Meeting Minutes #159

 

Members Present: R. Bumby, M. Cotter, J. Crowley, H. Davidson, P. Findley, N. Glickman, M. Gliserman, S. Golbeck, M. Gordon, M. Gursoy, C. Jager, H. Janes, R. Larrier, P. Leath, H. McGary, G. McGhee, K. McKeever, G. Mainelis, R. Marker, J. Markert, J. Miller, P. Panayotatos, E. Ramsamy, G. Rendsburg, J. Rubin, H. Sackrowitz, R. Schuler, J. Shapiro, K. Thompson, R. Wilson

Non-Members Present: B. Fehn, P. Furmanski, Z. Galili, W. Johnson, R. L. McCormick, K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary)

1. Call to Order and Report of the Chair - Martin Gliserman

Council Chairperson Martin Gliserman called the 159th meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) to order at 1:15 p.m. in the Cook Campus Center, Room 202, Cook Campus. He suggested that a task force should be formed to improve the efficiency and use of the council’s time.

2. Approval of the Agenda and Minutes

The day’s agenda, including time limits, and the Minutes of the November 2, 2007 New Brunswick Faculty Council meeting, were approved.

3. Africana Studies, Statement to the Council - Walton R. Johnson, Africana Studies

Professor Walton R. Johnson, of the Department of Africana Studies, read to the council his written statement which begins with his calling upon his "faculty colleagues to reject the SAS plan to remove African Languages and Literatures from the department of Africana Studies."  Professor Johnson then responded to questions from council members, particularly those related to the process, discussions, and faculty involvement in the decision at issue. Discussion of this issue ended when the established, 20-minute time limit expired.

4. School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) Core Curriculum Committee Report - Harriet Davidson

Harriet Davidson, having reported previously on the work and plans of the SAS-NB Curriculum Committee, continued that reporting with additional detail about the emerging curriculum. She then heard comments, and responded to questions, from the Council. Davidson supplemented her summary with a series of PowerPoint slides listing specifics of various elements of the curriculum discussions.

5. Africana Studies - Ziva Galili, SAS-NB Acting Dean

Acting SAS-NB Dean Ziva Galili spoke about the Africana Studies issue introduced earlier by Professor Johnson, and about the longstanding problem of an inability to deliver quality teaching in certain families of languages, as well as strategies for dealing with that inability. Martha Cotter, noting that the NBFC is especially concerned with faculty governance and procedures, asked about SAS-NB procedures related to the Africana Studies change. Galili enumerated various aspects and forums of the discussions of this matter by the SAS faculty. Chairperson Gliserman said that the matter will go to the NBFC Executive Committee for discussion and a decision on how to proceed.

6. Stadium Expansion Report - Richard L. McCormick, University President

University President Richard L. McCormick spoke about, and responded to questions regarding, various aspects of the proposed expansion of Rutgers’ stadium, including financing, state support and budgetary issues, previously existing commitments, timing, need and related athletic program considerations, projected revenues, and other universities’ situations and experiences.

Bruce Fehn, Interim Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer, then further addressed financial aspects of the stadium expansion, commenting on subjects which included: marketing surveys conducted, cost estimates and financial models, concerns about public perceptions of Rutgers’ financial priorities, expansion designs, and ticket supplies and demands.

Asked about the financial model, McCormick offered to send it to the NBFC. He also volunteered to come back and discuss the stadium expansion again if the council wanted him to do that. In closing, McCormick responded to concerns that the Board of Governors was unconcerned with faculty sentiments on the issue, stating that he and Bruce Fehn would take the council’s concerns and comments to the board.

[President McCormick left the meeting at 3:32 p.m.]

7. Administrative Report - Philip Furmanski, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Philip Furmanski presented the administrative report, which focused on comments, responses to questions from the council, and general discussion on the ongoing Middle States reaccreditation process.

8. Old Business

There was no old business.

9. New Business

There was no new business.

10. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:39 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Ken Swalagin, Recording Secretary