RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
November 7, 2008
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bodnar, Borisovets, Bubb, Gould,
Greaux, Greenhut, Leath, McArdle, Nolfi, Panayotatos, Pignatiello, Rabinowitz (Chair), Swalagin
(Executive Secretary), Thompson
ALSO ATTENDING: Cooke (Student BOG Representative), Cotter
(Faculty BOG Representative), Furmanski (Administrative Liaison),
Kaplan (Undergraduate Student BOT Representative), McCormick
(Administrative Liaison)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on
Friday, November 7, 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 1:15 p.m.
- Induction of Daniel McArdle, CCAS Student, as Camden Student Member of the Executive Committee. Chairperson Rabinowitz announced that Maxim Kind
had resigned as Camden student member of the Executive Committee, and
had been replaced by Daniel McArdle, student Senator from the Camden
College of Arts and Sciences. Senator McArdle was the sole, eligible nominee for
the position, so no election was necessary.
2. Executive
Secretary’s Report
Agenda: Executive Secretary Ken
Swalagin said that a proposal for a charge regarding the academic
reappointment/promotion instructions which had been submitted by
faculty Senator Eric Allender had been inadvertently left off of the
agenda, but would appear on the January agenda. The Executive Committee
also decided that each standing committee's Executive Committee liaison
would be asked to report on which recently adopted committee reports
and recommendations require follow-up by the administration. The meeting agenda was then approved as distributed by the executive secretary.
Minutes: The October 3, 2008 Senate Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
were approved as distributed by the executive secretary.
3. Committee Report
Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee Response to Charge S-0710, Tuition Remission for Part-Time Lecturer Faculty -
The Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee (FAPC) report and
recommendations on Charge S-0710, Proposal on Tuition Remission for
Part-Time Lecturer Faculty, was summarized by FAPC Co-chairs Ann Gould
and Paul Panayotatos. The report and recommendations were discussed,
and docketed for action at the November 21, 2008 Senate meeting. The
co-chairs of the FAPC noted that the recommendations may be revised at,
or prior to, the Senate meeting. [Note: The link above goes to the
report as it was presented on the Senate agenda.]
4. Administrative Report
Noting that there was not much
to report since the October Senate and Executive Committee meetings,
President McCormick and Executive Vice President Furmanski presented an
administrative report which included comments on:
- President McCormick's request for cost data on completion of the football stadium project;
- the anticipated report of the Athletics Review Committee, and the expectation that changes would need to be made in the way business is conducted in terms of the athletics program;
- budget reduction contingency plans, which had been requested from all departments by November 24; and
- other, general budgetary issues, including revenue and all-funds budgeting.
5. Standing Committee Reports (Continued), Actions and Charges
Committee Report:
University Structure and Governance Committee Response to Charge S-0107, Referendum Guidelines Review and Recommended Revised Referendum Guidelines-
The University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) report and
recommendations on Charge S-0107, Referendum Guidelines Review, was
summarized by USGC Co-chair Tricia Nolfi. The USGC was praised for its
thorough and thoughtful examination of, and response to, a charge which
had been issued in 2001.
Following considerable discussion, the report was docketed for
action at the November 21, 2008 Senate meeting. [Note: The link above
goes to the report and guidelines as they were
presented on the Senate agenda. Use the following links to view the
Senate-revised-and-adopted Report and Revised Referendum Guidelines.]
[President McCormick left the meeting at 2:13 p.m.]
Proposed Charges/Issues:
Proposed Charge to Academic
Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC)-
The following charge on the Academic Integrity Policy, drafted by ASRAC
Co-chair Martha Cotter, and initially discussed at the October 3, 2008
Executive Committee meeting, was issued to the ASRAC:
Implementation of Interim Academic Integrity Policy: Monitor the progress of implementation of the
Interim
Academic Integrity Policy and of the University-wide Academic Integrity
Committee's (AIC) efforts to develop a new, permanent academic integrity policy.
Provide ongoing input to the new AIC 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.
Proposed Charge to Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC)-
The following charge on the Add/Drop Period, proposed by student
Senator Candice Greaux, and initially discussed at the October 3, 2008
Executive Committee meeting, was issued to the ICAC:
Proposed Charge to Instruction, Curricula and Advising
Committee on Implementation of 2006 ICAC Recommendations on
Availability of Syllabi: A Revised Proposal
(originally discussed in October) on implementation of the ICAC's 2006
recommendations on availability of syllabi, submitted by Candice
Greaux, with a related resolution from the Rutgers University Student Assembly was discussed and issued as follows:
Proposed Charge to University
Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) on Including Senior Vice President
for Finance and Administration (SVPFA) as Administrator Senator: Based on a proposal from Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Phil
Furmanski, the USGC was charged as follows:
Including Senior Vice President for Finance and
Administration (SVPFA) as Administrator Senator: Consider the suggestion proposed by Senator and
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Phil Furmanski to add the Senior
Vice President for Finance and Administration as an ex officio, with vote,
administrator Senator, as are currently the President, Executive Vice President
for Academic Affairs, chancellors, and school and college deans. Respond to
Senate Executive Committee by January 2009.
Proposed Charge to Instruction, Curricula and
Advising Committee on Teaching Evaluations,
submitted by PTL Senators Won-Jong Rhee and Karen Thompson [Note: This
item was tabled at the September 2008 EC. Senator Thompson was excused
from the October EC meeting, so this item was redocketed on this agenda. The
following excerpt from the September EC minutes describes the status of
the proposal: "Natalie Borisovets, longtime chair of the Instruction,
Curricula and Advising Committee, pointed out that the Senate had
considered this issue multiple times. Paul Panayotatos, co-chair of the
Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee, directed the committee's
attention to a 2002 report on Best Practices in
Assessment of Teaching, which had come from the FAPC then co-chaired by Paul
Leath and Barbara Lee. Candice Greaux pointed out that a recent Rutgers
University Student Assembly resolution encourages more informative and
responsible alternatives to "Rate My Professor" online. Thompson agreed to
review the 2002 FAPC report, consult with her co-proposer, Senator Rhee, and
consult with Panayotatos and Leath, and perhaps Gary Gigliotti, by e-mail. The
proposal will be redocketed for the October Executive Committee meeting. No
charge was issued."] The proposal, as submitted, was:
Investigate and consider
the current system of teaching evaluations, including how forms are designed,
distributed, collected and archived. Make recommendations about
changes necessary to ensure effectiveness, transparency, and fairness for all
concerned. In particular, consider the feasibility and usefulness
of a special teaching evaluation team or committee (under the EVPAA) responsible
to oversee the teaching evaluation procedure and including representatives from
relevant constituencies, such as students, PTLs, and non-tenure-track as well as
tenured faculty. Considerations that fall within this charge might
include: oversight for consistent implementation, use of teaching
evaluations in aggregate only, appropriate use of teaching evaluations within
the reappointment / promotion process (e.g., consideration of relevant factors
such as class size, difficulty of subject, class times, etc.), creation of added
incentives for excellence in teaching, and so on.
The issue was discussed by the EC, and it was noted that the issue is
currently being considered in the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC).
The EC agreed with Vice Chairperson Leath's suggestion to wait until
the NBFC acts on the matter, and then decide whether to issue a charge
on the issue to a Senate committee. No charge was issued.
Issue Raised/Proposed Charge to Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee on Academic Calendar, Spring Break, and Saturday Classes:
An issue raised by Chairperson Rabinowitz on potential loss of two
Saturday classes during spring break was discussed. Senator Borisovets
pointed out that the Senate addressed the matter by adding 15 minutes
to each Saturday class schedule. No charge was issued.
Issue Raised/Potential Charge on Parking Permits:
An issue/potential charge submitted by Staff Senator Crystal Grant was
discussed. The EC declined to issue a charge on the matter. Secretary
Swalagin pointed out that the New Brunswick Parking Office is still
using staff Social Security numbers for parking registration and
billing. EVP Furmanski said he would look into the matter and speak
with Director of Transportation Services Jack Molenaar.
6. November 21, 2008 University Senate Agenda -
Items indicated above were docketed for the November 21, 2008
Senate meeting.
7. Old Business
- There was no old business.
8. New Business - There was no new business
9. Adjournment
- The meeting adjourned at 3:01 p.m.
Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate