RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

M I N U T E S

June 4, 2021

MEMBERS PRESENT: Bachmann, Boikess, Borisovets, Crews, Gillett, Giraud, Oliver, Schwartz, Shobut, Simonds, Struble, Thompson, Van Stine, Willett, Yamaoka

ALSO ATTENDING: A. Esposito (Multi-Factor Authentication Working Group and Staff Senator), L. Foster (21-22 Staff Member of the Executive Committee), P. Moghe (Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs), M. Mickelsen (University Senate Executive Secretary), M. Smith (University Senate Administrative Assistant)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, June 4, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. remotely via Zoom.

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, including members of the 21-22 Senate Executive Committee and Board Representatives. He expressed his thanks to the current Senate Executive Committee for their continued hard work through the COVID crisis. He continued his expression of gratitude for the Senate Parliamentarian and Vice Chair Peter Gillett, Senate Executive Secretary Mary Mickelsen and Senate Administrative Assistant Morgan Smith. Special thanks were extended to Natalie Borisovets, long-term Senator and ICAC Chair, who is taking a hiatus from the Senate with hopes she will return very soon.

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

• Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved
• Minutes: The following meeting minutes were approved:
  • April 16, 2021 Executive Committee Meeting
  • April 30, 2021 Regular Senate Meeting

4. Administrative Report – Prabhas Moghe, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Prabhas Moghe presented an administrative report updating the Executive Committee on the current operations of the University, much surrounding the plans for the fall semester in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 5. Multi-Factor Authentication Working Group – Robert Boikess, SAS-NB (F) and Adrienne Esposito, New Brunswick Staff

Boikess and Esposito presented the background and work of the Multi-Factor Authentication Working Group and the latest changes to come following another MFA rollout taking place in July.

6. Selection of the Chancellor’s Commencement Committees (CCC)

The final selection of the CCCs were discussed and finalized as follows:

• Camden
  • Perry Dane, Law-C (F)
  • Sam Rabinowitz, SB-C (F)
  • Jose Torres, PTL-C (F)
• Newark
  • Joseph Markert, RBS:N/NB (F)
  • Lisa Mahajan-Cusack, PTL-N (F)
  • Gerard LaMorte, UC-N (F)
  • Aanchel Shah, Law-N (S)
  • David Daughety, NCAS (S)
• New Brunswick/RBHS
  • Paul Miranti, RBS:N/NB (F)
  • Gloria Bachmann, RWJMS (F)
  • Robert Schwartz, NJMS (F)
  • Meera Patel, SAS-NB (S)
  • Shannon Barlow, SPH (S)

7. Senate Meeting Environment Post-Covid Gathering Restrictions – Jon Oliver, Senate Chair

Oliver opened the meeting for discussion on options for how the senate will function come the fall semester. After some debate it was determined the Senate and Senate Executive Committee will continue to meet virtually through the fall and will revisit the issue for the spring as more details develop regarding how Covid affects the population during the upcoming flu season.

8. Standing Committees/Panels

Committee Roster Review

Secretary Mickelsen reviewed all draft committee assignments with the Executive Committee.

There was special consideration taking when appointing EC Liaisons for each committee and filling vacant chair positions. Mickelsen will communicate with all nominees for the various positions as well as communicate final committee assignments in the coming weeks.

Proposed Charges:

Proposed Charge to the Research and Graduate & Professional Education Committee (RGPEC) on Research Information Systems – Submitted by Jon Oliver, New Brunswick Staff/Senate Chair

Charge: Investigate the development of Research Information Systems. Determine best practices and system impacts as well as what office should lead the university to ensure that Rutgers research impact is maximized.

Rationale: A small group of library and SC&I faculty have been following the development of Research Information Systems at Rutgers. There is campus research and faculty development impacts of these systems. We believe that launching a conversation to understand leadership and faculty needs would advance our research impact, create a shared understanding of faculty needs, and scaffold the learning & development paths that can be created and pursued.

Highlights:

Participants: Mark Aakhus, SC&I; Jon Oliver, SC&I; Laura Mullen, NBL Scholarly

Communications; Mei Ling Lo, NBL Science Librarian & Bibliometrics; myself

Landscape:
Newly launched, externally focused Academic Analytics: https://rutgersresearchexperts.rutgers.edu/dashboard

Research with Rutgers site, powered by Elsevier Pure and licensed by state, sunsetting in August 2021: https://www.researchwithrutgers.com/

Libraries SOAR site: https://soar.libraries.rutgers.edu/

Additional products under consideration, including Clarivate and Dimensions

New Brunswick Libraries has expertise in this space, and can help gather information and user feedback.

The Executive Committee discussed the charge following Oliver’s description of background and rationale. The charge was issued to RGPEC in conjunction with the expertise of the ITC committee. The report will be due March 2022.

Proposed Charge to the Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) on Late Course Add/Drop Policies – Submitted by Michael Van Stine, Graduate School – Camden (S)

Charge: Investigate current practices for approval of late course add/drop polices and determine best practices for their approval and adjudication when they are not approved. Consider best practices used by peers to guide approval of late course add/drop requests and whether an appeal process (or an alternative mechanism) would be appropriate for evaluating, approving and adjudicating late add/drop requests. As appropriate, propose such a process, including procedures, factors to be considered in adjudication, and appropriate levels of discretion to be exercised by deans, advisors, instructors, and others.

Rationale: Late add/drop requests may be justified based on specific student circumstances. Many peer institutions allow not just for late requests but in many cases provide adjudication processes for students when denied the privilege of a late request. At present, the university has numerous disparate policies between campuses and schools regarding late course add/drop requests. In general, but not in all cases, policies require both the approval of the receiving instructor and the appropriate academic dean to be processed after academic calendar deadlines. However, in some cases the student need only to obtain permission of the instructor to add a course late. In other cases, undergraduate students may also require the permission of the dean of the college or academic advisor to register after the add/drop period, but this is not consistent. Graduate students are in some cases encouraged to contact their program director for information or restrictions regarding late registration without stated standardized procedures. Some academic deans have interpreted discretion to be solely theirs and have interpreted discretion to be to never allow late add/drop/transfer requests which is the absence of using any discretion. There need also to be defined rules for discretion and transparency in adjudication.

Van Stine reviewed the charge and rationale with the Executive Committee. After some discussion, the charge was issued to ASRAC with a reporting deadline of March 2022.

Proposed Charge to the University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC) on Free Speech Issues at Rutgers and the University Senate’s Role – Submitted by Michael Van Stine, Graduate School – Camden (S)

Charge: Investigate the state of affairs of free speech issues and policies of the University as a function of structural approaches and recommend better methods that are more inclusive of all diverse stakeholders to maximize free speech, academic freedom in the classroom and minimize conflict. Consider the most effective mechanism enabling the University Senate to provide the administration with feedback and advice from the Rutgers community relating to statements, policy, and implementation on matters of free speech. Look at peer best practices. Make any appropriate recommendations.

Rationale: An effective approach to widely and effectively discussing matters of free speech and academic freedom continues to elude the university, with continued and regular issues and conflicts that get magnified in the press year in and out. In 2018, University Administration established a free speech panel with representation of administration and law faculty with no provision for qualified input from other faculty, staff, alumni or students, and has used at minimum questionable rationale in excluding these critical constituents. There has to a better way to widen levels of discussion and advise in a manner to better manage the university’s collective interests on topic and in a way that is more inclusive and less divisive/derisive.

Van Stine discussed the background and rationale for the charge and after discussion and wordsmithing of the language the following charge was issued to the USGC with a reporting deadline of September 2022.

Consider the most effective mechanism to enable the University Senate to provide the administration with feedback and advice from the Rutgers University community relating to statement, policy, and implementation on matters of free speech. Look at peer best practices. Make any appropriate recommendations.

Committee Reports

Instruction, Curricula, and Advising Committee (ICAC) Report on S-2104: Best Practices for Asynchronous Instruction – Natalie Borisovets, ICAC Chair

ICAC was charged as follows: Consider and make recommendations on best practices for asynchronous instruction. Respond to the Senate Executive Committee by May 26, 2021.

Borisovets reviewed the background on the committee’s work recommendations. The Executive Committee determined the report was ready for docketing at the September 24, 2021 Senate meeting.

Resolution in Support of Dr. Audrey Truschke – Robert Boikess, SAS-NB (F)

Boikess’ proposed resolution and rationale was discussed. The Executive Committee voted in favor of supporting Dr. Truschke and for Chair Jon Oliver to draft a version of the proposed resolution to the President. The following was presented to the President on July 14, 2021:

https://senate.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Truschke-Resolution-071421.pdf

9. Old Business

Proposed Charge to Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee (FPAC) on PTL Pay and Recognition – Submitted by Joseph Markert, RBS:UNB (F)/FPAC Co-Chair

Charge: Investigate broadening the scope of recognition and compensation for Rutgers Part-time Lecturers — who help comprise the scholarly community and teach the majority of Undergraduate students at Rutgers

Rationale: Charge S-2007 (PTL Health and Wellness) resolution had a suggested action related to PTL compensation which was deleted prior to charge S-2007 being passed by the Senate. This new requested charge allows the FPAC to discuss and propose suggested changes to PTL compensation as a separate topic using data from other universities.

(Limitation: Given that the substance of this charge involves a mandatorily negotiable topic of union negotiations, it should be understood that any Senate recommendations will urge the administration toward a particular course of action. In this case, recommendations would be positions important for the administration to take at the bargaining table with the PTL union.)

This charge was proposed at the April 16, 2021 Senate Executive Committee Meeting, and after discussion it was determined more information/clarification was needed from the FPAC co-chairs to make a final decision on this proposal, and requested it come back for reconsideration at this meeting.

The following charge was issued to FPAC with a reporting deadline of March 2022.

Investigate the scope of recognition and compensation for Rutgers Part-Time Lecturers and make any appropriate recommendations.

10. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 5:59 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by,

Mary Mickelsen

Executive Secretary of the University Senate