RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY

UNIVERSITY SENATE

MINUTES: Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE: February 20, 2026

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

PRESENT: Afanador, Alam, Anderson, Apel, Ardeshna, Asch, Askew, Bachmann, Doug Baker, Barbarello Andrews, Behrmann, Bhuyan, Boison, Borie-Holtz, Borisovets, Boxer, Bridgeman, Brigham, Brown, Campbell, Chintala, Choron, Clarke, Collick, Cooper, Cortez, Crooks, Curchitser, Dane, Dastjerdi, Davis, DeMatteo, Dixit, Dock, Easley , Economou, Emmons, Everett, Everts, Fang, Fatahzadeh, Fenker, Fine, Flynn, Fortuna, Foster, Friedman, Galego, Georgiou, Giraud, Gittelman, Gong, Gordy, Grachan, Granadeiro, Green-Mercado, Greenbaum, Gurbuzbalaban, Gursoy, Haberl, Haley, Hayes, Hecht-Colsoy, Hennessy, Horan, Householder, Hussain, Ivasyuk, Jordan-McKinney, Keates, Kelly, Khan, Kilmurray, Kiss, Knievel, Kustka, Lehman, Limata, Lobman, Lutz, Maeng Brown, Maerhofer, Maganti, Maliga, Markowitz, Mbadugha, McCarthy, McKeever, Morales, Morton, Ntiwunka-Ifeanyi, O’Connor, Oberle, Oluwadare, Parikh, Paris, S. Patel, G. Patel, Pentecost, Pichardo, Pichugin, Pierce, Pontes, Poylangada, Purcell, Quevado, Quincy, Rabinowitz, Ramenzoni, Ramirez Polo, Robles, Rodriguez, Rossman-Murphy, Russ, Salas-de la Cruz, Saleh, Saltzman, Samavat, Santos Mendoza, Schafer, Schwartz, Scott, Searcy, Sergel, Shah, Shinbrot, Salman Sirajee, Sloan-Power, Smith, Spiegel, Spiero, Szatrowski, Takhistov, Tirino, Torres, Weiss, White, Wirtenberg, Wolfe, Yachimovicz, Zhou, Zwick, Özel

EXCUSED: Anderson, Andrews, Carney-Waterton, Haviland, Hoffman, Kaback, Kettle, LaMorte, Ladell, Morton, Pintar, Shaikh, Stimson

ABSENT: Abdelfattah, Adya, Agyemang, F. Ahmed, B. Ahmed, Ameri, Amjad, Anderson Eloy, Anner, Arbuthnot, Barone, Berkowitz, Bond, Boswell, Bredehoft, Burkheimer, Carter, Chiricolo, Conway, Cotter, Cuitiño, DiGiovanni, Dinnall, Ebert, Feldman, Godoy, Gould, Gower, Graham, Griffin, Guo, Halkitis, Hisham Hamawy, Hart, Hatefi, Hussain, Javanmard, Johnson, Kaye, Kayyal, Ketankumar Patel, Khan, Khatal, La Vigne, Lawson, Lee, Lei, Leibowitz, Lemish, Luciano, Mahajan, Mao, Mattis, Mazurek, McArdle, Moulton, Murphy, Murtha, Nickitas, O’Connell, Oliver, Parna, V. Patel, Pradhan, Ramachandran, Reshamdalal, Reynolds, Robson, Rosa, Rosales, Rubin, Sarath, Sayde, Schroth, Scott, Shah, Shapiro, Smith-Jackson, Sorbat, Sow, Span, Sriram, Starkweather, Stubin, Suh, Syed, Tate, Tewfik, Tillis, Truschke, Van Ryzin, Vuppala, Wade, Wagner, Yang, 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.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY – Taryn Cooper, Senate Executive Secretary

• Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved with the addition of one item for new business proposed by Senator Pierce to discuss institutional changes relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Minutes: The minutes of the January 23, 2026 Senate Meeting Minutes were approved as distributed by the Executive Secretary without objections.
• Administrative Responses:
  • Response to Resolution on Senator Elections Timeline
  • Response to Resolution on Alternative Route to Policy Changes
• Communications
  • Senate Social February 27, 2026 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Rutgers Club. Details have been emailed.
  • Staff and Lecturer elections will be starting next month. Communications will be coming from Vivian Fernandez.
  • Entitlement email reminders have been sent to all units along with the Resolution on Senator Elections Timeline.
  • Committee on Academic Student Affairs report received.
  • Several committees are working on surveys. Communications will be coming from Executive Secretary.
  • Reminder to Senators log in to the website for attendance and access to voting.
  • Email Morgan Smith regarding attendance and committee activities.

CAMDEN CAMPUS REPORT – Antonio Tillis, Chancellor, Camden (1:20 – 1:50 p.m.)

COMMITTEE REPORTS/RESOLUTIONS: The report will be presented/summarized by the committee chair, then will be discussed, and acted upon by the Senate. Substantive amendments to these reports should be given to the Senate secretary in writing prior to or at the time the amendment is moved.

Committee Report and Recommendations (1:50 – 2:05 p.m.)

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

Information Only:

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.

Senator Knievel reported that ITC updated the surveys based on EC suggestions and will soon be finalizing the surveys for Senate approval.

Committee Report and Recommendations (2:05 – 2:20 p.m.)

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.

Senator Boxer presented the report and recommendations. The recommendations were adopted.

Committee Report and Recommendations (2:20 – 2:35 p.m.)

Rutgers MADC Taskforce Update Report – Paul Boxer, Anna Haley, Heather Pierce, Co-Chairs

Senator Anna Haley presented an update including information from the first meeting of the NJ-MADC’s “constitutional convention”. The group held a meeting with members attending from Rutgers University, The College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, Rowan University, Stockton University, William Paterson University, and Stevens Institute of Technology. Member’s respective Senates will vote to identify two representatives to participate on behalf of that institution.

OLD BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS**

A motion for the Senate to discuss the topic of institutional changes relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a committee of the whole was adopted. The topics discussed included changes to websites, changes to language in syllabi, and changes to names of committees, offices, and position titles. The Senate noted the need for President Tate to provide clarity on the protection of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Rutgers.

A motion for President Tate to address the Senate regarding the topic of institutional changes relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion was adopted.

SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT (2:35 – 2:40 p.m.) – Wendy Purcell, Vice Chair

Senator and Vice Chair Purcell reported on the February 6, 2026 Executive Committee meeting.

REPORTS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES (2:40 – 2:50 p.m.) 

Senator Pierce reported on the Board of Governors. Senator Schwartz reported that the Board of Trustees will meet in two weeks.

REPORTS OF CAMPUS FACULTY AND STUDENT LIAISONS (2:50 – 3:05 p.m.)

Senator Green-Mercado reported the Newark Faculty Counsel will meet next Monday. Senator Searcy reported for New Brunswick students. Senator Haley reported for New Brunswick Faculty Counsel. Senator Pichardo, Senator Poylangada, and Senator Paris reported for New Brunswick students. Senator Rohowsky-Kochan reported for RBHS. Senator Wilkinson reported for Camden Faculty.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 3:23 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