Resolution Upholding Shared Governance at the School of Arts and Sciences – New Brunswick

WHEREAS, the New Brunswick Faculty Council is the principal faculty body that advises the New Brunswick Chancellor, and from which the Chancellor seeks advice, on issues affecting and relevant to the New Brunswick faculty and campus, including academic policies, curricular implementation, and fiscal priorities and budgeting^[1]; and 

WHEREAS, the role of the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) Executive Dean is pivotal in fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and collaboration, and in upholding the principles of shared governance by ensuring that faculty voices are meaningfully included in decisions affecting academic policies, curricular implementation, and resource allocation; and

WHEREAS, on December 5, 2024, SAS Executive Dean Juli Wade declined to add the agenda item, “Proposal to amend Article VII, Section 3 of the SAS Bylaws,” to the planned December 12 SAS Full Faculty meeting despite receiving a petition signed by well over 15 voting SAS faculty, thereby violating Article IV, Section 3 of the SAS Bylaws^[2,3]; and

WHEREAS, during the December 12 meeting, Executive Dean Wade was removed as meeting chair by a two-thirds SAS faculty vote after stating that she would adjourn the meeting if the agenda item arose, and a substitute chair was designated and the agenda item was added by two-thirds vote of faculty attending the meeting^[4]; and 

WHEREAS, Executive Dean Wade gave as a rationale for excluding the agenda item that changes to SAS course stop points are a matter of her exclusive managerial prerogative, which she also stated was affirmed to her by Rutgers’ Office of General Counsel^[5]:

BE IT RESOLVED that the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) expresses deep concern over a dean’s refusal to allow an item onto a faculty meeting agenda, both in violation of school bylaws specifying the process for adding meeting agenda items and inconsistent with the practice of shared governance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NBFC asks Chancellor Conway to emphasize to all New Brunswick Deans the imperative of adhering to established policies, including bylaws, that are fundamental to the faculty role in shared governance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NBFC asks Chancellor Conway to emphasize to all New Brunswick Deans that “managerial prerogative” does not preclude an obligation to seek advice from their faculties, and to regularly share budget and other relevant information to facilitate their advice-giving, prior to making decisions about issues that are primary responsibilities of faculty, programs, and departments. These include but are not limited to course stop points, which have significant pedagogical and curricular implementation implications.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NBFC recognizes the importance of a collaborative relationship between faculty and administration and urges all University leadership to reaffirm their commitment to transparency, faculty participation, and adherence to the principles of shared governance. 

[1] NBFC Bylaws, approved November 2024: https://nbfc.rutgers.edu/bylaws.

[2] Per email sent from Executive Dean Wade to SAS English faculty member Andrew Goldstone (who shared it with NBFC and granted permission for it to be referenced here).

[3] SAS Bylaws (revised by faculty vote December 12, 2024).

[4] As described in a memo summarizing events of the meeting drafted by substitute meeting chair, SAS Prof. James Swenson, and confirmed by several other SAS faculty who attended the meeting.

[5] As described in the Swenson memo and Wade email to Goldstone.