RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S

October 3, 2008

MEMBERS PRESENT: Bodnar, Borisovets, Gould, Greaux, Greenhut, Kind, Nolfi, Panayotatos, Pignatiello, Rabinowitz (Chair), Swalagin (Executive Secretary)

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Bubb, Leath (Vice Chair), Thompson

ALSO ATTENDING: Cotter (Faculty BOG Representative), Furmanski (Administrative Liaison), McCormick (Administrative Liaison)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, October 3, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. in the Executive Board Room of Administrative Services Building-III, Cook Campus.

1. Chairperson’s Report 

Senate and Executive committee Chairperson Samuel Rabinowitz called the meeting to order at 1:16 p.m. There was no chairperson's report.
 
2.    Executive Secretary’s Report
 
Agenda: Executive Secretary Ken Swalagin explained that a proposed charge submitted by Senator and Executive Committee member Karen Thompson and PTL Senator Won-Jong Rhee, which had been discussed at the September 2008 EC meeting, and subsequently redocketed for this meeting, was once again postponed until the November meeting because Senator Thompson was excused from today's meeting. The meeting agenda was approved as distributed by the executive secretary.

Minutes: The September 5, 2008 Senate Executive Committee Meeting Minutes were approved as distributed by the executive secretary.

3.    Administrative Report

President McCormick and Executive Vice President Furmanski presented an administrative report which included comments on:
McCormick and Furmanski responded to questions from the Executive Committee on subjects including:
The group then discussed a request from the Senate's Staff Caucus for presidential follow-up on Senate recommendations and advice, which had been submitted as follows:

"The Staff Caucus of the University Senate requests that President McCormick advise the Senate on a regular basis when actions promised or suggested in his responses to Senate advice, reports or recommendations have been initiated. For example, recent affirmations on Senate actions include the formation of a universitywide committee on tolerance (S-0702), clearer expectations for faculty and schools on intersession programs (S-0703), and student involvement in student fee decisions and formal structure (S-0414)."

Staff Caucus convener Tricia Nolfi explained the request. President McCormick suggested that he and Executive Vice President Furmanski would report twice yearly to the Executive Committee on these items, and would summarize actions taken by the administration. McCormick and Furmanski will work with Ken Swalagin to identify items on which the EC should be updated. Swalagin asked the EC members to review the online reports listing and let him know about actions taken or not taken by the administration, which could then be discussed at every other months' EC meetings. Senator Panayotatos asked that all committees' Executive Committee liaisons look at the list, review the reports, and decide which items need follow up. Swalagin will forward the list of items so identified to President McCormick.

4.    Standing Committee Actions and Charges

Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee Staff Survey: The EC discussed the FAPC request that an "all-staff" administrative e-mail list message be sent to Rutgers staff members asking them to complete an online survey on Professional Development and Self-Improvement Training, so that the FAPC could evaluate and report on the returned aggregate data. Senator Gayle Stein, who was instrumental in bringing this issue to the EC, was unable to attend the meeting. Several EC members had questions regarding the survey and how the data would be used. During discussion, it was noted that similar data are already available from the Staff Development area of Human Resources. Both co-chairs of the FAPC are also EC members and were present when the EC tabled the survey until it could be discussed further in the FAPC.

Committee Report:

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-0704, Senate Committee Structure - The USGC report and recommendations on Charge S-0704, Senate Committee Structure, was discussed. The co-chairs of the FAPC asked that some additional editing be done on the report. Secretary Swalagin will make the changes requested by the FAPC co-chairs before docketing the item on the Senate's October agenda, per the EC's instructions. Because the committee-structure changes recommended in the report constitute a change to Senate bylaws, the report will be introduced at the October meeting, but not acted on by the Senate until the November meeting.

Proposed Charges/Issues:

Proposed Charge to Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) - The following charge, requested by the ASRAC and drafted by ASRAC chair Martha Cotter, was discussed: "Monitor the progress of implementation of the Interim Academic Integrity Policy and of efforts to develop a new, permanent academic integrity policy. Provide ongoing input to the new Academic Integrity Committee charged with developing the new AI policy. Report to the Senate on progress to date toward the end of the 2008-9 academic year. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by April 2009." Senator Cotter and Ken Swalagin will refine the language of the charge, and it will then be issued to the ASRAC.

Proposed Charge to Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee on Add/Drop Period: A Proposal submitted by Candice Greaux, accompanied by a related resolution from the Rutgers University Student Assembly, was reviewed and discussed by the EC. It was suggested that the ASRAC should consult financial aid personnel when considering this issue. Secretary Swalagin will draft a charge and issue it to the ASRAC with a reporting deadline of February 2009.

Proposed Charge to Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) on Availablility of Syllabi: Another Proposal submitted by Candice Greaux, also accompanied by a related resolution from the Rutgers University Student Assembly, was reviewed and discussed by the EC. There was considerable discussion of this matter, with references to the 2006 ICAC Response to Charge S-0313, Availability of Syllabi during Add/Drop. Senator Greaux offered to rewrite the proposal to clarify the intended areas of focus, and to incorporate the EC members' comments and suggestions where possible. She will forward the redraft to Ken Swalagin, who will circulate it to the EC by e-mail, and docket it for the November EC meeting.

Request to Return Charge S-0709, on Inter-Campus Shuttle Service, to Budget and Finance Committee (BFC): The Budget and Finance Committee's request that Charge S-0709, on Inter-Campus Shuttle Service, which had recently been transferred to the Student Affairs Committee (SAC), be returned to the BFC for continued additions to their original report on the charge. SAC co-chair Max Kind asked that the SAC be allowed to review the BFC's revised report before it goes to the Senate. SAC co-chair Sam Rabinowitz said that could be an informal consultation between the two committees. Charge S-0709 was returned to the Budget and Finance Committee.

5.    October 24, 2008 University Senate Agenda - Items indicated above, as well as Interim Camden Chancellor Margaret Marsh's Camden Campus Report, were docketed for the October 24, 2008 Senate meeting, which will be held in Camden.

6.    Old Business - There was no old business.

7.    New Business- Senator Michel Pignatiello asked if he could be permitted to teleconference into the winter EC meetings to avoid conflicts with religious observances and early sundown times. Ken Swalagin will investigate teleconferencing arrangements, and try to accommodate the request beginning in December.

8.    Adjournment - The meeting adjourned at 2:43 p.m.


Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate