2023-2024 Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee

Senator	Constituency
Natalie Borisovets, Co-Chair	Newark At-Large, Faculty
Taryn Cooper, Co-Chair	Camden Staff
Lauren Adamo, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty
Fauzan Amjad, Member	Student Charter Trustee
Cori Anderson, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty
Rochelle Andrews, Member	Alumni Association
Azeezat Ariwoola, Member	School of Public Health, Student
Victoria Axelsson, Member	School of Engineering, Student
Rajita Bhavaraju, Member	Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Staff
Wanda Blanchett, Member	Graduate School of Education, Dean
Mary Bridgeman, Member	Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty
Nancy Cantor, Member	Newark Chancellor
Mihaela Caponegro, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty
Joy Chang, Member	Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Student
Clyde Ditching, Member	School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Student
Adrienne Eaton, Member	School of Management and Labor Relations, Dean
Jason Geary, Member	Mason Gross School of the Arts, Dean
Robert Johnson, Member	New Jersey Medical School, Dean
Debra Keates, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty
Nkechi Mbadugha, Member	School of Health Professions, Faculty
Mary Nucci, Member	School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty
Jennifer Oberle, Member	Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Camden, Faculty
Alexander Pichugin, Member	New Brunswick At-Large, Faculty
Katherine Prihoda, Member	School of Nursing-Camden, Faculty
Joseph Schiavo, Member
Stephen Schnetzer, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty
Safanya Searcy, Member	School of Criminal Justice, Student
Michael Shapiro, Member	New Jersey Medical School, Faculty
Lucio Volino, Member	Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty
Juli Wade, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Executive Dean
Mary Wagner, Member	Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty

Senator	Present	Excused	Absent
Borisovets, Natalie \| Newark At-Large, Faculty	7	2	1
Cooper, Taryn \| Camden Staff	7	2	1
Adamo, Lauren \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	6	2	2
Amjad, Fauzan \| Student Charter Trustee	4	2	3
Anderson, Cori \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	6	3	1
Andrews, Rochelle \| Alumni Association	7	2	1
Ariwoola, Azeezat \| School of Public Health, Student	2	2	6
Axelsson, Victoria \| School of Engineering, Student	5	4	1
Bhavaraju, Rajita \| Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Staff	6	3	1
Blanchett, Wanda \| Graduate School of Education, Dean	0	2	8
Bridgeman, Mary \| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty	1	3	6
Cantor, Nancy \| Newark Chancellor	0	2	8
Caponegro, Mihaela \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	7	2	1
Chang, Joy \| Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Student	6	2	2
Ditching, Clyde \| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Student	1	3	3
Eaton, Adrienne \| School of Management and Labor Relations, Dean	0	2	8
Geary, Jason \| Mason Gross School of the Arts, Dean	0	2	8
Johnson, Robert \| New Jersey Medical School, Dean	0	2	8
Keates, Debra \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	5	4	1
Mbadugha, Nkechi \| School of Health Professions, Faculty	7	2	1
Nucci, Mary \| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty	6	3	1
Oberle, Jennifer \| Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Camden, Faculty	6	1	2
Pichugin, Alexander \| New Brunswick At-Large, Faculty	3	3	4
Prihoda, Katherine \| School of Nursing-Camden, Faculty	4	5	1
Schiavo, Joseph	0	2	8
Schnetzer, Stephen \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	0	2	8
Searcy, Safanya \| School of Criminal Justice, Student	2	2	6
Shapiro, Michael \| New Jersey Medical School, Faculty	4	2	4
Volino, Lucio \| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty	3	5	2
Wade, Juli \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Executive Dean	0	2	8
Wagner, Mary \| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty	4	4	2

Charge Number

Title

Description

Committees Being Charged

Charge Status

Due Date

Charge Number	S-2115-3
Title	Academic Freedom
Description	Identify and investigate any recent attacks on the academic freedom of our faculty and students with a particular focus on the University's response to these attacks.
Committees Being Charged	Student Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	November 5, 2025

Charge Number	S-2204-3
Title	Impact of CourseAtlas
Description	Explore the impact of CourseAtlas to benchmark institutional goals of the system, on academic units and departments, on faculty work-life balance, and make recommendations as appropriate. Specifically, (i) Investigate to what degree CourseAtlas has achieved the goals it was designed and implemented to achieve, (ii) explore the impact of CourseAtlas on academic units and departments’ ability to manage their own academic programs, (iii) assess the impact of CourseAtlas on the work-life balance of faculty, and (iv) propose feedback mechanisms which allow timely and meaningful faculty input on scheduling changes.
Committees Being Charged	Student Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	November 5, 2025

Charge Number	S-2206-2
Title	Socially Responsible Investment
Description	Consider the University Investment policy 40.2.14. Investigate whether the current investment policies should be modified by environmental, social and governance metrics to modify, add or remove investments based on the Endowment Justice Collective 2022 Divestment Proposal and the Resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees in March 2021. Report back to the Senate with any recommendations.
Committees Being Charged	Budget and Finance Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2304-2
Title	Common Hour Exams
Description	Review the experiences of students, faculty, and staff with common hour exams at Rutgers University. Make any appropriate recommendations.
Committees Being Charged	Student Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2304-2
Title	Common Hour Exams
Description	Review the experiences of students, faculty, and staff with common hour exams at Rutgers University. Make any appropriate recommendations.
Committees Being Charged	Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2305-2
Title	Auditing Courses at Rutgers
Description	Review course auditing at Rutgers. Make any appropriate recommendations.
Committees Being Charged	Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	October 1, 2025

Charge Number	S-2309-2
Title	Increased Representation of Graduate Students and PTL Faculty in the University Senate
Description	Evaluate the current criteria, bylaws, and policies that decide graduate student representatives and PTL faculty in the Senate. Make appropriate changes to increased graduate student representation and PTL faculty in the Senate.
Committees Being Charged	University Structure and Governance Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	January 7, 2026

Charge Number	S-2311-2
Title	Professional Development Opportunities
Description	Review the university’s policies regarding professional development opportunities to attend conferences and meetings. Investigate and, when appropriate, make recommendations regarding campus and unit rules on (i) How long a faculty member may be absent for professional development opportunities? (ii) What are the policies for making alternative arrangements if a faculty member is absent? (iii) Who covers costs if a guest lecturer is hired? (iv) Can all faculty members, including PTLs, teach occasional classes online if necessary due to justified absences? (v) How do policies about professional development opportunities differ among schools and Chancellor-led units?
Committees Being Charged	Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2313-1
Title	Whether Students Should Substitute for Workers in Urgent Situations
Description	This charge, to FPAC and USGC, is to explore and provide recommendations for the appropriate deployment of any students during crisis situations. Exceptions to this must also be examined, in light of national emergencies, such as the COVID pandemic. However, a recent nursing strike over staffing issues at RWJ-Barnabas would not fall into this category.
Committees Being Charged	Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	September 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2316-1
Title	University Senate Representation on Formal Governance Boards
Description	Determine if there should be University Senate voting representation on all of the governing boards: Rutgers University Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, The Rutgers University Board of Directors (Foundation), The Camden Board of Directors; and, The Rowan University / Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors. Additionally, make recommendations regarding the make-up of Board membership, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
Committees Being Charged	University Structure and Governance Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	January 7, 2026

Charge Number	S-2317-3
Title	Prevalence, Procedures, and Challenges of Faculty Occupancy of Dual Leadership Roles
Description	FPAC is charged with investigating and making recommendations it deems necessary on the following two issues: How common are dual full-time faculty leadership role situations at Rutgers, and what are the rationales under which such dual roles are undertaken? What is the process by which such dual role leadership situations are undertaken, regarding (but not necessarily limited to): the potentially unfilled portion of FTE in one or both positions; the identification and selection of other individuals to supplement one or both of the dual roles, including how existing procedures for filling such positions are or are not followed (e.g., is one or both role in such situations reverted to being appointed rather than competitively hired in any circumstances); the clarification of the work tasks required for each of the leadership roles held, and evaluation of performance in those roles, given that they are engaged at less than 100% FTE; assurance that potential conflict of interest is identified and pre-empted or managed? Note: This charge focuses on faculty specifically, excludes roles fulfilled through funding buy-outs and/or by involving summer work for those on 9-month contracts, and also omits focus on within-unit dual leadership roles unless each role historically constitutes 100% FTE (e.g., a department chair assuming the chairship of a second department within a school or college).
Committees Being Charged	Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2318-1
Title	Increasing Student Representation on the Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee
Description	The University Structure and Governance Committee of the Rutgers University Senate is charged with investigating and making recommendations on the need to expand student representation on the Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee. Currently, faculty members have representation on the Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee through seats allocated to each chancellor-led unit, in addition to two at-large positions. In contrast, students are limited to four seats representing New Brunswick, Camden, Newark, and RBHS. Given that students constitute the largest constituency at Rutgers, this committee is tasked with examining whether the current representation adequately reflects the student body’s diversity, concerns, and interests. The committee shall explore potential modifications to the Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee structure to ensure a more equitable and comprehensive student representation.
Committees Being Charged	University Structure and Governance Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	January 7, 2026

Charge Number	S-2321-1
Title	Inadequate Transportation and Parking Services for Students and Employees
Description	Exploring effective, timely, and safe student and employee transportation issues across the campuses.
Committees Being Charged	Student Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	October 1, 2025

Charge Number	S-2329
Title	Senate Role in the Policy on Policies Processes and Procedures
Description	Study and provide recommendation to increase University Senate’s role on the Policy on Policies in the matters related academic affairs, educational and research matters.
Committees Being Charged	University Structure and Governance Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	April 2, 2025

Charge Number	S-2330-1
Title	Expanding Access to University Libraries Across Campuses
Description	Investigate current University library hours across all campuses. Determine if those hours are adequately meeting student needs (access to collections; access to study spaces; access to technology) on each campus. Make recommendations as appropriate.
Committees Being Charged	Student Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2330-1
Title	Expanding Access to University Libraries Across Campuses
Description	Investigate current University library hours across all campuses. Determine if those hours are adequately meeting student needs (access to collections; access to study spaces; access to technology) on each campus. Make recommendations as appropriate.
Committees Being Charged	Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2331-1
Title	Research Trainee Compensation and Benefit Inequity
Description	Investigate current practices in postdoc and current doctoral student remuneration, in particular as it relates to inequality following fellowship funding and to develop solutions to reward talent.
Committees Being Charged	Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2333-1
Title	Cost Cutting and Budget Deficits
Description	Identify cost cutting measures that are being imposed on departments by their schools. Investigate the budgetary rationales for these cuts and their impact on the quality of academic programs.
Committees Being Charged	Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2333-1
Title	Cost Cutting and Budget Deficits
Description	Pending BFC‘s investigation into outcomes of cost cutting measures that are being imposed on departments by their schools, FPAC will investigate departments’ responses with particular focus on manifestations and impacts on faculty and staff.
Committees Being Charged	Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2333-1
Title	Cost Cutting and Budget Deficits
Description	Identify cost cutting measures that are being imposed on departments by their schools. Investigate the budgetary rationales for these cuts and their impact on the quality of academic programs.
Committees Being Charged	Budget and Finance Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2334-1
Title	Senate Communications
Description	An ad committee will be created with broad representation to evaluate procedures to regulate use of the Senate listserv.
Committees Being Charged	Ad Hoc Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	November 5, 2025

Charge Number	S-2401-1
Title	Automatic Textbook Billing
Description	The University Senate should explore the nature and impact of automatic textbook billing by investigating the following issues: 1) Why automatic textbook billing was initiated; 2) Whether and the university and professors can better inform students about enrollment in automatic textbook billing; and 3) What steps can be taken to transform this program from “opt out” (automatic charges) to “opt in” (voluntary charges).
Committees Being Charged	Student Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Reissued
Due Date	November 5, 2025

Charge Number	S-2404
Title	Inter-campus Inclusion and Equity in the Rutgers Academic Calendar
Description	Investigate the most efficient way to broaden the development, implementation, and online display of the Rutgers Academic Calendar to ensure that all campuses are fully included in a manner that supports and promotes major calendar milestones such as convocation and commencement.
Committees Being Charged	Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	April 2, 2025

Charge Number	S-2405
Title	Teaching Faculty Inclusion
Description	Review and report the extent to which teaching faculty (i.e. NTTs & Lecturers) are included in the decision-making structures and advisory spaces at the local (departmental and program) and (decanal) unit levels. Potentially propose guidelines to make local and unit-level governance more inclusive of all faculty and stakeholders, and to make practices more equitable across departments, units, and campuses.
Committees Being Charged	University Structure and Governance Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2406
Title	Senate Role in Shared Governance
Description	Request that the University Structure and Governance Committee closely review and evaluate University policy 50.2.2 with the goal of further clarifying, verifying, and delineating the Senate’s official role in shared governance.
Committees Being Charged	University Structure and Governance Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	January 7, 2026

Charge Number	S-2407
Title	Code of Conduct for Senate Virtual Meetings
Description	At the February 21, 2025 Senate meeting, the Senate adopted a recommendation that the Senate develop a code of conduct for University Senate virtual meetings. This ad hoc committee is charged with implementing that recommendation.
Committees Being Charged	Ad Hoc Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	November 5, 2025

Charge Number	S-2408
Title	Degree Navigator and Advising Platforms
Description	Investigate the accuracy, functionality, and use of Degree Navigator as a source of degree-tracking information. Evaluate differences in accuracy, functionality, and use between campuses, as well as schools or departments. Provide recommendations for improving this platform, or recommendations for use of other platforms. Additionally, consider investigating Navigate360 (aka EAB), the College Student Inventory, the Schedule of Classes, the Course Schedule Planner, and academic department websites as they relate to Degree Navigator, and the general work of providing holistic academic advising to undergraduate students at Rutgers University.
Committees Being Charged	Student Affairs Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Charge Number	S-2409
Title	New Student Onboarding
Description	Given changes in organizational structure, as well as changes in software platforms, evaluate the onboarding process for incoming new students at Rutgers University. Consult with relevant admissions offices, academic advising offices, and faculty departments regarding incoming credits being processed and applied to Rutgers transcripts, summer onboarding programing for new students, Fall course registration, and Fall course availability for incoming students.
Committees Being Charged	Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee
Charge Status	Pending
Due Date	December 3, 2025

Senator	Present	Excused	Absent
Borisovets, Natalie \| Newark At-Large, Faculty	7	2	1
Cooper, Taryn \| Camden Staff	7	2	1
Adamo, Lauren \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	6	2	2
Amjad, Fauzan \| Student Charter Trustee	4	2	3
Anderson, Cori \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	6	3	1
Andrews, Rochelle \| Alumni Association	7	2	1
Ariwoola, Azeezat \| School of Public Health, Student	2	2	6
Axelsson, Victoria \| School of Engineering, Student	5	4	1
Bhavaraju, Rajita \| Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Staff	6	3	1
Blanchett, Wanda \| Graduate School of Education, Dean	0	2	8
Bridgeman, Mary \| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty	1	3	6
Cantor, Nancy \| Newark Chancellor	0	2	8
Caponegro, Mihaela \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	7	2	1
Chang, Joy \| Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Student	6	2	2
Ditching, Clyde \| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Student	1	3	3
Eaton, Adrienne \| School of Management and Labor Relations, Dean	0	2	8
Geary, Jason \| Mason Gross School of the Arts, Dean	0	2	8
Johnson, Robert \| New Jersey Medical School, Dean	0	2	8
Keates, Debra \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	5	4	1
Mbadugha, Nkechi \| School of Health Professions, Faculty	7	2	1
Nucci, Mary \| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty	6	3	1
Oberle, Jennifer \| Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Camden, Faculty	6	1	2
Pichugin, Alexander \| New Brunswick At-Large, Faculty	3	3	4
Prihoda, Katherine \| School of Nursing-Camden, Faculty	4	5	1
Schiavo, Joseph	0	2	8
Schnetzer, Stephen \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	0	2	8
Searcy, Safanya \| School of Criminal Justice, Student	2	2	6
Shapiro, Michael \| New Jersey Medical School, Faculty	4	2	4
Volino, Lucio \| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty	3	5	2
Wade, Juli \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Executive Dean	0	2	8
Wagner, Mary \| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Faculty	4	4	2

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2023-2024 Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee

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