Ken: This response from Dean Holly Smith  must be important. The three will cover it all. jan

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: RU SENATE MEETING FRIDAY January 21
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 17:39:28 -0500
From: Holly Smith <hsmith@fas.rutgers.edu>
To: "Richard L. McCormick" <president@rutgers.edu>
CC: Manoranjan Dutta <dutta@econ.rutgers.edu>, furmanski@oldqueens.rutgers.edu,    "Smith, Holly" <hsmith@fas.rutgers.edu>
References: <41ED3EE7.9050402@econ.rutgers.edu> <41F6AF23.7020001@rutgers.edu>

Dear President McCormick and Professor Dutta:

Thank you for this correspondence.  Professor Dutta has called this situation to my attention, and the attention of the faculty, a number of
times, and indeed it has been a long-standing problem, antedating my arrival at Rutgers by some years.  My own assessment of the reason too
few faculty attend the annual FAS Faculty meetings is that, although very important business needs to be conducted at the meetings, it has
traditionally been confined to business (approval of the curricular changes) that is not in itself very exciting for faculty unless they are
directly involved, and therefore difficult for them to make room for among their other pressing duties at the end of the semester.  My
strategy for combatting this has been to bring into the agenda items of more substantial significance, such as our discussion in this past
December's meeting of the interim report of the FAS Task Force on Honors Programs, and the deliberations regarding winter session courses.
Indeed, we are experiencing an increase in the number of attendees, and the discussions of these matters have been quite lively.  My hope is
that in time we will be able to attract a quorum among the faculty, and call upon their best wisdom as we deliberate about these matters.

If Professor Dutta has any additional proposals for increasing attendance at these meetings, I would be delighted to hear them.

Sincerely,
Holly Smith

Richard L. McCormick wrote:

> Dear Jan,
>
> Thank you for bring to my attention the issues of non-participation of
> FAS faculty and lack of a quorum at the University Senate meetings.
> By copy of this reply, I am informing Dean Holly Smith of your concerns.
>
> <>You have my best wishes.
>
> Sincerely yours,
>
> Dick
>
> <>c:          Dean Holly Smith
>              Executive Vice President Philip Furmanski
>
>
>
> Manoranjan Dutta wrote:
>
>>
>>     Dear President McCormick:
>>
>> MEETINGS OF ( a ) GRADUATE FACULTY, ( b ) FACULTY OF ARTS & SCIENCES
>> AT NEW BRUNSWICK CONTINUE TO BE HELD IN THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
>> QUORUM CALLS ARE DISCOURAGED BECAUSE SPECIFIC ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
>> WERE TO BE ADOPTED FOR THE AWARD OF GRADUATE DEGREES AT THE
>> COMMENCEMENT. AT THE LAST FA&S MEETING, A REQUEST WAS MADE TO RECORD
>> THAT THE PROCEEDINGS AT FA&S MEETINGS WERE BEING CONDUCTED WITHOUT A
>> QUORUM.
>>
>> YOU HAVE GIVEN THE FACULTY COUNCIL UNDER FA&S A VERY IMPORTANT
>> ASSIGNMENT FOR UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION. BE IT NOTED THAT ALL MEMBERS
>> OF THE FACULTY COUNCIL ARE NOT DULY ELECTED.
>>
>> FA&S IS THE LARGEST ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT OF RU WITH THE LARGEST BUDGET
>> AND ITS CONTINUED FUNCTIONING UNDER SUB-OPTIMAL CONDITIONS
>> COMPROMISES THE NORMAL DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES AND THUS ADVERSELY
>> IMPACT ON YOUR AGENDA OF EXCELLENCE.
>>
>> DOES NONPARTICIPATION BY THE FACULTY AT LARGE IN THOSE MEETINGS POINT
>> TO A GENERAL LACK OF CONFIDENCE? A PRESIDENTIAL REVIEW OF THE
>> SITUATION MAY HELP RESTORATION OF FACULTY CONFIDENCE.
>>
>>                 jan dutta

Ken: Here is the other one on the same subject. jan

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Exe. Dean Holly Smith's memo of January 25, 2005
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 15:16:31 -0500
From: Manoranjan Dutta <dutta@econ.rutgers.edu>
To: PRESIDENT RICHARD L McCORMICK <president@rutgers.edu>
CC: EXE DEAN HOLLY M SMITH <HSMITH@FAS-ADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU>, EXECUTIVE VP-ACADEMIC DR PHILIP FURMANSKI <evp-academic@rutgers.edu>

President Richard L. McCormick
Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey


Dear President McCormick:

I beg your indulgence to state the following in response to the above memo from Executive Dean Holly Smith in response to my question at the
last Senate meeting. Let me add that I have great personal regards for Holly Smith.

First, facts remain to be verified. Ever since the institution of FA&S, I have attended FA&S meetings first under Dean Edelstein, and then under
Dean McCormick. Beyond question, attendance at every meeting was there and quorum did not become an issue. If I am wrong, I need to be advised.

Secondly, attendance at Graduate Faculty meetings over my 42 years was never a question. Now it is different.

Thirdly, membership of Faculty Council became an issue during my invited participation at the Faculty Council Conference on UNDERGRADUATE
EDUCATION. Are all Faculty Council members duly elected?


In response to Executive Dean Smith's invitation to make suggestions, I venture to state the following: ALL MEETINGS WITHOUT QUORUM MUST BE
DECLARED INVALID. RU SENATE FOLLOWS THE RULE AND FOLLOWS THE QUORUM RULE VERY STRICTLY. THEN FA&S EXECUTIVE DEAN AND HER COUNCIL OF DEANS MAY INVITE THE FACULTY TO A VERY SPECIAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, OPEN
TO MEDIA AND THE NEW JERSEY TAX PAYERS.

I continue to believe that our failure to accept the core guideline of a democratic administration hurts our image and adversely impacts on YOUR
AGENDA FOR EXCELLENCE.

With my sincerest greetings, jan