RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
May 17, 2013

Issue: Dollars Spent Per Student by Campus, Submitted by Robert Puhak:

"Following up here to my motion at the last Senate meeting, i.e., i) to post accurate/clarified information (at a specific webpage for anyone to access) regarding dollars spent per student for each Rutgers campus and ii) to have an e-mail sent to the full Rutgers community (at least faculty, students, staff, and administration) regarding that webpage, as well as related summary message and URL.

"As I said at that Senate meeting and in the previous Executive Committee meeting, I believe it is crucial to have the most accurate and up to date information clearly defined for all to see and review, especially in light of the serious and understandable concerns over this matter."

The Executive Committee discussed this matter at some length. Peter Gillett moved that the Senate chair should discuss with President Barchi in the short term what would be the best mechanism to get the IPEDS information to the Rutgers community. Robert Boikess seconded Gillett's motion. The motion was ruled unnecessary because the Senate had already adopted by acclamation a motion at the May 2013 meeting as follows: "The Office of the President should send out the [IPEDS] information presented to the Senate to the entire university community." Chairperson Gould will discuss the matter with President Barchi.

Issue: Uniformity and Transparency of Faculty Retirement Packages, Submitted by Yuchung Wang:

“I met a few faculty in Camden yesterday who have negotiated a package with an intention to gradually relieve their teaching duties. Or gradual departure from Rutgers. It seems different dean or school may offer different packages and they are not transparent. The issues that concern faculty the most are health care coverage, life insurance and length of departure. For such personnel matters, can university senate play any role in advising the administration?” [Note: See Response to Charge S-1011 on Endorsing the New Brunswick Faculty Council's Faculty Retirement Survey - Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee - November 2010.]

Ann Gould noted that the Senate had adopted a report by the Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) on this matter in 2010, but that the administration had yet to respond to that report. That report was included in the meeting packet distributed to all present. She also pointed out that the FPAC had presented, and the Senate adopted, a report on phased retirement in 2004, and that the administration had rejected the recommendations in that report. It was suggested that the new administration may be receptive to resurrecting phased retirement discussions or planning, and that the Executive Committee might consider a new charge, or perhaps follow up with the administration on this and other Senate reports that are still without responses. Gould will ask the administration for a response to the 2010 Senate/FPAC report.

Issue: Rutgers Biological and Health Sciences Faculty Member of the Executive Committee, Submitted by Robert Puhak:

“As i) the Senate Executive Committee has one 'fulltime faculty position' for each of the three geographic campuses (New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden), and ii) in light of the UMDNJ integration taking place this July, forming the fourth campus of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences  (RBHS), and iii) given the University Senate's commitment to shared governance, it seems the Executive Committee should have a 'fulltime faculty position' specifically for RBHS.”

Discussion on this issue led to a motion by Peter Gillett that the University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) be charged with making recommendations regarding campus-based Senate eligibility and Executive Committee positions in light of the integration of UMDNJ. The Executive Committee approved the charge, and assigned a January 2014 deadline for the response.

Issue: Plans to implement Pearson eCollege Course Management System Rutgers eCollege management master's program, raised by Ann Gould (not docketed on the original agenda):

The Executive Committee discussed a plan to implement a Rutgers eCollege online management master's program, and related union petitions asking Rutgers to delay its implementation, and other concerns. It was suggested that this issue may fall within the Senate's legislative function. It was decided that the issue would be sent to the Executive Committee members and any interested members of the Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC), who would be asked to participate in email discussion over the summer.

Issue: Students retaking classes on other campuses for credit, raised by Samuel Berman (not docketed on the original agenda):

Samuel Berman raised the issue of students retaking courses on other campuses and receiving credit for those courses, and asked that a charge be issued to a standing committee on the matter. Ken Swalagin noted that this issue was not urgent, and asked that such action be postponed until a proposed draft charge, and a rationale therefore, could be drafted by Berman and docketed on the Executive Committee's September agenda. The Executive Committee agreed. Berman will send the draft charge and rationale to be docketed for September 2013 action.