Meeting Minutes #191
Members Present: G. Ashley, R. Boikess, M. Cotter, D. Fishman, M. Flahive DiNardo, T. Gerhard, M. Gliserman, T. Glynn, S. Gully, H. Janes, M. Joo, J. Kim, D. Lammerts, M. Killingsworth, J. Langsam, X. Liu, K. McKeever, S. McHam, D. O’Connor (Chairperson), D. Redlawsk, H. Sackrowitz, K. Safir, L. Schein, M. Schwander, J. Shapiro, T. Szatrowski, K. Thompson, W. Ward, E. Williams
Non-Members Present: R. Edwards, T. Stephens, K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary)
1. Call to Order – Daniel O’Connor, NBFC Chairperson
Council Chairperson Daniel O’Connor called the 191st meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) to order at 1:14 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2013 in Room AB of Brower Commons, College Avenue Campus.
2. Approval of Agenda
The agenda for this meeting, as revised and distributed by the chair, was approved.
3. Approval of Minutes of March 8, 2013
The minutes of the March 8, 2013 NBFC meeting were approved.
4. Administration Report – Richard Edwards, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Richard Edwards, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, presented an administrative report which included comments on:
- UMDNJ/Rutgers merger and integration progress;
- progress on Rutgers’ entry into the Big Ten and Committee on Institutional Cooperation; and
- ongoing administrative searches.
Edwards then responded to questions, or heard comments, on subjects including:
- strategic planning perspectives, processes, and timelines;
- the unusual nature of Rutgers’ organization, and related state-budget issues;
- consolidation of Rutgers law schools;
- diversity of Rutgers campuses, and unique opportunities and qualities of the three geographic campuses;
- erroneous media reports of disparities of per-student expenditures among the campuses;
- updates on searches for Senior Vice President for Finance, Dean of the School of Social Work, Chancellor of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark Chancellor, President of the Rutgers Foundation, and Vice President for Student Affairs;
- allocation of resources among the campuses;
- anticipated start of a search for Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences – New Brunswick, and a five-year plan to eliminate the SAS-NB deficit;
- athletics budgeting;
- tuition rates;
- indirect costs, and how to prepare for expected increases in indirect cost rates when preparing grants; and
- the search for an athletic director.
5. Tribute to Paul Panayotatos
Martha Cotter read into the record a tribute to Paul Panayotatos, who died on April 7, 2013, as follows:
"Paul was born and raised in Greece and received a Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Patras. He obtained his Masters and Doctoral degrees in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University and after military service in the Greek Navy and a brief return to Columbia as an Assistant Professor, he came to Rutgers in 1982 as an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering.
"In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Paul is remembered fondly as a tough but inspiring teacher, a generous mentor of both students and junior faculty, and a dedicated departmental citizen. In the larger university community, he is best known for his enormous contributions to shared governance. Paul became a member of the New Brunswick Faculty Council and the University Senate in the mid 1990s and remained an active member of both organizations until his death. He served as Chair of the Faculty Council in 2000-2001 and as a member of its Executive Committee for many years and served as Chair of the University Senate in 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 and again from 2010-2011 until his death. He served for many years as the Chair or Co-Chair of the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Committees of both the Faculty Council and the Senate and also served as a faculty representative to the Board of Governors and as a member of search committees for the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and for the University President.
"Paul was a highly effective leader whose dedication and passion for shared governance serve as an inspiration to all of us. As Chair of both the Faculty Council and the Senate, he was tough but always a gentleman, very hardworking, well-organized, and persistent, and always impressively knowledgeable and well-prepared. His many accomplishments as a faculty leader have made Rutgers a better place for all of us."
6. Chair's Report - Daniel O'Connor, NBFC Chairperson
NBFC Chairperson Dan O'Connor said that this would be his last meeting as chair. He thanked everyone for their participation, and also spoke briefly about recent strategic planning retreats. He distributed a letter from Professor Larry Frohman of UMDNJ, regarding a proposal to establish a Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Faculty Council. On the subject of "Status and Plans for NBFC Committees" docketed on the agenda under the Chair's Report, O'Connor said later in the meeting that he had prepared charges for committees, and proposed morning meeting then lunch then NBFC meetings, and that he had produced a website where the committees could act together in a virtual manner, but that the project was never implemented. He said that he would help Chair-Elect Martha Cotter to get this going next year if possible.
7. Proposal to Establish an Ad Hoc Committee on the Athletic Budget - Mark Killingsworth
Mark Killingsworth distributed hardcopies of his proposal to establish an ad hoc committee to seek information on the future course of the athletic budget (revenues, expenses, the University's subsidy from student fees and discretionary funds, etc.), and to report this information to the full NBFC. The proposal was discussed at some length, during which questions were raised regarding whether or not this issue could appropriately be assigned to one of the NBFC's current, standing committees. Martha Cotter pointed out that the proposal did not state that the committee, if established, would be ad hoc. Joel Shapiro's proposed friendly amendment to add "ad hoc" to the committee description was accepted. The proposal was then adopted by the NBFC as follows:
1. Governance: The committee will
- review the investigations of the University's decision-making and actions with respect to the behavior of the former basketball coach, Mike Rice; and
- report to the NBFC and other appropriate bodies* on the findings and recommendations arising from the Committee's review.
- meet with University administrators (e.g., the athletic director and chief financial officer of the athletic program) to review the projected intercollegiate athletics budget for 2012-13;
- meet with University administrators (e.g., the athletic director and chief financial officer of the athletic program) to review the preparation of the University's five-year plan for the intercollegiate athletics program; and
- report to the NBFC and other appropriate bodies* on the findings and recommendations arising from the Committee's review.
- meet with University administrators (e.g., the athletic director and chief financial officer of the athletic program) to review the University's plans and preparations for joining the Big Ten;
- meet with University administrators (e.g., the athletic director and chief financial officer of the athletic program) to review projected expenses and revenues arising from the University's entry into the Big Ten; and
- report to the NBFC and other appropriate bodies* on the findings and recommendations arising from the Committee's review.
8. Proposal from Martin Gliserman on Campus Athletic Policies and Academic Issues
This item was docketed on the distributed agenda, but Martin Gliserman said he had not known his proposal would be on the agenda, and that he was not prepared to speak to it other than to say that he had written to O'Connor regarding the events and videos related to Coach Rice's behaviors, and had asked for a special NBFC meeting about the matter, an a possible vote of no confidence in President Barchi. A letter from Bill Ward to the NBFC on athletics was also discussed briefly.
9. Election of an NBFC Representative to the New Campus Advisory Board
The New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Education Restructuring Act of 2012 included a mandate to establish campus advisory boards, membership of which includes faculty elected by faculty councils. Martha Cotter was elected unanimously by the NBFC members present to serve on the New Brunswick Campus Advisory Board.
10: Proposals to Amend NBFC Bylaws
Bylaws proposal to change number of NBFC delegates and college representation.
Current Bylaws language: "3. Within faculties and schools, departments with fifteen or more faculty eligible to vote shall elect one delegate to the Council. Each faculty or school shall be entitled to an additional delegate for each multiple of fifteen faculty members not belonging to departments entitled to their own delegates. When possible, multi-departmental constituencies shall be comprised of departments located in close proximity to one another. Where practicable, units shall strive to avoid electing representatives on an at-large basis. Each faculty or school shall keep current its plan for representing its small departments in the Council and for nominating and electing Council delegates, and file that plan with the Chair of the Council." The NBFC discussed and adopted a motion to change Section 3 of NBFC bylaws to contain only the following sentence: "3. Within faculties and schools, each department shall elect one delegate to the Council."
Proposed change to section 4 of the NBFC Bylaws: deletion of section 4 relating to individuals colleges since faculties are not assigned to these units.
A proposal to delete Section 4 of current NBFC bylaws was discussed very briefly, moved, seconded, and adopted. The proposed deletion currently reads: "4. Each geographic campus community (Livingston, Douglass, Cook, Busch, College Avenue) and the University College community shall have two delegates. Representatives of the geographic campus communities shall be elected at-large by the eligible faculty of the departments and schools located on that campus. The University College community representatives shall be elected at large by the eligible faculty in New Brunswick/Piscataway."
Proposed change to section 4 of the NBFC Bylaws: change term lengths of chair and vice chair from one to two years. Section IV.1. would then read "Council officers shall be a Chair and Vice Chair, serving terms of two years, elected by the Full Council." The proposal was moved, seconded, and adopted.
11. Procedure to Change Bylaws
The following information was noted on the meeting agenda, but was not discussed, nor was any action taken thereon:
Implementation of bylaws changes (see #10 above) is codified in current NBFC bylaws as follows:
V. Amendments: Amendments to the bylaws shall be first discussed by the Council. If a majority of the Council votes in favor, a secret ballot on the proposed amendments shall be sent to all Council members. Adoption of amendments shall require a two-thirds vote of the members who cast a ballot.
VI. Secret Ballots: Individual members may opt to vote by electronic mail on issues requiring a secret ballot. In such cases every effort will be made to preserve confidentiality.
12. Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) Report - Tom Stephens
Rutgers' NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative Thomas Stephens reported on issues, and responded to questions, relating to his position as Faculty Athletics Representative.
13. Old Business
There was no old business.
14. New Business
On motion by Ken McKeever, the NBFC thanked Dan O'Connor for his year of service as NBFC chair.
15. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 3:22 p.m.
Minutes written and submitted by,
Ken Swalagin
Recording Secretary of the New Brunswick Faculty Council