RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
September 4, 2015
MEMBERS PRESENT: Barraco, Borisovets, Cotter, Gillett,
Gould (Chair), Janniger (by phone),
Langer, Mhaske, Oliver, Otto,
Puhak, Schulberg, Swalagin (Executive Secretary), Theiss, Thompson, Wang
ALSO
ATTENDING: D. Gonzalez (Graduate Student Representative to the
Board of Trustees), B. Lee (Senior V.P. for Academic Affairs), C.
McGinnis (Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board of
Trustees), 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), A. Williams (Student Representative to the Board of
Governors)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was
held on
Friday, September 4, 2015 at 1:10 p.m. in the Executive Board Room of
Administrative Services Building-III, Cook Campus.
1.
Chairperson’s Report
- Ann Gould, Senate Chairperson
Senate and Executive Committee Chairperson Ann Gould called the
meeting to order at 1:16 p.m. She called for introductions all
around. She said that she and Peter Gillett will be attending the CIC
Faculty Governance Conference in Ann Arbor in March 2016. Gould thanked
Barbara Lee for funding her and Gillett's attendance at that conference.
2. Secretary’s Report - Ken Swalagin,
Executive Secretary of the Senate
- Agenda: The meeting agenda
was approved as distributed by the secretary.
- Minutes: The Minutes of June 5, 2015 Senate Executive
Committee Meeting were approved.
- Communications: The following communications were
presented by the Executive Secretary and acted upon by the Executive
Committee as indicated:
- President
Barchi’s Response to Senate
Report and Recommendations on Charge S-1408 on Athletics Program
Deficits - Noted. Peter Gillett asked if responses had been
received from President Barchi on other outstanding reports. Swalagin
said there had been some discussion of those outstanding reports over
the summer, and that additional responses were expected soon.
- Members
selected for Dean’s Evaluation Committee for Faculty of Arts and
Sciences – Camden Dean Kriste Lindenmeyer:
- Cynthia
Ayres - School of Nursing - Camden (University Senate nominee)
- Alison
Nissen - School of Law - Camden
(University Senate nominee)
- Richard
Harris - FASC
- Daniel
Shain - FASC
- John
Wall - FASC
- The
New
Brunswick Honorary Degree Senate Report 2015 and Rankings
have been sent to the Office of the Secretary of the University. Gould
said that President Barchi, the chancellors, and the Board of Governors
have requested a second round of nominations, and that the New
Brunswick Honorary Degrees Committee will meet again on October 2 to
consider those nominations.
3. Administrative Liaison
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Lee presented
an administrative report, which
included comments on:
- a new US Department of Education policy on sexual assault on
campus, and a Rutgers policy being developed to go to the Board of
Governors in October;
- personnel changes in the Academic Affairs department structure
and reporting;
- her formation of a task force on the humanities universitywide,
and the recent first meeting of that task force;
- the search for a new Rutgers Chief Information Officer; and
- the plan to put in place a web accessibility policy to include
accommodations for the visually impaired.
Lee then responded to questions, or heard comments, on topics that
included the above subjects. Gould commented that Bill Welsh and Gayle
Stein are on the next Executive Committee agenda for a discussion about
disability policies now in draft form.
[Lee left the meeting at 1:44 p.m.]
4. Review
of Daily
Targum Concept Plan for Spring
2016 Referendum
The Executive Committee reviewed the Daily Targum Concept Plan,
which had been submitted in preparation for a spring 2016 referendum.
The committee approved the concept plan for its educational value, and
acknowledged Targum's need for the funding mechanism sought.
5. Standing Committees
Review
of Standing Committee
Membership/Rosters: Rosters of Senate standing committees
were distributed, and approved by
the Executive Committee.
Reports:
Instruction,
Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Response
to Charge S-1413 on Selection Process for Software Packages or Services
of Significant
Instructional Impact – Natalie
Borisovets, ICAC Chair
The
ICAC had been charged as follows: "Using
the most
recent Pearson contract as a case in point, review the process by which
large
contracts that have the potential to seriously affect curricular or
academic
areas of the University are awarded. How are final
bidders
selected, and by what criteria are choices made? How are specifications
determined for components/needs? How do we ensure that faculty
preferences and
pedagogical priorities are included in the consideration of such
packages?" The report was discussed, and some
specific areas were deemed to need further work. The report was sent
back to the ICAC for revision.
[At this point in the meeting, Gould asked everyone to maintain
confidentiality of the Executive Committee proceedings.]
[Borisovets, Gonzales and McGinnis left the meeting at 3:01 p.m.]
University
Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response
to Charge S-1403 on Process for Unit Mergers or Other Structural Changes
–
Jon Oliver and Robert Puhak, USGC Co-chairs
The
USGC had been
charged as follows: "Consider whether the University Senate
should
establish a general procedure, timeline, template and process for
merging,
dissolution or making structural changes to any university unit.
Consider how
such a process could assist the university and units in working in a
deliberate, consultative and rational way so that all issues, impacts,
concerns
and benefits can be properly considered on a timely basis. Make
recommendations
on time limits, and process." Gillett noted that, because this matter
includes a change to Senate bylaws, it would need to go to the Senate
first for introduction, then for a vote at the subsequent meeting, in
accordance with parliamentary procedure. The report was discussed, and
several areas identified for further consideration, particularly
regarding a threshold at which the Senate process would be required
before structural changes could be made. The report was sent back to
the USGC for revision.
University
Structure and Governance Committee Response
to Charge S-1410 on Honorary Degree and Commencement Speaker Selection
Processes – Jon Oliver and Robert Puhak, USGC Co-chairs
The
USGC had been
charged as follows: "Formulate
details of
processes to be used to facilitate the proposal submitted to President
Barchi
on Charge S-1405 on Procedures for Selecting Commencement Speakers and
Honorary
Degree Recipients."
Gould moved to docket this report for the October Executive Committee
meeting. The Executive Committee approved the motion.
Issues/Proposed
Charges:
Proposed Charge to Academic Standards,
Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) on Academic (and Holiday)
Calendar for
All RBHS Units - Suggested by Matthew Miller, Assistant RBHS
Registrar
This proposed charge was discussed at the June 2015 Executive
Committee, at which it was agreed that the Academic
Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee would decide what
should be done with the issue. For this meeting, ASRAC Chair Martha
Cotter suggested language for the charge, which was slightly
modified by the Executive Committee, and issued as follows:
Consider the academic calendars of the
various units of RBHS and how they differ from other Rutgers academic
calendars. Make proposals for reconciling the
different calendars where possible, and for incorporating the RBHS
calendar(s) in the official Rutgers academic calendar. Respond to
Senate Executive Committee by February 2016.
Determination
of which numbers of faculty lines should be
used for Senate entitlement calculations. Numbers
received in the past from the
administration have included only state-funded lines. RBHS and possibly
other
units include many faculty not on state
lines.
This issue was discussed, and Swalagin was asked to research the total
number of full-time faculty in each unit, recalculate the Senate
entitlements for each unit based on those numbers, and report back to
the Executive Committee.
From
Robert Boikess, as “a matter of interest for the
Senate,” on flawed
evaluations of faculty teaching
- This matter was tabled until ICAC Chair Natalie Borisovets is present
for the discussion.
[Williams left the meeting at 3:48 p.m.]
From
James Oleske, RBHS - The following issues
submitted by Senator Oleske were discussed and acted upon as noted:
"1. I
believe that the medical residents that our faculty
supervise, teach and direct for three to seven year
periods of residency training, should be considered graduate/post
graduate
students of Rutgers and after completion of their residency training
programs
considered Rutgers Alumni." The issue was discussed,
and it was decided that more information is needed before a charge
could be considered. Research, and Graduate and Professional Education
Committee Member Jane Otto will speak with Senator Oleske.
"2.
I would ask for the continued and strong support of the
RGPEC in advocating for the continued support of library services in
the maintenance
for repository/collections that support literature searches and access
for
faculty, residents and students. In particular I am concerned about any
support
reduction of the Smith library servicing the Newark campus of
NJMS/Rutgers." Otto will discuss this matter with
Oleske as well, and bring additional information back to the Executive
Committee.
"3.
There have been several negative consequences due to the
separation of the university hospital in Newark NJ from Rutgers NJMS
that
threatens the education and clinical training goals for students,
residents and
faculty at Rutgers NJMS." The issue was discussed, and it was decided
that Jerry Langer will bring additional information on this matter to
the Executive Committee.
[Schulberg left the meeting at 4:00 p.m.]
7.
University Senate Agenda
September 18, 2015 Senate Meeting:
The September 18 Senate agenda was discussed, and will include:
- Regular Senate meeting with President Barchi's "President's
Address" early in the agenda, followed by a question-and-answer period
- Will not be a media event, and will not involve outside
invitations
- Newly tenured faculty reception at Faculty Caucus
- SOAR/Open Access Policy update by Jane Otto and Laura Mullen
- Executive Committee report by Senate Vice Chair Peter Gillett
8. Old
Business
Update
on Open
Access Policy
Implementation
[See October 2012 Senate
Report on Charge S-1107, Publication Repository. Policy
effective September 1, 2015.] – Jane Otto
Jane Otto, former RGPEC chair, provided an update on the Open
Access Policy implementation.
9. New Business
Jon
Oliver
suggested inviting to an Executive Committee meeting: Kim Pastva,
Interim Secretary of the University, and Kenneth Cop (on public
safety),
Executive
Director of Police Services. Peter Gillett's motion
to invite Pastva to attend an Executive Committee meeting to discuss
how University Policies are revised and disseminated was adopted by the
Executive Committee.
Peter Gillett requested Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) input
on President
Barchi’s Response to Senate
Report and Recommendations on Charge S-1408 on Athletics Program
Deficits for the next Executive Committee meeting. BFC Chair
Menahem Spiegel said he will recommend that an outside authority
investigate the matter.
10. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 4:19
p.m.
Minutes written and submitted by,
Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate