Meeting Minutes #196

Members Present: M. Baykal-Gursoy, S. Bhuyan, R. Boikess, R. Chang, S. Connolly, M. Cotter (Chair), M. Doerfel, M. F. DiNardo, Z. Gajic, M. Gliserman, T. Glynn, A. Haugerud, M-K Joo, M. Killingsworth, J-H Kim, P. Klein, D. Kumar, J. Langsam, X. Liu, K. McKeever, L. Morrow, R. Niederman, D. O'Connor, M. Radford, D. Redlawsk, G. Rendsburg, S. Rubenstein, S. Selim, L. Schein, J. Scheinbeim, M. Schwander, T. Stephens. K. St. Martin, T. Szatrowski, Z. Tan, K. Thompson, C. Uslay, E. Williams, Y-K Yong, J. Zahn

Non-Members Present: M. Mickelsen (University Senate Administrative Assistant), K. Swalagin (Recording Secretary)

1.    Call to Order – Martha Cotter, New Brunswick Faculty Council (NBFC) Chair
 
Council Chairperson Martha Cotter called the 196th meeting of the New Brunswick Faculty Council to order at 1:22 p.m. on Friday, April 25, 2014 in Room AB of Brower Commons, College Avenue Campus.

2.    Approval of Agenda
 
Cotter said that Interim Chancellor Richard Edwards was unable to attend the meeting. The agenda was approved.
 
3.    Approval of Minutes of February 28, 2014
 
The Minutes of the February 28, 2014 NBFC meeting were approved as distributed online. Cotter asked members to notify her if they find errors in the minutes.
 
4.    Chair's Report - Martha Cotter, NBFC Chair

NBFC Chair Martha Cotter's Chair's Report included comments on the following:

  • a brief recap of the year's activities, including:
    • efforts to revitalize the Council;
    • updating of the membership roles;
    • revision and updating of the website;
    • committees populated and charged;
    • collaboration with the University Senate, Newark Faculty Council, and Camden Faculty Council that resulted in a foundational element on shared governance and transparency being added to the University Strategic Plan;
    • a report and recommendations on the new Honors College, and Interim Chancellor Edwards' acceptance of most of the recommendations therein;
    • a resolution objecting to the selection of Condoleezza Rice as commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient; and
    • progress on planning of the upcoming Faculty Council Teaching Conference, with special thanks to Marty Gliserman for his work in that planning;
  • standing committees, including:
    • the continuing need for committees to be more active;
    • difficulties in getting committee members together, which could be eased by holding meetings electronically; and
    • her intention to ask Mark Killingsworth to chair the Budget and Planning Committee; and
  • department elections for next-year's Council members, which are behind schedule.

5.    Committee Chairs' Reports

Cotter asked committee chairs to report if they wished to do so. Ken McKeever reported that the Student Affairs Committee had met to discuss possible charges, as well as the issue of advising across the campus and finding out how advising is done in different units. Dan O'Connor reported that the Faculty Affairs and Personnel Policy Committee is working on the academic freedom issue, including the matter of online teaching.

4.A.    Chair's Report, Continued - Martha Cotter, NBFC Chair

Cotter continued her Chair's Report, commenting on:

  • her plan to add one more meeting to next-year's schedule, so that an introductory meeting could be held in September, which would allow the October meeting to be more substantive; and
  • the need to again revise and update the NBFC Bylaws, specifically addressing the unforeseen consequences of some of last year's revisions, as well as other matters, including:
    • removing references to the President's Faculty Advisory Committee;
    • reconsidering the recently enacted move to two-year terms for the chair, possibly replacing that provision with a maximum number of consecutive terms;
    • the probability that the Council will report to the chancellor; and
    • her intention to establish an ad hoc bylaws committee, which would work on the revisions over the summer, as well as her request that volunteers for that committee contact her.


6.    Election of the 2014-15 Executive Committee

Cotter led the Council through the process of electing the 2014-15 Executive Committee. She handed out ballots and called for nominations from the floor. Candidates Sanjib Bhuyan, Robert Boikess, Martin Gliserman, Ken McKeever, Tom Stephens, and Karen Thompson made statements in support of their candidacy. Cotter said that when the chair is elected for two years, there is no immediate past chair in the second year of the term.

7.    Report and Recommendations of Ad Hoc Athletics Committee [Link goes to the report as adopted.]- Martha Cotter and Mark Killingsworth

Martha Cotter and Mark Killingsworth summarized the report and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Athletics Committee. Several amendments were made during discussion, after which the question was called and the Council voted to adopt the report as amended, with two opposed. The Council then discussed, and adopted the resolution contained in the report with two opposed.

8.    Committee-of-the-Whole Discussion of an NBFC Proposal to the Strategic Plan Steering Committee

There was brief discussion of a potential NBFC proposal on governance that could be sent to the Strategic Plan Steering Committee. Cotter said she would draft and send to the NBFC members a draft proposal that would address the value of shared governance and what it does for Rutgers and peer institutions, what the NBFC would like to see regarding various ways faculty can be involved in shared governance, and ask for financial support for the NBFC.

6.A.    Election of the 2014-15 Executive Committee, Continued - Announcement of Election Results - Martha Cotter

Ballots having been tabulated by Mary Mickelsen, assistant to the recording secretary, Cotter announced the Executive Committee election results, as follows: In addition to Martha Cotter (Chair), Mark Killingsworth (Vice Chair), and Dan O'Connor (Immediate Past Chair), the Council elected as 2014-15 Executive Committee members: Sanjib Bhuyan, Robert Boikess, Martin Gliserman, Kenneth McKeever, and Karen Thompson.

9.    Old Business

There was no old business.

10.    New Business

Robert Boikess called attention to the front-page article in that day's Daily Targum about conversion of teaching assistantships to fellowships by the School of Arts and Sciences, and suggested that a committee be charged with examining the issue. Cotter said the Student Affairs Committee could be charged, and that she would research the facts.

11.    Adjournment

After thanking Martha Cotter for performing the "thankless job" of chairing this year, the Council adjourned at 3:42 p.m.

Minutes written and submitted by,
Ken Swalagin
Recording Secretary of the New Brunswick Faculty Council