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

February 11, 2011

MEMBERS PRESENT: Barnett, Binetti, Borisovets, Bubb, David, Fishbein, Gillett, Gould, Leath, Panayotatos (Chair), Rabinowitz, Swalagin (Executive Secretary), Thompson

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Bodnar, Levine

ALSO ATTENDING:Cotter (Faculty BOG Representative), Fehn (Administrative Liaison), Furmanski (Administrative Liaison), McCormick (Administrative Liaison), Spiegel (Budget and Finance Committee Chair), Swartley-McArdle (Graduate Student BOT Representative)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, February 11, 2011 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 Paul Panayotatos called the meeting to order at 1:16 p.m. He summarized the February 8 Board of Governors meeting, and said that, as had been discussed and recommended by the Executive Committee in January, he had invited BoG Chair Ralph Izzo to lunch, and he had agreed, and will be bringing Board Secretary Leslie Fehrenbach. Panayotatos hopes to discuss with Izzo issues including evaluation of upper-level administrators, placing the Senate Budget and Finance Committee chair on the corresponding BoG committee, and exclusion of the Senate BoG reps from that body's closed meetings. Panayotatos also said he had discussed with President McCormick and EVP Furmanski having Rutgers' faculty athletics representative confirmed by a faculty body, and that they had asked for data demonstrating that such confirmation is being done elsewhere. Panayotatos then gave hardcopy of that data to McCormick and Furmanski.

2.    Secretary’s Report
3.    Administrative Liaison

President McCormick presented an administrative report which included comments on:
McCormick then responded to questions, or heard comments, on subjects including: 4.    Standing Committees

Committee Reports:

[The University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-1006 on Staggered Terms for Staff Senators was withdrawn by Senator Gillett, chair of the USGC, earlier in the meeting. The USGC was able to revise and adopt the report in time for it to be docketed and acted upon at the February 25 Senate meeting.]

Proposed Charges:

Proposed Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee on Viability of Tenurable Teaching Track:  This proposed charge had been discussed at previous Executive Committee (and FPAC) meetings, but had not been issued. At this Executive Committee meeting, FPAC Co-chair Paul Panayotatos withdrew this proposed charge, but said it would be reconsidered after the FPAC deals with Charge S-1012 on Balance of Full-time and Part-time Faculty Teaching, which is expected in April.

Proposed Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee on Federal Limitations on Hourly Employees: At the November 2010 Executive Committee meeting, Senator Fishbein had raised an issue related to new federal regulations limiting employment of Type 4, hourly employees. The pros and cons of the regulations were discussed at some length, as was the practicality of asking a Senate committee to debate how to respond to a federal law which, by its nature, must be followed. EVP Furmanski said that the issue had been extensively explored by Vivian Fernandez, who had energetically sought solutions. It was noted that responses to federal laws were outside of the rubric of University Senate decisions. At that time, Paul Panayotatos said he would discuss the issue in the FPAC, along with Ms. Fernandez, who is a member of that committee, and would report back to the Executive Committee before a decision is made on a proposed charge. At the January EC meeting, Panayotatos said that Ms. Fernandez had been unable to attend the November FPAC meeting, and asked that this item be docketed on today's agenda. At this Executive Committee meeting, Panayotatos summarized recent discussions and efforts to address this matter. No charge was issued.

Proposed Charge to the Budget and Finance Committee on Information Technology Services at Rutgers: This proposed charge had been discussed by the Executive Committee at previous meetings, and a draft charge had evolved subsequently. Menahem Spiegel, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, was present at this meeting and expressed some concerns about his committee's ability to respond to this very broad, technical charge. Panayotatos suggested the committee begin with Chief Information Officer Don Smith's presentation to the Executive Committee on Rutgers Information Technology and Services. It was also suggested that Spiegel invite additional membership with information technology expertise to work with the BFC on this matter. The BFC was then charged as follows: Information Technology and IT Services at Rutgers: Evaluate aspects of information technology services at Rutgers including whether systems communicate effectively with each other, incorporate user experience levels and feedback, are user-friendly, improve data flow, and enhance coordination among information technology personnel. Explore ways that the Office of Information Technology can more efficiently provide services to users. Identify opportunities for Rutgers to centralize or take a more distributive approach to various information technology functions, and investigate the advantages and disadvantages of deploying more open software. If developments during the time of deliberations warrant it, consider the ramifications of a reunification of Robert Wood Johnson Medical with Rutgers New Brunswick on the above. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by January 2012.

The Executive Committee and BFC Chair Spiegel were also given Paul Panayotatos's thoughts on additional issues or potential charges related to information technology and the proposed reunification with the medical school.

Proposed Charge to Multiple Committees on Proposal to Establish a School of Nursing on the Camden Campus: This proposed charge was discussed at some length, resulting to charges being issued as follows:

To the Budget and Finance Committee, Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee, and Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee: Proposal for New School of Nursing-Camden: At the February 2011 committee meeting, discuss the Proposal to Establish a School of Nursing at Rutgers-Camden. Discuss with Camden Chancellor Pritchett or his representative, who will attend your committee meeting, any questions or concerns you may have relating to the proposal, from the perspective of your committee’s standing charge. By March 7, 2011, prepare and send to the Senate Executive Secretary your advice, findings, and recommendations on the proposal, which will be forwarded to the University Structure and Governance Committee so it can prepare its own response on this matter immediately after its discussions at its March 2011 meeting. Respond to Senate Executive Secretary (for the Senate Executive Committee) no later than March 7, 2011.

To the University Structure and Governance Committee: Proposal for New School of Nursing-Camden: Discuss, document findings, and make recommendations on the Proposal to Establish a School of Nursing at Rutgers-Camden. Discuss with Camden Chancellor Pritchett or his representative, who will attend your March 2011 meeting, any questions or concerns you may have relating to the proposal. Also, include in your deliberations advice from the three Senate committees instructed in Charge A-1102 above [For purposes of this email, that charge is appended below]. Decide if the Senate should endorse establishment of this new school. By April 1, 2011, prepare and send to the Senate Executive Secretary your advice, findings, and recommendations on the proposal, which will be forwarded to the Senate Executive Committee to docket for Senate action. Respond to Senate Executive Secretary (for the Senate Executive Committee) no later than April 1, 2011.

Proposed Charge from Leslie Fishbein on Best Practices in Evaluating Teaching Performance: A charge on Best Practices in Teaching Performance, proposed by Leslie Fishbein, was discussed, modified, and issued to the Instruction, Curriculum and Advising Committee as follows: Online Teaching Evaluations, and Best Practices in Evaluation of Teaching Performance: Investigate best practices in the evaluation of teaching performance, in particular addressing the question of whether paper or online evaluation formats should be used and whether any appropriate safeguards can be put in place to make the use of whatever format or formats might be employed more efficient and accurate. Obtain data relating to changes in response rates and average evaluations since the adoption of online teaching evaluations. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by October 2011.

Proposed Charge from Gayle Stein on Recording Lectures and Discussions: A charge on Recording Lectures and Discussions, proposed by Gayle Stein, was discussed along with Senator Stein's rationale for proposing the charge, which was: "Technology advances are making it easier for students to record lectures and discussions that take place during class. There is a question about whether this material is copyrighted or copyrightable; most people who've looked at it believe that unless otherwise stated, students have the right to record a professor's lecture. Here are a few examples:  
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/lectures.htm,
http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/are-lectures-given-at-a-public-university-copyrigh-209992.html, and http://www.ucop.edu/acadinit/copyright/reports/classlectures.html"

The Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee was then charged as follows: Recording of Presentations: Examine Rutgers’ position, policies, and practices on recording in-class, seminar, online, and other presentations. Recommend guidelines for the responsibilities faculty have for controlling such recording (e.g., related statements in syllabi), and for students who want to record these presentations. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by April 2011.

Potential Charge to University Structure and Governance Committee on supporting reunification with the medical school: Paul Panayotatos raised a new issue of whether the USGC should be charged with exploring issues related to the potential reunification of Rutgers University with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. USGC Chair Gillett said his committee would not be able to consider such a charge until April, at the earliest. The Executive Committee agreed to reconsider this matter and potential charge in April. No charge was issued.

Pending Charges Deadline Extensions - Pending committee charges with overdue deadlines were assigned new deadlines, dropped, or reissued as follows:

Charge A-1004, on Academic Calendar, Commencement Dates: Deadline extended to March 2011, as requested by ASRAC Co-chair Cotter.
Charge S-1008, on Academic Calendar, Mini-Terms, and Spring Break Saturdays: Charge dropped on ASRAC Co-chair Cotter's assertion that the matter is no longer an issue.
Charge S-0808, on Implementation of 2006 Senate Recommendations on Availability of Syllabi: Paul Leath said that the New Brunswick Faculty Council should have a report on this issue soon. Phil Furmanski said the administration is working on guidelines as to what constitutes a proper syllabus, what faculty should do with syllabi once they are available, and what the expectations are. Deadline extended to November 2011.
Charge A-0812, on Evaluation of Administrators, Part 2: The FPAC and Senate have already acted on the first part of this charge, which was on evaluation of deans. The FPAC co-chairs' request that the deadline for the second part of the charge, on evaluation of upper administration, be extended to December 2011, was approved. Gillett noted that newly adopted rules on charge deadlines mandate that this charge would lapse in March, so the second part of Charge A-0812 was reissued as follows: A-1106, on Evaluation of Administrators: Examine the feasibility of extending the current procedures for faculty, staff and student evaluation of deans to include vice presidents and other administrators. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by December 2011.
Charge S-0915, on Staff Senator Election Processes: Deadline extended to March 2011. [Note: This charge response was finalized by the USGC and presented to, and adopted by, the Senate on February 25, 2011.]
Charge S-1005, on the Alma Mater: Deadline extended to October 2011 at the request of SAC Co-chair Rabinowitz.
Charge S-1009, on National Research Council Ratings of Graduate Programs: Deadline extended to March 2011 at the request of RGPEC Co-chairs Swartley-McArdle and Cooper.

5.    University Senate February 25, 2011 Agenda

Paul Panayotatos, FPAC co-chair, asked that the FPAC report on Charge S-1007, on Academic Reappointment/Promotion Form 1-A, be docketed for action at the February Senate meeting. Panayotatos said the report was being finalized in the FPAC, and that it could be circulated by email for comment and approval in preparation for the Senate meeting. The Executive Committee docketed the report provisionally, with the agreement that it would be withdrawn if the FPAC was not able to finalize it prior to the Senate meeting. Peter Gillett suggested a committee-of-the-whole discussion on the Camden School of Nursing proposal be docketed. Paul Panayotatos suggested another committee-of-the-whole discussion on shared governance. Both discussions were docketed on the February Senate agenda.

6.    Old Business

There was no old business.

7.    New Business

Natalie Borisovets raised the issue of using clickers for voting at Senate meetings.

8.    Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:28 p.m.

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