M I N U T E S
March 7, 2003
MEMBERS PRESENT: Borisovets, Cotter, DeRosa, Hirsh, Rabinowitz (Vice Chair), Panayotatos (Chair), Scott, Swalagin (Executive Secretary)
EXCUSED: Barone, Manhoff
ABSENT: Rijhsinghani
ALSO ATTENDING: McCormick (Administrative Liaison), Walker-Andrews (Faculty BOG Representative), Pancholy (Undergraduate Student BOT Representative)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, March 7, 2003 at 1:10 p.m. in the President’s Dining Room, Brower Commons, College Avenue Campus.
1. Chairperson’s Report
After calling the meeting to order, Chairperson Panayotatos said that, per the request of some Student Affairs Committee (SAC) members, he had asked Les Goodman, Board of Trustees chair, if future Student Charter Trustee nominations could be forwarded in ranked order (to be determined by the SAC), and that Trustee Goodman had agreed to that new procedure, providing the Board of Trustees was not bound by the rankings.
Chairperson Panayotatos reported that the Executive Committee had received a memorandum from Monica Devanas and Gary Gigliotti of the Teaching Excellence Center which included a summary of usage of the online instructional rating data. The data became available online following a Senate recommendation to that effect, and also relates to the Senate’s recommendations on Best Practices in Assessment of Teaching. The summary memorandum will be included as a communication with the March 2003 Senate meeting agenda.
At the chair’s request, Senators DeRosa and Pancholy reported on the previous day’s Trenton rally, which was held to protest cuts in state funding to higher education, and which was heavily attended by Rutgers students.
2. Secretary's Report
Minutes: The Minutes
of the February 7, 2003 Executive Committee meeting were approved.
Communications: The memorandum from Drs.
Devanas and Gigliotti discussed in the Chairperson’s Report was circulated
to the committee.
3. Administrative Report
President McCormick delivered the administrative report,
which included comments on: the previous day’s rally in Trenton protesting
state-budget cuts to Rutgers and other state colleges and universities,
as well as the related budget and legislative issues; and the proposed
restructuring of NJ higher education, discussions of which continue although
the pace has slowed in the uncertain budgetary circumstances.
4. Standing Committee Actions, Reports and Charges
Student Affairs Committee, Tahirah Cooper and Matthew
Ramsay, Co-chairs
Neither Student Affairs Committee (SAC) co-chair was
able to attend the meeting to present the Report
on Charge S-0212, Use of Athletic Facilities for Non-Athletic Events.
Secretary Swalagin read an e-mail he had received from Co-chair Cooper,
which said that she and Senator Kleiman had discussed the issue informally
with President McCormick and Athletics Director Mulcahy, who had agreed
to form a committee to look into the issue. Senator Cooper offered
to withdraw the report and its recommendations after receiving this commitment.
The Executive Committee agreed that the report should go to the Senate
for its consideration and action. The phrase “Unprecedented cooperation
of the administration,” and an explanation of the administration’s agreement
were added to the resolution, and the final clause amended to reflect the
change. The item was docketed for action at the March 28, 2003 Senate
meeting.
Equal Opportunity Committee, Thomas DeRosa and Pheroze
Wadia, Co-chairs
Senator DeRosa, co-chair of the Equal Opportunity Committee
(EOC), asked that his committee be charged, as follows: “Consider
and report on the status
of Affirmative Action at Rutgers and in the United States.” The
charge was issued as proposed, and numbered S-0305. Senator DeRosa
then summarized his committee’s report, which had been completed in anticipation
of the charge. Following some revisions to the report and resolution,
which were accepted by EOC Co-Chair DeRosa on behalf of the committee,
the item was docketed for action at the March 28, 2003 Senate meeting.
The Executive Committee considered a proposed charge to the Equal Opportunity Committee, as suggested by Senator Pancholy at the February 21, 2003 Senate meeting, as follows: “Extending resolved Charge S-0209 regarding Hispanic/Latino faculty, now evaluate the status of faculty of other minority groups university-wide with respect to salaries, hires, start-up funds, promotion rates (particularly from associate to full professorship), research support (particularly in Newark and in Camden), and leadership opportunities. Also examine the status of non-Hispanic/Latino minority university administrators at Rutgers.” Senator Pancholy was present at the meeting, and, following discussion of the charge, agreed to redraft the charge focusing on Asian minorities. The charge will be reconsidered after it is submitted in revised form by Senator Pancholy.
The Executive Committee considered a proposed charge to the Budget and Finance Committee, as requested by Senator Zowie Barnes at the February 21, 2003 Senate meeting, regarding maintaining the status of the Rutgers Ecological Preserve. Senator Barnes was unable to attend the meeting, but Senator DeRosa summarized the issue. Following discussion, the charge was issued, as follows: “Charge S-0307: Research and report on the status of the Rutgers Ecological Preserve. Provide information clarifying the status of the preserve, and make recommendations regarding its continuing status as a preserve. Report to Senate Executive Committee by October 2003.”
The Executive Committee considered and issued a proposed charge to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel (FAP) Committee, as requested by FAP Co-Chair Panayotatos, as follows: “Charge S-0308: Evaluate the current procedures for chair appointments by deans, and make recommendations for changes where needed. In particular, evaluate the balloting procedures for the faculty advisory vote, the availability of the results to the voting faculty, the frequency of appointments that do not follow the advisory ballot of the faculty, and the procedures in the latter case. In particular, explore the level of communication of the reasoning to the affected faculty and the existence of recourse. Report to Senate Executive Committee by October 2003.”
The Executive Committee considered and issued a proposed
charge to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee, as requested by
FAP Co-Chair Panayotatos, as follows: “Charge S-0309: Evaluate
the current procedures for faculty staff and student evaluation of deans
after the completion of two cycles of evaluation. Recommend changes
where appropriate, and examine the feasibility of extending the process
to include vice presidents and other administrators. Report to Senate
Executive Committee by October 2003.”
5. Senate Meeting Agenda
The following items were docketed for the March 28, 2003 meeting agenda:
There was no action taken under “New Business.”
7. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 2:55 p.m. by Chairperson
Panayotatos.
Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the Senate