EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MINUTES

June 1, 2001


PRESENT MEMBERS:  Borisovets, Leath, Rabinowitz (Vice Chair), Scott (Chair), Swalagin (Executive Secretary)
EXCUSED:  Barone, Fechter, Kelly, Koehler, Walker-Andrews

ALSO ATTENDING:  Miller (Student BOG Representative 2001-02), Sims (Student EC Member 2001-02), Wozniak (Undergraduate Student BOT Representative 2001-02)
 

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, June 1, 2001 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 thanked the committee members for a productive year.  She praised the Committee and the Senate for the year’s work, and welcomed the new Executive Committee members.
 

2.  Secretary's Report
 

Minutes:  Minutes of the April 6, 2001 Executive Committee meeting were approved as distributed by the Secretary.  Minutes of the April 27, 2001 Senate were approved by the Executive Committee on behalf of the University Senate.
 

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

Memorandum from President Lawrence, dated April 12, 2001, thanking the Senate for the Resolution on Disclosure of FASIP Awards, and outlining administrative action to implement the Senate’s recommendations.  Noted.

Memorandum from President Lawrence, dated April 20, 2001, thanking the Senate for the Resolution on the Law School-Camden Grading System.  Noted.
Letter dated April 5, 2001 from BiGLARU President Andrea Vaccaro suggesting revising the University Non-Discrimination Policy to include gender orientation and gender identity.  Docketed for consideration under “Standing Committee Charges.”
E-mail dated April 16, 2001 from Prof. Susan Slusky to Arun Mukherjee (forwarded to Kathleen Scott by A. Mukherjee) suggesting a change to the academic calendar/Spring Break.  Docketed for discussion under “Standing Committee Charges.”
E-mail dated April 23, 2001 from Camden Law Dean Rayman Solomon regarding videoconferencing Senate standing committee meetings.  Secretary Swalagin was asked to investigate the availability of teleconferencing facilities on all three campuses.
E-mail dated April 26, 2001 from Prof. John Worobey to Kathleen Scott and Paul Panayotatos regarding scheduling of Sunday final exams.  Docketed for consideration under “Standing Committee Charges.”

 

3.  Administrative Report
 

University Vice President for Academic Affairs Joseph Seneca was unable to attend the meeting.  His Report on the Balance of Full-Time & Part-Time Faculty Teaching at Rutgers University was distributed to the Committee, and will be discussed further at the September 2001 Executive Committee meeting.
 

4.  Standing Committee Membership Assignments and Selection of Chairpersons
 

Standing committee chairships and memberships were presented, discussed, and approved.  Chairperson Scott raised two issues related to scheduling committee meetings:  feasibility of teleconferencing meetings between the three campuses, and scheduling meetings at times other than Senate-Friday mornings.  Those two issues were discussed.  Paul Leath suggested that all deans should identify one alternate who could stand-in when the dean is unable to attend Senate or standing committee meetings.
 

The Executive Committee approved Chairperson Scott’s motion to charge the University Structure and Governance Committee with re-examining the standing committee structure, particularly the composition and standing charges of the Student Affairs and Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committees.
 

The Committee recommended that all Faculty and Student Caucuses of the Senate should formulate and publish agendas before convening.
 

5.  Standing Committee Reports
 

The Committee discussed the Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (with input from Student Affairs Committee) April 2001 Report and Resolution on Increasing Enrollment, including a recommendation that a committee be formed to examine and report on the issue of enrollment and quality of life and education at Rutgers, which was approved at the April 27, 2001 Senate meeting.  Chairperson Scott and Vice Chairperson Rabinowitz will meet with President Lawrence and University Vice President Seneca to discuss the issue and proposed committee.
 

6.  Review of 2000-2001 Senate Action Items for Possible Follow-Up
 

A list of the year’s Senate actions was reviewed.  The following items were identified for follow-up:
 

Use of Social Security Numbers as Student Identification Numbers - Chairperson Scott will look at non-essential uses of Social Security numbers, and will confer with Brian Rose and Ken Iuso, as well as President Lawrence, regarding formation of a committee to follow the issue.

Student Financial Management and Credit-Card Debt - The Executive Committee will follow-up with Vice President Dennis mid-fall 2001.
Wintersession - The Executive Committee will discuss this issue again at its October 2001 meeting.  University Vice President Seneca will be asked to report on Wintersession’s first two years, proposed modifications for the third year, and plans to incorporate Senate suggestions into the final year of the pilot program.
Add/Drop Periods - Chairperson Scott and Vice Chairperson Rabinowitz will confirm with President Lawrence that the registration system will be available on weekends during add/drop.
Fee Structure for Full-Time University College Students - Secretary Swalagin will ask University Secretary Mildred Schildkamp if the Board of Governors implemented the new fee structure for University College.
Teaching Assistant Training - Chairperson Scott will summarize discussion and action on this issue in the Chair’s Report to the September 2001 Senate.
Disclosure of FASIP Awards - The Executive Committee will inquire during Fall 2001 if departments have been informed of their options under the Senate’s resolution on this issue.
School of Law-Camden Grading System - Chairperson Scott said that this item had not come before the Board of Governors on May 31, 2001.  She will ask University Secretary Schildkamp when the board will act on it.

 
7.  Standing Committee Charges

 
The Executive Committee discussed potential charges to standing committees based on communications received and Committee initiative, as follows:

From March 9, 2001 Executive Committee meeting discussion on Livingston Fellows’ concern regarding the faculty’s role in undergraduate admissions, originally discussed at the January 12, 2001 EC meeting:  Arlene Walker-Andrews chaired a New Brunswick Faculty Council committee on the issue, which met with Corinne Webb on March 19.  Co-chairs of the Student Affairs and Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committees were to have been invited to that meeting as well.  No charge was issued to a Senate committee pending the report from the New Brunswick Faculty Council Admissions and Recruitment Subcommittee.  Arlene Walker-Andrews was not present at this Executive Committee meeting.  Action postponed to September 2001.

Senator Manganaro’s suggestion (at the March 23, 2001 Senate meeting) that the Senate consider recommending addition of minus grades to the default University grading structure.  A charge will be drafted assigning the Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee with reviewing this issue, as well as considering what items should be considered in faculty personnel issues.

Charge to Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee regarding Senator Rudy Bell’s suggestion that online evaluation data not be used in any personnel actions.  A charge will be drafted assigning the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee with reviewing the issue and determining if any action should be taken.

Letter dated April 5, 2001 from BiGLARU President Andrea Vaccaro regarding revising the University Non-Discrimination Policy to include gender orientation and gender identity.  Secretary Swalagin will research past Equal Opportunity Committee actions on this issue.  Based on the results of that research, the Equal Opportunity Committee may be charged with exploring this issue in the fall.

E-mail dated April 16, 2001 from Prof. Susan Slusky to Arun Mukherjee (forwarded to Kathleen Scott by A. Mukherjee) regarding rescheduling Spring Break.  The Committee believed the suggested change was not feasible.  No action taken.

E-mail dated April 23, 2001 from Camden Law Dean Rayman Solomon suggesting videoconferencing Senate standing committee meetings.  Secretary Swalagin will research videoconferencing facilities availability, cost, and scheduling.  Chairperson Scott and Vice Chairperson Rabinowitz will speak with President Lawrence about administrator participation in the Senate.

E-mail dated April 26, 2001 from Prof. John Worobey to Kathleen Scott and Paul Panayotatos regarding scheduling of Sunday final exams.  This issue will be charged back to the Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee.
 

Possible charges for discussion at the September Executive Committee meeting were identified:  use of human subjects in research, Tempe agreement, and issues solicited from faculty councils/faculty senate.

8.  Adjournment
 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 p.m. by Chairperson Scott.
 

Kenneth Swalagin

Executive Secretary of the Senate