Meeting Minutes #183

Members Present: G. Ashley, L. Clarke, M. Cotter, J. DeFilippis, D. Fishman, T. Glynn, M. Ierapetritou, K. McKeever, D. Minch, R. Niederman, D. O'Connor, P. Panayotatos, R. Pereira, D. Redlawsk, J. Reed, H. Sackrowitz, J. Shapiro, G. Springs Jr., T. Szatrowski, K. Thompson, E. Williams, R. Wilson, L. Windsor

Non-Members Present: R. Edwards, K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary) 
  
1.     Call to Order and Chairperson’s Report - Joel Shapiro, NBFC Chairperson 
  
Council Chairperson Joel Shapiro called the 183rd meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) to order at 1:22 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 2011 in Room 116ABC of the Busch Campus Center, Busch Campus. 
  
2.     Approval of Agenda and Minutes 
  
The meeting agenda, and the Minutes of the October 28, 2011 NBFC meeting were approved.
  
3.      Administrative Report  - Richard Edwards, Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
  
Richard Edwards, Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, presented an administrative report which included comments on:

  • the faculty research grant program, through which approximately 170 proposals were received and reviewed, and approximately 77 of which will be funded;
  • the higher-education bond issue,  compilation of a Rutgers "wish list" of  items for the bond package, and options for how the bond might be structured; and
  • UMDNJ/Rutgers merger plans, progress, and integration issues in a broad variety of areas, including:
    • student services;
    • advancement, development, and the two foundations;
    • buildings and assets;
    • clinical programs and affiliation agreements;
    • compliance;
    • financial services;
    • government affairs;
    • public relations;
    • human resources;
    • information systems;
    • legal services; and
    • research.

Edwards then responded to questions, or heard comments, on topics including:

  • rationale for proposing the UMDNJ/Rutgers merger, and the timeline for accomplishing it;
  • the status of Rutgers-Camden relevant to a proposal to make it a part of Rowan University;
  • consultants engaged to advise on the UMDNJ/Rutgers merger;
  • progress and plans in the search for the next Rutgers president;
  • construction issues on Livingston Campus, particularly those related to students with disabilities;
  • UMDNJ faculty's current union representation and contracts; and
  • comparisons and differences between the current merger proposal and the Vagelos Plan.

4.     Discussion of General Issues Related to the Reintegration of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School into Rutgers University (particularly those issues related to governance) 
  
Chairperson Shapiro began  a discussion of UMDNJ/Rutgers governance issues by summarizing  that morning's meeting with faculty representatives of RWJ and the NBFC Executive Committee. He said they have recently established a faculty council which has 12 elected representatives of their various bodies, seven of whom were present at the meeting. Paul Panayotatos expounded on the meeting, noting that RWJ has a governance system that differs from that of Rutgers, and their administrative and departmental structures are very different as well. Panayotatos said that the RWJ department chairs are administrators, and not part of the AAUP.  Also discussed were RWJ culture, faculty opportunities for participation in shared governance, ratios of tenured to non-tenured faculty, and facilities and grants. Panayotatos suggested that, although the RWJ faculty want to retain their separate faculty council, the easiest way to integrate RWJ into Rutgers from a shared-governance perspective would be to bring the 12 members of the RWJ faculty council into the NBFC, which would require revision of the NBFC bylaws. Panayotatos will also reach out to faculty at the School of Public Health and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

5.    Old Business

There was no old business.

6.    New Business

Resolution on Athletics Budget - Chairperson Shapiro said he has received several requests that the NBFC discuss a resolution on athletics that has been brought to the SAS-NB. He explained that the resolution claims that Rutgers is spending an unsustainable amount of money on athletics, and that the funding and budget are not transparent, but should be. Paul Panayotatos noted that COIA has repeatedly published best practices in this area, including election of the NCAA representative by the faculty. Shapiro said that he sent to IEVP Edwards the NBFC's (proposed by Panayotatos) suggestion that the NBFC should have vetting power in the NCAA representative's election. Following some discussion and suggestions on how to proceed, it was decided that Panayotatos would write up a resolution narrowly focused on the NCAA, to be circulated by email so it can be approved at the next NBFC meeting.

Academic Analytics and Metrics: There was brief discussion of some deans' interest in getting metrics for their faculty/departments, which led to discussion about teaching evaluations. At Dan Fishman's suggestion, Joel Shapiro said he would invite Monica Devanas to present related information to the NBFC.

7.     Adjournment 
  
The meeting adjourned at 3:44 p.m. 
    
Minutes Written and Submitted by: 
  
Ken Swalagin
Recording Secretary of the New Brunswick Faculty Council