UNIVERSITY SENATE
Executive Committee

A G E N D A
April 8, 2011 - 1:10 p.m.


1.    Chairpersons' Report

2.    Secretary’s Report 3.    Administrative Liaison 4.    Committee Reports:

Budget and Finance Committee Response to Charge S-0914, All-Funds Budgeting Integration - The BFC had been charged as follows:

All-Funds Budgeting Integration: Investigate the integration of all-funds budgeting with the university planning objectives and its implementation. Also investigate how all-funds budgeting applies at the department level.

University Structure and Governance Committee Response to Charge A-1102A, Proposal for a New School of Nursing-Camden - The USGC had been charged as follows:

Proposal for New School of Nursing-Camden: Discuss, document findings, and make recommendations on the Proposal to Establish a School of Nursing at Rutgers-Camden. Discuss with Camden Chancellor Pritchett or his representative, who will attend your March 2011 meeting, any questions or concerns you may have relating to the proposal. Also, include in your deliberations advice from the three Senate committees instructed in Charge A-1102 above [For purposes of this email, that charge is appended below]. Decide if the Senate should endorse establishment of this new school. By April 1, 2011, prepare and send to the Senate Executive Secretary your advice, findings, and recommendations on the proposal, which will be forwarded to the Senate Executive Committee to docket for Senate action.

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee Response to Charge S-0917, Application of the "Ten-Year Rule" in Promotions to Full Professor - The FPAC had been charged as follows:

Application of the “Ten-Year Rule” in Promotions to Full Professor: Investigate the application of the "ten-year rule" in promotions to full professor. In particular, investigate the relative frequency it is being invoked and the resultant success rate. Also assess whether it has accomplished its original goal of providing an alternative basis for promotion for faculty who continue to make significant contributions to the academic and professional mission of the university after achieving tenure, and whose publication record has not kept pace with what was expected of them when tenure was awarded. Propose changes as needed.

Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee Response to Charge S-1009, NRC Rankings of Graduate Programs - The RGPEC had been charged as follows:

National Research Council Ratings of Graduate Programs: Examine and respond to the report by the United States National Research Council, specificially its ratings of Rutgers' graduate programs.

Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee Response to Charge S-0912, Online Courses in Masters and Professional Degree Programs - The RGPEC had been charged as follows:

Online Courses in Master's and Professional Degree Programs: Review, discuss, and make recommendations on how Rutgers can best utilize online courses in master’s and professional degrees. Review the recommendation from the Senate Instruction, Curricula, & Advising Committee on hybrid courses. Evaluate the means by which online courses are set up, and suggest improved means for encouraging Rutgers departments and schools to take advantage of the availability of online, distance-learning, and hybrid courses.

Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee Response to Charge A-1004 (Formerly S-0906), Academic Calendar, Commencement Dates, Updated - The ASRAC had been charged as follows:

Academic Calendar, Commencement Dates: Consider and decide on Secretary of the University Leslie Fehrenbach's request (and its attachment) that the University Senate change the University Commencement dates on the academic calendar for academic years 2010-11 and beyond.

Instruction, Curriculum and Advising Committee Response to Charge S-1015, Online Education at Rutgers - The ICAC had been charged as follows:

Online Education at Rutgers: Survey the existing state of online education at Rutgers, and identify issues and challenges. 

Issues/Proposed Charges/Modification of Current Charges:

Charge to USGC on Reassessing the Senate's Committee Structure to determine whether staff issues are being addressed, if there is a need for a Staff Affairs Committee, and to evaluate the ongoing need for the Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee, per the Senate's November 2008 Response to Charge S-0704, Senate Committee Structure.

ASRAC Requests that Charge S-0916 on Merit Scholarship Funding be Dropped: ASRAC Co-chair Martha Cotter writes, "ASRAC would like the EC to remove Charge S-0916 on Merit Scholarship Funding. We plan to ask the EC to issue a more narrowly focused charge on the same subject in June, but are still discussing the precise wording." The ASRAC had been charged as follows:

Merit Scholarship Funding: Evaluate current Rutgers policies and practices regarding the awarding and funding of merit scholarships for undergraduate students. Propose possible changes to make those policies and practices more effective in attracting outstanding students to Rutgers. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by March 2011.

Follow-Up Charge to ASRAC on Academic Calendar, Add/Drop Period: An extended trial period for the extended add/drop period was advanced by the ASRAC, and adopted by the Senate, last month. The Executive Committee still needs to issue a charge to the ASRAC to determine whether the changes should be made permanent. The following is an excerpt from the March 2011 Senate Executive Committee meeting minutes:

"Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) Follow-Up Report on Response to Charge S-0807, Add/Drop Period - ASRAC Co-chair Martha Cotter had written to Secretary Swalagin: "I've now discussed the matter with members of ASRAC and we are in agreement that we do not have enough information to evaluate the pros and cons of extending both the drop and add periods by one day and that we wish to extend the trial of the extended add/drop period for one more academic year, with the proviso that we will evaluate the trial thoroughly in the fall 2011 semester. I will write up what we have agreed on and get it to you by the middle of next week at the very latest. We would like to docket it for the March meeting." Cotter summarized the ASRAC's discussions and intent on this matter. The anticipated report was docketed for action at the March 25, 2011 Senate meeting. Cotter will draft and send to Swalagin a charge for the ASRAC to address the issue of whether the extension of the add/drop period should be made permanent."

[From March 2011] Proposed Charge on Teaching-Assessment Mechanisms: The following is an excerpt from the March 2011 Senate Executive Committee meeting minutes:

"Leslie Fishbein raised an issue on how Rutgers might create more effective teaching-assessment mechanisms that would help ensure that students are properly placed in introductory courses, that there are learning goals and rubrics for testing all of those goals, that grade inflation is minimized, and academic outcomes in general are improved. Fishbein will send Swalagin a draft proposal and charge to docket on the April 8 Executive Committee agenda."

Proposed Charge to Committee on Establishing an Asian American Studies Program:  The Rutgers University Student Assembly has submitted a Resolution in Support of Establishing an Asian American Studies Program.

5.    April 29, 2011 University Senate Agenda
 6.    Old Business

7.    New Business

8.    Adjournment