September 8, 2006

ABSENT:  None

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, September 8, 2006 in the Executive Board Conference Room, Administrative Services Building III, Cook Campus.  The meeting convened at 1:15 p.m.

1.             Chairperson’s Report

Chairperson Cotter began by welcoming all new and returning Executive Committee members, board representatives and liaisons. She noted that the agenda was light, consisting primarily of a general discussion of the committee charges already issued and some "big-ticket items" for the upcoming Senate year. Cotter also commented on:

• ongoing implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force on Undergraduate Education;
• related revision of admissions materials (Executive Vice President Furmanski thanked Chairperson Cotter for her work on that revision);
• related revision of the Rutgers Viewbook;
• issues related to the budget, including movement of much admission and recruitment materials to online versions only;
• a brief description of online admissions and recruitments materials, which should be available soon; and
• a brief summary of the work of other implementation committees.

2.             Secretary's Report

3.             Administrative Report

President McCormick, noting that he would present more detail in his upcoming President's Annual Address to the Community, focused on the following issues in his Administrative Report:

• the recent cut in state budgetary support;
• formation by the Board of Governors of an ad hoc committee which will examine every aspects of Rutgers' state relations;
• funding priorities in the state budget;
• implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force on Undergraduate Education;
• appointment of a Committee on Efficiency and Entrepreneurship;
• preliminary planning for the next fundraising campaign, the goal of which is likely to be $1 billion;
• UMDNJ;
• Governor Corzine’s recent address on economic development, and President McCormick’s offer of Rutgers’ resources to support the governor’s vision; and
• the upcoming Middle States accreditation.

4.             Discussion of Potential Senate Issues for 2006-2007

• revision of Senate Bylaws and University Regulations to correlate Senate-entitlement calculations and procedures for New Brunswick units with the new academic structure in New Brunswick (a charge on this issue will be drafted for the University Structure and Governance Committee);
• a proposal to change the academic integrity process and policy;
• undergraduate education in Newark and Camden;
• Middle States accreditation;
• continuation of the existing charge S-0502 to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee (FAPC) on the status of full-time, non-tenure-track, non-clinical faculty (Executive Vice President Furmanski said that Rutgers could just rescind the four-year rule, in which case the issue would no longer need to be addressed. FAPC Co-chair Ann Gould, who was present at the meeting, said that the FAPC may still want to discuss related issues that arose during the committee’s work on charge S-0502.);
• Chairperson Cotter and Vice Chairperson Rabinowitz’s request to attend the Student Caucus to solicit Senate-issue ideas from students (Student Caucus organizers present agreed to docket that on the upcoming caucus agenda);
• Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Co-chair Mauroff’s statement on behalf of the SAC that they would like to continue their work on the important issue of the Campus Climate Report and diversity; and
• issues involving parking (particularly fees paid by commuting students) and payment of term bills.

5.             September 15, 2006 University Senate Meeting Agenda

The September 15, 2006 University Senate meeting agenda will include a brief Chairperson’s Report, with the remainder of the meeting being devoted to President McCormick’s Annual Address to the Rutgers Community.

6.                 Old Business

There was no old business.

There was no new business.