RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES
January 7, 2005

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Barone, Blasi, Borisovets, Cotter (Chair), Curry, Darien, DiVito, Rabinowitz (Vice Chair), Swalagin (Executive Secretary)

EXCUSED:  Hirsh, Panayotatos

ALSO ATTENDING:  Adam (Newark Campus Faculty Liaison), Furmanski (Administrative Liaison), McCormick (Administrative Liaison), Miller (New Brunswick Campus Faculty Liaison), Scott (Board of Trustees Faculty Representative)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, January 7, 2005 at 1:10 p.m. in the Cap and Skull Room, Rutgers Student Center, College Avenue Campus.  

1.    Chairperson’s Report

No Chairperson’s Report was presented.

2.    Secretary's Report

Minutes:  The Minutes of the November 5, 2004 Executive Committee meeting were approved.

Communications:  The following communication was presented by Secretary Swalagin, and acted upon as noted:
3.    Administrative Report

President McCormick delivered the administrative report, which included comments on:  the state budget, and the related challenges and discussions with legislators on both this year’s and next year’s state allocations to Rutgers; considerations and activities associated with plans to transform part of the College Avenue Campus (near the Rutgers Student Center) into a non-vehicular pedestrian mall; and Rutgers’ participation in aid to victims of, and education institutions affected by, the Asian tsunami disaster.

Senator Blasi asked what major issues or themes would be forthcoming over the next one or two years.  President McCormick responded that, as included in his September 2004 Address to the University Community, the developing character of academic initiatives, and results of the work of the Task Force on Undergraduate Learning and Life will emerge in the semester ahead.

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Furmanski responded to Senator Miller’s question regarding interdisciplinarity and organization of graduate programs by noting that deans were charged last year with working to eliminate disincentives or barriers to interdisciplinarity, and that related responsibilities have been assigned to the position of Vice President for Research.  President McCormick added that he and Vice President Furmanski are currently considering a university-wide agenda for developing global studies.

Responding to Senator DiVito’s question regarding support for financial aid, President McCormick said that TAG will continue to be well supported, and that he will recommend that the boards continue to set aside tuition funds for need-based financial aid.  He also commented on Rutgers’ accessibility to various income groups, and, in response to a request by Chairperson Cotter, will ask Nancy Winterbauer if data on that subject can be disseminated.

4.    Standing Committee Reports and Charges

Charge Deadline Extended:  The University Structure and Governance Committee deadline on Charge S-0409 (Consider adding specific responsibility for graduate and professional education issues to the Senate’s committee structure) was extended to March 24, 2005.

Draft Resolution on AAUP Policy Statement:  A resolution submitted by Karen Thompson, Staff Representative, Part-time Chapter of the Rutgers Council of AAUP Chapters, was considered.  The resolution called for endorsement of the American Association of University Professors’ policy statement “Contingent Appointments and the Academic Profession” and for recognition of the AAUP’s continuing efforts to protect the academic profession, including those members of the profession with contingent appointments.  The AAUP policy statement itself was not included with the draft resolution.  Secretary Swalagin was asked to draft a charge to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee, and circulate that to the Executive Committee by e-mail along with a link to the policy statement.  If there are no objections from the Executive Committee, the charge will be issued; otherwise it will be placed on the Executive Committee’s February 2005 agenda for further consideration.

Senator Scott mentioned that, in previous years, the Senate had received reports on the numbers of part-time and annual-appointee faculty, and that it may be helpful to have that information again.  Executive Vice President Furmanski offered to provide that information, noting that there will be some degree of uncertainty in the numbers due to the difficulty of categorizing some of the positions.

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Resolution on Facilitating Senate Participation in Committee Meetings through the Use of Modern Teleconference Technology:  A resolution from the USGC on utilizing and making available teleconferencing facilities for Senate and Senate standing committee meetings was discussed.  Chuck Hedrick, University Director of Instructional and Research Technology, and Chief Technical Officer, will be asked to report to the USGC on teleconferencing technology, especially regarding feasibility, availability, practicality, barriers and limitations.  Secretary Swalagin will also attend the USGC discussion of this item, to comment on its application to Senate meetings.  Afterward, the USGC will compose a report to accompany the resolution, which will be further considered by the Executive Committee.

Proposed Charge to Equal Opportunity Committee (EOC) on FAIR v. Rumsfeld:  A charge proposed by Senator Adam Cooper, calling for EOC consideration of a response to a recent court decision on FAIR v. Rumsfeld, was discussed.  The bases of FAIR v. Rumsfeld being military recruiting on campus, military discrimination against gays, and withdrawal of military funding when recruitment opportunities are denied, the EOC will be asked to revisit the issue in light of the recent decision.  The EOC had acted on FAIR in February 2004, issuing a Resolution on FAIR v. Rumsfeld, and to Implement Fully Rutgers Policy on Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, which was adopted by the University Senate.  Secretary Swalagin will redraft the charge and circulate it to the Executive Committee via e-mail.  If approved the charge will be issued to the EOC with a March 24, 2005 deadline.

Potential Charge to Committee on Senator Cooper’s Resolution regarding George Zoffinger’s Nomination to Rutgers’ Board of Governors:  Senator Adam Cooper’s resolution opposing George Zoffinger’s nomination to Rutgers’ Board of Governors was discussed.  Senator Cooper had independently introduced his resolution directly to the Senate from the floor of the October 2004 meeting.  Mr. Zoffinger has since been appointed to the Board of Governors.  The Executive Committee declined to issue a charge on this matter.

5.    January 21, 2005 University Senate Meeting Agenda

The January 21, 2005 University Senate meeting agenda will include:
6.    Old Business

Follow-up on the Senate’s October 2000 Report on Use of Social Security Numbers as Student Identification Numbers:  Rutgers’ continuing use of Social Security numbers as student identification numbers was discussed.  Senator Scott provided an update on the issue, and EVP Furmanski explained some of the problems and inherent difficulties in implementing an alternative system.  Chairperson Cotter will ask Michael McKay, Vice President for Information Technology, to report to the Senate on this issue.

7.    New Business

Deans’ Evaluation Committee Members:  Chairperson Cotter said that Newark Provost Diner, noting that the Senate’s procedures for evaluation of administrators call for the Senate to suggest evaluation committee members, had contacted her regarding the upcoming evaluation of the dean of the School of Criminal Justice.  Chairperson Cotter will speak with colleagues, and e-mail to the Executive Committee the names of any suggested committee members for their approval, after which she or Secretary Swalagin will forward the names to Provost Diner.

8.    Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m. by Chairperson Cotter.

Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the Senate