Meeting Minutes #177

Members Present: B. Avi-Itzhak, R. Boikess, E. Boling, S. Brill, L. Clarke, C. Clauss-Ehlers, M. Cotter, J. Walkup (for D. Fishman), T. Gerhard, R. Jagannathan, H. Janes, P. Leath, Y. Li, J. Markert, S. Martin-Marquez, K. McKeever (Chair), N. Minsky, L. Nepomnyaschy, P. Panayotatos, J. Phillips, L. Rodenburg, A. St. John, J. Shapiro, T. Szatrowski, P. Takhistov, J. Theiss, G. Werlen, R. Wilson, L. Windsor, T. Yang

Non-Members Present: P. Furmanski, A. Mukherjee, K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary), K. Yanni

1. Call to Order - Ken McKeever, NBFC Chairperson

Council Chairperson Ken McKeever called the 177th meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) to order at 1:14 p.m. on Friday, October 15, 2010 in the Cook Campus Center, Room 202ABC, Cook Campus. He introduced himself, welcoming everyone to the first NBFC meeting of the academic year, which he noted carried a full agenda. He reminded everyone to sign in, and asked anyone who had not received an email announcement of this meeting to write their email address down on the sign-in sheet. He also asked everyone to sign up for a committee, and directed the council’s attention to committee-information handouts that were available at the sign-in table.

2. Approval of Agenda and Minutes

The current meeting agenda, and the Minutes of the May 14, 2010 NBFC meeting were approved.

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

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Philip Furmanski delivered an administrative report, which included comments on:

  • the recent, tragic suicide of student Tyler Clementi, and the fact that internal and criminal investigations are proceeding [Furmanski noted that there was nothing more he could say on the issue now];
  • enrollments, which are up across the university;
  • the National Research Council’s latest rankings of graduate programs, and what examinations of those rankings and supporting data were being undertaken at Rutgers, including asking each department to look at the data to identify trends and ways in which the data may disadvantage Rutgers;
  • his recent meetings with various student groups, in which a commonly expressed theme was the need for posting syllabi online, and the implications for students in terms of their ability to plan and also to mitigate the cost of textbooks [Furmanski urged the NBFC to take up this issue, which was discussed at some length.]; and
  • responses to suggestions from council members regarding cancellation of the L-bus route, including initiating a replacement van service, running the L-buses every 45 minutes or one out of the previously run four [Furmanski offered to speak with Jack Molenaar, Director of Transportation Services, about the van suggestion.].

4. Draft Resolution on Promotion Packet Submission Deadlines - Paul Leath

Paul Leath presented a Proposed Resolution on Faculty Promotion Packets: Deadline for Submission of Faculty Promotion Packets to Deans by Academic Departments. The resolution asks Executive Vice President Furmanski to ask unit deans not to require submission of promotion packets and recommendations earlier than October 15. One typographical error (replacing “analyzes” with “analyses”) was corrected, and the proposed resolution was adopted unanimously.

5. Report and Update on Assessment Issues - Gary Gigliotti, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Teaching and Assessment Research

Gary Gigliotti, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Teaching and Assessment Research, presented a report and update on assessment issues. The report included handouts and summary on:

  • Learning outcomes Assessment Infrastructure:
    • School-wide Assessment Advisory Committees
    • Assessment Council
    • Executive Council for Assessment

  • Important Websites (Rutgers, National, and International)

  • Educational Goals through the Student Life Cycle Supported by Institutional Functions

  • Mission Assessment and Alignment Program

Additional information and data are available on the Office of Institutional Research and Academic Planning website.

Gigliotti spoke of federal involvement in assessment, the upcoming 2012-13 periodic institutional review at Rutgers, and an anticipated “Best Practices” document which should appear soon on the School of Arts and Sciences website. Gigliotti invited the council to look at the data he had distributed, and invite him back to discuss what can and should be done. Chairperson McKeever noted that the council has the resources to put together something on best practices, and should begin thinking of an NBFC response.

6. Report on Enrollment Statistics, Scheduling, and Classroom Shortages - Arun Mukherjee, Director of Scheduling and Space Management

Arun Mukherjee, Director of Scheduling and Space Management, briefed the council on enrollment statistics, scheduling, and classroom shortages. His report included summaries of handouts on:

  • Numbers of:
    • Classrooms and lecture halls by campus
    • Lecture halls (capacity 100+) by campus
    • Enhanced classrooms
    • Lecture halls available at various period combinations
  • Meeting the Challenges of Increased Enrollment

[NBFC Vice Chair and Webmaster Joel Shapiro asked Chairperson McKeever to ask presenters to send handouts to him in advance so he can put them on the NBFC website. McKeever agreed to do that.]

There was discussion of the continued need for a staggered class-period schedule now that Route 18 improvements have been completed, or for revision of that staggered schedule, including the possibility of starting classes at 8:00 a.m. and adding a ninth period on the College Avenue Campus. Mukherjee said those ideas could be explored. The issue of availability of appropriate classrooms for exams, which Mukherjee described as “a constant challenge,” was also discussed.

7. Draft Resolution on Salary Increments - Robert Boikess

Robert Boikess presented a proposed, draft resolution on salary increments, which originated in the NBFC Executive Committee. Following some discussion about the availability of related financial data, and the purposes of the resolution, the Executive Committee accepted as friendly an amendment to change the last paragraph of the resolution to add, at the end, “or provide, before the November 12 New Brunswick Faculty Council Executive Committee meeting, data that would allow the Faculty Council to propose possible alternatives.” The resolution was adopted as amended.

8. Draft Resolution on Dates for Graduation - Robert Boikess

Robert Boikess presented a proposed, draft resolution on dates of graduation. There was considerable discussion of this

draft resolution, during which concerns and uncertainties were expressed about multiple issues, including:

  • whether commencement or, instead, convocation was actually the subject of the resolution;

  • how many students are affected by the problem identified in the resolution;

  • the de facto reduction of faculty salaries which would result from requiring them to stay for another week without changing the contractual start date;

  • that degrees are conferred by the president, and that the actual conferring of degrees is not a function of who is present at the ceremony; and

  • that the first, big commencement will be held at the stadium this coming year. Chairperson McKeever’s motion to table the resolution was seconded, and adopted by the council

 

9. Committee Reports: Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee (FAPC) Report on the Retirement Survey - Paul Panayotatos, FAPC Chair

Paul Panayotatos, Chair of the NBFC Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committee, summarized his committee’s extensive report and appendices on its Summer 2010 Faculty Retirement Survey.

10. Old Business

There was no old business.

11. New Business

There was no new business.

12. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:03 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Ken Swalagin Recording Secretary