OLD BUSINESS
Senate Bylaws Changes to Establish
University Commencement Panel, University Structure and
Governance Committee (USGC) - Jon Oliver and Robert Puhak, USGC
Co-chairs - Senate Bylaws changes to reflect establishment of the
University Commencement Panel were introduced in the November
2015 Response
to Charge
S-1410 on Honorary Degree and Commencement Speaker
Selection Process. The Senate is now asked to implement
the Bylaws changes shown in the report, as follows:
Be it
further
resolved, that
if these recommendations are accepted by the University, then the
Handbook of
the Rutgers University Senate should be updated as follows:
i)
In
Article VII. B., the sentence
“The
vice chair acts as chair of the Appeals Panel if an appeal is being
heard, and
reports on Executive Committee action at Senate meetings.”
should
be replaced with the sentence
“The
vice chair acts as chair of the University Commencement Panel and of
the
Appeals Panel if an appeal is being heard, and reports on Executive
Committee
action at Senate meetings.”
ii)
In
Article VIII. A., the sentence
“Procedures
concerning the structure and operation of committees were approved by
the
University Senate on May 5, 1974, and amended April 28, 1995.”
should
be replaced with the sentence
“Procedures
concerning the structure and operation of committees were approved by
the
University Senate on May 5, 1974, and amended April 28, 1995 and
January 22, 2016.”
iii) In Article
VIII. D., append
the following text
“11.
University Commencement Panel
Standing
Charge:
The University Commencement Panel (UCP) shall be appointed by the
Executive
Committee at the beginning of each academic year, and shall consist of
the vice chair of
the Senate, serving as chair of the UCP; four faculty senators (one
each from
Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, and RBHS, and including at least one
tenure-track,
one non-tenure-track, and one part-time lecturer senator); two student
senators;
one staff senator; one alumni senator; and the executive secretary of
the
Senate (non-voting). Members will be appointed to this panel in
addition to
their regular committee duties, with the following responsibilities:
- Identify
and select faculty and
student senators to serve on the Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick/RBHS
Commencement Committees (which vet and rank nominations for honorary
degrees
and for commencement speakers), as follows:
- three
faculty senators from the respective campus (in the case of New
Brunswick/RBHS,
at least one from each)
- two
student senators from the respective campus (in the case of New
Brunswick/RBHS,
at least one from each)
- Advise
the chancellors on a
timely basis of the names of those selected for appointment.”
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Student
Affairs Committee (SAC) Response
to Charge S-1507 on Deregistration for Non-Payment of Term Bills,
Including for Online Courses
[Presented For Information Only. The report does not include a
resolution or recommendation for any change to current Rutgers policies
or practices.] -
Robert Barraco, Zachary Borden, and Samuel Rabinowitz, SAC
Co-chairs
The
SAC was charged as follows: Examine the issue of student deregistration
for non-payment of term bills, including for online courses. Refer to Senator
Rudy Bell's proposal and background when pursuing this charge. Make
recommendations for preventing inappropriate deregistration.
Resolution
on Web
Accessibility Policy -
Senate Executive Committee:
Whereas,
the Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee has discussed
the Draft
Web
Accessibility Policy; and
Whereas,
the Rutgers University Senate, at its meeting on November 13, 2015,
conducted a committee-of-the-whole discussion on the policy; and
Whereas,
the Senate and Executive Committee have benefited from presentations
by, and responses to questions from, Gayle
Stein, Associate Director for
Instructional Technology,
OIT-Office of
Instructional and Research Technology; Christian Aziz, Manager of
Information Technology; and William Welsh, Executive
Director, Office of Disability Services; and
Whereas,
the University Senate recognizes the need for the policy, and finds it
appropriate and in the best interests of Rutgers University;
Therefore,
Be It Resolved, that the Rutgers University Senate endorses the Web
Accessibility Policy in principle, and recommends its implementation.
NEW BRUNSWICK
CHANCELLOR'S REPORT - Richard Edwards, New Brunswick Chancellor
REPORT ON RESPONSIBILITY
CENTER MANAGEMENT - Michael Gower, Executive Vice President
for Finance and Administration
NEW BUSINESS
[Note: Article IV.A. of the Senate
Bylaws
states,
"All new matters shall be
referred to committee before coming to the Senate (unless extenuating
circumstances apply, as indicated under section
C.4..." Also, the Senate
Executive Committee has authorized committee-of-the-whole discussions
under New Business as appropriate, and time permitting.]
SENATE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
REPORT - Peter Gillett, Senate Vice Chair
REPORTS
OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES
REPORTS OF CAMPUS FACULTY AND STUDENT LIAISONS
ADJOURNMENT