RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
 
M I N U T E S
 
November 30, 2007
 
 
MEMBERS PRESENT: Becker, Bodnar, Borisovets, Cooke, Cotter, Greenhut, Leath (Vice Chair), McCall, Puniello, Rabinowitz (Chair), Swalagin (Executive Secretary), Thompson
 
MEMBERS EXCUSED: Adam, Gould, Stein
 
ALSO ATTENDING: Coppolo (Student BOG Representative)
 
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, November 30, 2007 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., welcoming all present to the meeting.
 
2.         Executive Secretary’s Report
 
Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved as distributed by the executive secretary.
 
Minutes: The minutes of the October 26, 2007 Executive Committee meeting were approved as distributed by the executive secretary.
 
Communication: Executive Secretary Ken Swalagin shared with the committee a Resolution Against Weekend Examinations adopted by the Rutgers University Student Assembly, and sponsored in RUSA by the Engineering Governing Council. The resolution was discussed later in the meeting under “Standing Committees, Potential Committee Charge, and was the basis for a charge issued to the Senate’s Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee. [See below.]
 
3.         Administrative Report
 
Neither President McCormick nor Executive Vice President Furmanski were able to attend the meeting. There was no administrative report. The Executive Committee discussed strategies and methods of monitoring and tracking administrative action on Senate reports and recommendations. The docketed discussion of presidential follow-up on acknowledged Senate recommendations was postponed until President McCormick could be present. The Executive Committee agreed that it would propose to President McCormick a plan whereby the committee would list the top three priorities for administrative follow-up, and present that list to McCormick and/or Furmanski at a meeting for response at the following meeting.
 
4.         Standing Committees
 
Committee Reports
 
Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Report on Charge S-0607, Sale of Examination and Desk Copies of Textbooks: ICAC Chair Natalie Borisovets summarized her committee’s report on Charge S-0607, Sale of Examination and Desk Copies of Textbooks. Borisovets accepted Paul Leath’s suggestion that the ICAC add a recommendation calling for a publicized, university-wide collection drive for textbooks faculty wish to donate. No action was required or taken by the Executive Committee on this item. Borisovets will consult with the ICAC before amending the report’s recommendations accordingly. Recognizing that the report may be revised before the Senate meeting, the Executive Committee docketed this item for action by the Senate on December 7. [Note: The above link displays the report in its original form, as considered by the Executive Committee at this meeting. To view the report and recommendations as amended and adopted by the Senate at its December 2007 meeting, please see http://senate.rutgers.edu/ICACOnComplimentaryTextbooks1207RevisedAsAdopted.pdf.]
 
University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Second-Draft Report on Charge S-0603, Senate Membership, New Brunswick (Part 2, Faculty)
 
USGC Chair Tricia Nolfi was unable to attend the meeting. Ryan Cooke, Executive Committee member and liaison to the USGC, summarized his committee’s report on Charge S-0603, Senate Membership, New Brunswick Faculty. Swalagin explained that, because this report included a recommendation for a Senate Bylaws/University Regulation change, it would be introduced as advance notice at a Senate meeting, but not docketed for voting or action by the Senate until the subsequent Senate meeting, in accordance with established parliamentary procedure. Paul Leath raised the issue of former FAS-NB Senators who were not now SAS-NB faculty, and their current ineligibility to be elected to the Senate through SAS-NB. Jonathan Becker, formerly a USGC member, summarized some of the USGC discussions on that issue, and suggested that faculty Senators so affected should identify their present constituencies, and campaign for election based on their qualifications and longstanding Senate record. A motion to send the report back to the USGC was discussed and defeated. The report was docketed for advance notice on the Senate’s December 7, 2007 agenda.
 
Victor Greenhut, Executive Committee member and one of the formerly FAS-NB Senators affected by the situation discussed above, moved to charge the USGC with considering separately the issue of disenfranchised FAS-NB Senators, as well as the potential for revising the at-large faculty representation component of the Senate roster. Swalagin will draft an appropriate addendum to USGC charge S-0712 on Enhanced Shared Governance, and University Senate for consideration at the next Executive Committee meeting.
 
Committee Charge
 
Charge to Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee on Weekend Exams: The Executive Committee discussed the RUSA Resolution Against Weekend Examinations, and issued a charge to the Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee as follows:
 
Evaluate the appropriateness or desirability of continuing to hold weekend exams. Consider the Rutgers University Student Assembly's "Resolution Against Weekend Exams," as well as the Senate's February 2000 adoption of weekend exams. Consult with the Director of Scheduling and Space Management, University Registrar and others to research the statistics on conflicts with these exams. Make recommendations as to whether weekend exams should be continued. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by March 2008.
 
[Senators Cooke, McCall, and Thompson left the meeting by 3:15 p.m.]
 
5.         December 7, 2007 Senate Meeting Agenda
 
Items for the December Senate meeting agenda were discussed, adopted, and docketed.
 
6.         Old Business
 
Academic Integrity Policy Committee Update: Martha Cotter reported that the academic integrity policy committee had met that morning in EVP Furmanski’s office, and reached consensus on what was reasonable in the new, draft policy. Brian Rose will draft the revised interim policy, which will come to the Senate’s ASRAC after it is agreed upon by the ad hoc committee. After ASRAC/Senate approval, work will begin on the permanent policy. Cotter was not certain if the ad hoc committee will meet again.
 
7.         New Business
 
There was no new business.
 
8.         Adjournment
 
The meeting adjourned at 3:43 p.m.
 
Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate