RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
November 20, 2015
MEMBERS PRESENT: Borisovets, Cotter,
Gillett,
Gould (Chair), Oliver, Otto,
Puhak, Schulberg, Swalagin (Executive Secretary), Theiss, Thompson, Wang
MEMBERS
EXCUSED: Barraco, Janniger, Langer, Mhaske
ALSO
ATTENDING: C. Aziz (Manager of Information Technology), R. Barchi
(University President), R. Chen (Co-Dean, Rutgers Law School), M. Kim
(Associate General Council), B. Lee
(Senior V.P. for Academic Affairs), A. Samant (Faculty
Representative to the Board of
Trustees), M. Spiegel (Faculty Representative to the Board of
Trustees), W. Welsh (Executive Director of the Office of Disability
Services)
The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was
held on
Friday, November 20, 2015 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 1:13 p.m. There was no chair's report.
2.
Secretary’s Report -
Ken Swalagin, Executive Secretary of the Senate
- Agenda: The meeting agenda
was approved as distributed.
- Minutes: The Minutes of October 30, 2015 Senate Executive
Committee Meeting were approved as distributed.
- Communications: The
following communication was presented, and acted upon as noted:
- Swalagin
reported that Yuchung
Wang, Camden faculty member of the Executive Committee, is unable to
continue in that position next semester. Swalagin will solicit
self-nominations from eligible Senators for a special election to be
docketed for the December Senate meeting. [Noted, and so docketed for
the December Senate meeting.]
3.
Administrative Report -
Robert Barchi, University President, and Barbara Lee, Senior Vice
President for Academic Affairs
University President Robert Barchi presented an Administrative
Report, which included comments on:
- his recent
meeting with RUSA, and the previous night's open forum for
undergraduates;
- administrative
committees being formed, including one on issues related to diversity
and race;
- a task
force set up by Chancellor Edwards on inclusion and community values;
- changes in
the University's administrative structure, and appointment of William
Brossman as Senior Vice President, Chief Enterprise Risk Management,
Ethics, and Compliance Officer;
- the ongoing
search for Rutgers General Counsel;
- budgetary
issues, including expenses, Rutgers' bond rating, and pension funding;
and
- women's and
men's soccer teams' successes.
[Jerome Langer,
Yuchung Wang, William Welsh, Martha Kim, and Christian Aziz, arrived at
the meeting during the administrative report.]
President Barchi then responded to questions and heard comments on the
above subjects, as well as promotion of Rutgers' 250th anniversary.
4.1. Old Business
Continued
discussion of Web Accessibility Policy -
William Welsh,
Executive
Director, Office of Disability Services;
Christian Aziz, Manager of Information Technology; and Martha Kim,
Associate General Counsel
William
Welsh,
Executive
Director, Office of Disability Services;
Christian Aziz, Manager of Information Technology; and Martha Kim,
Associate General Counsel briefed the Executive Committee, and
responded to questions, on the Web Accessibility Policy, including
changes made to the policy since the previous discussion. Following
discussion, Swalagin was asked to draft a resolution to come from the
Senate endorsing the policy, and requesting an update in six months, at
which time the Senate may wish to discuss the policy again.
[Barchi left the meeting aqt 2:00 p.m.]
[Welsh, Aziz, and Kim left the meeting at 2:06 p.m.]
5.1. Standing
Committees
Issues/Charges:
Background,
and Proposed
Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee on Staff
Promotion and Salary Adjustment Policy -
Submitted by the Staff Caucus via Jon Oliver
Jon
Oliver, Staff Member of the Executive Committee, and convener of the
Staff Caucus, summarized a charge proposal submitted by the Staff
Caucus on the Staff
Promotion and Salary Adjustment Policy. The charge was discussed and
issued as follows:
Examine
Rutgers’ policies
on salary
adjustments for staff. In particular, review University
Policy 60.4.10, which
limits Rutgers staff employees’ salary adjustments following
promotion or
reclassification to levels below those that may be negotiated or
offered for
newly hired staff employees. Where appropriate, make recommendations
for
modifying the policy. Respond to Senate Executive Committee by November
2016.
Proposed
Charge on Data Science -
Submitted by Yuchung Wang, Camden Faculty Member of the Executive
Committee
Yuchung
Wang, Camden Faculty Member of the Executive Committee, summarized his
proposal for a charge on establishing a data science program at
Rutgers. During discussion, Senator Puhak said that data science is
being discussed in Newark, and that a team there was acting on the
issue. Several potential contacts were offered, and it was suggested
that Wang contact some or all of them. No charge was issued, but the
matter may come before the Executive Committee again in the future.
[Ronald Chen arrived at the meeting at 2:30 p.m.]
4.2. Old Business (Continued)
Update on
Merger of School of Law-Camden and School of Law-Newark, as
stipulated in the Senate's
endorsement of that merger - Ronald Chen, Dean of School of
Law-Newark
Ronald
Chen, Dean of the School of Law-Newark, presented an update and status
report on the merger of Rutgers law schools. The matter was discussed
at some length. After Chen left the meeting at 3:09 p.m., the Executive
Committee decided to request another update in one year.
[Chen left the meeting at 3:09 p.m.]
5.2.
Standing
Committees (Continued)
Issues/Charges
(Continued):
Proposed
Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee on Forming Staff
Councils -
Submitted by the Staff Caucus via
Jon Oliver
The proposal for a charge on forming
staff councils was not yet complete at the time of this meeting, but
Jon Oliver, on behalf of the Staff Caucus, said that the Staff Caucus
wants to propose that the Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee be
charged with forming staff councils at all Rutgers divisions, similar
to the existing faculty councils, and as mentioned at the previous
Senate meeting was already in process in Newark. The issue will be
considered at a subsequent Executive Committee meeting. No charge was
issued.
Proposed
Charge to University Structure and Governance Committee on Student and
Faculty Voting Representatives to the Board of Governors
- Submitted
by Justin Schulberg and Avi Desai
Justin
Schulberg, New Brunswick Student Member of the Executive Committee,
withdrew a proposal to charge the University Structure and Governance
Committee with considering student and faculty voting representation on
the Board of Governors. The proposal was discussed, and it was noted
that Kim Pastva, Interim Secretary of the University, would be
attending the January Executive Committee meeting to speak about how
policies are enacted by the board, and could be asked to brief the
Executive Committee on this matter as well. No charge was issued.
4.3. Old Business (Continued)
Proposal
on "Senate Transparency" - Submitted by Justin Schulberg, New
Brunswick Student Executive Committee Member
This
matter had been discussed at previous meetings. Swalagin said that Mary
Mickelsen had contacted RUTV regarding feasibility of live
streaming of Senate meetings, and had been told
that infrastructure at the College
Avenue Student Center cannot currently support the process, but that
the hardware is being updated. Newark does not
have capacity to even audio-record Senate meetings. The Executive
Committee did not decide whether Senate meetings should be streamed
live even if the technology is available at the meeting locations.
Mickelsen spoke about the costs of hardware and software to enable
clicker-based, recorded voting, which were prohibitively high.
Schulberg said that if no feasible process could be found, he would not
pursue the suggestion.
University Policy Revision Process:
At the September meeting, the Executive Committee approved a motion to
invite Kim
Pastva, Interim Secretary of the University, to attend a meeting to
discuss how University Policies are revised and disseminated. Swalagin
informed the Executive Committee that Ms.
Pastva has accepted an invitation to attend the January 8 Executive
Committee meeting. He will ask her to also be prepared to respond to
questions about board membership, closed meetings, and other board
processes.
Nursing Programs Merger Update:
The University
Senate's May 2014 endorsement of the Nursing programs merger
included a provision for updates to be provided to the Senate. Swalagin
informed the Executive Committee that Nursing
Deans Joanne Robinson and Marie O'Toole will attend the January 8
Executive Committee meeting to provide that update.
6.
University Senate Agenda
The
agenda for the December 11, 2015 Senate meeting was established. Items
were docketed as listed on
the Senate agenda.
Senate action on the previously introduced University Structure and
Governance Committee report on Charge
S-1410 on Honorary Degree and Commencement Speaker Selection Process will
not be docketed until President Barchi responds to the report,
indicating whether its recommendations are accepted, which would
determine if Senate bylaws need to be updated accordingly. Instruction,
Curricula and Advising Committee Chair Natalie Borisovets said that her
committee's Response
to Charge S-1503 on Testing Facilities at Rutgers
[Link goes to report as docketed for Senate action] should be ready by
December 11. That report was docketed provisionally for Senate action.
Swalagin will circulate it for approval when he receives it.
7.
New Business
There was no new business.
8.
Adjournment
Chairperson Gould wished everyone a good Thanksgiving, and then
adjourned the meeting at 3:56 p.m.
Minutes written and submitted by,
Ken Swalagin
Executive Secretary of the University Senate