Meeting Minutes #241

Members Present: Akin, Bal, Benaroya, Berthiaume, Bhuyan, Boikess, Castellano, Curchitser, Faga, Figueira, Gajic, Gasman, Gliserman, Greenfield, Hirschfield, Linardopoulos, Longo, Margolis, Mathew, McKeever, Morales, Mullen, Ozel, Paul, Pichugin, Rendsburg, Ryan, Shapses, Smart, Szatrowski, Takhistov, Thompson, Tsakalakos, Williams, Winters, Womack, Zahn

Non-Members Present: Antonio Calcado (Executive Vice President for Strategic Planning and Operations), Martha Cotter (Parliamentarian), Felicia McGinty (Executive Vice Chancellor of Administration and Planning), Mary Mickelsen (NBFC Recording Secretary), Morgan Smith (Assistant to NBFC Recording Secretary)

1.    Call to order

Chairperson Ozel called the meeting to order at 1:10 on Friday, January 29, 2021 remotely via Zoom.

2.    Approval of the agenda

The agenda was approved.

3.    Approval of the minutes of the meeting of November 13, 2020
       [available at the hyperlink: nbfc.rutgers.edu/minutes]

          The minutes were approved.

4.    Chair's report – Tugrul Ozel 

Chairperson Ozel called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone at 1:10pm on Friday, January 29, 2021. Ozel reminded everyone about the continuation of following Robert’s Rule of Order throughout the remainder of the meetings. He then allowed Martha Cotter to explain more in detail about what that entailed, including recommendations moving forward.

5.    Administrative report – Felicia McGinty and Antonio Calcado

Antonio Calcado thanked the Faculty Council for having him and spoke on the following topics:

  • The beginning of the Emergency Management effort and planning for the spring and fall
  • Vaccination roll out on campus with the addition of Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine, goals for September with the contingency of the availability of vaccinations
  • Working with Deans and Academic Chairs on how to get back to normal academically
  • Helping to destress the faculty/staff population with the implementation of summer programs
  • Vaccinations will not be mandatory but highly encouraged
  • Looking to be back to normal Fall 2021 but there will be many new regulations that need to be in place
  • Weekly testing amongst students, faculty and staff

6.    Committee reports:

  • Academic Affairs – co-chairs: Bob Boikess/ Marybeth Gasman 
    • Looking at the SAT/ACT admissions processes being biased, along with student evaluations. Looking at the standards in the departments on how teaching is being evaluated.
  • Athletic Affairs – chair: Ken McKeever
    • The benefits of athletes and how the pandemic has affected the athletic program
    • Engaging alumni and looking into why Rutgers is different than other BIG10 universities
  • Budget, Planning, Infrastructure – co-chairs: Ryan Womack/ Tom Figueira
    • Waiting for feedback from Chancellor Molloy about questions they presented
    • Meeting with Brian Ballentine about RCM
  • Faculty and Personnel Affairs – chair: Francois Berthiaume
    • Investigating on which faculty positions are not administration
    • Software purchases
  • Student Affairs – co-chairs: Emily Greenfield/Haym Benaroya
    • Students struggling during the pandemic
    • Drafting a resolution that encourages central administration to adapt practices for gender non binary issues in the LGBTI communities by more inclusive language and using legal names

7.    New Business

          There was no new business.

8.    Old Business  

          There was no old business

9.    Adjournment

          The meeting was adjourned at 2:50pm

Written and submitted by

Morgan Smith, substitute recording secretary.