2008-2009 University Senate Candidates’ “Campaign Statements”

CHAIRPERSON 

Samuel Rabinowitz: “The Rutgers University Senate is the sole institution that represents the entire community of faculty, students, staff, administrators, and alumni to the president of Rutgers University (hereinafter referred to as “the president”) and to its Board of Governors.” This sentence is the first one found in the Preamble to the Handbook of the Rutgers University Senate and it captures the essence of why I seek the position of Chairperson. Without this body which, at its best, exemplifies shared governance, I would not have had the opportunity to meet and work with so many esteemed colleagues and fellow stakeholders from units around the multiple locations of Rutgers University over much of my 23 years in Camden. The chance to serve as Vice Chair over the last 8 years has been a marvelous experience and given me a chance to get an exposure to your thoughts and concerns. Coupled with my own experiences as a member of each of the stakeholder groups during various points of my academic life, I believe that, working together, we can grow a better Rutgers for ourselves and those who follow us. I’ll talk about my view of the role of the Chair at the election meeting on Friday, Thanks for giving me a moment of your busy day!

VICE CHAIRPERSON

Paul Leath: I am a faculty member in the SAS Department of Physics and Astronomy. For the past four years I have enjoyed being the Senate's Faculty Representative to the Rutgers Board of Governors as important issues have been considered, such as the restructuring of undergraduate education on the New Brunswick Campus, and the Vagelos plan for merging the higher education institutions in New Jersey. Prior to that I had been a co-chair of the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee when important Senate resolutions and University policies have been developed (such as "Best Practices in Assessment of Teaching", "Faculty Departmental Voting Rights", "Health Care Insurance for Graduate Students", "Evaluation of Administrators by Faculty and Students", "FASIP Awards-Making Public the Recipients and Amounts Thereof", and "Workplace Violence Policy"). In 2005-06 I was the Chair of the New Brunswick Faculty Council as their resolutions concerning the Task Force recommendations on the restructuring of undergraduate education on the New Brunswick Campus were developed. I have, over the years, served on very many University committees. In addition, from 1978-1987 I was the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs in the Sciences, and from 1987-1992 I was the Provost of the New Brunswick Campus. And most recently, I was for nine years the Chair of the FAS Department of Physics and Astronomy. I presently am teaching a large introductory physics course designed for humanities and social science students. My research is in theoretical condensed matter physics, specifically the properties of disordered materials. Finally, I believe strongly in shared governance of Universities, and that there is a vital place for the Senate and its voice in the University. If elected, I will work to see that important issues and resolutions are brought before the Senate, and will vigorously support its resolutions before the administration and the Board of Governors. The Senate is and should continue to be a respected, important, and exciting governing body in the University.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FULL-TIME FACULTY

Natalie Borisovets, Newark Faculty: Having been an active member of the University Senate since 1988 (Chair 1993-1996; Chair Educational Policy 1997-2000; Chair, Instruction, Curricula & Advising 2000- ), I believe that I have a good sense of where the Senate has been and where we would like to be. While the Newark campus is “home,” I’m actually a member of a faculty that crosses all three campuses. As such I believe that I also bring a unique university-wide perspective to the Senate. The Executive Committee, as the group that guides and sets the agenda, is a vital component of this unique shared governance body. I am privileged to have been given the opportunity to participate and contribute to that group; I hope that you grant me the opportunity to continue.

Daniel Bubb, Camden Faculty: I joined the Rutgers-Camden faculty in 2005 and was promoted with tenure in 2007. I am currently serving as Chair of the Rutgers-Camden Department of Physics. I have served two terms as the At-Large Camden Senator and I have enjoyed the experience immensely. I have served on the Instruction, Curricula, and Advising committee and I would welcome the opportunity to further represent the Camden campus on the Executive Committee. Issues that I am deeply concerned about include grade inflation, facilitating the use of progressive modes of instruction, and improving post-award support for grants and contracts.

Jan Dutta, New Brunswick Faculty: For my 47 years at RU, I have served as a member of the Senate for 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-1991, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93. In the new millennium: every year so far. Member of the Senate Executive committee 1989-90 Member of the Senate Budget & Finance Committee for several years. I have earned your vote of confidence and I have done my very best to serve the RU community.

Ann Gould, New Brunswick Faculty: I am a second-term Senator representing the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, returning for a third term in the fall.  For the past five years I have been honored to serve as co-chair of the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee.  During this time, my co-chair and I have worked with this committee to address issues associated with e-mail privacy, faculty voting rights, the evaluation of deans, the annual faculty survey, and most recently, phased retirement and annual faculty terms and governance. The past two academic years I have had the opportunity to serve on the Senate Executive committee.  I have found my time with the Senate to be interesting and challenging, and I hope that my efforts have contributed to the welfare of the faculty, students, and staff of this University.  I look forward to continued participation on the Senate Executive Committee, and I appreciate your consideration and vote.

Victor Greenhut, New Brunswick Faculty: I welcome the opportunity to stand for election to the University Senate’s Executive Committee. Having served as a Senator for many years over several decades, I’m familiar with, engaged in, and respectful of the Senate’s roles and responsibilities in promoting shared governance and collegial discussion of Rutgers-wide issues. I strongly believe in compassionate governance, and, if elected to the Executive Committee, will do my best to represent and further the views of my constituents and the Rutgers community fairly and responsibly. Thank you for your support.

Paul Panayotatos, New Brunswick Faculty: It is not easy to stand for election in absentia, while abroad on sabbatical for the semester. Voters, correctly, usually ask “What have you done for us lately?” My response would be that I am in constant communication with the other members of the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee, and especially with co-chair Ann Gould, and have been contributing to all on-going e-mail debates. I also drafted the report on the proposal for transformation of some PTL lines to full time that will be discussed today. Such involvement was only possible because the members of the committee are particularly involved and active. Long-serving members have been instrumental in formulating a series of recommendations that have had substantial ramifications. With the exception of the periods that I was on leave, I have co-chaired the FAPC continuously since 2002, and was a member before that under the able chairmanship of Paul Leath. Limiting the examples of our output to the years of synergistic and enjoyable co-chairmanship with Ann Gould made recommendations that were adopted by the University, among others, to do away with the 4-year limitation on reappointment, to make the Clinical Track more widely available, to establish university-wide procedures for Chair Appointments by Deans and to institute a working process for the evaluation of Deans by faculty and students. My involvement in shared governance began in 1993 in the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) where I have been serving practically continuously for 15 years. I have also been chair of the NBFC Personnel Policy Committee since 1998. I have been on the NBFC Executive Cabinet for more than seven years. I served as Chair, as well, and was lucky to have Martha Cotter for Vice Chair at the time. I was first elected to the University Senate in 1995 and have served on the Executive Committee either as an elected member or ex oficio as chair of the University Senate. I was blessed, or cursed, to be elected as chair of the Senate (with Sam Rabinowitz as Vice Chair) shortly before president Lawrence resigned and while Governor McGreavy tried to impose on a leaderless Rutgers the so-called Vagelos plan of reorganization. The University Senate was the first voice to say “not so fast” to the governor and to hold fast until Dr. McCormick was elected president, took over the fight and averted a potential disaster for Rutgers. I believe my proudest moment at Rutgers came when I relayed the thanks of the Board of Governors to the members of the Senate. I stayed over as chair for another year, at which point a family crisis forced me to limit my involvement. Now I am ready to devote the necessary time to again serve you on the Executive Committee.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PART-TIME LECTURER/ANNUAL-APPOINTEE FACULTY 

Richard Gomes:  I feel that my education, professional background, and experience with the American Association of University Professors –American Federation of Teachers make me an excellent candidate for the Executive Committee position. I received my B.A. in Linguistics with the New Jersey State Teaching Certification in TESOL at Montclair State University in 2005, and I am looking forward to finishing my M.A in TESOL at Hunter College in New York City in 2008. Professionally, I have been teaching ESL and Brazilian Portuguese since 1987. In that time, I lived and taught in Sao Paulo for ten years. Consequently, I am fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish. In addition, I have also conducted workshops focusing on Effective Teaching Methodologies and Techniques, Psycholinguistics, and Pedagogy.  These workshops have been held in several countries – Brazil, Mexico China, and the United States, to name a few. I have also worked as an ESL Instructor and a part-time lecturer at Montclair State University since September 2005 and the Program of American Language Studies (PALS) at Rutgers Newark since September 2006. Despite this busy schedule, I still find time to run my own teaching business, Modern Language Institute, which focuses on Language Comprehension Courses in English (ESL), Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and French designed specifically for employees of multinational companies. I am on the Executive Board of the PTLFC-AAUP-AFT, which negotiates directly with the Rutgers University Administration for better working conditions for the part-time faculty.

Karen Thompson: Karen Thompson, a part-time lecturer in the New Brunswick English Department since 1979, has served as Senator for PTLs / Annuals over the past several years after having worked to include PTLs in the Senate for the first time. She supported recent improvements for non-tenure track faculty, such as the lifting of the four-year rule, through Senate report and recommendations and believes the funding of more full-time lines goes hand-in-hand with increased professional treatment for part-time and non-tenure track faculty. Both approaches should be priorities in serving student interests. She also serves as temporary PTL representative to the New Brunswick Faculty Council, now that PTLs are included there as well. Inclusion of PTLs in the life of the University has been one of her long time goals. Beyond participation in governance, Thompson aims to improve the professional working conditions of PTLs and serves as staff representative for the Rutgers AAUP-AFT.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE STUDENT - CAMDEN 

Maxim Kind: [No statement submitted.]

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE STUDENT - NEW BRUNSWICK 

Candice Greaux: Fellow Senators, my name is Candice Greaux, and I would like to ask for your consideration to serve on the 2008-2009 Senate Executive Committee. I've been a Senator from the New Brunswick Campus for the past academic year, representing College Avenue Campus constituents. This upcoming academic year I will have the privilege to represent students of the Douglass Residential College. I would like to serve on the Executive Committee because the various opportunities I've had in student government have given me great insight into some of the issues that not only affect the New Brunswick campus, but also those that affect student life on the other campuses. In my time as a Senator I've kept a vested interest in representing students, helping to educate them on issues and find out what it is they want from this University. I love working on the Senate because throughout discussion of the various charges that appear before the body, many different stakeholders are able to voice their opinions on issues, and this discussion helps add important depth to many issues. Having seen how the Senate is able to foster this kind of deep consideration of the issues, I would very much like to become a member of the Executive Committee and serve as a strong voice for student interests.

John Stein:  [No statement submitted.]

Yonaton Yares: Hello, my name is Yonaton (Yoni) Yares, I am interested in being the Student Representative to the Senate Executive Committee for the New Brunswick Campus. This past year I have served as a member of the Budget and Finance Committee. I also served as the Treasurer of the Rutgers University Student Assembly. In just two years I have taken on many leadership roles and through these I have met many great students and I feel I can be an excellent representative for them to the Senate Executive Committee.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ALUMNUS 

Raymond Bodnar: I would like to serve again as a member of the  Executive Committee because my 50-year career as a research and continuing education faculty person should bring a varied perspective. As an alumnus I also experienced the growth of Rutgers from an all-male college to the diversified state university and land grant institution it is today.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE STAFF 

Tricia Nolfi: As a returning Staff Senator, I welcome the opportunity to serve on the Executive Committee and believe the Committee will benefit from my ideas, experiences, and perspective. I have served as Co-chair of the University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC), an appointment I have held since February 2007. In this capacity, I worked collaboratively with faculty, students, alumni, and administrators on the USGC and other Senate committees to address a wide range of issues. This has allowed me to become familiar with the workings of other committees and the issues they address. Through my professional experiences at Rutgers, currently serving in University Human Resources and previously at Rutgers College and as an Instructor in SCILS, I have become familiar with the administrative, academic, and student functions of the university. This broad knowledge base would be of benefit to the Executive Committee.

Gayle Stein: The important work of the executive committee and of the Senate as a whole needs passionate, committed individuals who are interested in moving the university forward in positive ways and who are not afraid to question the status quo. As a current member of the executive committee, I believe that I bring these attributes to the table every time we meet. I also believe that the broad knowledge that I have gained, on the executive committee, on the Faculty Affairs and  Personnel committee, and as a previous member of the Instruction, Curricula, and Advising committee, as well as a staff member, coadjutant faculty member, and alumnae make me well suited to serve as the staff representative on the executive committee.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

Martha Cotter: I have served for four years as a faculty representative to the Board of Governors, three years as Chair of the Senate, and one year as the elected Faculty Representative. During that time, I have earned the trust and respect of Board Members and have gradually succeeded in getting the Board to give more weight to the faculty and student voice by including the faculty and student representatives in discussions from which we were formerly excluded. I ask you to reelect me for one more year so that I may continue to represent the views and interests of all faculty, and of the whole Senate, to the Board in a highly effective manner.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE

Ryan Cooke: Over the past three years I have had the privilege of serving the students of Rutgers University in a number of different capacities. As an officer of my campus council and member of both the Rutgers University Student Assembly and the University Senate executive committees, I am confident that I have the experience and ability to serve as an effective Student Representative to the Board of Governors. While my Livingston College background remains a vital part of my service as a student leader, I am adamant about working with my fellow senators on the Board of Trustees to open new lines of communication with all three geographic campuses, and be a passionate voice for the needs of the students and the University Senate. It has been a pleasure to serve on senate these past three years and I look forward to working with you on the many tasks that lie ahead.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

Menahem Spiegel: I am honored to be considered as a faculty representative to Rutgers' Board of Trustees. I have been a University Senator for three years, and have also chaired the Senate's Budget and Finance Committee for the past two years. In those capacities, I have enjoyed exploring some interesting issues of fundamental importance to the ways Rutgers operates, and have also had the opportunity to hear viewpoints from faculty and others from all areas represented in the Senate. I believe those experiences, and my ten years as a faculty member in the School of Business-Newark, coupled with my professional background and personal interests, would make me a capable member of the Board of Trustees. I hope you will agree, and I ask for your votes. Thank you.

Mark Vodak: Having been elected by the University Senate and given the opportunity and privilege to represent Rutgers faculty on the Board of Trustees (BOT) for the past several years, I am seeking the opportunity and privilege to again join the Board of Trustees in the role of Faculty Representative. I feel the experience that I bring to the position is of particular advantage and value to the Senate. I am currently serving my fourth three-year term in the Senate and have represented the Senate and faculty each year during each of those terms. The BOT is a large, diverse body, and my years of participation have enabled me to meet and know many, if not most, of the trustees. Subsequently, and just as importantly, the trustees recognize me and my role. As a result, I am in a strong position to effectively perform the duties of the Faculty Representative: representing the Senate and faculty, providing input from the Senate, and reporting BOT actions to the Senate. I respectfully request your support and vote for Board of Trustees Faculty Representative for the coming year. Thank you.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE

Eric Kaplan: This year I have served as a Class Representative on the College Avenue Council and as a Hall Representative in the Residence Hall Association. I am also involved in ReachHigher NJ, a coalition of students from New Jersey's public colleges and universities, that advocates for funding for Higher Education. I also serve as a Scarlet Ambassador for Undergraduate Admissions. I am excited to serve in the Senate this coming year and hope to articulate the concerns and feelings of the student body to the Board of Trustees.

Daniel McArdle:  [No statement received.]

Kyle Yakal-Kremski:  Kyle Yakal-Kremski is a rising senior studying towards a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering with a minor in German Studies. He is enrolled in the Honors Engineering program, and is also a member of Tau Beta Pi. He has been involved in student government through the Engineering Governing Council (EGC) since late in his sophomore year, by representing a chapter of Material Advantage that he had helped to found.  In EGC, he has been active in the Society Affairs committee, as well as chairing the Commencement Speaker Selection Committee. He is excited about serving on University Senate, and hopes that as student representative to the Board of Trustees that he may have the chance to act in the best interest of the student body as a whole in what appears to be yet another profound year in the shaping of the university.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES GRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE

Alex Kemeny: This coming year will be my second term serving on the Senate and third term on the Rutgers-Camden Law School’s Student Bar Association. It has been a pleasure serving the Rutgers community in these representative capacities and I hope to further contribute my time and experience as the Graduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees. I have served on the Senate’s Structure and Governance Committee as well as the Student Bar Association’s Finance Committee and Budget Committee. I have also had the opportunity to be involved with student government as an undergraduate in Montreal where I spent a year on the Student Society of McGill University’s Legislative Council. I am confident that my experiences as a law student, active member of the Rutgers University community, and student leader at a foreign university will enable me to represent you effectively at the Board of Trustees and bring a unique perspective to the table.