RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MINUTES
January 5, 2024

MEMBERS PRESENT: Boxer, Esposito, Foster (Chair), Giraud, Godoy, Haley, Kiss, Olivera, Parsa, Roth, Schroth, Thompson, Winters

ALSO ATTENDING: T. Ayorinde (BOT Graduate Student Representative), J. Battle (Policy Manager), R. Boikess (BOT Faculty Representative), V. Hewitt (University Senate Executive Secretary), R. Honig (Vice President and Chief University Compliance Officer), P. Moghe (Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs), K. O’Halloran (Vice President for Academic Planning & Administration, EVPAA), K. Pastva (Secretary of the University), H. Pierce (BOG Faculty Representative), R. Schwartz (BOT Faculty Representative), S. Searcy (BOG Student Representative), M. Smith (University Senate Administrative Assistant)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. remotely via Zoom.

Chair’s Report– Lucille Foster, Senate Vice Chair

Vice Chair Foster called the Jan. 5, 2024 Senate Executive Committee meeting to order at 12:02 p.m. Chair Simonds was unable to attend as she was ill.

Secretary’s Report– Vicki Hewitt, Senate Executive Secretary

• The January 5, 2024 Executive Committee Agenda was approved, with the addition of two items of New Business.
• The December 1, 2023 Senate Executive Committee Minutes were approved.
• Administrative Response
  • Response to S-2010-1: Evaluation of the RCM Implementation at Rutgers
  • Response to S-2307: RCM Detailed Recommendations
• Policy Update
  • 40.2.14 Investment Policy

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

Dr. Moghe provided the Administrative Report consisting of the following topics:

• Inaccuracies in Jan. 5 paychecks for some faculty and staff
• Rutgers-Newark selected as 2024 Beckman Scholars Program Awardee
• Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards
• Perry N. Halkitis Endowed Chair in LGBTQ+ Public Health in the School of Public Health
• Rutgers startup Queens Carbon to manufacture carbon-neutral cement
• Rutgers Equity Alliance for Community Health (REACH) featured in a film series at the 2023 American Public Health Association annual meeting
• Rutgers Professor Juliane Gross selected as member of the geology team supporting NASA’s Artemis III mission
• Faculty Awards
• Rutgers commencement ceremony in Shanghai, China
• Inclusion of 129 Rutgers student-athletes in 2023 Fall Academic All-Big Ten
• Rutgers Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC)
• Rutgers Professor Marla Blunt-Carter sworn in as member of President Biden’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans
• Albert W. Lewitt Endowed Lecture at the Eagleton Institute of Politics
• New Jersey Reparations Council co-chaired by Rutgers Professor and Graduate School-Newark Dean Taja-Nia Henderson
• Middle East war and campus climate
• Freedom from Discrimination, Freedom to Learn in Safety website – Rutgers-New Brunswick
• Reject Hate website – University Equity and Inclusion
• Navigating Tensions, Affirming Community Speaker Series
• Administrative responses to Senate reports

Dr. Moghe then answered questions on the following topics:

• Accountability for the paycheck inaccuracies
• Possible actions to ameliorate the burden of the paycheck inaccuracies
• Communications around paycheck inaccuracies
• Inclusion of faculty scholarship in Rutgers Today

Discussion on 50.1.13 Policy on Policies – Jewell Battle, Policy Manager, Rachael Honig, Vice President and Chief University Compliance Officer, and Kimberlee Pastva, Secretary of the University

Language for Nomination Procedures and Timeframe for a Senate Representative for the Policy Approval Committee

BOG Faculty Representative Heather Pierce and BOG Student Representative Safanya Searcy will serve as interim Senate representatives (voting and alternate) for the Policy Approval Committee. An ad hoc committee will be convened to determine the nominating procedures for the position.

Proposed Changes to the Senate Handbook to Add the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee

An ad hoc committee will be convened to review and modify the draft language to add to the Senate Handbook establishing this committee.

Senate Email Communication Process with Our Constituents

The Information Technology Committee will review this information and continue to work on S-2319: Explore Mechanisms, Methods and Processes for Senators to Communicate Senate Work and Information to Their Constituents.

Resolution in Support of Free Speech on Campus – Submitted by Senator Fauzan Amjad, Student Charter Trustee

The Executive Committee voted against adding this resolution to the January Senate agenda.

Old Business

None.

New Business

Email List for Senate Discussion

Senators Boxer, Esposito, and Pierce reported on the meeting held with the Senate office to discuss this issue. Senator Esposito will finalize the settings and investigate best practices on including attachments in emails sent to the list.

Paycheck Inaccuracies

The Executive Committee will develop a list of concerns to share with Dr. Moghe.

Adjournment

The Executive Committee adjourned at 3:36 p.m.

Minutes prepared by: Vicki Hewitt, Executive Secretary of the University Senate