RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
UNIVERSITY SENATE

MINUTES: Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE: September 19, 2025

TIME AND PLACE: 1:10 p.m., Remote via Zoom

MEMBERS PRESENT: Abdelfattah, Afanador, Alam, Ali, Amjad, K. Anderson, C. Anderson, Andrews, Apel, Arbuthnot, Ardeshna, Asch, Askew, Bachmann, Baker, Barbarello Andrews, Behrmann, Berkowitz, Bhuyan, Boison, Borie-Holtz, Borisovets, Boxer, Bridgeman, Brigham, Brown, Carney-Waterton, Chintala, Choron, Clarke, Collick, Cooper, Cortez, Crooks, Curchitser, Dane, Dastjerdi, Davis, DeMatteo, Dixit, Dock, Easley , Ebert, Economou, Emmons, Everett, Everts, Fang, Fatahzadeh, Fenker, Fine, Flynn, Fortuna, Foster, Georgiou, Giraud, Gittelman, Gong, Gordy, Gower, Grachan, Graham, Granadeiro, Green-Mercado, Greenbaum, J. Guo, Gursoy, Haberl, Haley, Hisham Hamawy, Haviland, Hayes, Hennessy, Horan, Householder, H. Hussain, S. Hussain, Ivasyuk, Jordan-McKinney, Kaback, Kayyal, Keates, Kelly, S. Khan, R. Khan, Khatal, Kilmurray, Kiss, Knievel, LaMorte, Ladell, Lam, Lehman, Limata, Lobman, Luciano, Lutz, Maeng Brown, Maerhofer, Mahajan, Maliga, Markowitz, Mazurek, Mbadugha, McArdle, McCarthy, McKeever, Morales, Morera, P. Morton, C. Morton, Nickitas, Ntiwunka-Ifeanyi, Oberle, Olivera, Oluwadare, Paris, Patel, Pentecost, Pichardo, Pichugin, Pierce, Purcell, Quevado, Quincy, Rabinowitz, Ramachandran, Ramenzoni, Ramirez Polo, Rodriguez, Rossman-Murphy, Russ, Salas-de la Cruz, Saleh, Samavat, Santos Mendoza, Schafer, Schwartz, Scott, Searcy, Sergel, Sese, Shah, Shaikh, Salman Sirajee, Sloan-Power, Sorbat, Sriram, Stimson, Suh, Szatrowski, Takhistov, Tate, Tewfik, Tirino, Torres, Weiss, White, Wirtenberg, Wolfe, H. Zhang, Zhou, Zwick, Özel

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Campbell, Gurbuzbalaban, Hoffman, Javanmard, Kettle, Maganti, G. Patel, Saltzman, Schroth, Wagner

MEMBERS ABSENT: Adya, Agyemang, F. Ahmed, B. Ahmed, Ameri, Anderson Eloy, Anner, Barone, Bond, Bredehoft, Burkheimer, Campbell, Chiricolo, Conway, Cotter, Cuitiño, DiGiovanni, Dinnall, Feldman, Friedman, Geary, Giermanski, Godoy, Gould, Griffin, Halkitis, Hart, Hatefi, Hecht-Colsoy, Henderson, Johnson, Kaye, A. Patel, Kustka, La Vigne, Lawson, Lee, Lei, Leibowitz, Lemish, Mao, Mattis, Murphy, Murtha, O’Connell, O’Connor, Oliver, Parna, Pintar, Pontes, Pradhan, Reshamdalal, Reynolds, Robinson, Robles, Robson, Rosa, Rubin, Sarath, Sayde, Scott, Shapiro, Shinbrot, Smith, Smith-Jackson, Sonnenberg, Sow, Span, Spiegel, Starkweather, Strom, Stubin, Syed, Tillis, Truschke, Vuppala, Wade, Yang, Y.Zhang

CALL TO ORDER, DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM, AND CHAIR’S REPORT – Lucille Foster, Chair

Chair Foster called the meeting to order at 1:10 p.m. She welcomed senators to the new academic year and shared her commitment to advancing shared governance through communication and transparency. She noted with only 8 Senate meetings in a year, the Senate will address a wide range of complex and diverse issues that matter to the University, with focus and purpose. The Senate will move forward by engaging in open dialogue, mutual respect, and civility.

SECRETARY’S REPORT – Taryn Cooper, Executive Secretary

• Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved, without objections
• Policy Updates
  • 60.1.8. Equal Employment Opportunity– Updated on an Interim Policy basis
  • 70.1.5. Rutgers University Digital Accessibility Policy– Updated on an Interim Policy basis
• Communications
  • 2025-2026 Senate Calendar
  • 2025-26 Senator Email Logo
  • New Senator Orientation was held on September 12, 2025. Materials are available on the Information for Senators page, under Additional Resources.
  • Members sought for new Ad Hoc Committee on Cross-Campus Equity in Student, Faculty, and Staff Experiences, Support, and Recognition
  • Members sought for Chancellor’s Commencement Committee
  • Qualtrics Survey for Future Senate Socials, Senate Merchandise
  • Executive Committee Vacancy: Faculty, At-Large
  • Reminder to log in to the Senate website for attendance and voting access

PRESIDENT’S ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT – William F. Tate IV, President

After delivering his Administrative Report, President Tate addressed questions on the following topics:

• Plans for Rutgers University Libraries.
• Response to pressures on academia from the state and federal levels.
• International student enrollment challenges.
• Incorporating and uplifting the arts.
• Protection for international students at Rutgers University.
• Defense of academic freedom in scholarly environments

SELECTION OF SENATE VICE CHAIR

Chair Foster introduced Wendy Purcell as the Vice Chair by unanimous consent.

RESOLUTION CELEBRATING SENATOR DR. ROBERT BOIKESS

Chair Foster presented this resolution to the Senate and held a moment of silence. The resolution was passed by acclamation.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/RESOLUTIONS: The reports/resolutions were presented/summarized by the committee chair, then discussed, and acted upon by the Senate.

Ad Hoc Committee on Code of Conduct for Senate Virtual Meetings
Draft of Senate Code of Conduct for Senate Virtual Meetings  – Submitted by Senator Katie Anderson, Member – University Libraries

Senator Anderson presented this resolution to the Senate. The resolution was tabled indefinitely.

OLD BUSINESS

None.

NEW BUSINESS

None.

SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT

Chair Foster reported on the Sept. 5, 2025 Senate Executive Committee meeting.

REPORTS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES

Senator Schwartz reported on the Board of Trustees meeting. Chair Foster reported on the Board of Governors meeting. Senator Pierce also reported on the Board of Governors meeting.

REPORTS OF CAMPUS FACULTY AND STUDENT LIAISONS

Senator Haley reported that New Brunswick Faculty had not met, but the leads of all faculty councils across the University had met. Senator Green-Mercado reported Newark Faculty had not met. Senator Olivera reported Newark Students had not met. Senator Wilkinson reported on behalf of Camden Faculty. Senator McArdle reported on behalf of Camden Students. Senator Rohowsky-Kochan reported RBHS Faculty had not met. Senator Gordy reported RBHS Students had not met.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 2:39 p.m.

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

 

Committee Meetings

Academic Standards, Regulations & Admissions Committee Meeting

No location or time for this committee meeting

Budget & Finance Committee Meeting

No location or time for this committee meeting

Faculty Affairs & Personnel Committee Meeting

No location or time for this committee meeting

Information Technology Committee Meeting

No location or time for this committee meeting

Instruction, Curricula & Advising Committee Meeting

No location or time for this committee meeting

Research, Graduate & Professional Education Committee Meeting

No location or time for this committee meeting

Student Affairs Committee Meeting

No location or time for this committee meeting

University Structure & Governance Committee

No location or time for this committee meeting