Meeting Minutes #166

Members Present: R. Boikess, R. Bumby, L. Clarke, M. Cotter, J. Crowley, H. Fisher, P. Gambarota, N. Glickman (Chairperson), M. Gordon, A. Isenberg, H. Janes, T. Jiang, R. Larrier, G. McGhee, K. McKeever, E. Ramsamy, J. Reed, H. Sackrowitz, J. Shapiro, T. Szatrowski, K. Thompson, L. Wiggins, R. Wilson, G. Zylstra

Non-Members Present: P. Furmanski, C. Herring, R.L. McCormick, K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary)

1. Call to Order

Council Chairperson Norman Glickman called the 166th meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) to order at 1:18 p.m. in the Graduate Student Lounge of the Rutgers Student Center, College Avenue Campus. On motion and duly seconded, the meeting agenda was approved by the Council.

2. Approval of Minutes

On motion and duly seconded, the Minutes of the September 26, 2008 NBFC meeting were approved.

3. Chairperson's Report - Norman Glickman

Chairperson Glickman reminded all Council members to sign up for committees if they hadn’t already done so.

4. Reports of Standing Committee Chairs

Committee chairs present reported on their committees plans and actions (both current and during the preceding year), including:

  • Robert Wilson, Budget and Planning Committee chair ;
  • Robert Boikess, Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee chair; and
  • Daniel Fishman, Libraries and Academic Resources Committee chair.

No other standing committee chairs were present. Glickman again reminded everyone to sign up for a committee by sending an email to the chair of the committee of choice.

5. Administrative Report - Philip Furmanski and Richard L. McCormick

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Philip Furmanski began the administrative report with comments on subjects which included:

  • his recommendation that Council members read the April 2007 University Senate report and recommendations (including best practices) on textbook costs, which were based on a 2006 NBFC resolution on placing required textbooks on reserve;
  • administrative actions taken on the 2006 NBFC resolution on teaching evaluations, including informing deans that the resolution was accepted by the administration, working on an individual basis with schools on their accreditation or reaccreditation processes, and efforts to improve student-assessment and course-evaluation processes; and
  • New Jersey’s and Rutgers’ budgets.

Furmanski responded to questions or comments on subjects including:

  • ways in which evaluation of teaching should be, or is being, augmented or improved;
  • the value of posting grade distributions; and
  • potential hiring freezes, and related effects on all-funds budgeting.

President McCormick arrived at the meeting during Executive Vice President Furmanski’s report. McCormick continued the administrative report with his own comments on subjects including:

  • strategic goals for Rutgers University and 2008-09 areas of emphasis and effort; [http://www.president.rutgers.edu/strategicgoals0809.shtml]
  • a summary of how Rutgers is responding to the global economic crisis;
  • expansion of the football stadium; and
  • his recent update to the Board of Governors on policies and practices to enhance governance and accountability.

McCormick responded to, or heard, comments from the Council on topics including:

  • athletic program practices and personnel;
  • collective bargaining and unionization;
  • athletics expenditures relative to the economic situation;
  • lack of faculty membership on committees looking into athletics;
  • Rutgers’ participation in the Big East Conference; and
  • scholarships, quality of students, and the economic crisis.

6. Carol Herring, President of the Rutgers University Foundation, Executive Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Carol Herring, President of the Rutgers University Foundation, and Executive Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, spoke to the Council about the capital campaign, recent notable gifts, goals and methodologies. Herring then responded to questions regarding the effects of the economic crisis on the campaign, losses to Rutgers’ endowment, application of new technologies in fundraising, the role and importance of alumni contributions, and mechanisms for communicating needs and donors.

7. Old Business

There was no old business.

8. New Business

There was no new business.

9. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:21 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Ken Swalagin, Recording Secretary