June 2, 2006

2006-2007 MEMBERS-ELECT PRESENT:  Bodnar, Gould, Mauroff, Szatrowski, Thompson

EXCUSED:  Darien, LaSala, Ng, Panayotatos

ALSO ATTENDING:  Furmanski (Administrative Liaison), McCormick (Administrative Liaison), Leath (Faculty BOG Representative), Scott (Faculty BOT Representative)

Chairperson Cotter began by thanking all Executive Committee members and Senate Committee chairs. She praised, in particular, the committee chairs, whom she noted had done the "heavy lifting" on the Senate's response to the Task Force on Undergraduate Education Report. Cotter also commented on:

• the Task Force Steering Committee on Implementation and its committees, including her chairship of the Admissions, Recruitment and External Communications Committee; the ongoing revision of the Rutgers Viewbook, the need to have available for early fall admits information on housing options and other issues; and FAS agreement on an honors program, which is not yet University-wide;
• the Senate's recommendation that the University Senate be represented on all implementation committees, which is indeed the case;
• the Senate's recommendation that the Vice President for Undergraduate Education be a member of the Promotion Review Committee (PRC), and that another faculty member also be added to the PRC to maintain the slight faculty majority on the PRC, which addition was promoted by Senator Leath and herself to the Board of Governors, and was subsequently accepted by the board.

2.             Secretary's Report

Minutes:  Minutes of the April 7, 2006 Senate Executive Committee meeting were approved as distributed by the Secretary.  Minutes of the April 28, 2006 Senate Regular meeting were approved on behalf of the 2005-2006 Senate, which does not convene again.

• President McCormick's response  to the Senate's April 2006 Endorsement of a Proposal to Establish a School of Public Affairs and Administration in Newark  [Noted.]
• Senator Szatrowski's request for response from President McCormick regarding implementation of NJ Transit Summer Ozone Passes (available in Newark) in New Brunswick [Discussed under "New Business."]
• Letter received May 16, 2006 from Bill Duffy, Chair of the William Paterson University Faculty Senate, transmitting a resolution on the state budget which they passed unanimously and transmitted, and asking chairs of other faculty senates for consideration and action

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 said he would communicate with the University community on the budget situation once again before July. Executive Vice President Furmanski added that a comprehensive and thorough budget-review process was underway, which seeks to spare Rutgers’ core mission of education, research and service. Ensuing questions also brought comments on the UMDNJ situation. Furmanski also reported on the Implementation Committee for Transforming Undergraduate Education in New Brunswick.

4.                 Standing Committee Charge

5.                 Old Business

Chairperson Cotter noted that committee charges had been reviewed at the April 2006 Executive Committee meeting, and that some charges had been withdrawn, and others assigned new
deadlines. She said that there would be some substantive issues to be addressed by committees next year, including a revised academic integrity policy. She asked all present to send their, 
or their constituents’, ideas for issues to be addressed by Senate committees to her or to Secretary Swalagin.

6.             New Business

Senator Szatrowski's request for response from President McCormick regarding implementation of NJ Transit Summer Ozone Passes (available in Newark) in New Brunswick was discussed. Executive Vice President Furmanski said that the passes were being purchased and would be made available at cost through University Human Resources.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:32 p.m. by Chairperson Cotter.