RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S

February 6, 2009


MEMBERS PRESENT: Bodnar, Borisovets, Bubb, Gould, Greenhut, Leath, Nolfi, Pignatiello (conference call), Rabinowitz (Chair), Swalagin (Executive Secretary), Thompson

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Greaux, McArdle, Panayotatos

ALSO ATTENDING: Cotter (Faculty BOG Representative), Furmanski (Administrative Liaison), McCormick (Administrative Liaison)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, February 6, 2009 at 1:10 p.m. in the Executive Board Room of Administrative Services Building-III, Cook Campus.

1. Chairperson’s Report 

Senate and Executive Committee Chairperson Samuel Rabinowitz called the meeting to order at 1:23 p.m. There was no chairperson's report.

2.    Executive Secretary’s Report
 
Agenda:  The meeting agenda was approved as distributed by the executive secretary.

Minutes: The January 9, 2009 Senate Executive Committee Meeting Minutes were approved as distributed by the executive secretary.

Communications:
3.    Administrative Report

President McCormick presented an administrative report which included comments on:
President McCormick and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Phil Furmanski then responded to questions, or heard comments from the Executive Committee, on topics including:
[Senator Nolfi joined the meeting at 1:51 p.m.]

EVPAA Furmanski continued the administrative report with additional comments about New Jersey's and Rutgers' budgets.

[Note: An itemized list of recent Senate reports and recommendations on which the Executive Committee had requested administrative follow up was docketed and distributed, but not discussed.]

4.    Standing Committees

Committee Reports:

The University Structure and Governance Committee Response to Charge S-0810, Including Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration as Administrator Senator was summarized by USGC Co-chair Tricia Nolfi, discussed by the Executive Committee, and docketed for introduction (it recommends a change in Senate membership which would require a bylaws change, so it will be voted on at the March meeting) at the February 27 Senate meeting.

The Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee Response to Charge S-0705-2, Full-time Tenure- and Non-tenure-track Appointments was summarized by FPAC Co-chair Ann Gould, discussed by the Executive Committee, and docketed for Senate information on the February 27 meeting agenda. The report does not recommend any changes to current Rutgers policies or practices, so it was not docketed as an action item requiring a Senate vote.

Proposed Charges/Issues:

Proposed Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) on Evaluation of Administrators, submitted by FPAC Co-chair Paul Panayotatos on behalf of originator, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Phil Furmanski: A charge to the FPAC on evaluation of administrators, which had been proposed by the FPAC at EVPAA Furmanski's suggestion, was first summarized by Furmanski, and then by FPAC Co-chair Gould. The Executive Committee issued the charge, as proposed, as follows:

Evaluate the current procedures for faculty, staff and student evaluation of deans since implementation in 2004. Recommend changes where appropriate, and examine the feasibility of extending the process to include vice presidents and other administrators. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by February 2010.

Proposed Charge to [undetermined] Committee on RUCS and OIT Input in Strategic Planning and Mission: Staff Senator Jon Oliver had submitted the following proposal for a charge to a Senate standing committee: "I have been at Rutgers for over 22 years, the last 14 working in the area of information technology. During that time, I have observed that RUCS and subsequently OIT appears to have little academic unit input in the strategic planning and prioritization of its mission. I would respectfully request that the Senate investigate whether an advisory board of mid to upper level IT staff from academic units be put in place so that we can better consolidate and organize our technology needs and future directions. This body would not necessarily be a decision making body but at least would provide advice to the CIO." Tricia Nolfi asked if there is already such a committee, and Phil Furmanski responded that there is a set of advisory committees to OIT that is functioning, and that Rick Falk and a committee recently did an overview of OIT as an ad hoc advisory, and that a recommendation similar to that of this proposed charge was also made by the Falk committee. Secretary Swalagin will suggest to Senator Oliver that this charge could be brought back in a year, after the Falk committee's work is underway.

Proposed Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee on Academic Freedom for Contingent Faculty: PTL Senator Karen Thompson, at Faculty Senator Peter Simmons' suggestion, had submitted a proposed charge on academic freedom for contingent faculty. The charge was discussed, assigned a deadline, and issued to the Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee as proposed, as follows:

Given that PTLs and NTTs do not have the protections of tenure and by definition are continually under scrutiny for reappointment, consider ways to amend University Regulation 60.5.1 to maximize academic freedom for contingent faculty. Alternatively, or in addition to such amendment, consider other mechanisms, such as due process provisions, that will help to ensure academic freedom for contingent faculty. The National AAUP’s Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure serves as a relevant background document, with section 13 on part-time faculty of particular interest. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by February 2010.

Proposed Charge to University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) on Senate Speakers, Discussions, and Forums: The USGC had proposed that it be charged with reviewing and making recommendations regarding the way discussions take place on the Senate floor. USGC Co-chair Nolfi summarized the proposal, and the Executive Committee issued the charge to the USGC as proposed, as follows:

Consider proposals to limit discussion during University Senate meetings, when motions are on the floor, to that of Senators and specifically invited guests. Also consider proposals to provide for public input to issues before the Senate, such as possibly providing for opening the Senate meetings to the public during the President's Annual Address to the Rutgers Community, as well as during the three annual campus reports, and at other times, such as in public hearings or forums by the Senate or any of its committees, and possibly when the Senate is in committee of the whole. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by April 2009.

Proposed Charge to University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) on Senate Committee Charge-Response Time Limits:The USGC had proposed that it be charged with reviewing and making recommendations regarding limiting the time in which a Senate standing committee must respond to charges issued by the Executive Committee. USGC Co-chair Nolfi summarized the proposal. Executive Committee instructed Secretary Swalagin to broaden the charge and issue it to the USGC. The charge was ultimately issued as follows:

Consider whether the University Senate should establish a general, maximum time limit for committee responses to charges issued by the Executive Committee. Make recommendations on time limits, and how to deal with charges that are pending in committee beyond specific deadlines or overall time limits. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by November 2009.

Charge-Deadline Extensions:

USGC: At the USGC's request, the response deadlines on Charge S-0712 (Enhanced Shared Governance, and University Senate) and Charge S-0805 (Senate Representation by Full-Time, Non-Tenure-Track Faculty) were extended to April 2009.
FPAC: At FPAC Co-chair Gould's request, all FPAC unmet charge deadlines were extended to April 2009.
ASRAC: At ASRAC Co-chair Martha Cotter's request, the response deadlines on Charge S-0713 (Weekend Exams) and S-0605 (Admissions and Financial Aid) were extended to March 2009.

5.    February 27, 2009 University Senate Agenda: The February 27, 2009 Senate meeting will be held in Newark, and will include Newark Chancellor Diner's Newark Campus Report, and the two committee reports docketed above.

[Senator Furmanski left the meeting at 3:07 p.m.]

6.    Old Business:

Academic Integrity Policy Committee: Martha Cotter briefed the Executive Committee on the activities of the new Academic Integrity Policy Committee, which had met for the first time the previous Tuesday, and divided itself into subcommittees, one of which is researching other AAU public research universities' academic integrity policies, and another which is meeting and talking with members of Rutgers' academic units about experiences with the current policy as well as what they'd like to see in the new policy. Cotter said that the AIPC would like to get input from the Senate as a whole on the policy. The Executive Committee docketed a report on this subject from Cotter at the March 27 Senate meeting, as well as a committee-of-the-whole discussion. She also said that EVPAA Furmanski has offered to provide funds for a mini-conference on academic integrity early next fall, and that she hopes she can convince the New Brunswick Faculty Council to make that a part of, or have it replace, the annual teaching conference.

7.    New Business: There was no new business

8.    Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 3:18 p.m.


Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate