Proposed
Charge to University Structure and Governance Committee on Disparities
between Roberts' Rules of Order (parliamentary procedure) and Senate
Practices,
submitted by Senator and Current Senate Parliamentarian Peter Gillett:
This issue was discussed, and a charge issued to the University
Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) with a February 2015 deadline.
Reappointment of Parliamentarian:
Senator Peter Gillett was reappointed as Senate Parliamentarian for the
2014-15 academic year.
Proposed Committee Charge to Budget and Finance Committee (BFC),
with possible input from Student Affairs Committee (SAC) (on use of
student funds) on Athletics Program Deficits, submitted by
Senator Martha Cotter: Martha Cotter summarized her proposed charge and
rationale (below) on athletics program deficits. The charge was issued
to the BFC, which may ask the SAC for input. The BFC's response
deadline is February 2015.
Proposed Charge:
Consider the recent New Brunswick Faculty Council’s detailed
report
entitled the ”Athletics Program's Revenues, Expenditures, and
Deficit”, which
shows that between 2004-05 and 2012-13, the cumulative deficit of the
athletics
program came to $237 million and that the University's financial plan
for the
program calls for a cumulative future deficit of an additional $183
million
between 2013-14 and 2021-22. Recommend whether the Senate should
support some
or all of the Faculty Council’s conclusions and recommendations
and whether it
should make any other recommendations concerning the use of funds from
the
University operating budget and student fees to support the continuing
large
gap between athletics revenues and expenditures.
Rationale:
Over the past several years, a number of
faculty groups in New Brunswick have expressed concern about the
diversion of
large sums from the University operating budget, which could have been
used to
support our hard-pressed academic programs, to help cover the large gap
between
the athletics program’s revenues and expenditures. The Faculty
Council report
has now provided the first detailed examination of the athletics
program’s
past, current, and projected future revenues, expenditures, and
deficits. We
believe the Senate should carefully consider this report because we
believe that
this issue should be of concern to more than the New Brunswick faculty.
The “siphoning”
of funds (to use President Barchi’s phrase) from our academic
programs to cover
the athletics deficits effects the entire university community.
Moreover, the
use of student fees to help cover the deficit takes more than $300 per
year
from the pockets of at least full-time undergraduates in New Brunswick.
(Precisely who pays the “athletics fee”, which helps
support only varsity
sports, is not clear.)
Proposed Committee Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee
(FPAC) on Greater Integration of Contingent Faculty into the Rutgers
Community, submitted by Senator Robert Boikess: Robert Boikess
summarized his proposed charge and rationale (below) on greater
integration of contingent faculty into the Rutgers community. The
charge was issued to the FPAC, which may ask the USGC for input. The
FPAC's response deadline is April 2015.
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."
Rationale:
The issue of the role of contingent faculty in the future of American
higher
education is one being discussed widely among many universities and
higher
education organizations. Given the significant role of contingent
faculty at
Rutgers, it is a key issue for Rutgers.
Executive
Committee Meeting
Schedule 2014-15, May/June Meeting:
"Swalagin said that when Paul
Panayotatos
became chair and changed the date of the last Executive Committee
meeting of the year from the historic first Friday in June to a
late-May Friday. Noting that finalizing the committee rosters was
rarely possible before June due to tardy or missing committee
preferences, Swalagin asked if the last EC meeting of next academic
year could be moved to June 5, 2015. He will bring the request back to
the committee in September." The Executive Committee discussed this
matter, and agreed to change the last Executive Committee meeting of
the year back to June. Swalagin will inform EC members to change their
calendars to reflect the last meeting to be on June 5, 2015.
"Proposed
Issue on Senate Role in Advisory Council for
University Retirees
(from the April 2014 Executive Committee agenda)
- Submitted
by Robert Boikess on behalf of Dorothy DeMaio, former Rutgers Nursing
dean: Senator Boikess had submitted the following proposed
charge: "Consider whether there is any appropriate role for the Senate
related to the Advisory Council for University retirees.
(Correspondence from former Dean Dorothy DeMaio previously sent to Ann
Gould.)
Here is an excerpt from that correspondence: 'In January 2012, Dick
McCormick constituted an Advisory Council charged to assist the
administration in creating a university-wide infrastructure for faculty
and staff retirees. At today's Advisory Council meeting, I again
suggested that since the Senate is the only Rutgers organization that
has faculty representation from all campuses we should touch base with
the Senate. All present thought it was an excellent idea. Rather than
take no action I volunteered to reach out to find the Senate person
that I should contact to pursue this issue. It is my sense that the
Senate should be informed/consulted if you think it is appropriate.'"
During discussion, Gould said that the FPAC would do some preliminary
research, and would then bring this issue back with a proposed charge
if they decide to pursue it. The matter also involves staff. Swalagin
will inform DeMaio of this decision." FPAC Chair Gould said she had
done some research, but that she would speak with Dorothy DeMaio, and
would discuss this matter with the EC again next month.
"Continued
Discussion of Managed
Online Programs Agreement between Rutgers University and eCollege.com
[See also Executive Committee Minutes of
November 2013 and
March 2014.]
Following discussion, during which it was suggested that this issue may
more appropriately be addressed in faculty councils, it was decided
that this issue would be brought back to the Executive Committee in
September." Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee (ICAC) Chair
Natalie Borisovets asked Swalagin to send her his notes on these
discussions so she could draft a charge for the ICAC.
Committee
on the Near- and Long-Term Impact of Instructional Technology, and Committee
on the Future Academic Structure of the University: "President
Barchi said
that those two nominees may have declined. Later in the meeting, Barchi
said that there would be interim reports from those two committees, and
that the EC could communicate directly with them, perhaps inviting them
to attend an EC meeting." The EC questioned whether these committees
had done their interim reporting yet. Swalagin will draft a message for
Gould to send to the committee chairs asking how their work is
progressing. When a response is received this matter will be brought
back to the EC to consider inviting the chairs to report on their work.