Meeting Minutes #270

1. Call to Order and Chair Updates

Chair Haley called the meeting to order via Zoom on Friday, February 28, 2025, at 1:12 PM.

Approval of the Agenda

The agenda was belatedly approved.

Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of January 31, 2025

The minutes were approved.

Chair’s Report

  1. Due to having a full agenda, committee reports will be uploaded into the “February 25, 2025” Microsoft Teams folder.
  2. The Chancellor has reached out to have a special meeting with the council on Friday, March 7th, from noon to 1 to discuss ongoing challenges made by the federal government in regards to higher education and DEI. Zoom invitations have been sent to all council members. Input will be collected via teams from members and the constituents they represent. Sample templates will be sent in Microsoft Teams, with data being sent to the chancellor once compiled.
  3. Resolutions addressing some concerns in highway education will be considered today. This resolution has been modeled by a past University Senate resolution.
  4. Work continues to be done to engage the administration on initiatives related to parking and transportation, dining, and community building, to develop our council website as a more effective external communications tool and one that is bi-directional where individuals can reach out to us and us presenting to them.
  5. A survey will be sent to all representatives who are on council online, and social media communications, and data regarding internal communications amongst council members and external communication statuaries will be collected.
  6. Council elections are underway. A list of individuals and when the end of their term can be found in the “membership information” channel on Microsoft Teams. Encourage units to have an election regardless of their plans to run. Elections for council leadership (one-year terms) will be occurring in May.

Dean’s Panel (Moderated by Anna Haley)

  1. Purpose of Panel: To get a brief sense of their schools and key issues facing them and their faculties while having the opportunity that is fairly unique to get their perspectives on shared issues facing our campus and university.
    1. Dr. Mark Anner, School of Management & Labor Relations
      1. Dean Anner spoke about his personal experience documenting violations of labor and human rights abuses in El Salvador in the 80s. He went on to pursue his master's and PhD at Cornell and Penn State University and founded the Center for Global Workers Rights and master’s program in labor global workers rights.
      2. Overview of SMLR: It was established as a labor institute in 1947 and became a school in 1994, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025. The school has two departments (Labor Studies & Employment Relations and Human Resources Management. There are 61 full-time faculty members with undergraduates, master’s, and Phd programs. The school has a strong online education program and a growing global enrollment.
      3. Challenges faced by SMLR include Concerns over attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which is central to the school’s mission, Monitoring federal funding impacts on research grants, and growing anxieties over international student visa issues, affecting student enrollment.
      4. SMLR unambiguously stands committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, shared governance, and commitment to supporting faculty, students, and staff while expanding global networks and research efforts. Dean Anner is aware that the impact of what is going on at the federal level of government is being felt unevenly across the university community.
  2. Dr. Laura Lawson, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences (and Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES))
    1. SEBS has 15 departments covering diverse disciplines such as animal science, marine biology, and landscape architecture. NJAES fulfills Rutgers' land-grant mission by conducting research and offering educational programs in agriculture, nutrition, climate, and energy.
    2. SEBS has 3,400 undergraduate students, with one-third being first-generation,  roughly 430 graduate students, and a faculty composed of tenure-track, non-tenure-track, and extension specialists.
    3. NJAES operates county offices, research farms, innovation centers, and coastal research sites across New Jersey, with faculty embedded in each county.
    4. Programs include 4-H youth development, Master Gardeners, environmental stewards, and continuing education initiatives (e.g., pesticide licensing and safety training).
    5. Ongoing efforts to update faculty governance structures, enhance committee participation, and improve representation.
    6. Plans to improve Cook Campus with better classrooms, labs, and facilities while making it a hub for community engagement.
    7.  Some key initiatives include Healthy Harvest, Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, and Expansion of Experiential Learning.
  3. Dr. George Leibowitz, School of Social Work
    1. Dean Leibowitz became Dean in July and is leading a new strategic plan as the current plan enters its fifth year. He has focused on interdisciplinary collaboration, inclusive excellence, and program flexibility. Social work programs span three campuses: New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden. MSW program is the largest in the state and ranked #1 in NJ, which offers hybrid, online, and weekend programs for flexibility. Projected enrollment: ~300 BSW, ~1,783 MSW, 41 PhD, 39 DSW students. SSW programs and partnerships can be found in Taiwan, Israel, Romania, India, and more. The school maintains Active community engagement, including Title IX work and social justice initiatives, as well as Research centers on violence prevention, gambling addiction, opioid crisis, and aging. Currently, there are about 84 faculty members (51 tenure/tenure-track, 31 non-tenure track), and 177 staff members with ongoing hiring aligned with strategic priorities.
    2. Some challenges found within SSW include addressing executive orders affecting faculty and program sustainability, Adapting to reorganization and international conflicts, strengthening ties with the Rutgers Foundation to support faculty and program sustainability, and addressing Behavioral health workforce shortages, especially in New Jersey, as well as barriers to professional licensure and the need for accessible specialized programs.
  4. Dr. Mark Robson, School of Graduate Studies
    1. Dean Robson introduced himself and shared his long-standing connection to Rutgers, where he has studied and worked for over 50 years. He oversees graduate education across multiple campuses and reports to two chancellors. 
    2. He outlined the history of graduate education at Rutgers, which began in 1876 and detailed the evolution of the School of Graduate Studies, which was officially formed in 2017 after merging with the biomedical sciences school. The school offers 150 degree programs with approximately 5,200 students, half of whom are doctoral candidates and 2,200 of whom are international students. Rutgers’ graduate school is unique in that it operates as a cost center, receiving set funds instead of tuition revenue. Its faculty members primarily belong to other academic units. 
    3. Dean Robson emphasized the school’s role in maintaining Rutgers’ R1 research status and AAU membership despite structural complexities that sometimes confuse students and faculty about degree administration. He highlighted GradFund, a peer mentoring program that helps graduate students secure external funding, and emphasized its success in supporting professional development. 
    4. He also discussed the role of unions in graduate education at Rutgers, noting that graduate students have been unionized since 1972 and advocating for transparency in supporting their rights. Finally, he discussed graduate student funding and fellowships, acknowledging new financial floors for stipends and budgeting challenges while maintaining student support.

  5. Dr. Christopher Span, Graduate School of Education

    1. Christopher Span, the Dean of the Graduate School of Education (GSE) at Rutgers University, shared his background and vision for his role at Rutgers. He began by introducing himself and his journey from the University of Illinois to Rutgers, where he had spent 35 years. Span reflected on his prior role as Chief of Staff for the Chancellor at Illinois, where he worked on administration and initiatives related to K-12 education, focusing on preparing students for college success.
    2. At Rutgers, Span emphasized his commitment to making education more accessible and affordable, particularly through community engagement and public service. He highlighted the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in higher education, aligning these values with GSE's mission. Span also discussed the structure of GSE, mentioning the diverse departments and centers, such as the National Institute for Early Education Research (NEER) and the Center for Minority Serving Institutions, both of which focus on equity in education.
    3. Span expressed his excitement about working with colleagues at Rutgers, emphasizing collaboration and shared governance. He also highlighted his efforts to connect with faculty, staff, and students, including a planned listening tour and future student engagement through activities like a book club. Despite challenges from the pandemic, Span is focused on improving enrollment and aligning programs with state and national standards. He concluded by expressing his appreciation for his colleagues and optimism for the future of GSE.

  6. A question was posed about specific examples of how these faculty members are involved in decisions such as voting rights and committee memberships and how the processes could be improved for greater inclusion. A Panelist addressed such a question but noted that lecturers are invited to faculty meetings, though they rarely attend, possibly due to scheduling conflicts or other commitments. The bylaws don't specifically include lecturers on committees, but this has been raised to the Governance Committee for discussion. Respondent also highlighted the creation of a new Non-Tenure Track Committee, which could present further opportunities for inclusion. Other questions in regard to compliance risks associated with attacks on DEI were asked, with respondents noting that while the university prioritizes compliance, there is a need for clearer guidance on how to balance these efforts with the ongoing work in higher education. A respondent added that New Jersey's state funding requirements create a complex situation, as the state mandates diversity-related funding while also adhering to federal guidelines, pulling the university in opposite directions.

Consideration of Proposed Resolution on Shared Governance at the School of Arts and Sciences (PRE-READS)

  1. Facilitated by Chair Haley
    1. The discussion centers around a resolution to uphold shared governance at the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) following concerns over recent violations of bylaws that limited faculty involvement in decision-making. Anna Haley, who initiated the resolution, emphasized that managerial prerogative should not prevent faculty consultation and transparency. Faculty members highlighted that the resolution, although inspired by SAS issues, aims to promote shared governance across all academic units. The motion was put to a vote and passed, with the results to be communicated to the Chancellor.

Consideration of Proposed Resolution on the Federal Funding Chaos and the New Brunswick Campus Response (PRE-READS)

  1. Facilitated by Chair Haley
    1. The discussion centered around this proposed resolution, which would call for nonadministrative New Brunswick faculty to be involved in a committee formed outside the council that would work with the administration on a response to these actions coming out of the Federal administration. This aims to ensure that representation reflects the diversity of research focuses of our New Brunswick faculty and, finally, that the council asks the Chancellor to endorse this resolution and maintain regular communication bi-directionally with the council on what's going on. A motion to amend was made for the second resolved clause to call for New Brunswick non-administrative faculty representation of 2 members on the ad hoc Response Committee. This motion was passed. Another amendment motion was made to replace the word endorses with shares the concern expressed. So, that doesn't link the council to the concern. This motion passed. The discussion went back to the overall resolution. The entire resolution was passed. Discussion will continue regarding this matter, and the councils will get to work on additional resolutions for the council’s April meeting.

Adjournment