Meeting minutes #228
Members Present: S. Bhuyan, R. Boikess, G. D’Arcangelo, M. Flahive DiNardo, M. Gliserman, A. Gould, E. Greenfield-Cohen, T. Kuchi, J. Longo, J. Mathew, K. McKeever, D. Miller, T. Ozel, I. Rauschenbach, S. Shapses, E. Shernoff, K. Thompson, S. Westfall, E. Williams, R. Womack, L. Yu
Non-Members Present: M. Cotter (Parliamentarian), J. Kukor (Dean – School of Graduate Studies), M. Mickelsen (NBFC Recording Secretary)
1. Call to Order – Sanjib Bhuyan, New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) Chair
New Brunswick Faculty Council Chairperson Sanjib Bhuyan called the 228th meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council to order at 1:08 p.m. on Friday, January 18, 2019 in Room 174 of the Busch Student Center, Busch Campus. His report included comments on:
- Interim Chancellor Molloy will not be in attendance and therefore, no Administrative Report;
- asking all members to check their committee membership online and verify accuracy;
- two reports will be discussed – Sakai Transition and Faculty Council inclusion in the University Policy Library
2. Approval of Agenda
The Agenda was approved
3. Approval of Minutes of November 30, 2018 Meeting
The November 30, 2018 NBFC Minutes were approved with one correction regarding the Faculty and Personnel Affairs Report.
4. Administrative Report – Christopher Molloy, Interim Chancellor – Rutgers New Brunswick
The Interim Chancellor was unable to attend and therefore, no Administrative Report was delivered.
6. Update on the School of Graduate Studies and Master of Business and Science Degree Program – Jerome Kukor Dean – School of Graduate Studies
Kukor gave an overview of the history of the Professional Science Master’s Program which is currently run through the Office of Continuing Studies. Kukor asked the NBFC and the NB Chancellor’s Office to review the status of the program and determine a more appropriate school in order for it to have appropriate management of finances and decanal oversight, possibly in the form of a resolution.
He answered questions on the following:
- the faculty teaching the courses are SGS faculty and/or NTTs vetted by SGS;
- concentrations through PSM such as the Drug Discovery Program and Sustainability
- faculty having ownership over their programs;
- Associate Member status within SGS which after 5 years will be admitting to a faculty membership;
- Office of Continuing Studies should not be issuing anything worth credit.
7. Committee Reports
- Academic Affairs Committee - Robert Boikess
- Boikess reported on his committee’s discussion regarding the Canvas transition and the faculty’s interest in maintaining Sakai for features Canvas does not offer, to include project management.
- Boikess reported on his committee’s discussion regarding the Canvas transition and the faculty’s interest in maintaining Sakai for features Canvas does not offer, to include project management.
- Athletic Affairs Committee – Ken McKeever
- McKeever reported he and Tom Stevens met with Athletic Director, Pat Hobbs on January 7. They discussed the Athletics Department’s general strategic plan and his limitations around timing. Kristina Navarro and Scott Walker, Athletic Student Services, will present at the March NBFC meeting. Hobbs will attempt to present his plan to the NBFC in the fall.
- Budget, Planning, & Infrastructure – Ryan Womack and Triveni Kuchi, Co-Chairs
- Womack discussed his committee’s plan to finish the parking survey and look to bring in some representatives from Parking to present to the Faculty Council in March. Kuchi reported the committee took a look at the Library’s strategic plan and by the March meeting will have a better idea of where that is going.
- Faculty and Personnel Affairs - Karen Thompson/Tugrul Ozel, Co-Chair
- Ozel expressed concern that many of his committee members are not attending meetings. He reported on the discussion the few members had surrounding the effects the new software tools (Canvas and Infosilem) have on faculty.
- Student Affairs – Sue Shapses, Chair
- Shapses discussed her committee’s meeting with Michelle Jefferson and her suggestion to move away from investigating suicides and opioid use among students, since Rutgers is on the low end of incidences among our peer institutions. Instead the committee is focusing on stressors on students, specifically looking into mental health issues on student performance. They are looking into inviting a representative from CAPS to the next meeting. There were suggestions from the council to look into the relationship between professors and Disability Services, along with discussion on investigating homelessness within the student population.
Teaching Conference 2019 – Martin Gliserman
Gliserman discussed the desire to hold another teaching conference in 2019. Currently there is a solicitation for topics which can be submitted to NBFC Sanjib Bhuyan. Gliserman will be on sabbatical in 2019 and is looking for a replacement to chair the planning committee. Bhuyan will send an email soliciting for volunteers to chair, however if no one responds the conference will be postponed until 2020.
Inclusion of NBFC in the University Policy – Martha Cotter
Cotter briefly explained that the NBFC, nor any of the faculty councils, are represented in the University Policy Library, however the University Senate is. The NBFC has been trying for years to change this (Resolution passed in Spring 2008) to no avail. Cotter is looking to have a resolution drafted that would bring all 4 faculty councils together under one policy. Gliserman and Cotter will work to draft a resolution which will be brought back to the council for the March meeting. Cotter also suggested the Senate be asked to endorse this.
8. New Business
Revisiting NBFC Resolution on Rutgers Student Protestors
Bhuyan discussed the history of students arrested for protesting regarding the minimum wage issue last spring. Former NB Chancellor Deba Dutta was sympathetic to the resolution that was passed by the council asking for the charges to be dropped. As of right now, two charges have been dropped, but 12 are still pending. Molloy will be in attendance at the EC meeting in February and will discuss the issue.
9. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 2:51 p.m.
Written and submitted by:
Mary Mickelsen
NBFC Recording Secretary