Meeting Minutes #206

Members Present: E. Alessi, S. Bhuyan (Vice Chair), R. Boikess, S. Connolly, M. Cotter, D. Fishman, M. Flahive DiNardo, J. Friedman, Z. Gajic, M. Gliserman, A. Hetling, P. Hirschfield, H. Janes, T. Kahlaoui, M, Killingsworth (Chair), P. Klein, J. Langsam, B. Leech, K. McKeever, T. Ozel, A. Pichugin, J. Pietruska, S. Rubinstein, M. Schwander, J. Shandler, L. Sun, T. Szatrowski, B. Tesar, K. Thompson, J. Worobey, L. Yu, J. Zahn

Non-Members Present: R. Edwards (New Brunswick Chancellor), K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary), S. Walker (Executive Director of Academic Support Services for Student Athletes)

1.    Call to Order - Mark Killingsworth, New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) Chair
 
Council Chairperson Mark Killingsworth called the 206th meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council to order at 1:12 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2015 in Brower Commons Room ABC, College Avenue Campus.

2.    Approval of Agenda
 
The agenda was approved as distributed.
 
3.    Approval of Minutes of October 23, 2015
 
The Minutes of the October 23, 2015 NBFC meeting were approved as distributed.
 
4.    Chair's Report - Mark Killingsworth, NBFC Chair

NBFC Chair Mark Killingsworth said that a large number of council activities were beginning, and that resolutions would be forthcoming.

5.    Administrative Report - Richard Edwards, New Brunswick Chancellor

Richard Edwards, New Brunswick Chancellor, presented an administrative report, which included comments on the following:

  • issues and activities relating to diversity and inclusion;
  • a year-long process of careful examination of Rutgers' history;
  • meetings with the Rutgers University Student Assembly;
  • plans to retain the cultural centers at Rutgers, despite rumors to the contrary; and
  • a diversity hiring program.

Edwards then responded to questions, or heard comments, on the above topics, and others, including:

  • minority admissions;
  • sensitivity to holidays of Muslim students and employees; and
  • diversity of senior administrators.

6.    Administrative Report - Scott Walker, Director of Academic Support Services for Student Athletes

Before introducing Scott Walker, Director of Academic Support Services for Student Athletes, Killingsworth said that questions relating to Athletics personnel changes would not be in order. Walker then gave a report on academic support for student athletes, which included comments on the following:

  • his personal background, and his 12 years at Rutgers;
  • academic integrity;
  • building and sustaining the Rutgers brand;
  • numbers of student athletes, their grade point averages, and presence on deans' lists; and
  • athletics-related travel and class conflicts.

Walker then responded to questions, or heard comments, on the above topics, and others, including:

  • student attrition and retention;
  • support staffing;
  • admissions standards;
  • how student athletes are assisted in balancing academic, social, and athletic components of their daily lives;
  • recruitment and counseling of student athletes;
  • career services; and
  • advising budget.

7.   Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Analytics - Sanjib Bhuyan, NBFC Vice Chair and Ad Hoc Committee Chair

Council Vice Chair Sanjib Bhuyan had presented a report on Academic Analytics at the October NBFC meeting, after which he had been asked to put together a committee to generate a full report on this issue. He presented that report at this meeting. Considerable discussion followed, but no action was taken on the report.

8.    Academic Standards, Regulations and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) Report on Evaluating Teaching Evaluations - Robert Boikess, ASRAC Chair

ASRAC Chair Robert Boikess presented a report on his committee's work on teaching evaluations. He said that the ASRAC wants to look at a broader approach to evaluation of teaching that involves more than one measure. He also mentioned that the committee would work with the University Senate and the AAUP on the issue, possibly creating a task force with a large faculty membership.

9.    Faculty Affairs and Personnel Policy Committee (FAPPC) Report on Academic Freedom, and Contingent Faculty - Serena Connolly, FAPPC Chair

FAPPC Chair Serena Connolly reported that Tom Stephens was working on the issue of academic freedom, and that a report on that would be forthcoming. On the growing reliance on contingent faculty, and the related impact on Rutgers' academic mission, she said that a survey would be developed to determine departments' reliance on part-time lecturers and other non-tenure-track faculty, and that additional work would be done on the matter in the spring.

10.    Old Business

Follow-Up on Resolution on Contingent Faculty - Karen Thompson, PTL Member of the Council

Karen Thompson said that the PTL contract had been settled, and thanked the Council for its very valuable resolution on that issue.

11.    New Business

Installation of KACE Software on Rutgers Computers - Sanjib Bhuyan

Sanjib Bhuyan spoke briefly about Dell KACE software being installed on Rutgers computers, and suggested that it was an issue for NBFC consideration.

12.    Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:29 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by,
Ken Swalagin
Recording Secretary of the New Brunswick Faculty Council