RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
September 7, 2018
MEMBERS PRESENT: Borisovets, Dasari, Field, Gillett (Chair), Gould, Kelly, Oleske, Oliver, Owens, Pappas, Serrano, Thompson, Van Stine
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
ALSO ATTENDING: V. Fernández (SVP of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness), M. Mickelsen (Senate Executive Secretary), Ilce Perez (Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees), S. Rabinowitz (Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors), R. Schwartz (Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, September 7, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. in Room 202 at Cook Student Center, 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 p.m. His Chair's Report included the following:
- He welcomed members in attendance and asked all present to introduce themselves and their affiliation.
- He and Jon Oliver have been in communication with President Barchi and are in the process of setting up their fall meeting.
- The Big Ten Academic Alliance Faculty Governance Leadership Conference will be held in October.
- He reminded everyone of their committment to start meetings on time and asked they continue to be congincent of sending the Executive Secretary agenda items 10 days before Executive Meetings.
- Request for the committee's approval of the appointment of Jon Oliver as Paliamentarian for the 2018-19 Senate year. Oliver's appointment passed unaminously.
- His and Oliver annual meeting with committee chairs prior to the October 5 EC meeting.
- At the end of last year, changes were made to the Code of Student Conduct of which the Senate had not been informed. Gillett met with Executive Vice Chancellor Felicia McGinty and the new Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Salvador Mena, to discuss avoiding a reoccurance of such communication gaps. Vice Chancellor Mena then agreed to attend 1-2 EC meetings a year, beginning this December, and for a member of his staff to be appointed to the Senate Student Affairs Committee to provide ongoing communication between the EC and the Office of Student Affairs.
- His and Oliver's discussion with Senior Vice Chancellor Peter Englot and Dean of Students Erica Williams about enhancing enthusiam among Newark students properly carrying out duties as Senators, attending meetings, and serving on the Executive Committee. Englot agreed to setup scheduled transportation from Newark. Williams agreed to assist Gillett and Oliver in meeting with student leaders in Newark when the Senate or EC make its visits.
- He announced the Senior Vice President Barbara Lee will be unable to present the Administrative Report however, President Barchi's Chief of Staff, Brian Ballentine, has sent a few notes to be read by Mickelsen
2. Secretary’s Report - Mary Mickelsen, Executive Secretary of the Senate
- Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved
- Minutes: The Minutes of June 8, 2018 Senate Executive Committee Meeting were approved as distributed by the Executive Secretary.
- Communications:
- President Barchi's Response to the Senate's report and recommendations on Charge S-1714 on Procedures for Adjudicating Academic Policy Infractions
- After the EC reviewed and discussed the response from President Barchi, and the opinion of ASRAC Co-Chair Robert Schwartz, it was determined the EC will not respond in kind at this time. The EC is looking to ASRAC to follow-up with the Office of Student Conduct within 6 months on any any progress, and at that time determine if further action needs to be taken.
- President Barchi's Response to the Senate's report and recommendations on Charge S-1509 on Default 17-Year Academic Calendar
- President Barchi's Response to the Senate's report and recommendations on Charge S-1506 on RBHS and Other Rutgers Academic Calendars
- Memorandum of Understanding for Rutgers Coding Bootcamps - Submitted by Robert Boikess
- Issue of Professor James Livingston being accused of discrimination and whether the University is following proper protocol. - Submitted by Karen Thompson
- October 5, 2018 Senate Executive Committee Meeting location has been changed to the Busch Student Center, Room 122
- Mickelsen Introduced Morgan Nemes as the Senate Office's new Administrative Assistant
- It was noted that the following polices have been updated/added in the University Policy Library:
- University Policy 40.2.13: Donor Gift Policy
- University Policy 60.2.1: Educational Benefits
- University Policy 80.1.3: Purchase of External Advertising
- University Policy 80.1.4: Endorsements, Sponsorships, and Advertising in and on University Assets and Communication Materials
- University Policy 50.3.12: Red Flag Detection and Reporting Policy
- University Policy 10.2.11: Code of Student Conduct
- University Policy 40.2.19: Investment Policy for Operating Funds
- University Policy 30.1.10: ID Issuance and Usage Policy
- University Policy 60.1.30: Background Checks for Candidates for Staff and Faculty Positions
- University Policy 40.2.22: Employee Relocation Expense Reimbursement (University Policy: 60.1.6: Employee Relocation has been reclassified and revised and is now posted as University Policy 40.2.22)
- University Policy 40.4.1: Travel and Business Expense Policy
- It was noted that the following policy has been rescinded from the University Policy Library:
- University Policy 60.9.32: Background Checks for Candidates for Staff Positions (replaced by 60.1.30)
3. Administrative Report - Barbara Lee, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Lee was unable to present an administrative report, however President Barchi's Chief of Staff, Brian Ballentine sent the following, which were read by Executive Secretary Mickelsen:
- The new first-year class is our largest ever, with a preliminary count of approximately 9,300 students. This is another indication of strong interest in the University, which also set a record with 45,000 first-year applications for admissions this past year;
- As you saw in the July e-mail from President Barchi, we have officially received word of our reaccrediation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Thanks to all the Senate members who contributed to our success;
- Buildings that are opening this fall include the Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering and Chemistry and Chemcial Biology, both on Busch Campus; Alumni Houses in both Newark and New Brunswick to complement the one that opened two years ago in Camden; and the Artis Building in Camden;
- The Rutgers University Foundation reports a record breaking year for fundraising, totalling $223.4 million in 2017-18- the second year in a row above $200 million;
- This is a month of centennials, in which we will cap off Douglass' 100th year with a centennial clelbreation on September 22 and have begun a year-long commemoration of Paul Robeson, Class of 1919, with this week's groundbreaking for the Paul Robeson Plaza on College Avenue
4. Review of Daily Targum Concept Plan and Financial Statements for Spring 2019 Referendum
The Executive Committee reviewed the Daily Targum Concept Plan, which had been submitted in preparation for a spring 2019 referendum. The committee rejected the concept plan in its current form and requested the following items, based on policy 10.3.3 - Student Services & Other Student-Related Policies and Programs, to be added and resubmitted for the October 5 EC meeting:
Executive Secretary Mickelsen will relay the above to the Business Manager at the Daily Targum and arrange for the ammended Concept Plan and Financial Statements to be presented at the October 5 EC meeting.
- evidence of educational value;
- explanation of how special funding furthers the educational mission of the university;
- demonstartion of the need for financial resources;
- financial justification of the fee;
- forecasting of furture income and expenses;
- annual independent audit for three years;
- evidence that audits are performed annually.
5. Clarifying Concerns regarding the Administrative Response to the Recommendations in the report on Charge S-1512 on Staff Promotion and Salary Adjustment Policy – Vivian Fernandez, Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness
SVP Fernandez reported on the University Policy 60.4.10 - Salary and Salary Adjustments for Non-Alligned Employees based on concerns raised in the Faculty Personnel Affairs Report on Charge S-1512 - Staff Promotion and Salary Adjustment Policy: Examine Rutgers' policies on salary adjustments for staff and the subsequent responses by President Barchi and SVP Fernandez.
As the current policy states in Section II.A, The Salary increase resulting from a promotion is determined as follows.
1. A minimum of five (5) percent up to a maximum of fifteen (15) percent increase to the employee's salary at the discretion of the hiring authority. The new salary cannot be less than the minimum or more than the maximum for the new grade. The hiring authority should consider the relative internal worth of the position, qualifications of the candidate, internal equity, and external competitiveness (i.e. midpoint within relevant labor market and peer insititutions) when setting the promotional salary increase. An additional factor to take into consideration is whether the position results in an increase in the standard number of hours worked per week. University Human Resources can provide guidance in evaluating the factors detailed above and establishing a competitive and equitable salary offer.
2. A Vice President, Chancellor, or designee may request an exception on the basis of market competitiveness, internal equity, or candidate qualifications. The request and supporting documentation should be forwarded to the Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness or designee.
The main concern coming from the FPAC and the EC was the additional UHR process (II.A.2) an internal candidate vs. and external candidate has to go through to be offered a fair salary, all things considered equal. SVP Fernandez assured the EC that the process internal candidates go through is an additional check for purposes of pay equity across departments set by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Department of Labor, of which the University is bound. It was suggested by Senator Borisovets that the requirements sound resonable but the policy does not communicate it in that way. EC/Senate Chair Gillett suggested the policy be ammended to clarify that a Vice President, Chancellor, or designee may request an exception that will be granted if justified by market competitiveness, internal equity, or candidate qualifications. SVP Fernandez agreed to take a look at the policy with the aforementioned suggestions in mind.
6. Standing Committees/Panels
Appointment of Cecelia Kane, Camden Staff, as Co-Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee
The Executive Committee approved the appointment of Cecelia Kane as co-chair of the Budget and Finance Committee in light of Chair Menahem Spiegel fall semester sabbatical.
Appointment of the University Commencement Panel (UCP) - Jon Oliver, Chair of the UCP
The Executive Committee appointed the following senators to the UCP:
- Executive Secretary of the Senate: Mary Mickelsen (non-voting)
- Vice Chair of the Senate: Jon Oliver (chairs the UCP)
- Four Faculty Senators
- Tenure-Track: Samuel Rabinowitz (Camden) and Martha Soto (RBHS)
- Non-Tenure-Track: Eleanor LaPointe (New Brunswick)
- Part-Time Lecturers: Anthony Filippelli (RBHS)
- One Staff Senator: Chazz Fellenz (Newark)
- One Alumni Senator: Houshang Parsa
- Two Student Senators: Tyler Wilde (Camden) and Julieline Serrano (New Brunswick)
The Executive Secretary will publish the results of the UCP on the Senate website and issue a call for volunteers from the Senate for the Chancellor's Commencement Committees.
Issues/Proposed Charges
Proposed Charge to Academic Standards, Regulations, and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) on Code of Student Conduct Policy Review - Submitted by Peter Gillett
Proposed Charge: Review the new University Policy 10.2.11 on Code of Student Conduct, identify any concerns and, if appropriate, recommend further changes or other courses of action.
Background: A revised Code of Student Conduct was adopted by the Board of Governors on July 18. This policy does not require Senate approval, but the policy itself requires the Senate to be notified of substantive changes to procedures. Although there was extensive consultation with many interested parties, the Senate was not involved prior to adoption. The Board of Governors understands that the Senate will review the policy, which it was thought important to have in place at the beginning of the academic year, retrospectively and submit any comments or recommendations, it may have. The issuing of this charge does not presume that there will be significant concerns, but is intended to provide any opportunity to discover and remedy any that do exisit.
Gillett summarized the proposed charge and background on Code of Student Conduct Policy Review. The Executive Committee discussed this proposal and agreed to issue the charge to the ASRAC with a reporting deadline of December 2018.
7. Old Business
School of Public Health Departmental Mergers Update
The Executive Committee discussed the response from Dean Perry Halkitis and Vice Dean Cristine Delnevo along with the results of the faculty poll, conducted in July, regarding the mergers of the Department of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences with the Department of Health Systems & Policy and the Department of Epidemiology with the Department of Biostatistics.
The EC agreed that going forward, the Senate does not need to be formally involved however, would like to see the response rates of the poll as well as what the deans proposed to do to identify and address faculty concerns.
Follow-Up regarding the Motion from the Newark Faculty Council
Chair Gillett summarized the issue, which has carried over from last academic year, for the Executive Committee. The EC was reminded that Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor agreed to discuss this issue with the Newark Faculty Council at their next meeting. After disucssing the issue at length it was decided:
- the EC will review the Senate calendar for 2019-20 in December of 2018 - earlier than usual, and reconsider the location of some meetings;
- also in December, review the succuss/failure of the Instruction, Curricua and Advising Committee's pilot on Skype meetings;
- follow-up with Chief of Staff Englot on his agreement to shuttle Newark Senators to and from Senate meeting.
9. Agenda for the September 21 Senate Meeting
10. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 2:50 p.m.
Minutes written and submitted by,
Mary Mickelsen
Executive Secretary of the University Senate