Meeting Minutes #202
Members Present: M. Aronson, M. Baykal-Gursoy, R. Boikess, C. Bunch, C. Clauss-Ehlers, S. Connolly, M. Cotter (Chair), J. Crowley, E. Curchitser, D. Fishman, J. Friedman, M. Gasparotto, M. Gliserman, P. Klein, J. Langsam, C. Lugg, K. McKeever, N. Minsky, D. O'Connor, A. Pichugin, D. Scheck, J. Scheinbeim, M. Schwander, L. Struwe, T. Szatrowski, P. Takhistov, B. Tesar, K. Thompson, J. Worobey
Non-Members Present: R. Edwards (New Brunswick Chancellor), J. Otto, L. Mullen, K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary)
1. Call to Order – Martha Cotter, New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) Chair
Council Chairperson Martha Cotter called the 202nd meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council to order at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, April 3, 2015 in Brower Commons Room ABC, College Avenue Campus.
2. Approval of Agenda
The agenda was approved as presented.
3. Approval of Minutes of February 27, 2015
The Minutes of the February 27, 2015 NBFC meeting were approved as presented.
4. Chair's Report - Martha Cotter, NBFC Chair
NBFC Chair Martha Cotter's Chair's Report included comments on the following:
- her apologies for meeting on Good Friday and Passover; and
- the need for the Council to focus on the many items on the agenda.
5. Administrative Report - Richard Edwards, New Brunswick Chancellor
Richard Edwards, New Brunswick Chancellor, presented an administrative report, which included comments on the following:
- recent actions by the Board of Governors, including approval of the law schools merger contingent on American Bar Association accreditation approval;
- the potential for some undergraduate pre-law courses in New Brunswick;
- selection of Bill Nye as commencement speaker;
- selection of Frances Fox Piven and Jon Bon Jovi as honorary degree recipients;
- recent dinners at President Barchi's home for faculty, donors, and legislators;
- applications and enrollment; and
- class attendance and Title VII compliance requirements.
Edwards then responded to questions, or heard comments, on the above topics, particularly on classroom attendance and related recordkeeping methods.
6. Report and Recommendations on the New Brunswick Honors College - Curriculum, Teaching and Honors Committee (CTHC) - Martha Cotter, Chair
CTHC Chair Martha Cotter presented her committee's report, and moved a resolution, on the New Brunswick Honors College. The report was discussed, and the resolution was adopted with one abstention, as follows:
Whereas, the Curriculum, Teaching and Honors Committee has carefully considered the charter document A Community of Scholars for the New Brunswick Honors College and identified a number of faculty concerns with the Honors College as described in the charter document; and
Whereas, the Curriculum, Teaching and Honors Committee has also expressed concern with the lack of appropriate community input during the planning for the Honors College; and
Whereas, the Curriculum, Teaching and Honors Committee has made a number of recommendations to address its concerns; and
Whereas, members of the Faculty Council have considered the Curriculum, Teaching and Honors Committee’s concerns and recommendations and found them to be sound,
Therefore, be it resolved that the New Brunswick Faculty Council agrees with the Curriculum, Teaching and Honors Committee’s concerns, endorses its recommendations, and calls upon the New Brunswick administration to implement the Committee’s recommendations.
[R. Edwards left the meeting at 2:06 p.m.]
7. Resolution on Academic Integrity in Online Courses - Academic Standards, Regulations, and Admissions Committee (ASRAC) - Robert Boikess, Chair
ASRAC Chair Robert Boikess presented his committee's report, and moved a resolution, on Academic Integrity in Online Courses. It was discussed briefly, and the resolution adopted with one opposed, and one abstention, as follows:
Resolved:
The University should provide space and scheduling assistance so that all students in a Rutgers online course with a traditional final examination (usually of three hours or less) take that examination in a proctored location on campus at a specific time.
Students in a Rutgers online course with such a final examination, who are unable to come to campus, shall take the final examination in an approved testing center at the same time as the on campus exam is being administered, except when a substantial time zone difference makes simultaneous testing impossible. In such a case the student at the remote location shall take the exam after it is given on campus
Should the instructor of an online course wish to give additional on-site examinations during the semester, the University should provide space and scheduling assistance, as well.
8. Resolution on Shared Governance - Executive Committee
Executive Committee Member Robert Boikess presented that committee's report and resolution on Shared Governance. It was discussed, and some amendments were made. [Note: Link above goes to the report and resolution as amended and adopted.] The report's resolution was then adopted by the Council as follows:
Resolved:
The NBFC calls upon the University to incorporate the following statement into the University Policy Library.
All faculty, students, and staff who are participants in shared governance shall be free to speak about the functioning of the University without restraint or fear of discipline.
9. Presentation on the Status of the Scholarly Open Access at Rutgers (SOAR) Open Access Faculty Repository - Library and Academic Resources Committee (LARC) Chair Dan Fishman, and Jane Otto and Laura Mullen (University Libraries)
LARC Chair Dan Fishman, and University Libraries Faculty Jane Otto and Laura Mullen reported on the status of the SOAR Open Access Faculty Repository, and responded to questions on that issue.
10. Old Business
There was no old business.
11. New Business
Peter Klein introduced a resolution on freedom of speech regarding the functioning of Rutgers University. The resolution, which had not come through a Council committee, was discussed briefly, then tabled on motion duly seconded. Cotter said it would be discussed in the Executive Committee.
12. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 3:27 p.m.
Minutes written and submitted by,
Ken Swalagin
Recording Secretary of the New Brunswick Faculty Council