Meeting Minutes #272

1. Call to Order and Chair Updates

Chair Haley called the meeting to order via Zoom on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 1:10 PM.

2. Approval of the Agenda

The agenda was approved.

3. Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of April 4, 2025

The minutes were approved.

4. Chair’s Report

Anna called the meeting to order and announced business updates. She announced that there are several new representatives present due to the recent elections that were held. She reminded the members of the council about the leadership election ballots that they received, along with the evaluation survey that is being sent out to members as well. Anna highlighted the ad hoc committee on federal policy impacts. This committee works with the Chancellor to provide advice on how shifts in federal policy will affect research and economic programs. She announced that the ad hoc committee will be working with a Rutgers Senate task force and other universities on a mutual academic defense compact. Lastly, she announced that the council’s leadership will be reviewing the work completed this year in order to ensure continuous growth and improvement.

5. Jason Geary, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives

The meeting transitioned to Dr. Jason Geary, Dean of Mason Gross School of Arts and incoming Provost, speaking. He introduced himself, giving all present a brief overview of his credentials and the work he has done. He then began discussing his priorities and goals he would like to accomplish as the incoming Provost. 

Dr. Geary explained that he has been working alongside the Chancellor to better define the role of the Provost. He explained that his primary focus is on the academic enterprise, and he will be working to support students, faculty, and staff in carrying out the mission of research, teaching, and service. He emphasizes that there will be a focus on research support for those in the Rutgers community who need it. Dr. Geary also explained the importance of shared governance and working together to tackle issues that face the widespread Rutgers community with changes in the federal landscape. 

Dr. Geary then continued on to field questions from the Council. The topics and questions addressed included support for minority students, the inclusion and treatment of adjunct faculty, the potential timeline for issues of shared governance, and the logistics of research support.

6. Committee Reports

• Academic Affairs – Julia Maxwell & Xenia Morin, Co-Chairs

The committee discussed changes made to the Honors College curriculum and the process that went into making them. They invited the Executive Committee to meet with them over the summer to further discuss the influential voices in the curriculum change. They also discussed problems they tackled throughout the year as well as their goals for the future. They put an emphasis on working to get past issues of continuity in their work as well as continuing their test optional research.

• Athletic Affairs – Ken McKeever & Nick Linardopoulos, Co-Chairs

The committee discussed their report that they have been putting together on the Big 10 Academic Alliance, which is still in progress, with the goal of being able to get it on the docket for the fall. The committee also discussed the new rules that have been put in place for paying collegiate athletes. There are discussions that the University would be limited to paying players based on the roster size and these discussions will continue as a plan is worked upon. The committee also discussed the refurbishment of the Athletics Academic and Oversight Committee.

• Budget and Planning – Tom Figueira & Tom Davis, Co-Chairs

The committee discussed three main matters: dining, parking, and EV charging stations. The committee explained that the issue of parking has become an overall transportation issue on campus and Rutgers is currently taking bids for a new contract to supply buses. Rutgers has begun implementing new electric buses which has led to debate between diesel and electric buses. The school is still working on finding the root cause of these problems and working to solve transportation issues for people on campus.

• Faculty and Personnel Affairs – Heather Pierce (HP) & Eleanor LaPointe, Co-Chairs

The committee discussed ways to find new ways to get information from constituents and general faculty. They are looking to get feedback on Course Atlas and how it affects the lives and schedules of professors. They plan on using this information to work with members of the administration to help fix issues that arise. The committee is also working continuously on the inclusion of non-tenure track and adjunct faculty into our governing bodies. They are working on creating a fully comprehensive library to help people have a better understanding of decision-making structures and representation. They’ve also continued working on their DEI project to see how federal government changes will affect grants and the tenure of faculty. The committee is working to understand the widespread effects of the changes that have been made.

• Student Affairs – Alisa Belzer & Mei Ling Lo, Co-Chairs

The committee discussed the two main issues they have been working on and will continue to work on. They are working to fix the issue of the first day textbook program that students have to opt out of. They met with students from NJPIRG to discuss their thoughts on the program. The committee also has a survey going out to faculty so they can have an idea of what users have experienced before making a recommendation. They are also working on issues of students' mental health. They have met with leadership and representatives from CAPS to discuss issues of student mental health and see where Rutgers’ support can be improved. The committee is also working to raise faculty awareness of mental health issues.

7. Other (Any Old or New) Business

None was discussed.

8. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:02 pm.

FUTURE MEETINGS

This is the last meeting for AY 2024-25, meetings resume on Sept. 26 for AY 2025-26