Meeting Minutes #256

Members Present: Marybeth Gasman, Francis Ryan, Ted H. Szatrowski, Jeffrey Zahn, Robert Boikess, Alexander Pichugin, Sue Shapses, Kenneth McKeever, , Ellen Williams, John Kolassa, Barbara Faga, Crystal Akers, Sanjib Bhuyan, Thomas Davis, Lei Yu, Atif Atkin, Jack Bouchard, Rafiq Huda, Ryan Womack, Christine Morales, Heather Pierce, Eleanor LaPointe, Francois Berthiaume, Tugrul Ozel, Elisa Shernoff, Mei Ling Lo, Karen Thompson, Thomas Figueira, Anne McPherson, Enrique Curchitser, Nick Linardopoulos, Anna Haley, Matt Sequin, Benjamin Paul and Glenn Amatucci.

Non-Members Present: Thomas M. Stephens, Professor & Member, Academic Oversight Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics, Rutgers, Martha Cotter, NBFC Parliamentarian

1.  Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Chair Gasman on Friday, January 27, 2023, at 1:11 pm via Zoom.

2.  Approval of the Agenda

The minutes were corrected by removing Andrew Baker as the Co-Chair for the Budget, Planning, and Infrastructure Committee. The agenda was then approved as amended.

3. Approval of the minutes of the meeting of December 16, 2022

The Minutes were approved as distributed.

4. Chair’s Report – Marybeth Gasman

Chair Gasman welcomed everyone to the meeting and presented the following updates:

  • An invitation to the Effective Teaching and Learning Conference on February 23, 2023 went out from the Office of the Chancellor-Provost. Once the full agenda is available, it will be disseminated to everyone.
  • A draft handbook for future Chairs of the Faculty Council was created and will be shared with the EC for feedback.
  • Elections for departmental representatives will be coming up soon, followed by elections for officers of the Faculty Council. Now is the time to give consideration towards running for a position on the EC. A list of members whose terms are about to expire will be provided. A brief overview of the election process and term parameters was also given.
  • Outcomes of the Faculty Survey Report Findings and Recommendations:
    • The Vice Chancellor for Finance announced an exception request form will no longer be required for grant funded projects.
    • IRB processes have been streamlined and staff has received additional training, resulting in additional assistance for faculty, lessened restrictions on human rights projects, and faster processing timeframes.

5. Committee Reports:

Student Affairs – Chair: Christine Morales

The committee reported the following:

  • The recent meeting with the Office of Student Affairs staff focused particularly on faculty involvement in the effort to support students in need. There are several existing initiatives, including the concern button, 1:1 outreach, and learning communities. Additionally, faculty can work with the Office to share information on services needed.
  • The possibility of scholarship aid for indigenous students was discussed further.
  • A suggestion to join the Student Essential Needs Taskforce was posed by members of the Committee.

Athletic Affairs – Chair: Ken McKeever

The committee reported the following:

  • New member Glenn Amatucci was briefed.
  • Discussion of the BTAA was continued.

Academic Affairs – Chair: Bob Boikess

The committee reported the following:

  • Since the problems in the library have not improved, a resolution, with substantial background, will be drafted and sent to the EC for review.
  • A fourth draft of the resolution requesting that SIRS not be used in personnel decisions but to improve teaching, is now ready for the EC.

Budget, Planning, and Infrastructure – Chair: Tom Figueira

The committee reported the following:

  • The IT approach letter was approved by the EC and is in draft; it should be finalized soon.
  • For Parking, there is a co-initiative with the Senate Committee, led by Carolyn White. Our material has been given over to them, but their focus has been on RCM.  

Faculty and Personnel Affairs – Chair: Francois Berthiaume (Tugrul Ozel-filled in)

The committee reported the following:

  • The PTL Survey has been conducted and the results are awaited.
  • With regard to standardized tests (GRE), committee members spoke with the Deputy Dean of GSE and plan to meet with the SGS EC.
  • The committee is interested in researching/discussing the impact the increase of online courses has had on faculty workload. It is reaching out to the Chancellor-Provost’s Office for current data on online vs in-person courses and the types of conversions that are taking place.

6. Guest: Thomas M. Stephens, Professor & Member, Academic Oversight Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics, Rutgers

Professor Stephens made the following points:

  • The Big Ten has increased to 16, including two schools from California; travel has increased for our athletes throughout the semester.
  • The Austin Case was settled in early 2021, meaning that student athletes should get $6000 per year in addition to the cost of university attendance.
  • The Courts have ruled that student athletes are now able to benefit monetarily from their name/image/likeness (NIL).
  • The use of the transfer portal has increased, which has led to the loss of scholarships for many student athletes.
  • Upgrades to the basketball, softball & football arenas are in the works; the hope is to spur more outside engagement with these changes.
  • A brief rundown was given of student athletes’ academic achievements and awards.

7.  Resolutions

a.  Resolution on DEI

Faculty and Personnel Committee Chair Francois Berthiaume introduced the resolution on behalf of the Committee and briefly described the changes that have been made since the Council last considered the resolution. He then formally moved the resolution. After a brief discussion, the resolution passed unanimously.

b.  Resolution on RU Marketplace

Budget, Planning, and Infrastructure Committee Chair Tom Figueira moved the resolution. originally titled Amazon Resolution, on behalf of the Committee. In the discussion that followed, the mover accepted suggestions that the title be changed to Resolution on RU Marketplace and that all references to Amazon be removed. The revised resolution then passed.

8.  New Business

There was no new business.

9,  Old Business

There was no old business.

10. Adjournment

Chair Gasman adjourned the meeting at 3:05 pm.

Respectfully submitted:

Hazelene Johnson, Office of the Chancellor-Provost