RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
October 4, 2019

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Bachmann, Boikess, Borisovets, Gillett, Gould, Hunter, Kane, Matto, Oliver (Chair), Parsa, Thompson, Van Stine

MEMBERS EXCUSED:   Dasari, Stopyra

ALSO ATTENDING:  R. Kaye (Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors), B. Lee (Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs), M. Mickelsen (University Senate Executive Secretary)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, October 4, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. in Room 202 at Cook Student Center, Cook Campus.

1.    Chair’s Report – Jon Oliver, Senate Chair

Senate and Executive Committee Chair Jon Oliver called the meeting to order at 12:07 p.m. He stressed his committment to fostering a mutually positive working relationship with senior leadership and his effort to make the good work of the Senate more publicly known throughout the Unviersity.

2.    Secretary’s Report – Mary Mickelsen, Executive Secretary of the Senate

• Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved
• Minutes: The Minutes of September 6, 2019 Senate Executive Committee Meeting were approved as distributed by the Executive Secretary.
• Communications:
  • It was noted that the following polices have been updated/added in the University Policy Library:
    • University Policy 60.1.2: Employment of Foreign National

4.    Administrative Report – Barbara Lee, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Lee presented an administrative report, which included comments on:

• Women’s Basketball Coach Vivian Stringer named the recipient of the John R. Wodden Award;
• President Barchi’s Task Force on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience;
• Recognition of Faculty Honors

5.  Appointment of Members to 3 RBHS Ad Hoc Internal Review Committees

• RBHS Guidelines for School/Institute Reviews
• USGC Report on S-1710 on Centers and Institues
• University Policy 10.1.5 on Centers and Institues

Chancellor Brian Strom has asked the Senate Executive Committee to complie nominations for the following Ad Hoc Internal Review Committees: School of Public Health, EOSHI, and the Brain Health Institute as per the guidelines linked above. The Executive Committee created a list of which Chair Jon Oliver will reach out to determine if those whom have been nominated are available/interested in serving. He will will then submit the final list to Chancellor Strom by the end of October.

6.    Standing Committees/Panels  

Appointment of the Student Co-Chair to Student Affairs Committee

Oluwatobi Omotoso, SAS-NB Student

Senator Omotoso, SAS-NB Student was unanimously elected to serve as the Student Affairs Committee Co-Chair. Executive Secretary Mickelsen will notify Senator Omotoso and SAC Chair Elizabeth Matto via email.

Proposed Appeal

The following appeal was submitted by Associate Professor Noha Emara, Economics Department, Rutgers-Camden

In Spring 2019, the Department of Economics at Rutgers-Camden convened a reappointment committee that voted on the reappointment of two NTTs. Both votes were clear and decisive: 0 in favor of appointment, 8 against reappointment.

Regrettably there is a long and sordid history involving these candidates. They were both initially appointed, after they were the only candidates considered for their positions and without a Department vote. Prior to Spring 2019, they were also both reappointed without a Department vote or an evaluation.

Despite that a Department vote never occurred in these instances, the former Department Chairperson falsely claimed that an evaluation and a vote occurred. These documents specifically mentioned the names of the senior faculty and the outcomes of votes that did not occur. These documents contain other serious irregularities, such that the FASC Dean’s office should have known that they were fabrications. Additionally, we have come to learn that the candidacy of both NTTs were suggested by people in the FASC Dean’s office. Therefore, from the start, the people in the FASC Dean’s office have been involved in and aware of these irregularities.

It is our understanding that Dean Marchitello (FASC Dean) is planning on reappointing both of these NTTs against the 0-8 vote of the Department.

Further, it is our understanding that Dean Marchitello is arguing that our 0-8 reappointment vote was “sudden.” Therefore, he seems to be basing his decision on documents that are now known to be fabrications and these documents should have been known to be fabrications when they were accepted.

The Executive Committee discussed the proposed appeal at length and decided that based on the alleged fabrication of documents, it would be better adjudicated by the Office of the General Counsel or University Ethics Office. Chair Oliver will notify Professor Emara of the Executive Committee’s decision and her opportunity to file an appeal with the Senate if she still wishes, after reaching out to the aforementioned offices.

Committee Reports:

Research and Graduate & Professional Education Committee (RGPEC) Response to Charge S-1810 Facilities and Infrastructure – Submitted by Adam Kustka, RGPEC Chair

Proposed Charge: Evaluate the relevant systems, processes, and plans for university research facilities and infrastructure and make recommendations to create a comprehensive, robust, actionable, and sustainable plan that will support infrastructure needed for world-class research at the university. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by October 2019.

Senator Kustka reviewed the background and recommendations on S-1810 on Facilities and Infrastructure with the Executive Committee. Wtih some discussion, the report was then unanimously docketed for the October 18, 2019 senate meeting with one gramattical change.

7.  Agenda for the October 18, 2019 Senate Meeting

• • Regular Senate Meeting with the Administrative Report given by SVP for Academic Affairs Barbara Lee
  • Presentation by Sarah McMahon on the Victims of Crime Act
  • Election of Newark Student Member of the Executive Committee and Graduate Student Representative on the Board of Trustees
  • Research and Graduate & Professional Education Committee Report on S-1810: Facilities and Infrastructure

8.  Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 2:07 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by,

Mary Mickelsen
Executive Secretary of the University Senate