RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
MEETING AGENDA
Friday, December 13, 2024, 1:10 p.m. via Zoom

https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/94226017684?pwd=RTJYUzFDbWp4M3dqSGRnVnNCV1Rwdz09

CALL TO ORDER, DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM, AND CHAIR’S REPORT – Lucille Foster, Chair

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY – Vicki Hewitt, Senate Executive Secretary

• Approval of the Agenda* (including time limits)
• Approval of the November 15, 2024 Meeting Minutes
• Communications
  • Provosts’ Roundtable: Fri. Jan. 31 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
  • Reminder to check your attendance record on the Senate website
  • Reminder to log in to the Senate website for attendance and voting access

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT – Prabhas Moghe, Executive Vice President, Academic Affairs (1:20 – 1:50 p.m.)

COMMITTEE REPORTS/RESOLUTIONS: The report will be presented/summarized by the committee chair, then will be discussed, and acted upon by the Senate. Substantive amendments to these reports should be given to the Senate secretary in writing prior to or at the time the amendment is moved.

University Structure and Governance Committee (1:50 – 2:00 p.m.)
James Boucher and Wendy Purcell, Co-Chairs
Report on S-2402: Institutional Neutrality

The committee was charged as follows:

Should Rutgers adopt a policy of institutional neutrality similar to the principles set forth in the University of Chicago’s Kalven Report, which would require the University, schools, academic units, and departments to refrain from taking stances on controversial political issues, so as to protect the right of individuals in the university community to pursue the fullest extent of inquiry and debate? Such a restriction, it should be noted, would not preclude individuals from taking positions on such issues.

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (2:00 – 2:10 p.m.)
Christine Morales and Arturo Osorio-Fernandez, Co-Chairs
Report on S-2116-2: SIRS
SIRS Analysis Results

The committee was charged as follows:

Investigate the validity and accuracy of Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET), as well as the details of how the SIRS is implemented at Rutgers and make recommendations for its role in our new approach to the evaluation and improvement of teaching effectiveness. Please report to the Senate Executive Secretary by March 16, 2022.

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (2:10 – 2:20 p.m.)
Christine Morales and Arturo Osorio-Fernandez, Co-Chairs
Report on S-2204-2: Impact of CourseAtlas
Appendix: CourseAtlas Survey Data

The committee was charged as follows:

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.

OLD BUSINESS

Ad Hoc Committee on Review of the University Senate’s Governance Documents and Formulation of University Senate Bylaws and University Structure and Governance Committee (2:20 – 2:40 p.m.)

Draft Article II – updated

Draft Article III (Information Only)

The committee was charged as follows:

Review the existing governance documents of the University Senate, including University policies, past Senate reports, and the Senate Handbook. Develop Bylaws for the University Senate consistent with Robert’s Rules of Order.

NEW BUSINESS** (2:40 – 2:45 p.m.)

SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT – Adrienne Esposito, Senate Vice Chair (2:45 – 2:50 p.m.)

REPORTS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES (2:50 – 2:55 p.m.)

REPORTS OF CAMPUS FACULTY AND STUDENT LIAISONS (2:55 – 3:00 p.m.)

ADJOURNMENT

*Note: Addition of items to the Agenda requires a two-thirds vote (Senate Handbook, Article III, Agenda). There is an overall time limit of 3 hours for Senate meetings. Specific time limits are set for questions and debate, not for presentation of reports (Senate Handbook, Article III, Procedures). After approval, extension of time limits requires a two-thirds vote.

**Note: The Senate Handbook, Article IV, 1 states, “All new matters shall be referred to committee before coming to the Senate (unless extenuating circumstances apply, as indicated in Article III, Agenda, 3 above).”]

Remaining 2024-25 University Senate Meetings

All meetings are on Zoom

January 24, 2025

February 21, 2025

March 28, 2025

April 25, 2025- Organizational Meeting of the 2025-2026 Senate
April 25, 2025 – Last Meeting of the 2024-2025 Senate