RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MINUTES
February 6, 2026

MEMBERS PRESENT: Andrews, Asch, Foster (Chair), Boxer, Davis, Gordy, Haley, Kiss, Ntiwunka-Ifeanyi, Pierce, Purcell (Vice Chair), Salas-de la Cruz, Schwartz, Scott

ALSO ATTENDING: T. Ahammed (Application Developer), W. Ching (Programmer Analyst), T. Cooper (University Senate Executive Secretary), R. Gigliotti (Chief of Staff, President’s Office-Rutgers), T. Knievel (ITC co-chair), R. Sese (IT Manager/Sr. Web Developer), M. Smith (University Senate Administrative Assistant)

The regular meeting of the University Senate Executive Committee (EC) was held on Friday, February 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. remotely via Zoom.

Chair’s Report– Lucille Foster, Senate Chair

Chair Foster called the February 6, 2026 Senate EC meeting to order at 12:03 p.m.

Secretary’s Report– Taryn Cooper, Senate Executive Secretary

• Approval of Agenda
• Approval of the January 9, 2026 Senate Executive Committee Minutes
• Administrative Responses:
  • Response to Resolution on Senator Elections Timeline
  • Response to Resolution on Alternative Route to Policy Changes
• Communications

• • The Senate Social is being held on Friday February, 27, 2026 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
  • Staff and Lecturer elections will be starting next month. Communications will be coming from Vivian Fernandez.

SASN and RBS Deans Evaluation Committee Nominations

The Executive Committee approved all nominees listed to be sent to Provost Jeffrey Robinson.

Discussion- Richard Sese, IT Manager/Sr. Web Developer, Thaquib Ahammed, Application Developer, William Ching, Programmer Analyst- Senate Website

The IT team discussed their progress with working on a solution to determining quorum within the Senate website.

Senate Budget Update

Chair Foster informed the Executive Committee that the Senate budget addendum shared with Ralph Gigliotti was partially approved by the President and additional funds will be given to the Senate budget. More information on the amount will be shared at the March Executive Committee once it is finalized.

Senate Meeting Dates 2026-2027

The Executive Secretary and Administrative Assistant presented the next year’s Senate meeting schedule for review.

Standing Committees/Panels

Committee Report and Recommendations

Information Technology Committee- Timothy Knievel, Susan DeMatteo (co-chairs)

ITC AI Survey- Student Version

ITC AI Survey- Faculty/Staff Version

ITC was charged as follows:

Prepare and conduct anonymous surveys of Rutgers faculty, staff and students to collect baseline data on how A.I. tools are being used at the university.

Outcome: Senator Knievel presented the surveys for EC feedback with the goal to have the surveys ready to be distributed to the university on behalf of the Senate within the year. The EC advised that IRB consultation is not needed before survey distribution as the results are not being published for research. The EC did not have any feedback regarding content of the survey, but suggested Lauren Goodlad as a contact for further review.

Committee Report and Recommendations

University Structure and Governance Committee-Wendy Purcell, Patricia Morton (co-chairs)

Repeat Pulse Survey: To be completed during March Senate meeting

Communications Survey

Voting Process Survey

Outcome: The EC docketed the pulse survey to be completed during the March Senate meeting, as it is directly related to shared governance for the Senate. The EC noted several changes to the communications survey including having a drop-down box with the list of constituencies and to rephrase the question of ‘if you report’ to ‘how do you report’. The EC agreed to review the final draft of the communications survey via email after USGC incorporated feedback. There was no feedback offered for the voting process survey.

Committee Report and Recommendations

Faculty and Personnel Affairs- Christine Morales, Sara Campbell (co-chairs)

S-2502: Guidance for Promotions to Tenure During Uncertain Conditions of Federal Funding

FPAC was charged as follows:

Consider developing guidance for promotion and tenure committees within schools and colleges related to supporting faculty in disciplines where federal funding is traditionally expected during the course of the pre-tenure period as a key marker for advancement.  Chairs, deans, and others involved in supporting pre-tenure faculty on their pathway to tenure can make use of this guidance when advising junior faculty in those disciplines on ways to demonstrate and sustain scholarly excellence in the absence of federal funding for research and related activities.

Outcome: The EC docketed the report to be presented during the March Senate meeting.

Committee Report and Recommendations

Rutgers MADC Taskforce Update- Anna Haley, Paul Boxer, Heather Pierce (co-chairs)

Outcome: The EC docketed the update to be presented during the March Senate meeting and requested a written report be submitted.

Open Charge Request:

SAC requests an extension until June 2026 for the following charges:

• • S-2115-3 Academic Freedom
  • S-2204-3: Impact of CourseAtlas

SAC requests to be discharged from the following charge:

• • S-2401-1: Automatic Textbook Billing

Outcome: The EC extended S-2115-3 and S-2204-3 until June 2026. The EC discharged S-240101 but encouraged SAC to submit a new charge focused on the Open and Affordable Textbooks program.

Open Charge Request:

USGC requests and extension until September 2026 for the following charges:

• • S-2309-2: Increased Representation of Graduate Students and PTL Faculty in the University Senate
  • S-2316-1: University Senate Representation on Formal Governance Boards
  • S-2318-1: Increasing Student Representation on the Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee
  • S-2405: Teaching Faculty Inclusion
  • S-2406: Senate Role in Shared Governance

Outcome: The EC extended the charges until September 2026. The EC also accepted Senator Pierce’s requested name change to replace ‘PTL’ with ‘Lecturer’ for charge S-2309-2: Increased Representation of Graduate Students and PTL Faculty.

Open Charge Request:

FPAC requests an extension until June 2026 for the following charge:

• • S-2333-1 Cost Cutting and Budget Deficits

Outcome: The EC extended the charge until June 2026 and suggested all three committees (FPAC, BFC, ICAC) connect to understand the progress on the joint charge.

Old Business

There was none.

New Business

Senator Boxer discussed new business relating to a picket event that occurred on the Newark campus which involved RUPD and the Chancellor’s office. A motion was made by Senator Boxer for Chair Foster to send a letter to the President indicating that the Free Expression Guidelines need to be removed. This was seconded by Senators Scott, Pierce, Schwartz, and Davis. Further discussion then took place relating to who else should be cc’d on the letter, the USGC’s previous work with UEC concerning the guidelines not being approved university policy, Senator Asch’s experience in the Law building during the time of RUPD activity, and the opportunity to invite Kenneth Cop to a future EC meeting. Chair Foster then asked if there was any objection to the letter including two key points from the conversation relating to discussion of the guidelines not being approved policy and RUPD’s recent actions; there were no objections. At the adjournment of the meeting, the Chair advised that she work on the letter directly and send by the next business day. There would also be an informational EC meeting established with administration such as Ralph Gigliotti, Kenneth Cop, Henry Velez, and William Castner.

Adjournment

The Executive Committee adjourned at 2:29 p.m.

Minutes prepared by: Taryn Cooper, Executive Secretary of the University Senate