February 1, 2019 - 1:10 p.m. (Executive Committee Meeting begins) Meeting location: Camden Campus
9:15 a.m. – Board Academy charter bus for Camden in Lot 98B, College Farm Road, near Environmental and Natural Resources Science Building on the Cook Campus. Senators without faculty/staff permits who wish to park in Lot 98B should contact Morgan Nemes.
Approximately 10:30 a.m. – Arrive in Camden. Meet at the Alumni House Board Room, 312 Cooper Street, Camden Campus Map and GPS Address
11:00 a.m. – Short walking tour of the Welcome Center, Alumni House, and Writers House
12:00 p.m. – Lunch with Chancellor Haddon in the Board Room of the Alumni House.
1:10 p.m. – Executive Committee meeting begins in the Board Room of the Alumni House.
Approximately 4:30 p.m. – Board charter bus for return trip to New Brunswick.
AGENDA
1. Chair’s Report - Peter Gillett, Senate Chair
2. Secretary’s Report - Mary Mickelsen, Executive Secretary of the Senate
3. Administrative Report - Barbara Lee, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
4. Review of NJPIRG Student Chapters Concept Plan and Financial Statements for Fall 2019 Referendum
4. Committees/Panels
Committee Reports
Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) - Report on S-1701: Reconciling RBHS Procedures for Review of Deans and Programs with Other Exisiting Procedures - Ann Gould, FPAC EC Liaison [Report to be linked by Thursday 1/31]
The FPAC has been charged as follows:
Consider and make recommendations as to how procedures for review of deans and programs at RBHS might best be reconciled with exisiting procedures in other parts of Rutgers. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by November 2018.
Proposed Charges
Proposed Charge on Course Selection Timeframe - Submitted by Abhishek Kashalikar, SEBS, Student Senator
Proposed Charge:
Consider the time frame in which courses are available for selection at Rutgers New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden.
Rationale:
Many students have expressed concerns regarding the time frame in which courses are selected. Students feel an additionl burden to their academia as they are forced to select future classes without knowing how they performed in their current semester. By opening the WebReg portal at a later date in the semester, students will be better able to assess their future semester as they have a cleaner understanding of their current academic standing.
Proposed Charge on Position Focusing on Contingent Faculty - Submitted by Michael Van Stine, Camden Student Member of the Executive Committee
Proposed Charge:
Investigate whether the University could and should create a dedicated position within the University's administrative structure to enhance utilization of contingent faculty.
Rationale:
Effective and fair utilization of contingent faculty by the University has proven to be a complex issue and an elusive goal. Thousands of contingent faculty members at all Rutgers University campuses are responsible for the vast majority of classroom and online instruction at the University. Concerns surrounding their compensation, benefits, job security and related issues evolved and persist with inadequate resolution, either within our outside of collective bargaining unit processes. The Senate past produced Charge S-1409 “Greater Integration of Contingent Faculty in the Rutgers Community”. These issues were well outlined in this Charge, as well as the history of related issue-specific charges issued between 2012 to 2018. Of specific note was substantial discussion and documentation by the Faculty Personnel and Affairs Committee (FPAC) to even get reliable quantitative data surrounding the utilization of contingent faculty. President Barchi responded to the report issued on S-1409 on March 6, 2017 with what was seen by the Executive Committee as an inadequate response prompting a reply from the Executive Committee on September 1, 2017. This reply stated in relevant part:
“[…] your statement […] did not go far enough in providing direction to the Rutgers community on how we can create a more equitable, collaborative, and respectful environment for all scholars and teaching professionals, and especially for contingent faculty.
“(We feel) there is a need for administration leadership on building parity and inclusion in the University community for all faculty members outside of any union contractual obligations. We therefore request that you reconsider your response to the Senate in this matter, and provide input and advice on obtaining support of the Senate's report, recommendations, and resolution on Charge S 1409…This can be achieved through directives and recommendations from you and your administration to all deans, and encouraging broad support of complete inclusion of contingent faculty in school and department events and meetings.”
President Barchi then subsequently replied to the EC on September 17, 2017 in brief response citing the creation of a web page for PTL’s, an desire for their greater inclusion in departmental meetings and plans for SeniorVP Barbara Lee to create processes for better evaluation and career opportunities for PTL’s. This response also failed to address the numerous core issues of S-1409.
In over a year that has ensued, according to President Barchi’s Administrative Report to the full Senate on January 25, 2018, there has been some minor progress with an admitted even further increase in total teaching hours performed by contingent faculty and an arguable decrease in tenured faculty as a percentage of the whole.
Because of the substantial complexities in the collective issues surrounding contingent faculty, entwined collective bargaining issues, and clear inertia to deal with these issues with the sense of urgency seen as necessary by the Senate, we would like the FPAC to consider the utility of creating a F/T position to devote full focus to analyzing all relevant quantitative/qualitative data and produce better actionable management reports to effectuate the goals of S-1409.
Proposed Charge on Creation of University-wide Freedom of Speech Review Committee - Submitted by Julie Serrano, New Brunswick Student Member of the Executive Committee and Michael Van Stine, Camden Student Member of the Executive Committee
Proposed Charge:
Create a permanent University-wide Freedom of Speech Review Committee to include full University constituent representation.
Rationale:
Rutgers University, like most all public universities and colleges in the U.S., has consistently struggled with issues of First Amendment freedom of speech and academic freedom. A recent tabulation of all existing university policies on topic compiled by university administration documented thirty different polices, many overlapping and in some ways duplicative. The sheer quantity and duplicity of these diverse polices creates confusion. The University Senate has devoted substantial time and resources to assist university administration to assess and develop more uniform, legally correct and more universally understood policies while Issues surrounding the lack thereof continue to create concerns, most recently evidenced surrounding the termination of a tenured professor, mixed opinions about a so called “professors watchlist” as well as some public protest issues. During the ensuing investigation and review process regarding case with the one professor, substantial analysis was made by the University’s Office of Employment Equity. The report output was considered deficient by President Barchi, who then requested the university’s Office of General Counsel to “convene an advisory group to provide guidance on alleged policy violations that involve First Amendment and academic freedom questions” and has asked for that panel to be comprised of “First Amendment and academic freedom scholars and attorneys and faculty representatives” at the exclusion of student and/or alumni representatives. Also, the intent of the panel seemed to clearly be intended to be ad-hoc simply addressing the issues surrounding the one incident rather than create a more durable structural solution.
Because of the mixed history, complex maze and duplicity of university policies on topic, and because of continued controversies and ineffective responses to individual incidents surrounding issues of free speech, both the Camden SGA and RUSA have passed resolutions supporting action that the appropriate Senate committee consider a permanent university compliance review structure to include qualified representatives from all main university constituent groups, including qualified students, to deal with these issues in a more effective and durable manner.
5. Old Business
Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Response to Charge S-1804 on How Student Senators are Elected - Julie Serrano, SAC Co-Chair
The SAC has been charged as follows: Evaluate and make recommendations on how Student Senators are elected. Consider if there should be a requirement for direct election on senators. Report to the Senate Executive Committee by January 2019.
This report was presented at the January 11 Executive Committee Meeting and was subsequently sent back to committee for changes and requested back for review at this meeting.
6. New Business
Selection of Members of Chancellor Evaluation Committee for Dr. Nancy Cantor
7. University Senate Agenda