RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE M I N U T E S
April 7, 2006 

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Boikess, Cotter (Chair), Curtis, Darien, LaSala, Rabinowitz (Vice Chair), Swalagin (Executive Secretary)

EXCUSED:  Borisovets, Panayotatos

ABSENT:  DeLuca

ALSO ATTENDING: Ellis (Equal Opportunity Committee Co-chair), Furmanski (Administrative Liaison), Gigliotti (University Structure and Governance Committee Chair), Gould (Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee Co-chair), Kokini (Budget and Finance Committee Co-chair), Leath (New Brunswick Faculty Council Chair, and Faculty BOG Representative), McCormick (Administrative Liaison)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, April 7, 2006 at 1:10 p.m. in the Executive Board Conference Room, Administrative Services Building III, Cook Campus. 

1.             Chairperson’s Report

There was no Chairperson's Report.

2.             Secretary's Report

Minutes:  Minutes of the March 10, 2006 Senate Executive Committee meeting were approved as distributed by the Secretary.

Communications:  The Revised Schedule of 2006-2007 Senate and Senate Executive Committee meetings was adopted. Several Executive Committee meetings had been rescheduled to accommodate requests from President McCormick's office (due to President McCormick's teaching schedule for next year, and related rescheduling of Board meetings, as well as New Brunswick Faculty Council meeting-date conflicts). The following schedule was adopted:

3.             Administrative Report

President McCormick's Administrative Report focused on the state budget crisis, resultant proposed cuts to Rutgers' state funding, and plans to respond to the proposed cuts.  He also said that Jeffrey Apfel's title has been changed to Senior Vice President for Administration, and Chief Financial Officer, following Karen Kavanagh's departure from her former position.

Jillian Curtis briefed the group on student activities aimed at fighting the proposed budget cuts, including creation of a website at http://rustudentrally.com/, and a planned rally in Trenton on Thursday, April 27.

4.             Slate of Candidates for April 28, 2006 Election of Officers, Senate Executive Committee Members, and Board Representatives:  The following slate of candidates for the April 28, 2006 Senate election was adopted:

The election and balloting process was discussed and accepted. All nominees for vice chair (and for chair, if there are nominations for that position from the floor), as well as all nominees for faculty Executive Committee members, will be placed into one pool of candidates, and the Senate will be asked to vote for one more than is needed to fill all positions. Any chair or vice chair candidate who does not win the chair or vice chair seat will then be eligible for faculty Executive Committee member, per last year's Senate Bylaws revisions.  By voting for one additional EC member, voters can be assured that their votes cast in the EC "runoff" will not be wasted should that candidate be elected to the chairship or vice chairship. For each chair or vice chair candidate nominated from the floor, one additional "vote for" will be included in the EC voting. When votes are tabulated, the highest vote-getters for EC faculty from each respective campus (who have not been elected chair or vice chair) will win the position.

5.             Standing Committee Reports and Charges, and Other Actions

University Structure and Governance Committee, Report and Resolution in Response to Proposal for Establishment of a School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers-Newark: Gary Gigliotti, Chair of the Senate's University Structure and Governance Committee, summarized his committee's report and resolution which recommend establishing a School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers-Newark.  The Report and Resolution were docketed for action at the April 28, 2006 Senate regular meeting.

Review of All Standing Committees' Outstanding Pending Charges, and Nomination or Assignment of 2006-2007 Committee Chairs:  The pending charges of all standing committees were reviewed. Charges were dropped, or deadlines revised, as needed. Michael LaSala, co-chair of the Senate's Equal Opportunity Committee, asked that his committee be charged with considering whether Rutgers should create a standalone office to address issues of tolerance, sensitivity and compliance. Senator LaSala will draft the charge to his committee and submit it to the Executive Committee to review and issue. The following committee-chair appointments were renewed or suggested (Secretary Swalagin will ask newly suggested chairs if they will accept the positions):

Jillian Curtis agreed to again serve as Senate parliamentarian.

6.             April 28, 2006 University Senate Regular and Organizational Meetings Agendas

Items were docketed for the Senate's April 28, 2006 meetings, as follows:

7.            Old Business

There was no old business

8.             New Business

There was no new business.

9.             Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 2:55 p.m. by Chairperson Cotter.


Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the Senate