RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
September 5, 2014

MEMBERS PRESENT: Barraco (by phone), Boikess, Borisovets, Burrell, Cotter (Vice Chairperson/New Brunswick Faculty Liaison), Gould (Chairperson), Joshi, Langer, Oliver, Otto, Puhak, Swalagin (Executive Secretary), Thompson, Velan

MEMBERS ABSENT:  Meggali,

ALSO ATTENDING: Andreassen (RBHS Chancellor's Chief of Staff), Barchi (President), Dy (Camden Student Senator), Jackson (President's Chief of Staff), Strom (RBHS Chancellor)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, September 5, 2014 at 1:10 p.m. in the Executive Board Room of Administrative Services Building-III, Cook Campus.

1.    Chairperson’s Report  - Ann Gould, Senate Chairperson

Senate and Executive Committee Chairperson Ann Gould called the meeting to order at 1:16 p.m. She called for introductions all around. 

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

University President Robert Barchi presented an administrative report, which included comments on:
Barchi then responded to questions, or heard comments, on topics that included:
4.    Update on Newark/RBHS Nursing Program Merger - Brian Strom, RBHS Chancellor [See Senate report on this matter, and original proposal.]

Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Chancellor Brian Strom presented an update on the progress of the Newark/RBHS Nursing Program merger. Steve Andreassen, Strom's chief of staff, also participated in the discussion.

5.    Standing Committees - Proposed Charges, Issues

The following matters were discussed, and acted upon as noted:
Review of Standing Committee Membership/Rosters: Draft rosters of Senate standing committees were distributed by the Executive Secretary Swalagin, and approved by the Executive Committee.

Issues/Proposed Charges:
Proposed Committee Charge on Senate Appeals Criteria: Ken Swalagin suggested that the University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) or Executive Committee should review and make recommendations for clarifying the criteria for eligibility to engage the Senate's appeal function. Robert Boikess and Karen Thompson were notably opposed to the idea. Swalagin will draft a charge and bring it back to the Executive Committee next month.

[Vetri Velan left the meeting at 2:47 p.m.]

Proposed Charge to University Structure and Governance Committee on Disparities between Roberts' Rules of Order (parliamentary procedure) and Senate Practices, submitted by Senator and Current Senate Parliamentarian Peter Gillett: This issue was discussed, and a charge issued to the University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) with a February 2015 deadline.

Reappointment of Parliamentarian: Senator Peter Gillett was reappointed as Senate Parliamentarian for the 2014-15 academic year.

Proposed Committee Charge to Budget and Finance Committee (BFC), with possible input from Student Affairs Committee (SAC) (on use of student funds) on Athletics Program Deficits, submitted by Senator Martha Cotter: Martha Cotter summarized her proposed charge and rationale (below) on athletics program deficits. The charge was issued to the BFC, which may ask the SAC for input. The BFC's response deadline is February 2015.

Proposed Charge: Consider the recent New Brunswick Faculty Council’s detailed report entitled the ”Athletics Program's Revenues, Expenditures, and Deficit”, which shows that between 2004-05 and 2012-13, the cumulative deficit of the athletics program came to $237 million and that the University's financial plan for the program calls for a cumulative future deficit of an additional $183 million between 2013-14 and 2021-22. Recommend whether the Senate should support some or all of the Faculty Council’s conclusions and recommendations and whether it should make any other recommendations concerning the use of funds from the University operating budget and student fees to support the continuing large gap between athletics revenues and expenditures.

Rationale: Over the past several years, a number of faculty groups in New Brunswick have expressed concern about the diversion of large sums from the University operating budget, which could have been used to support our hard-pressed academic programs, to help cover the large gap between the athletics program’s revenues and expenditures. The Faculty Council report has now provided the first detailed examination of the athletics program’s past, current, and projected future revenues, expenditures, and deficits. We believe the Senate should carefully consider this report because we believe that this issue should be of concern to more than the New Brunswick faculty. The “siphoning” of funds (to use President Barchi’s phrase) from our academic programs to cover the athletics deficits effects the entire university community. Moreover, the use of student fees to help cover the deficit takes more than $300 per year from the pockets of at least full-time undergraduates in New Brunswick. (Precisely who pays the “athletics fee”, which helps support only varsity sports, is not clear.)

Proposed Committee Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) on Greater Integration of Contingent Faculty into the Rutgers Community, submitted by Senator Robert Boikess: Robert Boikess summarized his proposed charge and rationale (below) on greater integration of contingent faculty into the Rutgers community. The charge was issued to the FPAC, which may ask the USGC for input. The FPAC's response deadline is April 2015.

Given the ever increasing use of contingent faculty (NTT and PTL) at Rutgers and nationally, consider ways to integrate these faculty fully into the university community. Identify other institutions that have been successful in providing such rights and privileges to their contingent faculty and propose measures to emulate them. In particular, consider ways to afford contingent faculty the security necessary to be more active participants in shared governance, as well as more visible members of the community."

Rationale: The issue of the role of contingent faculty in the future of American higher education is one being discussed widely among many universities and higher education organizations. Given the significant role of contingent faculty at Rutgers, it is a key issue for Rutgers.


6.    Appointment of Rutgers University Senate Representative to Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA), and determination of Qualifications, Terms, and Expectations of the Representative

Alumni Senator Robert Barraco volunteered to serve as COIA representative. Gould will speak with Bob Eno of COIA to determine if the representative must be faculty, or if Barraco is eligible to hold the position. [Note: Barraco was eligible, and was appointed COIA representative subsequently.]

7.    University Senate Agenda

September 19, 2014 Senate Meeting:

The September 19 Senate agenda was discussed, and will include:
 8.    Old Business

Follow-up on FPAC February 2011 Response to Charge S-1007, Academic Reappointment/Promotion Form 1A - The report called for a review in 18 months. FPAC Chair Gould said that the FPAC will do this by February 2015, and that no charge was needed.

Possible Charge to University Structure and Governance Committee to formulate details of proposal submitted to President Barchi on Charge S-1405 on Procedures for Selecting Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients. The cover letter transmitting the report to President Barchi suggested that this charge could be issued. The issue was discussed, and charged to the USGC with a February 2015 response deadline.

From the May 16, 2014 Executive Committee Minutes:

Executive Committee Meeting Schedule 2014-15, May/June Meeting: "Swalagin said that when Paul Panayotatos became chair and changed the date of the last Executive Committee meeting of the year from the historic first Friday in June to a late-May Friday. Noting that finalizing the committee rosters was rarely possible before June due to tardy or missing committee preferences, Swalagin asked if the last EC meeting of next academic year could be moved to June 5, 2015. He will bring the request back to the committee in September." The Executive Committee discussed this matter, and agreed to change the last Executive Committee meeting of the year back to June. Swalagin will inform EC members to change their calendars to reflect the last meeting to be on June 5, 2015.

"Proposed Issue on Senate Role in Advisory Council for University Retirees (from the April 2014 Executive Committee agenda) - Submitted by Robert Boikess on behalf of Dorothy DeMaio, former Rutgers Nursing dean: Senator Boikess had submitted the following proposed charge: "Consider whether there is any appropriate role for the Senate related to the Advisory Council for University retirees. (Correspondence from former Dean Dorothy DeMaio previously sent to Ann Gould.) Here is an excerpt from that correspondence: 'In January 2012, Dick McCormick constituted an Advisory Council charged to assist the administration in creating a university-wide infrastructure for faculty and staff retirees. At today's Advisory Council meeting, I again suggested that since the Senate is the only Rutgers organization that has faculty representation from all campuses we should touch base with the Senate. All present thought it was an excellent idea. Rather than take no action I volunteered to reach out to find the Senate person that I should contact to pursue this issue. It is my sense that the Senate should be informed/consulted if you think it is appropriate.'" During discussion, Gould said that the FPAC would do some preliminary research, and would then bring this issue back with a proposed charge if they decide to pursue it. The matter also involves staff. Swalagin will inform DeMaio of this decision." FPAC Chair Gould said she had done some research, but that she would speak with Dorothy DeMaio, and would discuss this matter with the EC again next month.

"Continued Discussion of Managed Online Programs Agreement between Rutgers University and eCollege.com  [See also Executive Committee Minutes of November 2013 and March 2014.] Following discussion, during which it was suggested that this issue may more appropriately be addressed in faculty councils, it was decided that this issue would be brought back to the Executive Committee in September." Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Chair Natalie Borisovets asked Swalagin to send her his notes on these discussions so she could draft a charge for the ICAC.

Committee on the Near- and Long-Term Impact of Instructional Technology, and Committee on the Future Academic Structure of the University: "President Barchi said that those two nominees may have declined. Later in the meeting, Barchi said that there would be interim reports from those two committees, and that the EC could communicate directly with them, perhaps inviting them to attend an EC meeting." The EC questioned whether these committees had done their interim reporting yet. Swalagin will draft a message for Gould to send to the committee chairs asking how their work is progressing. When a response is received this matter will be brought back to the EC to consider inviting the chairs to report on their work.

9.    New Business

There was no new business.

10.    Adjournment
 
The meeting adjourned at 3:46 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by,

Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate