RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
M I N U T E S
December 6, 2019

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

MEMBERS ABSENT:   Kane

ALSO ATTENDING:  R. Leslie (Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs), M. Mickelsen (University Senate Executive Secretary), V. Lamar (Graduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, December 6, 2019 at 1:10 p.m. in the Board Room of the Stanley Bergen Building, RBHS-Newark Campus.

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

Senate and Executive Committee Chair Jon Oliver called the meeting to order at 1:10 p.m. He welcomed all to the meeting at RBHS. He thanked all in attendance for their work on S-1806: Review and Revisit the Senate’s Response to Charge S-0705. Oliver reported that all the nominations for the Center and Institutes Review committees were sent to Chancellor Strom and Chief of Staff Andreassen. Those committees are in the process of being formed and will begin their work in the spring.

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

• Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved
• Minutes: The Minutes of November 1, 2019 Senate Executive Committee Meeting were approved with minor wording changes to New Business.
• Communications:
  • The results of the NJPIRG Referendum were communicated to the Executive Committee and listed below:
    • Camden Campus
    • Newark Campus
    • New Brunswick Campus
  • The following polices have been updated/added in the University Policy Library:
    • 50.1.13: Formulation, Issuance, and Maintenance of University Policies
    • 10.2.14: Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy for Students

3. Administrative Report – Roberta Leslie, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Roberta Leslie presented an administrative report, which included comments on:

• Symposium Celebrating the 75^th Anniversary of the Discovery of Streptomycin;
• The Evolution of a Revolution in Health: Translating the future of scientific and health discovery in New Jersey event on December 5
• Esder Chong named 2019 Schwarzman Scholar;
• Diego Atehortua named Rutgers first ever Marshall Scholar;
• Giving Tuesday focused on Student Hunger;
• President’s Task Force on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience is completing its preliminary work to prepare the community on development of a climate action plan. Town Halls have been scheduled to gather community input.

Leslie then responded to comments on the above topics as well as the following:

• Transferring of archived data dating back greater than 2 years from Sakai and Blackboard to the new LMS Canvas;
• Status of the Consensual Relationship Policy;
• Scheduling of the Chancellor’s Commencement Committees;
• Clarification the policy concerning late transfer students and conditional acceptance.

4. Standing Committees/Panels  

Proposed Charge:

Proposed Charge to the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) on Health & Wellness Support for Rutgers Students – Submitted by Elizabeth Matto, SAC Co-Chair

Proposed Charge: Investigate the range of health and wellness services available to students across the University and make recommendations.

Rationale: Initial discussions and inquiries conducted by the Student Affairs Committee suggest that rates of anxiety among Rutgers University students may be on the increase with more students seeking services at the University than in previous years. Preliminary reviews have revealed that there may be some gaps including under-staffing for wellness support services (staffing below levels necessary for accreditation) and limited awareness of the range of services available to students and faculty and staff seeking to support students. Given the responsibility of the University to effectively support the health and wellness of Rutgers students, there is value in assessing the range of services available across the University and the manner in which these services are promoted and make recommendations for improvements, if necessary.

Matto summarized the charge and the committee’s preliminary work. After some discussion it was determine the proposal was worthy of charging to the SAC with the addition of investigating awareness initiatives as well as services available. The final charge is as follows:

Investigate health and wellness services available to students and the initiatives utilized to promote awareness across the University and make recommendations. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by March 2020.

Committee Reports:

University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) Report on S-1907: Composition of the Senate – Submitted by Peter Gillett & Jon Oliver, USGC Co-Chairs

Charge: Consider which of the recommendations in the USGCs response to charge S-1605 (many of which were important in practice though incidental to the original purpose of the charge) should be brought back to the Senate, and how this should be best achieved. Make appropriate recommendations.

Senator Gillett reviewed the background and recommendations on S-1907 on Composition of the Senate. With some heated discussion, the report was docketed for the December 13, 2019 senate meeting with a few grammatical changes.

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) Resolution on Faculty Engagement and Satisfaction with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: The Association of American Medical Colleges Survey – Submitted by Farid Alizadeh and Joseph Markert, FPAC Co-Chairs

Senator Gloria Bachmann, member of FPAC, reviewed the background and recommendations in the resolution on Faculty Engagement and Satisfaction with the RWJMS. With some discussion, it was determined the resolution was not currently ready, however Chair Oliver and Vice Chair Gillett agreed to work with the FPAC Co-Chairs in order to ready it for docketing for the December 13, 2019 senate meeting.

5. OLD BUSINESS

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) Report on S-1806: Review and Revisit the Senate’s Response to Charge S-0705 – Contingent Faculty Proposal – Part I, in light of changes at Rutgers in the last decade, and if appropriate make further recommendations – Karen Thompson, FPAC Member

This is the second time the Executive Committee has reviewed this report. It was discussed at the November 1 meeting and subsequently edited by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate along with the Co-Chairs of FPAC, and brought back to the EC for approval to docket for the December 13 Senate meeting. There was no discussion and the report was docketed.

6. Agenda for the November 15, 2019 Senate Meeting

• Regular Senate Meeting held on the New Brunswick Campus
• Chancellor’s Campus Report to be given by Chancellor Christopher Molloy
• University Structure and Governance Committee Report on S-1907: Composition of the Senate
• Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee Resolution on Faculty Engagement and Satisfaction with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: The Association of American Medical Colleges Survey
• Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee Report on S-1806: Review and Revisit the Senate’s Response to Charge S-0705 – Contingent Faculty Proposal – Part I

7. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by,

Mary Mickelsen
Executive Secretary of the University Senate