UNIVERSITY SENATE
Executive Committee

A G E N D A
September 30, 2016 - 1:10 p.m.


1.    Chair’s Report  - Peter Gillett, Senate Chair

2.    Secretary’s Report - Ken Swalagin, Executive Secretary of the Senate
3.    Administrative Report - Barbara Lee, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

4.    Standing Committees, and Panels
Reports:

Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Response to Charge S-1305-2 on Smoke-Free Rutgers - Viktor Krapivin and Samuel Rabinowitz, SAC Co-chairs

The SAC was charged as follows: Examine the desirability, feasibility, impact and means of evolving into a smoke-free Rutgers.

Rutgers' Smoking Policy
Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free U.S. and Tribal Colleges and Universities

Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Response to Charge S-1401 on Taking Courses on Other Campuses/Intercampus Equivalency - Viktor Krapivin and Samuel Rabinowitz, SAC Co-chairs

The SAC was charged as follows: Examine obstacles preventing students from accessing educational resources located on other Rutgers campuses. If deemed appropriate, recommend policy and process changes that would promote growth of inter-campus collaboration. Refer to the Student Caucus proposal for this charge when deliberating. Identify issues to be further considered by the Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee, if necessary.

Standing Committees' Responses to Proposal to Form School of Graduate Studies - All Standing Committees: All standing committees were asked to respond with questions/comments regarding the proposal to form a new School of Graduate Studies in New Brunswick. Deadline for submissions from the standing committees is Thursday, September 29. A compiled list will be posted here by Friday morning, September 30.

Panels:
Selection of Members of University Commencement Panel (UCP) - The Executive Committee will assign members of the UCP. The UCP will be composed of members with representation from each unit (R-C, R-N, R-NB, RBHS), as follows:
[Names listed are those of Senators who volunteered to serve on the UCP.]
a. Executive Secretary of the Senate (non-voting) - Ken Swalagin
b. Vice Chair of the Senate (chairs the UCP) - Robert Puhak
c. Four Faculty Senators, with each of the following groups being represented:
- tenure-track
  • Asha Samant, RBHS
  • James Oleske, RBHS
  • Michael Shapiro, RBHS
  • Ann Gould, New Brunswick
  • Natalie Borisovets, Newark
  • Samuel Rabinowitz, Camden
  • Robert Schwartz, RBHS

- non-tenure-track
  • Eleanor LaPointe, Assistant Instructor, New Brunswick
  • Ray Leibman, PTL, Newark
  • Karen Thompson, PTL, New Brunswick

- part-time lecturers
  • Ray Leibman, PTL, Newark
  • Karen Thompson, PTL, New Brunswick

d. One Staff Senator - David Edward, Newark
e. One Alumni Senator - Josephine Marchetta
f. Two Student Senators
  • Christopher Shinn, Camden
  • Karla Dimatulac, New Brunswick

Issues/Charges:

Proposed Charge to Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) on Tuition Freeze for Academic Year 2017-18 - Submitted by Student Senator Vladimir Carrasco

Proposed Charge:

Examine the feasibility and desirability of a tuition freeze for all Rutgers University Students for the 2017-2018 financial year. Consider the practicality of using reserve funds to reduce the cost of tuition. Investigate the possibility of merging all university reserves into one account in order to reduce the cost of tuition. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by [Insert deadline].

 

Rationale:

 

The staggering cost of higher education is an unnecessary burden on students, a cost which increases each year and this year increased by 1.7%.

The Budget and Finance Committee should explore methods to abate the burden on students and the ability of the university to afford it.


Question Regarding Senators Sending Delegates to Standing Committees - Jane Otto, Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee (RGPEC) Chair

5.    Old Business
Proposed Charge to Committee on Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources - Drafted by Staff Senator Adrienne Esposito, on behalf of the Executive Committee, following the Executive Committee's September 9 discussion of the Updated University Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources:

Proposed Charge:

Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources: Examine the existing Rutgers' University Policy - Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources. In particular, review University Policy Section 70.1.1 which requires University business be conducted using the Official University Rutgers Connect application. Where appropriate, make recommendations for modifying the policy. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by [Insert deadline].


Rationale:

Several members of the University Senate Executive Committee expressed concern and confusion regarding the recently updated University Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources.  Specifically, with regard to the mandate of use of the Office 365/Rutgers Connect application for "University business." There seems to be confusion and/or ambiguity as to the meaning/definition of "University business."


Ad Hoc Committee on Sale of Alcohol in Stadiums - This ad hoc committee should begin its work when the Ad Hoc Committee on Webstreaming Senate Meetings (AHCoWSM) completes its work. President Barchi has said that sale of alcohol in stadiums may already be taking place by the time the Senate completes its work on this issue. The Executive Committee decided that the alcohol issue should come back in September, at which time it would ask President Barchi the status of sale of alcohol in stadiums. The AHCoWSM has not yet submitted an initial report to the Executive Committee (final deadline is February 2017), but it has been proposed that a committee-of-the-whole discussion could be docketed for the upcoming October Senate meeting.

Discussion of Code of Student Conduct and Alcohol and Drug Policies [See Secretary's Communications, above], as related to Charge S-1611 to Student Affairs Committee (SAC) on Examination of University Policy on Student Use of Drugs and Alcohol. The SAC has been charged as follows:

Examination of University Policy on Student Use of Drugs and Alcohol: Consider, evaluate, and make recommendations, if necessary, for changes to university policy on student use of drugs and alcohol. Consider the role of restorative justice in this university policy. Consider any deterrent effects of current policy to students seeking emergency medical services. Refer to the Medical Amnesty Report authored by the Rutgers University Student Assembly for additional information when considering this charge. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by January 6, 2017. [Issued September 2016.]


6.    New Business

7.    University Senate Agenda

October 14, 2016 Senate Meeting:

8.    Adjournment