RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
November 12, 2012 [Rescheduled from November 2, 2012]

MEMBERS PRESENT: Barraco,  Boikess, Borisovets, Gould, Panayotatos (Chair),  Puhak, Swalagin (Executive Secretary), Thompson

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Berman, Bubb, Dantzler, Gillett, Muse, Rosario

ALSO ATTENDING: Barchi (Administrative Liaison/University President), Haibach (Graduate Student Board of Trustees Representative), Spiegel (Faculty Board of Trustee Representative)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, November 12, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. in the Executive Conference Room of Administrative Services Building-III, Cook Campus.

1. Chairperson’s Report 

Senate and Executive Committee Chairperson Paul Panayotatos called the meeting to order at 2:22 p.m. He thanked everyone for coming to the meeting, which had been rescheduled from November 2 due to closures resulting from Hurricane Sandy. He noted that Rutgers is allowing students affected by the hurricane to change their grades to pass/fail for the entire semester if they can justify that they were affected by the storm. That grade-change policy was then discussed briefly.

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

President Robert L. Barchi presented an administrative report, which included comments on:
President Barchi then responded to questions, or heard comments, from those present on subjects including:
[President Barchi left the meeting at 3:11 p.m.]

4.    Standing Committees

Committee Reports

Chairperson Panayotatos said that he and Vice Chairperson Ann Gould would be meeting with President Barchi and Executive Vice President Edwards on November 29 in their regular, biannual meeting to discuss issues related to, or which may be of interest to, the Senate, including the status of pending Senate reports on which the administration has not yet responded. He asked if there were other issues the Executive Committee would like raised at that meeting. Robert Boikess expressed concern about the efficiency of classroom usage. Karen Thompson asked about the potential for reconsideration of past Senate recommendations not accepted by the administration. Panayotatos said he had asked Executive Vice President Edwards if he would reconsider recommendations that his predecessor had not accepted, and was told that would probably not be done. Panayotatos told Thompson he would re-raise the issue of tuition remission for PTLs.

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-1201 on Senate Size and Composition - Neither USGC co-chair was present at the meeting, but the USGC response to Charge S-1201 on Senate Size and Composition was discussed, and had been discussed at previous meetings. Robert Boikess and Karen Thompson raised concerns about the clarity and presentation of some data, particularly in the appendices. USGC Co-chairs Peter Gillett and Jon Oliver will be asked to indicate in the appendix which other university senates are faculty-only bodies. Because the recommendations in the report call for changes to Senate bylaws and University Policies, the report was docketed for introduction and discussion at the upcoming Senate meeting, and would be put to a vote at the December Senate meeting

Issues/Proposed Charges:

Request to Amend Standing Charge of the Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) submitted by BFC Chair Menahem Spiegel: BFC Chair Menahem Spiegel had requested, on behalf of the BFC, that the BFC's standing charge be amended to include responsibility for presenting to the Senate an annual report on the Rutgers University Budget. Spiegel summarized his committee's request, which was discussed briefly. Panayotatos suggested that what should be examined is the audited statement of the previous year's expenses, and that that should be compared with the budget for the next year, in order to present a holistic report to the Senate. Because the proposed amendment would be to a standing charge, which is part of the Senate bylaws, the request was docketed for introduction and discussion at the upcoming Senate meeting, and would be put to a vaote at the December Senate meeting.

5.    Agenda for November 16, 2012 Senate Meeting

In addition to docketing introduction of the committee items indicated above, the Executive Committee asked Ken Swalagin to ask Bruce Fehn if he would present an administrative report because President Barchi and Executive Vice President Edwards were both expected to be unable to attend the November Senate meeting..

6.    Old Business

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) Co-chairs Ann Gould and Paul Panayotatos discussed the FPAC's need to revisit its report and recommendations on Charge A-0812, Part II, on Evaluation of Upper Administrators. This action is needed because the legislation and administrative-structure changes associated with the Rutgers/UMDNJ integration alter the roster of administrators that would be evaluated under the process recommended in the original report. The original report has been adopted by the Senate, and will not be withdrawn, but Panayotatos and Gould will ask President Barchi to not act on its recommendations at this time. Gould will draft a new charge to the FPAC on the matter, and will send that to Ken Swalagin, who will issue it to the FPAC.

7.    New Business

There was no new business.

8.    Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:53 p.m.

Written and submitted by,

Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate