Meeting Minutes #186

Members Present: R. Boikess, E. Boling, M. Cotter, D. Fishman, T. Gerhard, T. Glynn, M. Ierapetritou, M. Killingsworth, J. Langsam, K. McKeever, N. Minsky, L. Nepomnyaschy, R. Niederman, D. O'Connor, P. Panayotatos, D. Redlawsk, J. Reed, L. Rodenburg, H. Sackrowitz, J. Shapiro (Chairperson), G. Springs, Jr., T. Szatrowski, K. Thompson, E. Williams, R. Wilson, L. Windsor 

Non-Members Present: R. DiLisi, R. Edwards, L. Mullen, J. Otto, B. Qualls, K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary) 

1. Call to Order and Chairperson's Report - Joel Shapiro, NBFC Chairperson 

Council Chairperson Joel Shapiro called the 186th meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) to order at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, May 11, 2012 in Room 116 of the Busch Campus Center, Busch Campus. 

2. Approval of Agenda and Minutes 

The agenda was then adopted, as were the March 30, 2012 NBFC Minutes. 

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:

  • commencement plans;
  • UMDNJ/Rutgers merger plans, progress, and integration issues in a broad variety of areas; 
  • The planned higher education bond issue; 
  • Planning for Seminary Place facilities; and
  • Continuing due diligence on the Rutgers collaborative campus in China.

Edwards then responded to questions or heard comments on the above, as well as: 

  • Governing board structure and changes related to UMDNJ/Rutgers merger plans;
  • Possible budgeting, curriculum, and tenure issues related to Rutgers Camden and affiliations with Rowan; and 
  • Rutgers/South China University of Technology collaborative plans.


4. Discussion of Middle States and Assessment - Barry Qualls and Richard DiLisi 
Richard DiLisi, Dean of the Graduate School-New Brunswick, and Barry Qualls, Vice President for Undergraduate Education, distributed and summarized materials related to accreditation. DiLisi chairs Rutgers' periodic review committee. Qualls chairs the Executive Council on Assessment, a universitywide committee. Qualls and DiLisi then responded to questions from council members. 

5. Resolution in Support of a Joint Institute in China

Richard Edwards, Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, presented a draft resolution in support of a joint institute in China. The resolution was discussed, amended, and adopted as follows:

Faculty Council Resolution In Support of Rutgers Joint Venture Campus in Hainan China

Whereas Rutgers University is seeking to extend its global reach to become one of the world's top public research universities, and

Whereas Rutgers seeks to maximize the goals of academic excellence, access, and diversity by attracting the most able students from around the world, and

Whereas Rutgers has a narrow window of opportunity to take advantage of a generous philanthropic gift from Mission Hills Corporation to supply the land, construct a state-of-the-art campus, and provide the start-up operational funding to create a campus on Hainan Island in China, and

Whereas Rutgers has a trusted partner for the project in the South China University of Technology (SCUT), a top-30 university in China, with which it is already offering dual degrees, and

Whereas we believe that creating a new joint venture campus in China would have the following benefits for Rutgers:

  • Enhancing our global brand and impact
  • Providing a permanent presence in what is the world's most populous country and soon to be the world's largest economy, in a location that is ideal for attracting students from across South Asia
  • Deepening joint programs and research partnerships with SCUT
  • Providing enhanced opportunities in China to Rutgers US students
  • Eventually generating a surplus that can support scholarships, joint research projects and travel to China for RU students and faculty 
  • Building a stable pipeline of top quality, fee-paying students (undergraduate/graduate) to Rutgers with strong English skills and familiarity with American university culture.

Therefore be it resolved that the Faculty Council supports in principle the submission of a proposal to the Chinese Ministry of Education to create a joint venture Rutgers campus with SCUT near the city of Haikou on Hainan Island in China, provided that careful planning and due diligence have been completed about the financial model for the proposed campus; and

The Faculty Council looks forward to working closely with the Administration to develop an innovative academic plan for the campus that insures it meets the highest educational standards and preserves academic freedom, and enhances rather than competes for the resources available for the New Brunswick campus.

6. Report and Discussion of Open Access - Jane Otto and Laura Mullen 

Librarians Jane Otto and Laura Mullen presented a report on open access. Otto said that the issue is expected to come before the University Senate in the fall. The issue was discussed at some length, and ended with Otto expressing appreciation for the council's feedback, and inviting continued feedback via email. 

7. Nomination and Election of Chair-Elect 

Martha Cotter was nominated for, and elected to, the position of Chair-Elect of the New Brunswick Faculty Council. Cotter will become chair for the 2013-14 academic year. 

8. Old Business 

There was no old business. 

9. New Business 

Mark Killingsworth distributed a resolution on athletics that had been adopted by the NBFC on March 30, 2012. He moved that the administration be asked again for an official response. The motion was seconded and discussed. The question was called, and the motion failed. 

The NBFC officially thanked Joel Shapiro for his service as 2011-12 New Brunswick Faculty Council chairperson. 

10. Adjournment 

The meeting adjourned at 3:33 p.m. 

Minutes written and submitted by,

Ken Swalagin

Recording Secretary of the New Brunswick Faculty Council