RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
November 1, 2019

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

MEMBERS EXCUSED:   Bachmann, Hunter, Shobut, Stopyra

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

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, November 1, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Alumni House, Camden Campus.

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

Senate and Executive Committee Chair Jon Oliver called the meeting to order at 12:00 p.m. He welcomed all to the meeting in Camden and gave a quick update on the RBHS Reviews of the School of Health Professions, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Brain Health Institute and expressed thanks for the committee’s work on behalf of Chancellor Brian Strom. He also updated the committee on his conversation with Bob Cop and Kevin Lyons on the President’s Task Force on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Change considering two senate committees have been assigned similar charges.

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

• Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved
• Minutes: The Minutes of October 4, 2019 Senate Executive Committee Meeting were approved as distributed by the Executive Secretary.
• Communications:
  • President Barchi’s Response to Senator Neeharika Thuravil’s inquiry into the closing of Rutgers’ Pharmacies during the September 20, 2019 President’s Address
  • NJPIRG Referendum begun on October 15, 2019 and their Organizing Director will update the Senate Executive Secretary on the results.
  • The following polices have been updated/added in the University Policy Library:
    • University Policy 40.2.23: Policy Governing Century Bonds
    • University Policy 30.4.5: Records Management

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:

• 5 Rutgers students up for the Schwarzman Scholarship;
• Big Ideas Symposium was held on October 4 – Results have yet to be announced;
• the creation of a committee on Complementary Credentialing and Badging chaired by Gary Gigliotti, based off of the Senate’s report on S-1805

5.    Standing Committees/Panels  

Committee Reports:

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-1607: Committee Structure Review – Submitted by Peter Gillett & Jon Oliver, USGC Co-Chairs

Charge: Consider and make recommendations for modifying the Senate’s standing committee structure and standing charges. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by November 2019.

Senator Oliver reviewed the background and recommendations on S-1607 on Committee Structure Review. With some discussion, the report was docketed for the November 15, 2019 senate meeting with a few grammatical changes.

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Response to Charge S-1906: Time Limits – Submitted by Peter Gillett & Jon Oliver, USGC Co-Chairs

Charge: Consider possible changes to the standard time limit for Senate meetings and make appropriate recommendations for such changes. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by November 2019.

Senator Gillett reviewed the background and recommendations on S-1906 on Committee Structure Review. With some discussion, the report was docketed for the November 15, 2019 senate meeting.

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

Charge: 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. Consider 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. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by January 2020.

Senator Borisovets reviewed the background and recommendations on S-1807 on Rutgers Bootcamps. The report was unanimously docketed for information only at the November 15, 2019 senate meeting.

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

Charge: Consider whether or not it would be appropriate for Rutgers to have a policy on white-labeling. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by November 2019.

Senator Borisovets reviewed the background and recommendations on S-1911 on White Labeling. The report was unanimously docketed for information only at the November 15, 2019 senate meeting.

Pending Charge Extension Requests:

The University Structure and Governance Committee submitted the following charge deadline extensions that were reviewed by the Executive Committee and subsequently approved:

• S-1812: University Office of Sustainability and Engagement – Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by March 2021
• S-1901: Follow-up on Completed Unit Mergers or Other Structural Changes – Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by March 2020
• S-1904: Review of Proposed Resolution on Rutgers’ Faculty Councils Inclusion in the University Policy Library – Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by March 2020

8. NEW BUSINESS

Senator Karen Thompson brought forward 2 issues regarding the use of clickers during senate meetings on behalf of the Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee. One concern surrounded conducting a pilot of their use prior to implementation as well as more debate during senate meetings on their effectiveness. Thompson acknowledged to FPAC that the Executive Committee will revisit/analyze their use during the spring semester, as promised during the discussions at the September meeting but wanted to report the concern. She also reported FPAC’s concern that 2 clickers might come under one Senator’s control if someone left early. It was also discussed that the use of voting cards are still in effect along with the clickers to ease the transition. Senator Robert Boikess voiced concern around the legality of keeping records of votes where  that information may or may not be discoverable. Chair Jon Oliver agreed to look into those details and report back at the next EC meeting.

7.  Agenda for the November 15, 2019 Senate Meeting

• • Regular Senate Meeting held on the Newark Campus
  • Chancellor’s Campus Report to be given by Executive Vice Chancellor Sherri-Ann Butterfield
  • University Structure and Governance Committee Report on S-1607: Committee Structure Review
  • University Structure and Governance Committee Report on S-1906: Time Limits
  • Instruction, Curricula, and Advising Committee Report on S-1807: Rutgers Bootcamps
  • Instruction, Curricula, and Advising Committee Report on S-1911: White Labeling

8.  Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:24 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by,

Mary Mickelsen
Executive Secretary of the University Senate