RUTGERS
UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
February 3, 2017
MEMBERS PRESENT: Boikess, Borisovets, Esposito,
Gillett
(Chair), Gould,
Janniger (on phone), Krapivin, Krutyansky, Mouradian,
Otto, Pirrello, Puhak, Thompson, Wang
MEMBERS EXCUSED: Cotter, Van Stine
ALSO ATTENDING: R. Barchi (President of the University, on
phone), B. Lee
(Senior Vice President for Academic
Affairs), A. Patel (Student Representative to the Board of Governors),
S.
Rabinowitz (Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors), A.
Samant
(Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees), M. Spiegel (Faculty
Representative to the Board of Trustees), K. Swalagin
(Executive Secretary)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was
held on Friday, February 3, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. in Executive Conference
Room of ASB-III on the Cook Campus.
1.
Chair’s Report
- Peter Gillett, Senate Chair
Senate and Executive Committee Chair Peter Gillett called the
meeting to order at 12:00 noon. He said that he had submitted names for
Evaluation Committees for Dean Joanne Robinson (School of
Nursing-Camden), and for Dean Cathryn Potter (School of Social Work),
and that he would send a response on the dental hygiene program issue
that day.
2. Secretary’s Report - Ken Swalagin,
Executive Secretary of the Senate
The Executive Committee then discussed Viktor Krapivin's request to
reconsider issuing a charge to a standing committee to explore the
possibility of canceling classes on presidential election days. The
item was not on the agenda, but had been discussed at the previous
meeting, and no charge had been issued. It was eventually decided that
Krapivin would draft a more general charge on how to increase student
voting in all elections.
3. Administrative Liaison
University President Robert Barchi presented
an administrative report, which focused on the current United States
political climate, and Rutgers fundraising.
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Lee then continued
the administrative report, focusing on recent New Jersey legislation
allowing leave of absence for pregnant students and their non-birth
partners.
4. Standing
Committees
Issues/Charges:
Revisions
to University
Policy on Political Activity,
received from Kim Pastva, Secretary of the University - Peter Gillett
had informed the Executive Committee that this policy is being revised.
Discussion focused on whether or how the Senate should participate
in this revision. Gillett will write to Pastva expressing the
committee's concern that the policy could be interpreted as
prohibiting, for example, promoting voting on ballot referenda not
related to public office, such as those conducted on Rutgers funding or
other issues beneficial to Rutgers.
Proposed Charge on Rutgers/IPEDS
Campus
Comparisons Report, May 2013, submitted by Michael Van
Stine - Michael Van Stine was not present at the meeting, so the
committee took no action on this item.
Reports:
University
Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to
Charge S-1404 on Revisions to University Policy Library - Jon
Oliver and Robert Puhak, USGC
Co-chairs
USGC Co-chair Robert Puhak summarized his committee's report on Charge
S-1404, on Revisions to University Policy Library. The report was
discussed at some length, and
suggestions were made to clarify some of its content. The Executive
Committee suggested several changes to the report, which Puhak will
implement. The report, with those amendments, was docketed for action
at the upcoming Senate meeting. [Note: The link above goes to the
report as amended, and as adopted by the Senate on February 17, 2017.]
[Barbara Lee left the meeting at 1:31 p.m.]
Charge-Deadline Extensions:
The
Ad Hoc Video Committee's response deadline on Charge S-1606, on
Videorecording and Live Webstreaming Senate Meetings, was extended to
March
2017.
5. Old Business
There
was no old business.
6. New Business
There
was no new business.
7.
University Senate Agenda
February 17, 2017 Senate Meeting:
Items were docketed for the February 17, 2017 Senate agenda, as
indicated above. Gillett spoke about the Parliamentarian's Report,
which had been introduced at the January Senate meeting, and which
would be voted on at the upcoming Senate meeting. He said that Krapivin
had proposed adding a section to the report. Krapivin then spoke about
the proposal, which would allow, by petition of one-third of the
Senate, a charge to be issued to a committee, or a resolution placed on
a Senate agenda, without approval by the Executive Committee. Gillett
said that it was a substantive change, and offered to work with
Krapivin to draft a proposed charge on the issue.
8.
Adjournment
The
meeting adjourned at 2:06 p.m.
Minutes written and submitted by,
Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate