RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE

MINUTES: Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE: November 15, 2019

TIME AND PLACE: 1:10 p.m., Essex Room, Paul Robeson Campus Center, Newark Campus

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Agboste, Albert, Alizadeh, Ardeshna, Aubert, Bekdash, Bembry, Boikess, Bora, Borisovets, Buyske, Castaneda, Chaudhary, Coleman, Colley, Crews, D’Anna, Dasari, DiLalo, Dool, Dowlin, Ebert, Esposito, Everett, Figueira, Fischer, Gillett, Giraud, Gonzales, Goonetilleke, Gotur, Gould, Graber, Gursoy, Haley, Hsueh, Hunter, Hunter-Fratzola, Johnson, Kane, Kashalikar, Kaye, Kettle, Kosar, Kustka, Lee, Lewis, Maddox Douglas, Maglione Rico, Mammis, Mandalapu, Markert, Matto, Mayes, Mena-Segovia, Murphy, O’Connor, Oliver, Omotoso, Oukil, Ozel, Pandey, Pappas, Parsa, Patel, Perez, Pinto-Figueroa, Ponzio, Posluszny, Rabinowitz, Rivera, Robbins, Roth, Schwartz, Schwartz, Sesti, Shankar, Shapiro, Shobut, Simonds, Sinacori, Spiegel, Struble, Szatrowski, Tharney, Thompson, Thuravil, Titus, Torres, Tracey, Trees, Volino, A. Wang, X. Wang, White, Willett, Wirtenberg, Zheng

EXCUSED: Acosta, Avallone, Bachmann, Barchi, Bhuyan, Brewster-Bauzyk, Bridgeman, Britton, Bugel, Cantor, Felder, Fox, Goldfarb, Goodman, Guo, Hara, Joergensen, Kaul, Kovacs, Mahajan-Cusack, Marchetta, Masiello, McKeever, Menifield, Miranti, Moomjy, Norris, O’Brassill-Kulfan, Pardlo, Paskhover, Powell, Ravichandran, Romanko, Sanchez, Sass, Schneider, Shapses, Sinnott, Song, Steinberg, Stephenson, Takhistov, Tsakalakos, Van Stine, Vidal, Walkup

ABSENT: Alexander-Floyd, Alidou, Altman, Assaf, Atkins, Awari, Barbarese, Barone, Christine Bator, Beegan, Blanchett, Brunson, Cohen, Conway, DeFilippis, Doumit, Dreyer, Eaton, Emmons, Farmbry, Farris, Feldman, Fernandez, Flynn, Ganesh, Gower, Haddon, Halkitis, Hartman, Hatefi, Huang, Jarrín Montaner, Johnson, Kane, Kratik, Kukor, LaPointe, Lamar, Langer, Lei, Liu, Lopez, Lutz, Madsen, Mahon, Maloney, Harish Manek, Mansukhani, March, Marchitello, Markowitz, Marsic, Mazurek, Mitra, Molloy, Moore, Murphy, Mutcherson, Nath, Nickitas, O’Rourke, Pichugin, Porumbescu, Potter, Potter, Pradhan, Puar, Rajan, Saltzman, Schiavo, Sen, Sheridan, Shinbrot, Silver, Stoprya, Strom, Tan, Thakuriah, Tomasko, Umarov, Vargas, C. Wang

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY: Faculty: Of 117 total: 71 present (61%), 21 excused (18%), 25 absent (21%); Students: Of 49 total: 28 present (57%), 5 excused (10%), 16 absent (33%); Administrators: Of 38 total: 5 present (13%), 1 excused (3%), 32 absent (84%); Staff: Of 18 total: 13 present (72%), 4 excused (22%),  1 absent (6%); Alumni: Of 6 total: 5 present (83%), 1 excused (17%), 0 absent (0%)

CALL TO ORDER, DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM, INTRODUCTION OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND CHARGES, AND CHAIR’S REPORT – Jon Oliver, Chair

Senate Chair Jon Oliver called the meeting to order at 1:13 p.m. in the Essex Room of the Paul Robeson Campus Center, Newark Campus. He thanks Chancellor Nancy Cantor and her leadership team for hosting. He asked all Senators to check out the Newark Campus to appreciate all it has to offer as well as all the incredible accomplishments of the Chancellor and her team.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY – Mary Mickelsen, Executive Secretary

• Agenda: The meeting’s agenda including time limits, was approved by the Senate.
• Minutes: The Minutes of the October 18, 2019 Senate Meeting were approved as distributed by the Executive Secretary.
• Communications: The following communications were presented by the Executive Secretary:
  • President Barchi’s Response to Senator Neeharika Thuravil’s inquiry into the closing of Rutgers’ Pharmacies during the September 20, 2019 President’s Address
  • The following polices have been updated/added in the University Policy Library:
    • University Policy 30.4.5: Records Management
  • Transition to the new and improved Senate website
    • Mickelsen asked all Senators to peruse the website, especially their individual member profile, and report back any issues found. She also announced that if any Senator wants their picture on their profile page to send an email to the senate office so it may be added.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

University Structure & Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-1607 Committee Structure Review – Adrienne Esposito, USGC Chair

The USGC was charged as follows: Consider and make recommendations for modifying the Senate’s standing committee structure and standing charges. 

USGC Member Adrienne Esposito summarized the work of the committee and the USGC’s Response to Charge S-1607 on Committee Structure Review. Esposito then read the related resolutions and fielded questions regarding the structure and main responsibilities of the proposed Information Technology Committee and how that would be separate and apart from other established committees. This report was for information only and will be presented at the December 13 meeting for voting.

University Structure & Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-1906 Time Limits – Peter Gillett, USGC Co-Chair

The USGC was charged as follows: Consider possible changes to the standard time limit for Senate meetings and make appropriate recommendations for such changes. 

Co-Chair Peter Gillett summarized the work of the committee and the USGC’s response to Charge S-1906 on Time Limits. Gillett read the resolution and answered related questions. After some discussion the resolution passed.

Instruction, Curricula, and Advising Committee (ICAC) Response to Charge S-1807 Rutgers Bootcamps – Natalie Borisovets, ICAC Chair

The ICAC was charged as follows: Investigate the Rutgers Bootcamps and make any necessary recommendations to clarify or modify its relationship to our other academic programs that grant degrees or certificates. Clarify the process that led to the relationship between Rutgers and Trilogy Education Services, including the role of the faculty in this process. Also investigate the financial arrangements between Rutgers and Trilogy Education Services and the disposition of the funds received from the relationship.

Chair Natalie Borisovets summarized the work of the committee and the ICAC’s response to Charge S-1807 on Rutgers Bootcamps. Borisovets reviewed the work of the committee and its findings. Considering the ICAC did not propose any change to the current use of Bootcamps, this report was for information only and therefore was not up for a vote and no discussion ensued.

Instruction, Curricula, and Advising Committee (ICAC) Response to Charge S-1911 White Labeling – Natalie Borisovets, ICAC Chair

The ICAC was charged as follows: Consider whether or not it would be appropriate for Rutgers to have a policy on white-labeling. 

Chair Natalie Borisovets summarized the work of the committee and the ICAC’s response to Charge S-1911 on White-Labeling. Borisovets reviewed the work of the committee and its findings. Considering the ICAC did not find any evidence of White Labeling at Rutgers, this report was for information only and therefore was not up for a vote.

CHANCELLOR’S REPORT – Sherri-Ann Butterfield, Executive Vice Chancellor, Rutgers-Newark

Vice Chancellor Butterfield presented the following Chancellor’s Report and then introduced the following presentations:

• Algorithms, Justice, and Opportunity ~ Patrick Shafto
• Building Resiliency: Institute of Coastal Climate Change in Urban Areas ~ Alexander Gates & Kevin Lyons

SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT – Senate Vice Chair Peter Gillett reported on the November 1, 2019 Senate Executive Committee meeting.

REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES: Senator Kaye reported there had been no Board of Governors meetings since the last senate meeting. She also reported, at the request of Senator Paskhover, who was excused from this meeting, to report there were also no Board of Trustees meetings since the last senate meeting.

REPORTS OF CAMPUS FACULTY AND STUDENT LIAISONS: Camden Student Senator Sydney Johnson reported on recent plans and activities of Camden student governing associations. Senator Samuel Rabinowitz reported on the Camden Faculty Council Meeting. New Brunswick Student Senator Neeharika Thuravil reported on recent plans and activities of New Brunswick student governing associations. Faculty Senator Tugrul Ozel, New Brunswick Faculty Council Chair, reported on the October 25th New Brunswick Faculty Council meeting. Senator Sarah Shobut reported on the recent activities of the Newark students. Senator John Kettle reported the Newark Faculty Council’s desire to have a better collaborative relationships with the University Senate. Senator Laura Willett reported on the RBHS Faculty Council’s current initiatives. There was no student representative from RBHS present.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 3:20 p.m.

Minutes prepared by:

Mary Mickelsen, Executive Secretary of the University Senate

Committee Meetings

Academic Standards, Regulations & Admissions Committee Meeting

PRCC - Middlesex Room 224 @ 10:30 am

Budget & Finance Committee Meeting

PRCC - Monmouth Room 237 @ 10:00 am

Faculty Affairs & Personnel Committee Meeting

PRCC - Bergen Room 255/6/7 @ 10:00 am

Instruction, Curricula & Advising Committee Meeting

John Cotton Dana Library - Dana Room @ 10:00 am

Research, Graduate & Professional Education Committee Meeting

PRCC - Somerset Room 235 @ 10:00 am

Student Affairs Committee Meeting

PRCC - Morris Room 227 @ 10:00 am

University Structure & Governance Committee

PRCC - Passaic Room 226 @ 10:00 am