RUTGERS
UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
April 8, 2016
MEMBERS PRESENT: Borisovets, Cotter, Gillett, Gould (Chair), Janniger,
Langer, Lee, Okuwobi, Oliver, Puhak, Schulberg, Swalagin
(Executive Secretary), Thompson
MEMBERS EXCUSED: Barraco, Otto, Theiss
ALSO ATTENDING: B. Lee (Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs), S.
Rabinowitz (Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors), A.
Samant (Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was
held on Friday, April 8, 2016 at 1:10 p.m. in the Executive Board Room
of Administrative Services Building-III, Cook Campus.
1. Chair’s Report
Senate and Executive Committee Chair Ann Gould called the
meeting to order at 1:18 p.m. She said that the committee would be
addressing a full agenda, and asked that members keep their remarks
brief. She commented on:
- the previous day's 250th Anniversary symposium on The Future of
the Research Institution, and suggested that all mark their calendars
for additional symposia in September and October;
- the previous week's reception marking the retirement of longtime
Senator and Law professor and dean Peter Simmons;
- announcement of Bill Moyers as 2016 honorary degree recipient and
commencement speaker; and
- other 2016 honorary degree recipients.
2.
Secretary’s Report -
Ken Swalagin, Executive Secretary of the Senate
- Agenda: The meeting agenda
was amended to include discussion of a new charge arising out of the
Senate report and action on Charge
S-1201 on Senate Size and Composition (to be included in the
discussion of pending committee charges), and was then approved.
- Minutes: The Minutes of the March 4, 2016 Senate Executive
Committee Meeting were approved as distributed by the
executive secretary.
- Communications: The
following communications were presented by the executive secretary:
- A problem occurred in the Senate staff election process. Some
RBHS employees have been coded as "Central Administration" staff in the
UHR database, and consequently categorized as New Brunswick staff.
Those staff, and possibly others, were unable to vote for RBHS staff,
but were able to vote for New Brunswick staff. Both situations violate
the policy that states Senators are to be elected from and by their own
units. Ken Swalagin is working with UHR to have the problem corrected,
and is asking that the election be redone as soon as possible. The
issue was discussed, and actions were recommended but were not
necessary because a plan to resolve the problems was started later that
day.
- Draft
Schedule of 2016-17 Senate and Executive Committee Meetings: Mary
Mickelsen responded to questions on the schedule. Peter Gillett
suggested that the October Senate meeting might be the ideal time for
the Senate celebration of Rutgers' 250th anniversary. He also suggested
holding an Executive Committee meeting in Camden on November 11, when
the Senate meets in Camden. Those suggestions will be considered at an
upcoming Executive Committee meeting.
- In response to a question asked at last month's Executive
Committee (EC) meeting, Barbara Lee had forwarded the following
information: University Human Resources does not conduct exit
interviews
when faculty leave Rutgers. At this meeting, Lee also said that,
following EC discussion of changing Distinguished Professor titles on
the Rutgers online directory, she confirmed that her office can now
change those titles as they are approved by the Board of Governors, and
she will remind all units to update that.
[Senator
Schulberg joined the meeting at 1:45, during discussion of the draft
schedule of 2016-17 meetings.]
3.
Administrative Report -
Barbara Lee, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Lee presented an
Administrative
Report on President Barchi's behalf, which included comments on:
- Rutgers' recent ban on recreational use of Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles (UAVs or drones);
- recent Board of Governors approval of Rutgers Health, the
clinical arm of the University;
- Board of Governors' announcement of commencement speakers and
honorary degree recipients:
- television journalist Bill Moyers and astronomer S. Jocelyn
Bell Burnell for New Brunswick;
- Sister Mary Scullion and Raymond Ackerman for Camden;
- Wendell Pierce and Radhika Coomaraswamy for Newark; and
- the previous day's Presidential Symposium for the 250th
anniversary on The Future of the Research University.
4. Standing
Committees
Reports:
Faculty
and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) Response to Charge S-1409 on
Greater Integration of Contingent Faculty in the Rutgers Community
- Ann Gould and Joseph Markert, FPAC Co-chairs
FPAC
Co-chair Ann Gould summarized her committee's
response to Charge S-1409 on Greater Integration of Contingent Faculty
in the Rutgers Community. The FPAC
had been charged
as follows: "Given the ever increasing use of contingent faculty (NTT
and PTL) at Rutgers and nationally, consider ways to integrate these
faculty fully into the University community. Identify other
institutions that have been successful in providing such rights and
privileges to their contingent faculty and propose measures to emulate
them. In particular, consider ways to afford contingent faculty the
security necessary to be more active participants in shared governance,
as well as more visible members of the community." Minor changes were
suggested, and the report was docketed for action at the upcoming
Senate meeting.
[Senator Barbara Lee left the meeting at 2:15 p.m.]
Faculty
and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) Response to Charge A-1603 on
Evaluation of Administrators, Part II: Evaluation of Chancellors -
Ann Gould and Joseph Markert, FPAC Co-chairs
FPAC
Co-chair Ann Gould summarized her committee's
response to Charge A-1603 on Evaluation of Administrators, Part II:
Evaluation of Chancellors. The FPAC
had been charged
as follows: "Given the joint
Rutgers-UMDNJ integration and changes in administrative structure,
reconsider
the process recommended by the University Senate in 2012 for evaluation
of
upper administrators, now with a focus on evaluating chancellors. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by
April 2016. [Issued November 2012.
Reissued June 2015. Revised to focus on evaluation of chancellors, and
reissued
as A-1603 March 2016.]"
Minor changes were
suggested, and the report was docketed for action at the upcoming
Senate meeting.
Student
Affairs Committee (SAC) Response to Charge S-1305-2 on Smoke-Free
Rutgers - Robert Barraco, Zachary Borden, and Samuel Rabinowitz,
SAC Co-chairs
The SAC had been charged as
follows: Examine
the desirability, feasibility, impact and means of evolving into a
smoke-free
Rutgers. SAC Co-chair Sam Rabinowitz withdrew the draft report on
Charge S-1401 (see below). The draft report on Charge S-1305-2 was
discussed briefly, with Rabinowitz saying the SAC would try to have a
final report ready for the upcoming Senate meeting. Ken Swalagin
suggested that he and Rabinowitz could edit the draft and circulate it
to the Executive Committee by the following Friday, with the intent of
docketing it for Senate action at the April 29 Senate meeting. [Note:
The report was not completed, nor was it docketed for the April 29
Senate.]
Student
Affairs Committee (SAC) Response to Charge S-1401 on Taking Courses on
Other Campuses/Intercampus Equivalency - Robert Barraco, Zachary
Borden, and Samuel Rabinowitz, SAC Co-chairs
The SAC was charged as follows: Examine
obstacles preventing students from
accessing educational resources located on other Rutgers campuses. If
deemed
appropriate, recommend policy and process changes that would promote
growth of
inter-campus collaboration. Refer to the Student Caucus proposal for
this
charge when deliberating. Identify issues to be further considered by
the
Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee, if necessary. As noted
above, SAC Co-chair Sam Rabinowitz withdrew the draft report on this
charge at this meeting.
Issues/Charges:
Proposed
Charge to University Structure and Governance Committee
(USGC) on Process for Unit Mergers or Other Structural Changes in
Non-academic Units that have Broad Educational Impact - As
stipulated in the USGC report on Charge S-1403, Process for Unit
Mergers or Other Structural Changes
The
following proposed charge was discussed and issued to the USGC pursuant
to a recommendation in the original report on Charge S-1403 on Process
for Unit Mergers or Other Structural Changes: Consider and recommend a
procedure, timeline, template and
process for merger or dissolution of, or making structural changes to,
non-academic units that have a broad educational impact. Refer to the Senate
report and recommendations on Charge S-1403, Process for Unit Mergers
or Other Structural Changes, when considering this charge.
Respond to Senate Executive Committee by March 2017.
5.
Old Business
Instruction,
Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Response
to Charge S-1504 on Determination of Student Participation
[Linked is the report as adopted by the Senate on April 29, 2016.]
-
Natalie Borisovets, ICAC Chair
This
report was postponed at the February and April 1 Senate meetings. The
ICAC was charged as follows: "Develop guidelines that would allow units
and individual instructors to comply with U.S. Department of Education
requirements that Rutgers keep records for students receiving federal
financial aid that substantiate students' participatory attendance in
the classes for which they are registered." ICAC Chair Natalie
Borisovets summarized the revised report. The charge was revised to
refer to "Student Participation" instead of the original "Student
Attendance." It was decided that both the original report, and this
revised version would be docketed for the April 29 Senate, and that
Borisovets will first withdraw the original report before moving the
current version.
Proposed Charge on Sale of Alcohol in
Stadiums - Submitted by New Brunswick Student Member of the EC
Justin Schulberg. This proposal was discussed at the previous EC
meeting, at which time it was decided that an ad hoc committee is to be
formed consisting of chairs of
standing committees or their representatives, plus three other people
to be selected by the EC. The rationale and proposed, draft charge
shown below were discussed.
Rationale:
"After RUSA passed a resolution
calling for the sale of alcohol in stadiums, specifically looking
at the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) and High Point Solution Stadium,
it is incumbent upon the Senate to also look into this matter. This
issue does not just affect New Brunswick students, which RUSA
represents, but it stretches to the domain of faculty, staff, alumni,
and countless others who attend Rutgers' athletic events. This
issue is heated and dynamic, as it has broad-reaching consequences.
As the most representative body at Rutgers University, it is necessary
for the University Senate to look into the sale of alcohol in the
stadiums and advise President Barchi on its investigation and
recommendations into the matter."
Proposed, Draft Charge to the Ad Hoc Committee on Sale of Alcohol in
Stadiums: Consider the rationale
and RUSA
resolution on the potential sale of alcohol at Rutgers stadiums.
Explore the issue, and make recommendations, as appropriate. Respond to
Senate Executive Committee by [insert deadline].
The
rationale was revised as follows:
After
RUSA passed a resolution
calling for the sale of alcohol in stadiums, specifically looking
at the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) and High Point Solution Stadium,
it is appropriate for the Senate to also look into this matter. This
issue does not just affect New Brunswick students, which RUSA
represents, but it stretches to the domain of faculty, staff, alumni,
and countless others who attend Rutgers' athletic events. This
issue is heated and dynamic, as it has broad-reaching consequences.
As the most representative body at Rutgers University, it is
appropriate
for the University Senate to look into the sale of alcohol in the
stadiums and advise President Barchi on its investigation and
recommendations into the matter.
The charge was revised as follows:
Sale
of Alcohol in Athletic Venues: Consider the rationale
and RUSA
resolution on the potential sale of alcohol at Rutgers athletic
venues.
Explore this and related issues, including NCAA rules, and make
recommendations, as appropriate. Respond to
Senate Executive Committee by [insert deadline].
There was considerable discussion of how to issue this charge.
The EC ultimately decided the charge would be brought back to be issued
to an ad hoc committee after the ad hoc committee on webstreaming and
archiving Senate meeting videos completes its work on that charge. A
committee-of-the-whole discussion on the issue may also be held at a
Senate meeting.
[Senator Rabinowitz left the meeting at 3:47 during the above
discussion on sale of alcohol at athletic venues.]
Annual
Review of All Outstanding,
Pending Committee Charges: Charges issued to committees
lapse in March of the year following the
year in which the charge was issued. Outstanding, pending charges were
reviewed, and continued with new deadlines, dropped, or otherwise acted
upon, as follows:
- S-1013-2
on Rutgers Financial Investments: Dropped at the request of Budget and
Finance Committee Chair (BFC) Menahem Spiegel.
- S-1305-2
on Smoke-Free Rutgers: Reissued with new deadline of October 2016.
- S-1401
on Taking Courses on Other Campuses: Dropped at the request of SAC
Co-chair Sam Rabinowitz.
- S-1403-2
on Process for Unit Mergers or Other Structural Changes: Charge
completed, but related charge issued.
- S-1404-2
on Revisions to University Policy Library: Reissued with new deadline
of December 2016.
- S-1409-1
on Greater Integration of Contingent Faculty into the Rutgers
Community: Report completed and docketed for April 29 Senate meeting,
but because it had not yet been acted upon by the Senate, the deadline
was extended to May 2016.
- S-1411-1
on Improving Search Processes for Senior Administrators: Dropped.
- S-1501-1
on Eligibility, Nomination, and Election of Senate Leadership and Board
Representatives: Reissued with new deadline of January 2017.
- S-1502
on Shared Governance at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey:
Dropped, with intention of issuing a less-broad charge to the
University Structure and Governance Committee in the future.
- S-1504
on Determination of Student Attendance/Participation: This charge had
been revised earlier during this meeting, and a report was docketed for
the April 29 Senate meeting, but because it had not yet been acted upon
by the Senate, the deadline was extended to May 2016.
- S-1506
on RBHS and Other Rutgers Academic Calendars: Deadline extended to
October 2016.
- S-1007-B
on Academic Reappointment/Promotion Form 1-A (Follow-Up): Dropped.
- S-1509
on Default 16-year Academic Calendar: Deadline extended to November
2016.
- S-1510
on Student Teaching Evaluations, and Best Practices in Evaluation of
Teaching 2015: Deadline extended to March 2017.
- S-1511
on Personnel Considerations Related to Student Teaching Evaluations,
and Best Practices in Evaluation of Teaching: Deadline extended to
March 2017.
Review of Senate Report and Recommendations
on Size and Composition of
the Senate: Senator Gillett successfully moved issuance of the
following charge to the University Structure and Governance Committee:
Proposal
on Webstreaming and Archiving Senate Meeting Videos - Submitted by
Justin Schulberg, New
Brunswick Student Executive Committee Member: This issue had been
discussed by the EC at several meetings. At this meeting, it was
decided that Ken Swalagin would solicit volunteers for an ad hoc
committee, and that it will meet in the morning on June 3, before the
Executive Committee meeting. Ann Gould volunteered to chair at that
meeting. The
charge to the committee will be:
Consider the
feasibility and desirability of videorecording and live webstreaming
University Senate meetings, and archiving those videorecordings online
for later viewing. Include in discussions aspects of the issue as
transparency, technology, costs, benefits, audience, need, personal
privacy of
participants, etc. Present arguments both for and against the streaming
and archiving. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by February 2017.
Proposed Charge on Test-Optional Admissions
- Submitted by Senator Robert Boikess: The following charge, proposed
by Senator Boikess, was discussed again: "Dear EC Members, Perhaps it
might be appropriate for you to issue a charge related to 'test
optional admissions' in light of this new
information from today's [January 26, 2016] Inside Higher Ed."
This issue was discussed at the previous EC meeting, during which ASRAC
Co-chair Martha Cotter said she would consult with Vice President for
Enrollment Management Courtney McAnuff on the matter before the EC
considers issuing a charge to the ASRAC. At this meeting, it was
decided that no charge would be issued at this time for various
reasons, including that the Honors College is definitely using tests,
and that the matter may be better addressed through the New Brunswick
Faculty Council.
Timelines
and Membership for Commencement
Panel/Committees - From Kim Pastva, Interim Secretary of the
University: The following communication from Kim Pastva was discussed:
"We
are in the process of getting the call [for
honorary-degree and commencement-speaker nominations] out to the
community. My suggested
timeline is: [Ken Swalagin's notations in brackets.]
- March
11, 2016 - Call for Nominations for Commencement 2017
goes out to Rutgers Community. I hope this will give the students some
time
during spring break to write a nomination, if they want to do it then.
[Call issued March 28.]
- April
15, 2016 - Call for Nominations Closed [Nominations will close April
22.]
- April 19, 2016 - All
Nominations submitted to Senate for committee review. [Probably
by April 25 or 26.]
"After
the Senate receives the nominations, how much time do
you think you will need for review and ranking? Do you think we could
have the
results by the end of May (after graduation?) Then the administrations
can meet
and start making offers over the summer. I think we
should then do a call in September 2016 for
2018's commencement. Barbara Lee suggested that, and that would
certainly give
us a lot of time to get on people's calendars."
Senator
members of Chancellors' Commencement Committees were selected from
lists of volunteers. Sam Rabinowitz said he would identify student
volunteers from Camden; Edmund Janniger said he would identify student
volunteers from Newark. The names are to be sent to the chancellors on
behalf of the Executive Committee, acting as the University
Commencement Panel for this year. Details of this process appear in the
Senate
response to Charge S-1410 on Honorary Degree and Commencement Speaker
Selection Process (including timelines). The Senate will now be
undertaking this process on an 18-month (prior to the commencement
date), starting in September. The Secretary of the University will
solicit nominations each fall, and the Senate's University Commencement
Panel will be constituted each September.
6.
New Business
Nominating Panel 2016: Ken
Swalagin summarized the
nominations received to date for Senate leadership and board
representative positions. He will send another email to the Senate
soliciting additional nominations for the slate that will be presented
to the 2016-17 Senate at the organizational/election meeting on April
29.
7.
University Senate Agenda
April 29, 2016 Senate Meetings: Agendas were
established for the April 29, 2016 Senate regular meeting and
organizational meeting.
8.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 5:03 p.m.
Minutes
written and submitted by,
Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate