Committee Reports

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charges S-1302 on Full-Time, Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Senators and S-1307 on Senate and Executive Committee Eligibility and Draft Revised University Policy 50.2.1 [Some links not yet active. USGC Co-chairs Peter Gillett and Jon Oliver will summarize the report, which should be finalized before the upcoming Senate meeting.] - The USGC has been charged as follows:

Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Committee Initiative (not charged) Report on Testing Facilities [Link not yet active. A report was circulated in notes/draft form to the ICAC, but has not yet been submitted to the Executive Committee.. ICAC Chair Natalie Borisovets may summarize the report, if it is possible it may be finalized before the upcoming Senate meeting.] 
Issues/Proposed Charges:

Update/Discussion on Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee (RGPEC) Charge S-1207 on Support for International Students  - RGPEC Co-chairs Jane Otto and Gayle Stein

Charge S-1207: Support for International Students: Investigate and make recommendations with regard to core university support for international students and postdocs, particularly in the area of visas.Respond to Senate Executive Committee by March 2014.

The following was submitted by Jane Otto: ":RGPEC's charge on support for international students (S-1207) is due in March. We have recently learned that the Centers for Global Advancement and International Affairs (GAIA Centers) have a parallel initiative going on (related to a similar charge they received from Dick Edwards), and we have begun coordinating with them, in order to avoid any duplication of effort. This has complicated the response to our own charge, because coordination is taking some additional time and the scope of the charge may need to expand. Rather than simply ask for more time, Gayle and I thought it might be a good idea to check in with the Executive Committee to discuss how this is working and what implications there may be for delivering a report and recommendations this spring."

Potential Charge to Academic Standards, Regulations, and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) on University Closures During Exam Periods - Submitted by Chris Morett, Director of Scheduling and Space Management. .

Mr. Morett wrote: "Has the Senate ever discussed what it would do if the university were closed during finals?"

Proposed Charge to Student Affairs Committee (SAC) on Taking Classes on Other Campuses - Submitted by Samuel Berman on behalf of the Student Caucus

Proposed Charge: A number of obstacles currently prevent students across all three of Rutgers' campuses from accessing educational resources located on any of the other two campuses. One such obstacle is the administrative difficulty of transferring course credit; another are the logistical difficulties associated with transportation and parking; still another is the low visibility of some of Rutgers' most prestigious programs on other campuses. Many more exist. The Student Affair Committee shall look at these obstacles, as well as others not enumerated in this charge but which the Committee may find relevant in the course of its discussion, and investigate changes the University can make to promote and encourage the growth of inter-campus collaboration on the part of students. This includes not only changes to current policies which may inhibit such activity, but also affirmative steps the University may take to promote such a vibrant student culture. Proposed due date: 3/28/14.

Rationale: New Brunswick students are actively discouraged from taking classes at Newark and Camden. Various administrative and academic barriers disincentivize taking these classes to fulfill requirements, or in many cases at all. The same is true for students at Newark and Camden campuses seeking to take advantages of programs and opportunities on the New Brunswick campus; a range of logistical considerations stymie most students who may otherwise benefit from such opportunities. While there are certainly natural geographic barriers to this type of activity on the part of students, it is unconscionable for Rutgers, through administrative negligence, to continue erecting additional barriers or exacerbating the natural ones further. It is a direct contradiction of our professed commitment to the principle of "One Rutgers", and as long as our actions and our words differ in this regard, feelings of mutual mistrust and competition (instead of cooperation) will continue to characterize the relationship between the three campuses. If we are to truly consider ourselves One Rutgers, it is incumbent on us to seek to mitigate these barriers as far as the natural geographic distance will allow.
 
Proposed Charge to Student Affairs Committee (SAC) on Cost of Textbooks - Submitted by Samuel Berman

Senator Berman wrote: [This] “item, brought up by Senators Baffo and Nieman, is a discussion of the costs of textbooks, the negative impacts this is having on student education, and any possible role the Senate could play in helping to combat this disturbing trend. For additional information, see the attached report, compiled by the Public Interest Research Group.”

[See also other Senate reports on Textbooks:
December 2007 Senate Response to Charge S-0607, Sale of Examination and Desk Copies of Textbooks
April 2007 Senate Response to Charge S-0602, Course-Textbook Reserve Requirement  
March 2005 Report on Possible Conflict of Interest in Assignment of Textbooks
May 2003 Report on  Textbook Buyback]


Discussion and Potential Charge to Committee on Budget Transparency  - Submitted by Samuel Berman

Senator Berman has requested “a discussion of budget transparency and ways to improve the Budget and Finance Committee's ability to effectively answer its standing charges with respect to the same (including, potentially, a new standing charge or changes to current standing charges, requiring the creation of a budget-in-brief type document in cooperation with University Administration).”

Proposed Charge to Committee on Policy and Processes Relating to Structural Changes to University Units - Submitted by Jon Oliver

Proposed Charge: Consider whether the University Senate should establish a general procedure, timeline, template and process for any university unit that wishes to merge, disband or make any structural change. This would assist units in working in a deliberate, consultative and rational way so that all issues, impacts, concerns and benefits can be properly considered. Make recommendations on time limits, and process.

Rationale: Within the past two years, the University Senate has had to scramble to investigate and approve two requests for the merger of schools within the university. Both times the proposals were presented for decisions within days for processes that had been ongoing for months unbeknownst to the Senate. Rapid decisions are not always good decisions. Creating a process and timeline should alleviate some of these issues, providing for a more deliberate and consultative process.