MEMBERS PRESENT:  Gould, Mauroff, Rabinowitz (Vice Chair), Stein, Swalagin (Executive Secretary), Thompson

ALSO ATTENDING:  McCormick (Administrative Liaison), Scott (Faculty BOT Representative)

EXCUSED:  Bodnar, Borisovets, Cotter (Chair), Eldreth, Ng, Puniello, Szatrowski, Tittler
 

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, January 5, 2007 at 1:10 p.m. in the Executive Board Conference Room, Administrative Services Building III, Cook Campus.

1. Chairperson's Report

Chairperson Cotter was unable to attend the meeting. Vice Chairperson Rabinowitz presided, calling the meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. He wished everyone a happy new year, then moved directly into the agenda.

2. Secretary's Report

• Minutes: The November 10, 2006 Senate Executive Committee Minutes were approved as distributed by the executive secretary.
• Communications: The following communication was presented by the secretary and duly noted by the Executive Committee:
• President McCormick's Response to the Senate's October 2006 Report and Recommendations on Availability of Syllabi during Add/Drop. Kathleen Scott commented that it would be very helpful to faculty if they were able to access quickly online information needed to create a syllabus, such as the dates of major religious holidays, when warnings are due, etc. Scott will send an e-mail to Executive Vice President Furmanski making that suggestion.

3. Standing Committee Proposed Charge

A proposed charge to the University Structure and Governance Committee on the role of part-time and full-time non-tenure-track faculty, which had also been considered at the October and November 2006 Senate Executive Committee meetings, was discussed and issued as follows:

Examine, with input from the Senate's Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee, the issue of all part-time, as well as full-time non-tenure-track, faculty and their role in shared governance at all levels throughout Rutgers, particularly as it relates to the increasing academic reliance on those faculty. Research best practices and make recommendations regarding how the role and participation of those faculty in University decision-making can better reflect their teaching/research responsibilities and better inform the educational process throughout Rutgers. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by April 2, 2007.

President McCormick arrived at the meeting at 1:45 p.m., and delivered an administrative report which included comments on the following:

• The state budget and Rutgers' state funding:
• best possibly may be level funding for next year, with potential help with personnel costs on compensation and benefits;
• hopes that consistency between Rutgers' targeted objectives and Governor Corzine's agenda for economic development may be beneficial;
• anticipation of more information from Governor Corzine's State of the State Address this Tuesday, and subsequent Budget Address;
• ongoing dialog with the State Budget Office and other legislators.

• Articulation and transfer:
• Rutgers has for decades been at the forefront of, and has a good track record in, articulation and transfer agreements;
• current campaign by community colleges to change articulation and transfer in New Jersey so that a student who completes an associate's degree at a community or county college in New Jersey, and who is then admitted to Rutgers, would receive from Rutgers full credit for the 60 credits earned, and be deemed to have completed Rutgers' general education requirements;
• approval of this plan, with some improvements requested by Rutgers, and possible legislation reflecting the change;
• potential difficulties in implementing the new agreements, such as increased state involvement in the process at Rutgers, and implications on admissions decisions and tracking of student progress;
• a group newly formed under the President's Council which will be looking at the specific requirements, of which Barry Qualls is a co-chair, and Michael Beals is a member.

• UMDNJ/NJIT:
• little new to report, but discussion continues;
• most can agree that what is in Piscataway (UMDNJ) can be moved into Rutgers-New Brunswick, but there is much more uncertainty as to what can or should be done in Camden and Newark;
• a legislative task force has asked for a response from Rutgers on what would be needed to make a proposal work in terms of finances, governance, academic organization, and other aspects, and has also solicited alternative proposals;
• a legislative retreat on this subject scheduled for January 19;
• President McCormick welcomes the Senate's consideration and advice on this very complex matter.

Two nominations for two open Student Charter Trustee positions had been received from the School of Engineering's student governing association in response to Secretary Swalagin's November 3, 2006 solicitation of those nominations. The Senate's Student Affairs Committee will review the submissions of public service to Rutgers and the community, and will forward to Secretary Swalagin by January 23 the names of those candidates it finds qualified. Swalagin will then transmit those nominations to the Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees.

6. Committee Reports

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC), Partial Response to Charge S-0603, Distribution and Election of Student Senators in New Brunswick: The USGC report, which includes recommendations, on this subject was distributed in hardcopy at the meeting, and discussed. Kathleen Scott, a member of the USGC, responded to questions regarding the report. Ken Swalagin asked that the committee also include a recommendation on which office under the new academic structure in New Brunswick should be responsible for conducting the elections, so that he could send the call for elections and entitlement information to that party each year. Scott suggested that it could be Vice President for Student Affairs Blimling, but said she would raise the issue with the USGC. Scott also noted that, since the USGC's recommendations would require changing the Senate's bylaws, that this report would therefore require introduction at a Senate meeting before Senate action and vote at the subsequent meeting. Scott will also ask the USGC to add language to amend the Senate bylaws. The Executive Committee asked Swalagin to circulate the report via e-mail to all EC members (recognizing that only five EC members were present at the meeting, and of those only Kimberly Mauroff is a student, and that she is from Rutgers-Camden), and if no objections are raised, to then docket this item for introduction only at the January 19 Senate meeting.

Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Report and Recommendations in Response to Charge S-0606, Targum: The SAC report on this matter had not been distributed with the meeting materials, but had been sent to Secretary Swalagin on December 26, 2006. No Senate action is called for in the report; it will be transmitted to the USGC as SAC input to charge S-0107, Referendum Guidelines Review. The EC instructed Swalagin to circulate the report via e-mail, and if no objections are raised, to then also docket this item on the Senate's January 19 agenda, for information only. With the report, the SAC also transmitted an Addendum to the Targum Concept Plan, as well as some financial information received from Targum.

7. Old Business

Kimberly Mauroff asked about the status of the proposed charge on creation of a standalone diversity center. Swalagin will follow up again with Ted Szatrowski, who was asked to draft language for a portion of the charge.

8. New Business

Gayle Stein announced that the Senate's Staff Caucus will meet officially for the first time this month.

9. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 2:35 p.m.
 

Kenneth W. Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate