MEMBERS PRESENT:  Barone, Borisovets, Hirsh, Leath, Manhoff, Rabinowitz (Vice Chair), Scott (Chair), Sims, Swalagin (Executive Secretary)

EXCUSED:  Saniefard

ALSO ATTENDING:  Cotter (NB Faculty Liaison), Lawrence (Administrative Liaison), Miller (Student BOG Representative) Oren (Academic Regulations and Standards Co-Chair), Redd (Graduate Student BOT Representative), Winterbauer (Vice President for University Budgeting), Wozniak (Undergraduate Student BOT Representative)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, February 15, 2002 at 1:10 p.m. in the President’s Dining Room, Brower Commons, College Avenue Campus.

1. Chairperson’s Report
Chairperson Scott called the meeting to order, and moved immediately to the Secretary’s Report.

2. Secretary's Report
Minutes:  Minutes of the January 11, 2002 Executive Committee meeting were approved as distributed by the Secretary.

Communications:  The following communications were presented and acted upon as noted:

•  E-mail from Avram Fechter, student, received January 24, 2002, suggesting an undergraduate enrollment freeze. [Noted, and discussed during the Administrative Report as well as under Potential Charges.]

Vice President for University Budgeting Nancy Winterbauer spoke about State and University budgets, and Rutgers strategies to handle current and anticipated budget cuts.  She also said, in reference to Mr. Fechter’s e-mailed suggestion for an undergraduate enrollment freeze, that an enrollment cap has already been set to address this issue.

4. Standing Committee Reports, Potential Charges, and Requests for Information

Report/Memorandum on Charge S-0106, Addition of Plus/Minus Grades to the University’s Default Grading System, Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions (ASRA) Committee, Roger Cowley and Craig Oren, Co-chairs. Senator Oren, ASRA Committee Co-chair, summarized his committee’s report and memorandum on Plus/Minus Grades.  Chairperson Scott distributed a New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) Academic Regulations and Standards Subcommittee December 2001 resolution on this subject.  The ASRA memorandum requests docketing an open discussion on this topic for the March 1, 2002 Senate meeting.  Chairperson Scott recommended inviting Dean Barbara Bender, Registrar Ken Iuso, and representatives from the Graduate School and Newark (regarding joint programs with NJIT) administration. Senator Sims suggested a 30-minute time limit on the open discussion, with the possibility of extensions.  The discussion was docketed for the March 1 Senate meeting. Secretary Swalagin will circulate the ASRA report/memorandum, as well as the NBFC resolution to the Senate prior to the March Senate meeting.

Report on Charge S-0109, Best Practices in Teaching Assessment, Faculty Affairs and Personnel (FAP) Committee, Paul Leath and Barbara Lee, Co-chairs. Senator Leath, Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee Co-chair and Executive Committee Liaison, presented his committee’s report on Best Practices in Teaching Assessment.  The report, which includes eight recommendations for changing Rutgers policies and procedures on teaching assessment, was docketed for action at the March 1, 2002 Senate meeting.  Chairperson Scott recommended inviting Paul Clemens, Monica Devanas, Gary Gigliotti, and Angela O’Donnell, all of whom provided input to the FAP Committee during its formulation of this report.

The following potential charges were discussed, and acted upon as noted:

Charge issued to Budget and Finance Committee: Investigate the level of security normally maintained in classroom and office/research buildings, and the current levels of vandalism and other criminal behavior in those buildings. Investigate the use of buildings/classrooms for after-hours study space, and whether there is an increased cost of maintenance and repair due to unsupervised use.  Formulate a policy for locking buildings and classrooms to ensure security.  Make recommendations on how to provide students with space on each campus for after-hours study, and the amount of space that seems appropriate.  Report to Executive Committee by early October 2002.

Charge issued to Student Affairs Committee: Assess the need for all-night study space, and the level of use of unlocked and unsupervised classroom space for this purpose.  Provide input to the Budget and Planning Committee on the kinds and amounts of after-hours study spaces that would meet student needs.  Provide advice on ways to make students more aware of problems of vandalism, vandalism’s impact on academic functions, as well as the cost of repairs that must be passed on to students.  Suggest ways in which greater respect for University facilities can be encouraged. Report to Executive Committee by May 2002.

A charge was considered regarding instituting an undergraduate enrollment freeze, per Avram Fechter’s e-mail (see "Communications," above). Vice President Winterbauer reiterated and expanded her comments on the existing enrollment cap, which she believes addresses Mr. Fechter’s concerns and suggestion.  Secretary Swalagin will send a memorandum to Vice President Winterbauer, on behalf of the Executive Committee, requesting details of the enrollment cap in an official response, which will then be forwarded to Mr. Fechter and the Executive Committee.  No charge was issued.

A charge to University Structure and Governance Committee, originally considered at the September 2001 Executive Committee meeting, was revisited.  The charge called for a re-examination of the University Senate standing committee structure, focusing on the Faculty Affairs and Personnel and Student Affairs Committees.  It was agreed that most of the issues of overlap and ambiguity in the standing committee charges and structures had already been resolved.  No charge was issued.

The following charges were issued to the Budget and Finance Committee, at that committee’s request:

• Explore risk-reduction strategies and mechanisms, and ways to heighten awareness of safety issues. Investigate the potential for a safety week on campus each semester or year.  In addition, to explore the potential for a website that would include a safety forum for discussion and hazard evaluation.  Report to the Senate Executive Committee by April 2002.

• Evaluate and report to the Senate on the University Master Plan as it develops.  Report to the Senate Executive Committee by October 2002.

• Investigate further enrollment trends and potential for class size at the university.  In addition, explore what other peer institutions are anticipating and actions they are taking to meet near future demand.  Report to the Senate Executive Committee by October 2002.

• Meet with University administration and identify strategies for meeting the current and future fiscal year budget cuts.  Report to the Senate Executive Committee by April 2002.

5. Old Business
Senator Oren, Co-chair of the ASRA Committee, requested extension of the deadline on charge S-0108, Add/Drop Period Review, noting that the add/drop period had been extended this semester following the events of September 11.  He said that the ASRA Committee is also looking at other ways to address the add/drop period, particularly for transfer students. In response to Senator Cotter’s question, Chairperson Scott said that the graduate add/drop-period problem was resolved informally, but that ASRA should address that issue as well.  The charge deadline was extended to April 2002.

6. Senate Meeting Agenda
The following items were docketed for the March 1, 2002 Senate meeting agenda:

• Report on Charge S-0109, Best Practices in Teaching Assessment - Faculty Affairs and Personnel (FAP) Committee
• Open Discussion on Plus/Minus Grades - Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee

Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the Senate