Meeting Minutes #163

Members Present: M. Baykal-Gursoy, J. Bliss, R. Boikess, R. Bumby, B. Callaway, J. Cantor, M. Cotter, D. Fishman, M. Flahive DiNardo, N. Glickman, M. Gliserman, S. Golbeck, M. Gordon, C. Jager, T. Jiang, R. Kubey, C. Kulikowski, R. Larrier, P. Leath, G. McGhee, K. McKeever, R. Marker, J. Miller, J. Rubin, H. Sackrowitz, R. Schuler, J. Shapiro, T. Szatrowski, K. Thompson, B. Turpin, R. Wilson

Non-Members Present: A. Caldado, P. Furmanski, J. Shulack, K. Scott, K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary)

1. Call to Order and Report of the Chair - Martin Gliserman

Council Chairperson Martin Gliserman called the 163rd meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) to order at 1:21 p.m. in Trayes Hall of the Douglass Campus Center, Douglass Campus.

The meeting agenda, and the NBFC’s March 14, 2008 Minutes, were approved by the Council.

Gliserman’s Chairperson’s Report included comments on the following:

  • that this would be the final meeting of this year’s NBFC [Note: This was changed at the end of the meeting. A ninth meeting will be convened in May.];
  • thanks to those who helped with the Council and Teaching Conference planning and activities, specifically Dick Bumby, Ken Swalagin, the NBFC Executive Committee, Martha Cotter, and Paul Leath;
  • thanks to everyone who attended monthly meetings at various locations during what he termed a "quiet year";
  • a brief summary of the past year’s activities;
  • his suggestion that NBFC chairs should be elected for two-year terms so the learning curve improves;
  • his recommendation that the next chair should consider a task force on faculty governance to eliminate duplication and overlap, and to address the lack of participation;
  • his recommendation that the NBFC should meet only twice per year; and then virtually; and
  • conflicting priorities between athletics and academics.

Chairperson Gliserman was thanked and applauded by the Council.

2. Administrative Report - Philip Furmanski, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Philip Furmanski, thanked Gliserman, then presented the administrative report, which included comments on:

  • Middle States reaccreditation;
  • Rutgers and State of New Jersey budgets; and
  • ongoing, key searches, including SAS-NB dean, SCILS dean, and Graduate School-NB dean.

Furmanski responded to questions, and heard comments, on subjects which included:

  • impacts of Rutgers’ budget situation on deans searches;
  • updates on, and status of, ethics regulations;
  • effects and legislative awareness of NJ State support of higher education relative to other states;
  • how Rutgers can continue to excel despite continuous budget cuts;
  • recruitment of high-achieving students, and competition from other states for those students from New Jersey;
  • areas where Rutgers does, and does not, do well in grant funding, and how regional activities and legislative membership affect that funding;
  • enrollment management, and challenges and plans for recruiting out-of-state students; and
  • New Jersey’s leadership in the pharmaceutical industry.

3. Report on the Greening of College Avenue - Tony Calcado, Vice President for Facilities and Capital Planning, and John Shulack, Director of Facilities Project Administration

Tony Calcado, Vice President for Facilities and Capital Planning, and John Shulack, Executive Director of Facilities Project Administration, presented a summary of immediate and longer-term plans for changes to the College Avenue Campus. [Additional information on the project is online at http://collegeavenuecampus.rutgers.edu/]

4. Nominations for 2008-09 Vice Chair/Chair-Elect and Executive Committee Members of the New Brunswick Faculty Council

Gliserman called for nominations from the floor for next year’s NBFC vice chair/chair-elect. Robert Wilson was so nominated. Gliserman called for nominations from the floor for next year’s NBFC Executive Committee members. Martha Cotter and Paul Leath were so nominated. Gliserman will e-mail Council members for additional nominations.

5. Report on Rutgers Learning Centers - Kathy Scott, Assistant Vice President for Instructional Support

Kathy Scott, Assistant Vice President for Instructional Support, gave a detailed presentation on Rutgers Learning Centers, formerly known as Learning Resource Centers, and progress on the related recommendations on the Task Force on Undergraduate Education. Scott distributed two handouts summarizing her presentation, which have been posted online at http://senate.rutgers.edu/ScottUEProgramDescriptions.pdf and http://senate.rutgers.edu/ScottAcademicSupportNBFCreport.pdf.

6. Progress Report of the NBFC Library Committee - Daniel Fishman, Library Committee Chair

Dan Fishman, NBFC Library Committee chair, distributed and summarized a Progress Report of the NBFC Library Committee, which was dated April 11, 2008. The report, and the committee, focused on:

  • the impact of anticipated reductions in the Rutgers University Libraries budget; and
  • the goal of allocating these to the various disciplines/departments/centers, etc. ("scholarly communities") in a way that is perceived by faculty as transparent and equitable.

Rhonda Marker presented additional summary and technical information.

Fishman said that the committee now has an agenda for next year, and that he hopes it will be an active committee with representatives from various disciplines. It was noted that a recommendation had been made to establish a standing library advisory committee some years ago. Paul Leath asked for a resolution from the Council leading to establishment of such a committee. Fishman said he wants to suggest that to Norman Glickman, next-year’s Council chair (who had left the meeting by this point). There was no resolution from the Council on this matter.

7. Academic Integrity Policy Report - Martha Cotter

Martha Cotter again reported on the status of the Interim Academic Integrity Policy, which will come before the University Senate on May 2. She summarized the current state of the policy, and noted that a permanent policy will require community-wide discussions in which students can participate.

8. SAS and PTL Concerns - Robert Wilson

Robert Wilson distributed two handouts, on two separate contingent-faculty issues.

The first handout was a response to a proposal from Karen Thompson and others on "Teaching at Rutgers" [view online at http://senate.rutgers.edu/ContingentFacultyProposal_KThompson090507.pdf]. Discussion of the issue began at approximately 3:52 p.m. At 4:10 p.m., only ten Council members remained at the meeting. The discussion was intended to lead to a resolution of support for the "Teaching at Rutgers" proposals, but due to the lack of quorum, the Council will hold a meeting on May 9 to continue the matter, and on the second handout, which was a related, proposed charge to the Council.

9. Old Business

There was no old business.

10. New Business

There was no new business.

11. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Ken Swalagin, Recording Secretary