M I N U T E S
May 28, 2004
MEMBERS PRESENT: Barone, Blasi, Cotter, Hirsh, Panayotatos (Chair), Rabinowitz (Vice Chair), Swalagin (Executive Secretary)
2004-2005 MEMBERS-ELECT PRESENT: Bucko, Curry, Darien
EXCUSED: Manhoff, Nedick
ABSENT: Rijhsinghani
ALSO ATTENDING: Furmanski (Administrative Liaison), Leath (Faculty BOG Representative), Sclar (Newark Faculty Campus Liaison), Scott (Faculty BOT Representative)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, May 28, 2004 at 1:10 p.m. in the Cap and Skull Room, Rutgers Student Center, College Avenue Campus.
1. Chairperson’s Report
Chairperson Panayotatos convened the meeting, and welcomed new members-elect as well as returning members.
2. Secretary's Report
Minutes:
3. Administrative Report
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Furmanski delivered the administrative report, which included comments on: commencement, and the Commencement 2005 Committee, the membership of which includes Senators Hirsh and Panayotatos, as well as plans for future commencements. In response to Chairperson Panayotatos’s question about the status of Senate actions expected to be incorporated into University policy, Vice President Furmanski offered to send to Secretary Swalagin copies of memoranda on those issues which were sent to provosts and deans, and also said that all will be discussed with the New Brunswick Deans Council. Chairperson Panayotatos mentioned the appeal currently being heard by the Senate Appeals Panel on the decision to locate the College of Nursing on land leased from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in downtown New Brunswick, and a brief discussion of that appeal followed.
4. Review of Standing Committee Pending Charges, and Consideration of Potential Standing Committee Charges
Potential Charge to Committee: A potential charge from Prof. George Shoane, chair-elect of the School of Engineering’s Rules and Procedures Committee, was considered. Prof. Shoane had drafted the charge as follows: “Voting members of the faculty shall be those faculty members who occupy more than 50 percent of a position in the current budget, and of those holding 50-50 appointments, a declaration shall be made by the faculty member at the time of initial appointment as to the department the voting right shall reside.” Chairperson Panayotatos noted that the School of Engineering has been reviewing its bylaws, and suggested that this matter be charged to the Senate’s Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee. The Executive Committee instructed Secretary Swalagin to redraft the charge and circulate it by e-mail to the Executive Committee for approval prior to issuing to the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee.
Potential Charge to Committee: A potential charge from Center for Advanced Information Processing (CAIP) Principal Investigators Grigore Burdea et al was considered. The senders had drafted the charge in the form of a request that “the University Senate investigate whether the existing rules and procedures for the election of the next CAIP Director and/or the reformulation of its charter constitutes a ‘major decision in any academic or administrative matter affecting the faculty….which requires prior consultation with the affected bodies’ in which case such decision taken without adequate faculty input could be appealed to the Senate.” Chairperson Panayotatos explained some of the background of this issue. Vice President Furmanski said that the retirement of James Flanagan, the current CAIP director, has only just been announced, that his replacement has not yet been selected, and that a slate of candidates has yet to be announced for consideration by the search committee. No charge was issued.
Potential Charge to Committee: Another potential charge from Prof. Burdea was considered, based on an April 28, 2004 Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty motion which stated, “The Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty have reviewed the updated travel policy and feel that it is an overburden to all faculty and serves as a detriment to research presentations and the university standing in general.” Vice President Furmanski said that he will ask all schools’ deans to send him comments on the travel reimbursement policy, and will try to put together a committee to review the policy. The Executive Committee instructed Secretary Swalagin to draft a charge and circulate it by e-mail to the Executive Committee for approval prior to issuing to the Budget and Finance Committee.
5. Old Business
The Executive Committee’s prior proposal to begin the September meeting an hour earlier than normal start time of 1:10 p.m. to avoid conflicting with the start of Yom Kippur was revisited. Following some discussion, the meeting date was changed to September 10, with the usual start time of 1:10.
Discussion continued regarding the student newspaper The Medium, and offensive content. Wide-ranging and extensive comments were made on the subject, following which Secretary Swalagin was instructed to draft a charge on how to promote and foster university-wide tolerance, sensitivity and open dialog, and circulate the draft charge by e-mail to the Executive Committee for approval prior to issuing to the Student Affairs Committee.
6. 2004-2005 Standing Committee Membership Assignments and Selection of Chairpersons
Standing committee chairships and membership were presented, discussed, and approved. Secretary Swalagin will add new Senators to committees during the year based on stated committee preferences and/or the need to balance committee membership as to constituencies and campuses represented. The Executive Committee suggested several potential chairs for the 2004-2005 Student Affairs Committee.
7. Outstanding, Pending Committee Charges and Reports
Outstanding specific committee charges were reviewed, and deadlines modified.
8. New Business
The Executive Committee thanked outgoing Chair Panayotatos for his diligent service to the Senate, the Executive Committee, and the University.
7. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:35 p.m. by Chairperson Panayotatos.
Kenneth Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the Senate