Resolution on RU Marketplace

BACKGROUND

Inasmuch as Products and, especially, books for research and teaching, necessarily ordered through the "Rutgers Marketplace," can no longer be shipped to home addresses.

Since Flexible delivery of books and other products, which can have a beneficial impact on faculty productivity, was especially appreciated during the pandemic.

Because on-campus venues for delivery are often open, unsupervised spaces. And, when they are closed spaces, Deliveries sometimes coincide with periods when administrative staff is unavailable to receive packages. And orders often come in multiple shipments, which creates confusion and increases campus trips to receive books in a timely manner.  

Seeing that the changes in established practices have impeded the secure delivery of items, adding to uncertainty, stress, and expenditure of time, although faculty members are naturally visiting departmental mailrooms regularly.

Inasmuch as many departments have problems with shipments going to wrong addresses or left outside sidewalks carelessly, and with no notice  so that there is now an ongoing risk for books to be lost or stolen, and faculty and, in, staff do not have time to track, and report lost or stolen books and deal with refunds and changes in cancelled orders.

Since the New Brunswick faculty has not been given any rationale for the abandonment of earlier practices, which appeared to be working well. And NBRU faculty was not consulted over this change.

RESOLUTION

Be it resolved that the New Brunswick Faculty Council respectfully requests that the Rutgers administration reinstate the former practice of home delivery of products ordered through Rutgers Marketplace.