Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
April 7, 2017

MEMBERS PRESENT: Boikess, Borisovets, Cotter, Esposito, Gillett (Chair), Gould, Krapivin, Mouradian, Otto, Pirrello, Puhak, Thompson, Van Stine, Wang

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Janniger, Krutyansky

ALSO ATTENDING: B. Lee (Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs), S. Rabinowitz (Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors), A. Samant (Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees), K. Swalagin (Executive Secretary), T. Viccaro (RBHS Student)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, April 7, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. in Executive Conference Room of ASB-III on the Cook Campus.

1. Chair’s Report - Peter Gillett, Senate Chair

Senate and Executive Committee Chair Peter Gillett called the meeting to order at 12:00 noon. He spoke about his concerns regarding how the Executive Committee conducts business, and asked Secretary Swalagin to docket a discussion on timing for submitting, and quality of, reports at the next meeting.

[Ann Gould and Martha Cotter joined the meeting at 12:06 p.m.]

[Recess from 12:15 to 12:25 p.m.]

2. Secretary’s Report - Ken Swalagin, Executive Secretary of the Senate

Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved as distributed by the Executive Secretary.
Minutes: The March 3, 2017 Senate Executive Committee Minutes were approved.
Communications: The following communications were presented, and acted upon as indicated:

President Barchi's Response [Included in communications to March 24, 2017 Senate] to Senate Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee R esponse to Charge S-1409 on Greater Integration of Contingent Faculty in the Rutgers Community and Appendix A - Discussed, and Karen Thompson said that the FPAC feels that President Barchi did not respond to the elements of the report, and will be drafting a response.
University Policy changes:

40.2.21 Debt Management Policy (new) Note: The Debt Management Policy was previously housed on the Office of Institutional Research website. The policy has been revised and converted to a university policy. - Noted.
70.1.1 Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources (reverted) Note: Revisions of the Acceptable Use Policy that were posted on August 22, 2016, have been removed and the policy has been reverted back to its August 22, 2014, version. This reversion is effective pending additional revisions to the policy for clarity. - Noted.

President Barchi's April 5, 2017 Response to the Senate's March 2017 Resolution Endorsing the March for Science - Discussed, and Swalagin will notify the Senate of the availability of AAUP-sponsored buses to the march.

3. Administrative Report - Barbara Lee, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Lee presented an administrative report, which included comments on:

Debasish "Deba" Dutta's appointment as New Brunswick Chancellor, beginning July 1, 2017;
the Dance Marathon, which raised more than one million dollars;
student awards and achievements, including Executive Committee Member Viktor Krapivin's becoming a Goldwater Scholar; and
Board of Governors approval of the School of Graduate Studies, effective July 1, 2017.

Lee then responded to questions, or heard comments on the above subjects, as well as:

Senate Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee initiatives, including an exemplary open-access policy unique to Rutgers, and how those initiatives are brought to chancellors' attention; and
learning management systems.

4. Schedule of Senate and Executive Committee Meetings, Academic Year 2017-18 - The schedule of 2017-18 Senate and Executive Committee meetings, which had been revised per previous Executive Committee action, was noted.

5. Old Business

Ad Hoc Committee on Senate-Meeting Web Streaming Response to Charge S-1606 on Senate-Meeting Web Streaming Revised, with Sunset Clause [Note: Link goes to the report amended as suggested by the Executive Committee at this meeting.] - Ann Gould, Committee Chair

Ad Hoc Committee on Senate-Meeting Web Streaming Chair Ann Gould summarized her committee's revised report on Charge S-1606, on Senate-Meeting Web Streaming. It was suggested that the sunset on the web streaming trial period be changed from six meetings to six months. Gould agreed to the change. The report, as amended, was docketed for action at the upcoming Senate meeting.

Report on Results of Discussion on Rutgers/IPEDS Campus Comparisons Report (discussed with Michael Gower, Larry Gaines, and Michael Van Stine) - Michael Van Stine

Michael Van Stine reported on his meeting and discussions regarding the Rutgers/IPEDS Campus Comparisons Report with Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Michael Gower, and Camden Senior Vice Chancellor Larry Gaines.

6. Standing Committees

Reports:

Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Response to Charge S-1611 on Examination of University Policy on Student Use of Drugs and Alcohol [Note: Link goes to report as amended, and later adopted by the Senate.] - Viktor Krapivin and Samuel Rabinowitz, SAC Co-chairs

The SAC response to Charge S-1611 on Examination of University Policy on Student Use of Drugs and Alcohol was discussed. SAC Co-chairs Krapivin and Rabinowitz responded to questions, and agreed to resolution revisions suggested by the Executive Committee [EC]. The report was docketed provisionally for action at the upcoming Senate meeting, pending circulation of the revised version to the EC.

The SAC had been charged as follows: Consider, evaluate, and make recommendations, if necessary, for changes to university policy on student use of drugs and alcohol. Consider the role of restorative justice in this university policy. Consider any deterrent effects of current policy to students seeking emergency medical services. Refer to the Medical Amnesty Report authored by the Rutgers University Student Assembly for additional information when considering this charge.

Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Response to Charge S-1510 on Student Teaching Evaluations, and Best Practices in Evaluation of Teaching [Note: Link goes to report as amended, and later adopted by the Senate.] - Natalie Borisovets, ICAC Chair

The ICAC response to Charge S-1510 on Student Teaching Evaluations, and Best Practices in Evaluation of Teaching was discussed. SAC Chair Natalie Borisovets responded to questions, and agreed to some revisions suggested by the EC. The report was docketed for action at the upcoming Senate meeting.

The ICAC had been charged as follows: Revisit the March 2012 Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee report on Charge S-1104, on Online Teaching Evaluations, and Best Practices in Evaluation of Teaching. Consider questions such as: Have there been changes in the completion rates and use of the Student Instructional Rating Surveys (SIRS)? How can we make students more aware that the results of the SIRS are available to them? Are the questions on the SIRS still valid, or do they need to be modified in light of changes in educational technologies? To what extent should the SIRS results be used in the evaluation of teaching and the promotion/tenure process? Are other Big-10 schools using such surveys, and to what purpose? Solicit input on personnel ramifications from the Senate's Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee.

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) Response to Charge S-1512 on Staff Promotion and Salary Adjustment Policy [Note: Link goes to report as amended, and later adopted by the Senate.] - Joseph Markert and Alexander Settles, FPAC Co-chairs

The FPAC response to Charge S-1512 on Staff Promotion and Salary Adjustment Policy was discussed. FPAC Member and Former Co-Chair Ann Gould summarized the report, responded to questions, and heard one suggestion for minor amendment. The report was docketed for action at the upcoming Senate meeting.

The FPAC had been charged as follows: Examine Rutgers’ policies on salary adjustments for staff. In particular, review University Policy 60.4.10, which limits Rutgers staff employees’ salary adjustments following promotion or reclassification to levels below those that may be negotiated or offered for newly hired staff employees. Where appropriate, make recommendations for modifying the policy.

Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) Response to Charge S-1506 on RBHS and Other Rutgers Academic Calendars [Note: Link goes to report as amended, and later adopted by the Senate.] - Martha Cotter and Matthew Winkler, ASRAC Co-chairs

The ASRAC response to Charge S-1506 on RBHS and Other Rutgers Academic Calendars was discussed. ASRAC Co-chair Martha Cotter heard suggestions for minor revisions. The report was docketed for action at the upcoming Senate meeting.

The ASRAC had been charged as follows: Consider the academic calendars of the various units of RBHS and how they differ from other Rutgers academic calendars. Make proposals for reconciling the different calendars where possible, and for incorporating the RBHS calendar(s) in the official Rutgers academic calendar.

Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) Response to Charge S-1509 on Default 16-Year Academic Calendar [Note: Link goes to a calendar table; not to a report or resolution. This item was not ready for the April 28, 2017 Senate meeting, and was withdrawn.] - Martha Cotter and Matthew Winkler, ASRAC Co-chairs

The ASRAC response to Charge S-1509 on Default 16-Year Academic Calendar was discussed. ASRAC Co-chair Martha Cotter said that a report, which had not yet been written at the time of this meeting, could be ready for the upcoming Senate meeting. The anticipated report was docketed provisionally for action at the upcoming Senate meeting, pending review and approval by the EC following circulation by email. This report will be the last of those docketed for the Senate on April 28. [Note: The report was not written in time for docketing for action at the April 28, 2017 Senate meeting. It is expected to be available for action early next academic year.]

The ASRAC had been charged as follows: Review the 16-year default academic calendar drafted by Mary Mickelsen.

Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) Response to Charge A-1610 on Change in Graduation Date for Students Completing Degrees in Summer [Note: Link goes to report as amended, and later adopted by the Senate.] - Martha Cotter and Matthew Winkler, ASRAC Co-chairs

The ASRAC response to Charge A-1610 on Change in Graduation Date for Students Completing Degrees in Summer was discussed. ASRAC Co-chair Martha Cotter summarized the report, and agreed to one suggestion for minor revision. The report was docketed for action at the upcoming Senate meeting.

The ASRAC had been charged as follows: At the request of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Lee, consider a proposal to move the official graduation date from October to August for students who complete degree requirements in the summer, which ensures that official reporting of summer degrees falls within the parameters of federal reporting regulations and better reflects when students actually complete their degrees.

[The EC recessed for 10 minutes, then reconvened. Rabinowitz and Lee left the meeting during the recess.]

[RBHS Second-Year Class President Tom Viccaro joined the meeting at 3:28 to present the first proposed charge, below.]

Issues/Charges:

Proposed Charge to Committee on Gym Facility for RBHS Students and Faculty - Submitted by Artem Kruytansky

Senator Kruytansky was unable to attend this meeting. The proposed charge was presented and summarized by RBHS Second-Year Class President Tom Viccaro. Following discussion, the EC suggested that the issue be taken directly to RBHS Chancellor Brian Strom, and/or to the RBHS Faculty Council. No charge was issued.

[Viccaro left the meeting at 3:44 p.m.]

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) requests that Charge S-1615 on Hiring Preference for Rutgers Graduates be discharged:

The following had been sent by Alex Settles, FPAC Co-chair:

The Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FAPC) has reviewed the following charge S-1615: Hiring Preference for Rutgers Graduates: Consider the feasibility of preference in hiring for graduates of Rutgers University, other considerations (including collective bargaining) being equal. Explore similar policies at peer institutions. If deemed appropriate, recommend changes in hiring policy. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by October 2017. [Issued November 2015.]

The Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FAPC) has determined that S-1615: Hiring Preference for Rutgers Graduates should be discharged. FPAC has determined that S-1615: Hiring Preference for Rutgers Graduates may violate existing university collective bargaining agreements and may undermine Rutgers commitment to diversity and equal employment opportunity. If this policy is pursued this would mean that Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey would select Rutgers over graduates of other state universities, colleges and community colleges in the State of New Jersey.

The State of New Jersey has set categories for preference for employment in the New Jersey civil service. Preferences exist for Veterans and Disabled Veterans. Rutgers University follows a policy to provide affirmative action and equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment. Rutgers University actively seeks to recruit and employ veterans.

We feel that it is inappropriate for the Rutgers Senate to recommend a preferential hiring policy for Rutgers graduates as it would most likely violate New Jersey and Federal employment law and violate established equal employment policies of Rutgers University.

Neither FPAC Co-chair was able to attend this meeting. This matter was discussed at some length, and it was decided that the charge would be revised and reissued with a new number.

7. New Business

There was no new business.

8. University Senate Agenda

The agendas and time limits for the April 28 Senate meetings were set by the EC.

9. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by,

Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate