UNIVERSITY SENATE
Executive Committee
AGENDA
September 8, 2023 – 12:00 p.m.

https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/99068164783?pwd=VHV1YUphLzJmWVgrUDM0VGcyUE01Zz09

Chair’s Report– Adrienne Simonds, Senate Chair

Secretary’s Report– Vicki Hewitt, Senate Executive Secretary

• Approval of Agenda
• Approval of the June 2, 2023 Senate Executive Committee Minutes
• Approval of the July 7, 2023 Senate Executive Committee Minutes
• Approval of the July 21, 2023 Senate Executive Committee Minutes
• Administrative Response
  • Response to S-2110: Research Information Systems
  • BOG Chair Best’s Response to the Resolution on Remediating University Policy Violations Related to the Proposed Medical School Merger
• Policy Updates
  • 20.1.11 Procurement and Payment Policy
  • 20.1.13 Naming of Facilities and Programs
• Announcements
  • Special Election for Board Representatives and EC Student Reps; Website Updates
  • New Senator Orientation: Fri. Sept. 15 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Committee Chair Group Meetings: Thu. Oct. 12 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. and Mon. Dec. 4 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Membership of the Ad Hoc Committee on Senate Officer Compensation

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

Discussion – Brian Strom, RBHS Chancellor

Discussion of Chancellor Cantor and Proposed Resolution in Acknowledgment of Her Long-Standing Service to Rutgers and the Newark Community

EC Members to Convene Representative Caucuses and Hold Elections for Caucus Leaders

Nominations for University Senate Parliamentarian

Standing Committees/Panels

2023-2024 Committee Chair Positions

ASRAC: Lucille Foster and Robert Schwartz
BFC: Abdelrahman Ibrahim and Carolyne White
FPAC: Paul Boxer and Anna Haley
ITC: Katie Anderson and Adrienne Esposito
ICAC: Natalie Borisovets and Taryn Cooper
RGPEC: Detlev Boison and Monica Mazurek
SAC: Emanuel Meshoyrer, Madai Poole, Michael Van Stine
USGC: Perry Dane and Kevin Schroth

Proposed Charges:

Proposed Charge on Can Students Be Asked to Volunteer to Substitute for Striking Workers and Receive Excused Absences for Clinical Duties – Submitted by Senator Monica Roth, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences At-Large, Faculty

Charge: On 07/26/2023, an email was sent out by Dr. Terregino and Pradhan to the RWJMS medical students offering for students to volunteer as “support staff” for potential striking nurses at RWJUH. In return for their 4 hour period from 5 AM to 9 AM, they were offered an excused absence for their clinical duties.

It seems improper for tuition paying students to be offered exchange of clinical training as MDs for work of nurses. These students have no training in nursing and are not paying tuition to serve as strike breakers.

It is not clear why medical students in the first place would be asked, as there are other health professionals who would be with the same expertise. Who in the hierarchy of RWJMS and RBHS can and has authorize this?

Exceptions to this must also be examined, in light of national emergencies, such as the COVID pandemic. However, a nursing strike over staffing issues, it seems would not fall into this category.

Here is the email:

Dear Students,

As you know a nursing strike is scheduled at RWJUH-NB on August 4, 2023 at 7 am. We are asking for medical student volunteers to assist during the transition from the RWJUH NB employed nurses to the replacement nurses.

This request is to support our patients during this transitional period with activities such as answering call bells, checking in on patients, and supporting the replacement nursing staff.

We are asking for M2, M3 and M4 volunteers to report for duty at 5:00 am for a four-hour period to serve as “support staff.”

If you are an M3 or M4 on a clinical rotation outside of RWJUH-NB, you should continue your educational experience at that site. If you are on a clinical rotation at RWJUH-NB, you may volunteer for the 4-hour shift. You will receive an excused absence from your clinical duties for that four-hour period, and Dr. Pradhan will assign you to a unit and a nurse manager.

If interested in volunteering, please complete the information at this link: Transitions Volunteer Form. A logistics zoom meeting will be scheduled next week for students who volunteer.

Thank you, Dr. Terregino and Dr. Pradhan

Rationale: Although this action was taken towards RWJMS medical students, it can be generalized to all students. Course approvals go through many channels. Proper processes must be followed.

Proposed Charge on Continued Assessment of Proposed Merger of New Jersey Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School – Submitted by Senator Paul Boxer, School of Arts and Sciences – Newark, Faculty

Charge: Please note that this is co-submitted with Senator Monica Roth, and should also be assigned to a reconvened Ad-Hoc Committee on the Medical School Merger. This charge requests ongoing review of the proposed merger given that prior Senate requests for information have not been fully addressed.

Rationale: In March of 2023 the Ad-Hoc Committee on Reviewing Proposal for the Merger of the Medical Schools filed a report of its work exploring various aspects of the proposed merger of the New Jersey Medical School and the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The report was inconclusive and identified numerous areas in need of further investigation. The report requested more information from the RBHS Chancellor. In April of 2023 the University Senate informed the RBHS Chancellor that it would be prepared to meet to evaluate and vote on a resolution to approve such a merger once the Chancellor had filed a complete response. In July 2023 the Chancellor submitted a number of documents addressing some elements of the information requested and informed the Senate that he had submitted a resolution for approval of the merger to the Board of Governors. At the time the Senate Executive Committee determined that the documents shared with the Senate were only partially responsive and requested a postponement of the BOG vote per University policy 50.2.2. This policy, specifically part A, grants to the Senate the power to regulate mergers of academic units. The BOG vote proceeded for the first time in Senate history without Senate endorsement, and the merger was approved at that level. However, with several issues still outstanding, the Senate must continue its work. This charge is twofold:

• Reconvene the Ad-Hoc Committee on Reviewing Proposal for the Merger of the Medical Schools to fully review information obtained from the RBHS Chancellor to date, and offer an evaluative decision concerning the proposed merger.
• Request that the 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 and powers with respect to mergers of academic units, and the meaning of shared governance in that regard and more broadly.

Open Charge Request:

The following was charged to an ad hoc committee without a deadline. The Executive Committee is requested to set a deadline for:

S-2312 Senate Officer Compensation

Old Business

Proposed Charge:

Suspension of Anthropology Bylaws to Impose Chair from Outside of Anthropology – Senator Robert Scott, School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Faculty

Charge: Review Anthropology-NB-SAS bylaws at 1:31 pm June 29 to impose an outside Chair on the department despite election of an eligible candidate from within the department who was willing to serve.

Rationale: This is an emergency. I would like the Executive Committee since it is active over the summer in lieu of FPAC to investigate the suspension of Anthropology-NB-SAS bylaws at 1:31 pm June 29 to impose an outside Chair on the department despite election of an eligible candidate from within the department who was willing to serve. We ask for any appropriate action to both preserve the Department Bylaws and the principle of faculty governance. This situation unfolded rapidly starting June 27 following weeks on no communication from any dean regarding Department leadership.

Proposed Charge:

Review of the Current Practices of the University Senate – Abimbola Oladimeji, Non-Senator

Charge: This charge seeks the USGC to review and amend by-law 308: The New Student Senators.

Rationale: The New Student Senators shall identify and develop processes such as fulfillment in student activity and concern as a means for sustenance to the Rutgers community. Public discussions in this matter shall uphold Robert’s Rule of Order. Organization of shared governance within the University Senate shall apply to the matters of the respective committee appointment.

New Business

University Senate September 22, 2023 Agenda

• Introduction of, and Comments By, Standing Committee Chairs
• Special Election:
  • Board of Governors Faculty Representative (continued from April 28)
  • Board of Trustees Faculty Representative (continued from April 28)
  • Executive Committee Student Representative – Camden
  • Executive Committee Student Representative – New Brunswick
  • Executive Committee Student Representative – Newark
  • Executive Committee Student Representative – RBHS
  • Board of Governors Student Representative
  • Board of Trustees Undergraduate Student Representative
  • Board of Trustees Graduate Student Representative

Adjournment