Meeting Minutes #207

Minutes of the 207th New Brunswick Faculty Council Meeting
January 29, 2016 

Members Present: E. Alessi, N. Belkin, S. Bhuyan (Vice Chair), R. Boikess, S. Cirignano, S. Connolly, M. Cotter, E. Curchitser, D. Fishman, M. Flahive DiNardo, J. Friedman, Z. Gajic, M. Gasparotto, H. Janes, M. Killingsworth (Chair), P. Klein, D. Kumar, J. Langsam, C. Lugg, N. Minsky, R. Niederman, T. Ozel, A. Pichugin, J. Pietruska, M. Rockland, S. Rubinstein, D. Scheck, Y. Chien (for J. Scheinbeim), M. Schwander, J. Shandler, T. Stephens, T. Szatrowski, P. Takhistov, K. Thompson, J. Zahn

Non-Members Present: R. Edwards (New Brunswick Chancellor), K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary)

1.    Call to Order - Mark Killingsworth, New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) Chair
 
Council Chairperson Mark Killingsworth called the 207th meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council to order at 1:12 p.m. on Friday, January 29, 2016 in Brower Commons Room ABC, College Avenue Campus.

2.    Approval of Agenda
 
The agenda was approved as distributed.
 
3.    Approval of Minutes of December 4, 2015
 
The Minutes of the December 4, 2015 NBFC meeting were approved as distributed.

4.    Administrative Report - Richard Edwards, New Brunswick Chancellor

Richard Edwards, New Brunswick Chancellor, presented an administrative report, which summarized a New Brunswick Chancellor's Report he had given to the University Senate the previous week. Edwards then responded to questions, or heard comments, on the topics in his report, and others, including:

  • enrollment increases, and related faculty and class-size increases;
  • the Study Abroad program;
  • recruitment of minority faculty;
  • special initiatives funding;
  • CIC expenditures and student:faculty ratio;
  • new facilities;
  • administrative structure and personnel; and
  • scholarships.

5.    Chair's Report - Mark Killingsworth, NBFC Chair

NBFC Chair Mark Killingsworth said that there were no special reports for this meeting, but that there would be soon.

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

This item was not on the agenda, but the issue had been discussed at the previous NBFC meeting. Robert Boikess distributed hardcopy of a brief report on Teaching Evaluation. The report did not include a resolution. It was discussed at some length, but no action was taken on it.

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 a report at the previous NBFC meeting, and another at this meeting. The issue was discussed, and ended with Killingsworth asking the Council members to send their ideas on the matter to Bhuyan.

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

FAPPC Chair Serena Connolly had reported on the issue of academic freedom and contingent faculty at the previous NBFC meeting, and provided a status report on her committee's ongoing work on the matter at this meeting.

9.    Old Business

There was no old business.

10.    New Business

There was no new business.

11.    Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:26 p.m.

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