Hyndman, Kukor, Lewis, Mazurek, Minsky, Mullen, Muse, Niederman, Padgett, Pirrello, Reade, Rogers, Saito, Schantz, Shiffrar, Spasojevic, Spiegel, Taghon, Trivedi, Wang, Wei, White, Zimmerman

ABSENT: Akinlabi, Ansari, Atkins, Avakame, Baffo, Buchholtz, Bunch, Clear, Coghlan, Crowell, Deenamsetty, Dietrich, Dixit, Farmer, Ganesh, Goldstein, Grabosky, Guo, Haibach, J. Harris, R. Harris, Heckscher, Hinch, Hoffman, Holzemer, Holzer, Jaloudi, Janes, Katz, Kenfield, Laguna, Lakkaraju, Laquidara, Li, Lindenmeyer, Lynch, Maher, Mao, Oboh, C. Ortiz, R. Ortiz, Pandey, Pavlovic, Pritchett, Redlawsk, Schement, Schurman, Seethamraju, Shafer, Small-Post, Solomon, Takhistov, Taylor, Thuno, Van de Walle, W. Williams, Yabut, Yeagle

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY: Faculty: Of 106 total: 55 present (52%), 24 excused (23%), 27 absent (25%); Students: Of 50 total: 30 present (60%), 4 excused (8%), 16 absent (32%); Administrators: Of 35 total: 13 present (37%), 7 excused (20%), 15 absent (43%); Staff: Of 14 total: 10 present (71%), 4 excused (29%), 0 absent; Alumni: Of 6 total: 6 present (100%)
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 1:12 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Rutgers Student Center, College Avenue Campus, New Brunswick. He welcomed all present, and congratulated Rutgers and those responsible for Rutgers joining the Committee on Institutional Cooperation.

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 at the previous Senate meeting, and was docketed for action at this meeting. Without additional discussion, the Senate adopted the report and its recommendations as presented by the USGC.

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  was excused from the Senate meeting, so BFC member Senator Thomas Figueira 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 constitutes 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 the previous Senate meeting, and was docketed for action at this meeting. The proposed amendment was adopted by acclamation without discussion as 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 safety on and among the three campuses.
Added: Present to the Senate an annual report on the Rutgers University Budget.

OLD BUSINESS: There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT - Robert L. Barchi, University President

President Barchi presented an administrative report, which included comments on the following subjects:
President Barchi then responded to questions, or heard comments, on subjects including:
REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES: Senator Samuel Rabinowitz, Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors,  reported on the November 19 Board of Governors meeting. Senator Martha Cotter, Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, reported on the December 6 Board of Trustees meeting.

CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISON REPORTS: Samuel Rabinowitz, chair Camden Faculty Council, reported that the council has met, is working on establishing its bylaws. Senator Daniel O'Connor, chair of the New Brunswick Faculty Council, reported on recent plans and activities of the New Brunswick Faculty Council.

ADJOURNMENT: On motion, the meeting adjourned at 2:32 p.m.

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