2024-2025 Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee

Senator	Constituency
Robert Schwartz, Co-Chair	Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences At-Large, Faculty
Jose Torres, Co-Chair	Lecturer-Camden, Faculty
Mark Doug Baker, Member	Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Faculty
Sanjib Bhuyan, Member	School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty
Robert Boikess, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty
Christopher Cafiero, Member	School of Engineering, Student
Martha Cotter, Member	Past Chair
Bart Everts, Member	Libraries, Faculty
Cecile Feldman, Member	Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Dean
Jie Feng, Member	School of Management and Labor Relations, Faculty
John Griffin, Member	Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Camden, Dean
Martha Haviland, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty
Kathleen Horan, Member	School of Nursing, Faculty
Tara Jordan-McKinney, Member	Alumni Association
George Leibowitz, Member	School of Social Work, Dean
Donna Nickitas, Member	School of Nursing-Camden, Dean
Suja Patel, Member	Newark Staff
Sofia Pinto-Figueroa, Member
Emily Sergel, Member	School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty
Chirag Shah, Member	Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Faculty
Stuart Shapiro, Member	EJBSPPP, Dean
Ted Szatrowski, Member	Rutgers Business School: Undergraduate NB, Faculty
Antonio Tillis, Member	Camden Chancellor
Sarah Usman, Member	School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Student
Robert Weiss, Member	Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences At-Large, Faculty
Payton Williams, Member	Rutgers Law School in Camden, Student

Senator	Present	Excused	Absent
Schwartz, Robert \| Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences At-Large, Faculty	2	1	6
Torres, Jose \| Lecturer-Camden, Faculty	2	1	6
Baker, Mark Doug \| Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Faculty	2	1	6
Bhuyan, Sanjib \| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty	3	1	5
Boikess, Robert \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	3	1	5
Cafiero, Christopher \| School of Engineering, Student	1	0	8
Cotter, Martha \| Past Chair	0	0	3
Everts, Bart \| Libraries, Faculty	2	1	6
Feldman, Cecile \| Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Dean	1	1	7
Feng, Jie \| School of Management and Labor Relations, Faculty	1	0	7
Griffin, John \| Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Camden, Dean	1	1	7
Haviland, Martha \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	2	1	6
Horan, Kathleen \| School of Nursing, Faculty	0	0	3
Jordan-McKinney, Tara \| Alumni Association	2	1	6
Leibowitz, George \| School of Social Work, Dean	1	0	8
Nickitas, Donna \| School of Nursing-Camden, Dean	0	1	8
Patel, Suja \| Newark Staff	2	1	6
Pinto-Figueroa, Sofia	2	1	6
Sergel, Emily \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	1	1	7
Shah, Chirag \| Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Faculty	2	1	6
Shapiro, Stuart \| EJBSPPP, Dean	0	1	8
Szatrowski, Ted \| Rutgers Business School: Undergraduate NB, Faculty	3	1	5
Tillis, Antonio \| Camden Chancellor	0	1	8
Usman, Sarah \| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Student	1	1	7
Weiss, Robert \| Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences At-Large, Faculty	1	1	7
Williams, Payton \| Rutgers Law School in Camden, Student	2	1	6

Charge Number	Title	Description	Committees Being Charged	Charge Status	Due Date
S-2410	Establish an Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Current Trends and Issues Regarding Federal Landscape Changes Impacting University Operations	Engage Rutgers Senators and University members to assist with ongoing dialogue and investigations concerning the escalating and ever-changing federal landscape. The work of this ad hoc committee is in response to the Senate Resolution approved on March 28, with its key aims to protect academic freedom, institutional integrity, and the research enterprise. Members of this committee will be asked to evaluate ongoing developments in the federal arena as well as local State government initiatives.	Ad Hoc Committee	Pending	March 4, 2026
S-2409	New Student Onboarding	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.	Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee	Pending	December 3, 2025
S-2408	Degree Navigator and Advising Platforms	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.	Student Affairs Committee	Pending	December 3, 2025
S-2407	Code of Conduct for Senate Virtual Meetings	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.	Ad Hoc Committee	Pending	November 5, 2025
S-2406	Senate Role in Shared Governance	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.	University Structure and Governance Committee	Pending	January 7, 2026
S-2405	Teaching Faculty Inclusion	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.	University Structure and Governance Committee	Pending	December 3, 2025
S-2401-1	Automatic Textbook Billing	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).	Student Affairs Committee	Reissued	November 5, 2025
S-2333-1	Cost Cutting and Budget Deficits	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.	Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2333-1	Cost Cutting and Budget Deficits	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.	Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2333-1	Cost Cutting and Budget Deficits	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.	Budget and Finance Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2331-1	Research Trainee Compensation and Benefit Inequity	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.	Research, and Graduate and Professional Education Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2330-1	Expanding Access to University Libraries Across Campuses	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.	Student Affairs Committee	Pending	December 3, 2025
S-2330-1	Expanding Access to University Libraries Across Campuses	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.	Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2329	Senate Role in the Policy on Policies Processes and Procedures	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.	University Structure and Governance Committee	Pending	April 2, 2025
S-2321-1	Inadequate Transportation and Parking Services for Students and Employees	Exploring effective, timely, and safe student and employee transportation issues across the campuses.	Student Affairs Committee	Reissued	October 1, 2025
S-2318-1	Increasing Student Representation on the Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee	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.	University Structure and Governance Committee	Pending	January 7, 2026
S-2317-3	Prevalence, Procedures, and Challenges of Faculty Occupancy of Dual Leadership Roles	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).	Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2316-1	University Senate Representation on Formal Governance Boards	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.	University Structure and Governance Committee	Pending	January 7, 2026
S-2313-1	Whether Students Should Substitute for Workers in Urgent Situations	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.	Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee	Reissued	September 3, 2025
S-2311-2	Professional Development Opportunities	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?	Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2309-2	Increased Representation of Graduate Students and PTL Faculty in the University Senate	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.	University Structure and Governance Committee	Pending	January 7, 2026
S-2305-2	Auditing Courses at Rutgers	Review course auditing at Rutgers. Make any appropriate recommendations.	Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee	Reissued	October 1, 2025
S-2304-2	Common Hour Exams	Review the experiences of students, faculty, and staff with common hour exams at Rutgers University. Make any appropriate recommendations.	Student Affairs Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2304-2	Common Hour Exams	Review the experiences of students, faculty, and staff with common hour exams at Rutgers University. Make any appropriate recommendations.	Instruction Curricula and Advising Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2115-3	Academic Freedom	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.	Student Affairs Committee	Reissued	November 5, 2025
S-2206-2	Socially Responsible Investment	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.	Budget and Finance Committee	Reissued	December 3, 2025
S-2204-3	Impact of CourseAtlas	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.	Student Affairs Committee	Reissued	November 5, 2025

Senator	Present	Excused	Absent
Schwartz, Robert \| Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences At-Large, Faculty	2	1	6
Torres, Jose \| Lecturer-Camden, Faculty	2	1	6
Baker, Mark Doug \| Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Faculty	2	1	6
Bhuyan, Sanjib \| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty	3	1	5
Boikess, Robert \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	3	1	5
Cafiero, Christopher \| School of Engineering, Student	1	0	8
Cotter, Martha \| Past Chair	0	0	3
Everts, Bart \| Libraries, Faculty	2	1	6
Feldman, Cecile \| Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Dean	1	1	7
Feng, Jie \| School of Management and Labor Relations, Faculty	1	0	7
Griffin, John \| Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Camden, Dean	1	1	7
Haviland, Martha \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	2	1	6
Horan, Kathleen \| School of Nursing, Faculty	0	0	3
Jordan-McKinney, Tara \| Alumni Association	2	1	6
Leibowitz, George \| School of Social Work, Dean	1	0	8
Nickitas, Donna \| School of Nursing-Camden, Dean	0	1	8
Patel, Suja \| Newark Staff	2	1	6
Pinto-Figueroa, Sofia	2	1	6
Sergel, Emily \| School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty	1	1	7
Shah, Chirag \| Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Faculty	2	1	6
Shapiro, Stuart \| EJBSPPP, Dean	0	1	8
Szatrowski, Ted \| Rutgers Business School: Undergraduate NB, Faculty	3	1	5
Tillis, Antonio \| Camden Chancellor	0	1	8
Usman, Sarah \| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Student	1	1	7
Weiss, Robert \| Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences At-Large, Faculty	1	1	7
Williams, Payton \| Rutgers Law School in Camden, Student	2	1	6

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