PRESENT: MEMBERS: Borisovets, Barone, Leath, Rabinowitz (Vice Chair), Saniefard, Scott (Chair), Sims, Swalagin (Executive Secretary)
EXCUSED: Hirsh, Manhoff
ALSO ATTENDING: Cowley (Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee Co-Chair), Dimond (Student Affairs Committee Co-Chair), Lawrence (Administrative Liaison), Miller (Student BOG Representative), Oren (Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee Co-Chair), Redd (Graduate Student BOT Representative), Seneca (Administrative Liaison), Slawsky (Student Affairs Committee Co-Chair), Walker-Andrews (Faculty BOG Representative), Winterbauer (Vice President for University Budgeting), Wozniak (Undergraduate Student BOT Representative)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, September 7, 2001 at 1:10 p.m. in the President’s Dining Room, Brower Commons, College Avenue Campus, the Chair and Secretary being present.
1. Chairperson’s Report
Chairperson Scott called the meeting to order. She welcomed
everyone, and said that she is looking forward to another productive year
of Senate and Committee activity. She then reviewed the role and function
of the Executive Committee, specifically as it relates to standing committees,
including identification of the Executive Committee as the sole source
of specific committee charges, and as the body to which committee reports
are made. She reminded the Executive Committee that its function is to
decide how standing committees will handle the issues rather than trying
to resolve those issues itself.
Chairperson Scott offered an update of the Student Financial Management and Credit-Card Debt issue, saying that she has been informed by Brian Rose that Marie Logue is heading a committee assigned to establish a consistent policy for credit-card vendors and solicitations of students on all Rutgers campuses. She also reported that the Board of Governors has implemented the new Grading Structure for the School of Law-Camden recommended by the Senate in April.
2. Secretary's Report
Minutes: Minutes of the June 1, 2001 Executive
Committee meeting were approved as distributed by the Secretary.
Communications: The following communications were presented and acted upon as noted:
Nancy Winterbauer, Vice President for University Budgeting, spoke about the National Guard tuition program, and its current and projected status at Rutgers. She and President Lawrence asked for Senate and especially student support in encouraging the State of New Jersey to fund the tuition program.
President Lawrence continued his administrative report with comments on a proposed plan to address Rutgers’ capacity and infrastructure issues, on which he will speak further during his State of the University Address to the September Senate.
University Vice President Seneca’s Report on Balance of Full-Time and Part-Time Faculty Teaching at Rutgers University, which had been previously distributed to the Executive Committee, was reviewed. [http://senate.rutgers.edu/jjsteach.html]
4. Standing Committee Chairs’ Caucus, Charges and Related Items
Chairs’ Caucus: Four standing-committee chairs were present at the meeting, in addition to the three who are also members of the Executive Committee. A brief Standing Committee Chairs’ Caucus included comments by Chairperson Scott on the need for chairs to communicate with each other, particularly when charges and issues fall into the areas of several committees, as well as the responsibility of the Executive Committee as the sole issuer of committee charges, and to whom committee reports are to be returned. Secretary Swalagin reminded the chairs that the Senate Committee Guide is online, and contains useful information for committee operations, including a schedule for submitting reports to the Executive Committee for its and Senate action.
A possible charge to committee regarding the Livingston Fellows’ concern about the faculty’s role in undergraduate admissions, originally discussed at the January 12, 2001 EC meeting, and on which Senator Arlene Walker-Andrews chaired a New Brunswick Faculty Council committee, had been carried over from June 2001 EC meeting, at which Senator Walker-Andrews was not present to report. Senator Walker-Andrews said that she and Senator Vodak had met with Corinne Webb to discuss the admissions process. She suggested that a larger committee receive her NBFC committee’s reports, and that a Senate-level committee be charged to look at standards for admission, how new recruitment goals are set, the faculty role in admissions, and related issues. She said she has drafted, but not yet sent, a letter to other AAU institutions asking for their input. Chairperson Scott and Vice Chairperson Rabinowitz will meet with President Lawrence, University Vice President Seneca, and Vice President Winterbauer to discuss whether and how this issue can go to a Senate-formed committee. Chairperson Scott will report back to the Executive Committee on those discussions. [http://nbfc.rutgers.edu/Rep_01_05_04_ARS.html]
The August 21, 2001 e-mail from Ted Szatrowski, Budget and Finance Committee Co-chair, in which he cites potential time constraints on his chairship, was discussed. The committee decided that Senator Szatrowski will, as he suggests he can, continue as co-chair unless his schedule proves to be a serious conflict with his Senate committee responsibilities..
Chairperson Scott summarized the discussion and activity regarding the recent Targum referendum failure at Livingston. She said that the Executive Committee, through e-mail discussions carried on via e-mail this summer, agreed there should be no new referendum until the regular referendum takes place three years hence. She said that Brian Rose, Director of Compliance and Student Policy Concerns, and University Counsel agreed with that determination. Chairperson Scott and Secretary Swalagin will draft a charge to the University Structure and Governance Committee to review the Senate Referendum Guidelines for possible revision. [http://senate.rutgers.edu/referend.html]
The Executive Committee discussed a request for formal charge from Pheroze Wadia, Equal Opportunity Co-chair, regarding Prof. James Anderson’s e-mail and proposed resolution on the Equal Marriage Resolution. It was not clear exactly what charge was being proposed by the EOC chair, particularly regarding the inclusion of a statement about same-sex domestic partner benefits at Rutgers. The Executive Committee issued the following charge to the Equal Opportunity Committee: Review and discuss Professor James Anderson’s request for Senate support of the Equal Marriage Resolution, and determine if a Senate resolution is appropriate. If so, bring the resolution to the Executive Committee by November 2001.
The April 2001 Senate resolution calling for review of add/drop period during the Fall 2001 semester was discussed, as was University Registrar Ken Iuso’s proposal for the format and content of his January 2002 anticipated report on add/drop. Chairperson Scott and Secretary Swalagin will draft a charge to the Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee to include considering the following elements: whether the add/drop-period change accomplished its intended purpose; if the problems associated with late registration in the writing programs have been adequately addressed; and what, if any, effect the change had on grades.
The committee considered the following draft charge to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee (from Senator Bell’s suggestion): "Examine and report on the issue of whether online course-evaluation data should be prohibited from consideration in faculty personnel matters. Also explore what items or criteria should be used in faculty personnel issues. Report to Executive Committee by December 14, 2001." The charge was rejected. Following discussion, Chairperson Scott and Secretary Swalagin agreed to draft a charge to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee to look at "best practices" in how teaching is assessed for faculty personnel purposes.
The following draft charge to the University Structure and Governance Committee was considered: "Re-examine the University Senate standing committee structure. Make recommendations on whether committee charges and/or structure should be revised, particularly those of the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee, and the Student Affairs Committee." The charge was rejected, but will be reconsidered in the Spring 2002 semester.
The committee considered and issued the following charge to the Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (from Senator Manganaro’s suggestion at the March 2001 Senate meeting): "Explore the question of whether minus grades should be added to the default University grading system. Report to Executive Committee requested by January 2002."
The following draft charge to the Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (based on Prof. John Worobey’s April 2001 e-mail suggestion to Chairperson Scott) was considered: "Review and report on the practice of scheduling Sunday final exams." Following discussion, the committee concluded that the Senate had considered and discussed at length the extended academic calendar, including the provision for Sunday exams, before approving it, and that it would not be appropriate to reconsider it again now. The charge was not issued.
The committee discussed Senator Fechter’s July 1, 2001 e-mail suggesting that standing committees look at healthcare insurance for graduate students who have fellowships or graduate assistantships, and the rate of tuition increases at Rutgers. Secretary Swalagin will draft a charge to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee to consider the healthcare-insurance issue. The FAP will be asked to solicit input from the Senate Budget and Finance Committee, as well as Dean Harvey Waterman of the Graduate School-NB. The deadline for the committee’s report shall be at the end of the fall 2001 semester. Secretary Swalagin will also draft a charge to the Budget and Finance Committee to report on tuition and fee increases at Rutgers and other universities, and the factors involved in those increases. The deadline for the report shall be November 2001.
5. September 21 Senate Meeting Agenda
The following items were docketed for the September 21,
2001 meeting agenda:
6. New Business
There was no new business.
7. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:43 p.m. by Chairperson
Scott.
Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the Senate