RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MINUTES
June 7, 2024

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

ALSO ATTENDING: R. Boikess (BOT Faculty Representative), E. Brown (2024-25 Executive Committee), V. Hewitt (University Senate Executive Secretary), P. Moghe (Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs), K. O’Halloran (Vice President for Academic Planning & Administration, EVPAA), H. Pierce (BOG Faculty Representative), W. Rodriguez (2024-25 Executive Committee), D. Salas-de la Cruz (2024-25 Executive Committee), R. Schwartz (BOT Faculty Representative), S. Searcy (BOG Student Representative), M. Smith (University Senate Administrative Assistant), S. Tomlinson-Clarke (New Brunswick Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee was held on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. remotely via Zoom.

Chair’s Report– Adrienne Simonds, Senate Chair

Chair Simonds called the June 7, 2024 Senate Executive Committee meeting to order at 12:01 p.m. Chair Simonds noted that during his May 23 testimony to Congress, President Holloway said he would be involving the University Senate in efforts to address campus culture over the summer. Discussion of this issue was added to New Business.

Secretary’s Report– Vicki Hewitt, Senate Executive Secretary

• The June 7, 2024 Executive Committee Agenda was approved, with the addition of one item of New Business.
• The April 5, 2024 Senate Executive Committee Minutes were approved.
• The April 26, 2024 University Senate Organizational Meeting Minutes were approved.
• The April 26, 2024 University Senate Meeting Minutes were approved.
• The May 3, 2024 University Senate Special Meeting Minutes were approved.
• The May 10, 2024 Senate Executive Committee Special Meeting Minutes were approved.
• One administrative response was received:
  • Response to S-2203: Examining the Efficacy of the GRE
• The following policy was updated in the University Policy Library:
  • University Policy 40.4.2 Rutgers University-Sponsored International Travel Policy

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

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

• Updates on online education
• Middle States reaccreditation
• Presidential Faculty Diversity Hiring Initiative
• Rutgers Innovation Awards
• Feedback received from the Senate on Research Centers & Institutes policy
• Administrative Responses to Senate reports
• Career prospects for graduate students
• Response to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Letter to President Holloway
• Rutgers Day in Camden and Newark
• Impact of cost-cutting measures on academic quality
• Inclusiveness of faculty hiring at the School of Nursing

Dr. Moghe then answered questions on the following topics:

• Class size limits and student-faculty ratio
• Cancellation of classes for summer session
• Removing inequities associated with UMDNJ Legacy positions
• Re-engaging President Holloway with the Senate

Discussion – Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke, New Brunswick Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Selection of Members of the Chancellor’s Commencement Committees

The final recommendations for the Chancellor’s Commencement Committees were discussed and finalized as follows:

• Camden
  • Sam Rabinowitz, Distinguished Service Professor, Management, School of Business-Camden
  • Cynthia Saltzman, Lecturer, Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice, Camden College of Arts and Sciences
  • Jose Torres, Lecturer, School of Business-Camden
• New Brunswick / RBHS
  • Gloria Bachmann, Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  • Mary Bridgeman, Clinical Professor, Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
  • Mihaela Carla Caponegro, Director of the Plangere Writing Center and Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Arts and Sciences
  • Jo-leo Carney-Waterton, Lecturer, Political Science, School of Arts and Sciences
  • Abigail Fulton, Student, School of Arts and Sciences-NB
  • Christopher Godoy, Student, School of Arts and Sciences-NB
  • Mehdi Javanmard, Professor and Paul S. & Mary W. Monroe Endowed Faculty Scholar, Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Patricia Morton, Associate Research Professor, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Arts and Sciences
  • Heather Pierce, Lecturer, Political Science, School of Arts and Sciences
  • Ronald Quincy, Professor of Professional Practice, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
  • Robert Schwartz, Professor and Head, Dermatology, New Jersey Medical School
  • Marissa Syed, Student, School of Arts and Sciences-NB
• Newark
  • Natalie Borisovets, Humanities & Social Sciences Librarian, John Cotton Dana Library
  • Safanya Searcy, Student, School of Criminal Justice

Workshop on Academic Freedom

The Executive Committee supported the idea of the Senate sponsoring an online event on academic freedom for the broader University community in the fall.

New Senator Orientation

In addition to the standard New Senator Orientation, an additional session reviewing Robert’s Rules of Order for both new and current senators was proposed.

Format of the 2024-25 Executive Committee and University Senate Meetings

Executive Committee meetings and University Senate meetings will be held remotely via Zoom in 2024-25. The Senate will hold social events in person, ideally at least one per semester.

2024-25 Chancellor and Administrative Reports

For both Chancellors and Administrative Liaisons, written reports will be requested in advance. Meeting time will focus on discussion and Q&A.

For the Administrative Liaison reports to the Executive Committee, the EVPAA is asked to continue to include updates on responses to Senate reports. The EVPAA is also invited to include issues where the administration is seeking the Senate’s advice or engagement.

Policy Development Committees (PDC) Panel

A call to volunteer for the panel will be distributed to the 2024-25 Senate.

Senate/Senate EC Involvement in the Search for a New Chancellor in Newark

The Senate will be represented on the search committee.

Re-engagement with the President and Engagement with the Board of Governors

Discussion was postponed to the September EC meeting as a new BOG chair will be elected on June 20.

Resolution to Protect Jews at Rutgers – Submitted by Senator Cynthia Saltzman, Lecturer-Camden, Faculty

Outcome: The Executive Committee declined to docket this to the September Senate agenda. The proposer will be advised to revise this resolution to be a charge.

Standing Committees/Panels

Draft of 2024-25 Standing Committee Rosters and EC Liaisons

Executive Secretary Hewitt reviewed draft committee assignments with the Executive Committee, with particular reference to proposed EC liaisons. Some election results are still outstanding. Final committee assignments will be announced in the coming weeks.

Review 2023-24 Reports of Standing Committees

Chair Simonds reviewed reports from committee chairs on their work this academic year and outstanding charges the committees will continue to work on next year.

Proposed Charge:

Automatic Textbooks Billing – Hakim Hines, Non-Senator

Charge: Why is there not any protocol for the university and/or for professors to notify students who are enrolled in this program? Why when students opt-out of this program, they are still charged and then they are refunded? Why can the charge not be taken off the bill? Why is there not a list of which professors sign up for this program so students can better know what to expect in terms of their textbooks and term bills?

Rationale: Tuition is already expensive for students, textbooks are expensive as well. Combining the cost of textbooks into the tuition bill seems like a smart idea, but it has been handled poorly by this institution. Students are never notified of their inclusion in the Automatic Textbooks Billing program unless they are lucky enough to have a professor who cares to alert them. Even then, students go through a drawn-out process to still have to pay for their opted-out program and have to wait to get their refund. And for the ones that are not fortunate enough to have professors with a heart, they are left in the dark even more about the institution’s failed system. The Senate should look into the Automatic Textbooks Billing on campus because regardless of who is at fault, students are the victims of a system that is doing a lot more harm than good.

Outcome: The Executive Committee declined to charge this to a committee at this time. Senators Boxer and Salas-de la Cruz will propose revisions to the charge language, which will then be communicated back to the proposer.

Proposed Charge:

Rutgers University and its Schools, Departments, Centers, and Programs Making Statements on Controversial Political Topics – Senator Wayne Eastman, Rutgers Business School:Newark/NB, Faculty,  and Senator Cynthia Saltzman, Lecturer-Camden, Faculty

Charge: Conduct an investigation to develop information relevant to a future Senate resolution on whether Rutgers University administrators, schools, departments, centers, and programs should be authorized to make, be forbidden from making, or be discouraged from making statements on behalf of the University or its units that take positions on controversial political issues not directly connected to the mission of the University or the unit.

Outcome: The Executive Committee declined to charge this to a committee at this time.

Proposed Charge:

University Senate’s Communication with Constituents Through Social Media – Senator Abigail Fulton, School of Arts and Sciences-NB, Student

Charge: Charge an ad hoc committee to explore and recommend how the University Senate can utilize social media platforms (i.e., Instagram) to create and enhance communications to foster awareness and engagement.

Rationale: The University Senate currently faces a problem where it is unable to maintain a line of communication with its constituents. A significant reason for this is that the Senate has a very limited presence on modern communication platforms, which hinders both engagement and the effective dissemination of information. By considering social media, the University Senate opens an accessible and available direct line of communication to its senators and constituents. This proactive approach enhances transparency and awareness, as well as enriching the Senate’s overall impact.

Outcome: An ad hoc committee was issued this charge with a deadline of April 2025.

Proposed Charge:

Tuition Benefits for “UMDNJ Legacy” Roles – Catherine Jones, Non-Senator

Charge: I would like to propose for the tuition benefits that are associated with staff roles designated as “Legacy UMDNJ”, to be reviewed due to equity reasons, as well as adjustments based on the upcoming merger between NJMS and RWJ Medical Schools.

Rationale: The following proposal should be reviewed by the senate because it can address issues regarding equity among Rutgers staff/schools and will provide an opportunity for staff to further their education. Currently, for positions associated with the designation of “Legacy UMDNJ”, staff are only allocated tuition reimbursement (up to $3,120 per calendar year), in comparison to Rutgers positions in which tuition is covered at 100%. There are similar positions to that of “Legacy UMDNJ” designated roles in other Rutgers schools, that provide their staff with 100% tuition remission. For example, roles within NJMS that are similar to roles within RWJ have different tuition benefit coverages.

Additionally, as the medical schools are merging this would be a great opportunity to examine positions that may need to be reclassified, and that are associated with the designation of “Legacy UMDNJ”, as well as an opportunity to revise the tuition benefits available for staff.

Outcome: The Executive Committee declined to issue this charge as this is not in the purview of the University Senate. The proposer will be advised to bring this topic to their union representatives. The proposer will also be notified that the Senate will be working on a resolution advocating for broader equity between Chancellor-led units, and this issue will be included in that resolution.

Proposed Charge:

University Senate Badge – Senator Suja Patel, Newark Staff

Charge: I am not sure which committee to assign this charge (or whether it is an actual charge). I would like to have a Senator Badge be created for senators to use as part of their Rutgers email signatures. To promote the University Senate, as well as provide a sense of belonging to all members of the Senate.

Rationale: Perhaps research if other universities utilize a badge.

Outcome: The Senate office will follow up with the proposer to clarify if the current University Senate logo email signature will fulfill this request.

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-2334: Senate Communications

Outcome: S-2334 was assigned a deadline of January 2025.

Old Business

Open Charge Request:

S-2323: Definition of Environmentally and Socially Responsible Materials and Products (University Policy 20.1.11 Procurement and Payment Policy)

USGC requested clarification on why it had been assigned this charge. The committee was asked to consult with the proposer of the charge, who is a member of USGC. This was postponed to the September Executive Committee meeting.

New Business

Involvement of University Senate in Efforts to Address Campus Culture

The Executive Committee proposed inviting President Holloway to discuss this at a special meeting of the Executive Committee over the summer.

Adjournment

The Executive Committee adjourned at 3:07 p.m.

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