RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY

RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY UNIVERSITY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting of the University Senate

DATE: October 27, 2000

TIME AND PLACE: 1:10 p.m., Multipurpose Room, Camden Campus Center, Camden Campus

MEMBERS PRESENT: Bhoj, Bittner, Blasi, Borisovets, Busia, Caprio, Connell, Cooper, Cowley, R. Dennis, Diner, Dress, Esser, Fechter, Friedrich, Gaunt, Goldmark, Gross, Hall, Hitchner, J. Jackson, Kamienski, Kennedy, Kenney, Kim, Kleinman, Klein, Koehler, Lang, Lattimer, Leath, Lee, Leontiades, Maradonna, Marsh, Marszalowicz, Martinez-Fernandez, McKay, McKeever, Jason Miller, Moore, Oren, Panayotatos, Parikh, Parker, Perlman, Pina, Puniello, Rabinowitz, Redd, Robertson, Rohr, Roth, Saidel, Samuels, Saniefard, Scott, Seneca, Seplaki, Singer, Slawsky, Solomon, Sparano, Spencer, Stahley, St. John, Stein, Sullivan, Tello, Vodak, Walker-Andrews, Webb, Wozniak, Zaborszky

EXCUSED: Bell, Boucher, Boylan, Breton, Carlton, Cizewski, Colaizzi, Cragin, DeCarlo, E. Dennis, Deutsch, E. Diamond, M. Diamond, Eramian, Feder, Forman, Goodman, Griffith, Hamm, Harris, Hillman, Hirsh, Hyndman, Janes, Jesse, Kelly, Kirschner, Krueckeberg, Kuenyehia, Laguna-Diaz, Lawrence, Li, Manganaro, Manhoff, Marcone, Markowitz, McCloughan, McNeal, James Miller, Monfils, Nordstrom, O’Connor, Penfield, Regulska, Rijhsinghani, Schlegel, Shailor, Simmons, Snyder, Stauffer, Szatrowski, Tallau, Tripolitis, Tuckman, Wadia, Wasserman, Wilkinson, Winterbauer, Znayenko, Zucker

ABSENT: Adamcik, Adelson, Alm, Andalia, Axelrod, Barone, Bay, Burdea, Bushnell, Cotter, Darkenwald, Davidson, DeGloma, Falk, Felson, Finne, Gary, Gehrmann, Hartman, Haska, Haugerud, Hughes, M. Jackson, Kalafat, Keating, Kenfield, Killingsworth, Lehman, Massachaele, Matsuda, Moran, Naus, Padgett, Scheinbeim, Sheikh, Silver, Singh, Strom, Sumner, Swenson, Vershon

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY: Faculty: Of 85 total: 23 present (27%), 34 excused (40%), 28 absent (33%);
Students: Of 45 total: 29 present (64%), 7 excused (16%), 9 absent (20%); Administrators: Of 39 total: 18 present (46%), 17 excused (44 %), 4 absent (10 %); Alumni: Of 6 total: 4 present (67%), 2 excused (33%), 0 absent

NON-VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT: Hamilton, Ishayik, Wright

PRESIDING OFFICER: Kathleen Scott, Chairperson

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: Chairperson Scott welcomed all present, noting that she would be brief due to the full agenda, which she considered a good sign. She thanked Provost Dennis for the hospitality extended to the Senate. She reminded everyone that committee chairs, Senators, and all members of the Rutgers community may bring items to the Senate, and invited proactive participation in Senate activities.

PROVOST’S WELCOME: Provost Dennis welcomed the Senate to the Camden Campus.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY: Agenda: On motion and duly seconded, the agenda was approved as distributed. Minutes: On motion and duly seconded, the Minutes of September 22, 2000 were approved as distributed by the Secretary.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: University Vice President for Academic Affairs Seneca, noting that President Lawrence had given a thorough report in his State of the University Address on September 22, presented the administrative report, which included comments on: President Lawrence’s ongoing fundraising activities; enrollments by campus; SAT scores; the ways in which Rutgers Camden embodies the Rutgers University mission and the "engaged university"; highlights of student and faculty achievements and research, including undergraduate research opportunities; the ways in which information technology and improved infrastructure are being used to benefit the Rutgers community.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Student Affairs Committee:
Response to Charge S-9802, Use of Social Security Numbers as Student Identification Numbers: Student Affairs Committee Co-chair David Singer presented his committee’s report, which included input from the Senate Executive Committee. He read the resolution and recommendations to the Senate, then moved the resolution. At Chairperson Scott’s request, Senator Singer summarized the background of the report and issue. Senator Hall asked for a friendly amendment to drop the recommendation for a cost-benefit analysis; the amendment was not accepted by the co-chair. Senator Hall moved the amendment, which was seconded. Following discussion, the motion to amend failed to carry on vote. Senator Fechter moved to set a time-certain deadline for the cost-benefit analysis. The motion was seconded and discussed. A 90-day deadline was agreed upon, and added to the resolution. The motion to add a 90-day deadline for the cost-benefit analysis carried on vote. Voting by show of cards, the Senate approved the resolution and recommendations of the Student Affairs Committee, as amended, as follows:

Recommendations

The University should take immediate steps to identify and eliminate unnecessary use of student identification numbers; for example, on sign-in sheets for intramural sports.

The University should intensify efforts to ensure that rosters are kept confidential.

The University should make a commitment to use unique student identification numbers as soon as it is possible to do so, and, toward that end, should undertake and make available by February 1, 2001 the results of a cost-benefit analysis which addresses the following questions:

What administrative computing systems would be impacted and what would the effect be?
What patches would be necessary to accommodate the shift to new numbers?
What would be the approximate cost of converting to student identification numbers that are not Social Security numbers?
What would be the timeframe for implementing the change?
What is the minimum number of digits required for non-Social Security number student ID numbers, if that number has increased from the previously used six digits? How is it possible that a number larger than nine digits would be required?
Could the numbers currently assigned to the Knight Express/ID cards be used?

Resolution

Whereas, identity theft is an increasingly serious problem which is linked to inappropriate access to personal information, including Social Security numbers; and,

Whereas, limiting the availability of Social Security numbers is seen as an effective method of reducing identity theft; and,

Whereas, the Rutgers University Senate Student Affairs and Executive Committees have considered this issue, and developed a report and recommendations, based on their findings, aimed at reducing the use and availability of students’ and others’ Social Security numbers at Rutgers;

THEREFORE, Be It Resolved, that the Rutgers University Senate accepts and endorses the Report on "Use of Social Security Numbers as Student Identification Numbers," and urges the administration to implements its recommendations.

Response to Charge S-9902, Student Financial Management and Credit-Card Debt: Student Affairs Committee Co-chair Kim Wozniak presented her committee’s report, which included input from the Senate Executive Committee. She read the resolution and recommendations to the Senate, then summarized the background of the report and issue. Brief discussion followed. Voting by show of cards, the Senate approved the resolution and recommendations of the Student Affairs Committee, as follows: Recommendations

Education

Rutgers should initiate a university-wide financial-management program for students, coordinated by the Office of Compliance and Student Policy Concerns. Credit-card-issuing institutions should be approached for funding support of this and other programs, and lobbied to institute similar programs and development of literature to balance their promotional practices.

Campus bookstores should be encouraged to include credit-card and debt-education materials in shopping bags. The SAC felt this was a key area where educational material could be distributed, because it is a place to which the majority of the student body goes. It is currently the case that several advertisements are included in the bookstores’ shopping bags, including credit-card applications.

Controlling Access

A single, university-wide policy on credit-card vendors should be established, which would include all campus centers, bookstores, libraries and any other place within each of the campuses and colleges where credit-card vendors may conduct solicitations. In formulating the policy, Rutgers should consider limiting the total number of credit-card solicitations allowed on campus each semester. This policy should be handled and overseen by Rutgers’ Office of Compliance and Student Policy Concerns.

Rutgers should review the current practice of allowing the firms to pay student groups a fee based on the number of applications filled out, which has been suggested as causing an overly aggressive marketing environment. Payment of a flat fee to the student organization may be a preferable option.

Rutgers should prohibit credit-card companies from offering promotional gifts or trinkets to students for filling out applications unless the student has first read a credit-card education brochure prepared by either the University or a non-profit credit-education organization.

Resolution

Whereas, Student Financial Management and Credit-Card Debt are important issues facing students at Rutgers and elsewhere; and,

Whereas, the Rutgers University Senate Student Affairs and Executive Committees have considered these issues, and developed a report and recommendations based on their findings; and,

Whereas, the report and its recommendations seek to increase the level of student financial-management awareness and availability of related education programs;

THEREFORE, Be It Resolved, that the Rutgers University Senate accepts and endorses the Report on "Student Financial Management and Credit-Card Debt," and urges the administration to implement its recommendations.

1999-00 Educational Policy and Planning Committee:
Response to Charge S-9906, Winter Session: 1999-00 Educational Policy and Planning Committee (EPPC), and current Instruction, Curricula and Advising Committee Chair Natalie Borisovets presented the 99-00 EPPC report. She noted that the EPPC no longer exists under the Senate’s new committee structure, and that this is a report on a leftover, transitional charge. She summarized the report and recommendations. Senator Caprio moved to amend section 2.A to recommend that "All courses…should go through the normal curriculum-review process," rather than "must go"; the amendment failed. Senator Diner moved to amend the resolution to urge "the deans and faculties of colleges to consider implementing" the recommendations; the amendment failed. Following Senator Singer’s motion to amend section 1.B of the recommendations (which motion failed), Senator Borisovets proposed rewording, as follows: "Each special topics course must undergo a review process prior to each Winter Session in which it is offered." Senator Singer’s motion failed. Senator Hall moved to refer the report back to committee; the motion failed. Senator Fechter moved to amend section 1.B of the recommendations as proposed by Senator Borisovets; the motion carried. (The amended recommendation was removed from the "Credits" section, and became item C under "Review Process.") Senator Parikh moved to amend the resolution to urge "the administration and deans and faculty of each unit to implement its recommendations"; the motion carried. Senator Leath called the question. The call was seconded. On vote, the report’s recommendations and resolution were approved as amended, as follows: Recommendations:

While there are serious pedagogical issues that must be addressed, it is clear from the course evaluations that many students did find the Winter Session to be a valuable educational experience. The Committee agreed that if conducted within an appropriate framework, such short-term sessions could be academically viable.

Vice-President Caprio's "Wintersession Evaluation and Recommendations" [March 20, 2000] offers a number of recommendations with which the Committee can concur, namely:

That the Winter Session be continued as a pilot for an additional two years during which time new innovative courses appropriate to such a session can be developed.
That the development of 1.5- and 2.0-credit courses be encouraged.
That the issue of the perceived lack of infrastructure support be addressed.
That students not in good academic standing (lower than a 2.0 GPA) not be allowed to register for Winter Session unless they have the endorsement of an appropriate academic advisor.

However, the Committee would further recommend:

1. Credits:

A. Winter Session courses should be primarily one- to two-credit courses. Three-credit courses should be the exception, not the rule. There was consensus that it was extremely unlikely that the normal expectations for a three-credit course could be met in a 9- to 11-day session.

B. No student should be allowed to register for a total of more than three credits during a single Winter Session. In light of the commitment of time and energy required from students in Winter Session courses, many of whom are attending these classes while also working full- or part-time, attempting to complete more than three credits during this period would be both personally and educationally counterproductive.

2. Review Process:

A. All courses, including three-credit courses that are currently on the books, must go through the normal curriculum-review process (i.e., review by departmental and college curriculum-review committees) prior to being offered during the Winter Session.

There was consensus that it was extremely unlikely that the exact equivalent of a previously approved three-credit course could be offered in this abbreviated time frame. Therefore, any existing course that is being modified for the Winter Session format should be considered a new course.

B. Curriculum committees should conduct their reviews within the framework of a consistent set of considerations developed for Winter Session courses.

C. Each Special Topics course must undergo a review process prior to each Winter Session in which it is offered.

3. Courses:

Emphasis should be placed on developing field or study-abroad courses (for example, "London Theater," "Renaissance Art in Florence," "Coral Reefs"). Such courses could take advantage of the Winter Session format and genuinely enrich Rutgers' course offerings.

4. Program Descriptions:

The Rutgers Winter Session is currently an intensive Two-Week/Eleven-day session and should be described as such. While official descriptions refer to the Winter Session as a "four-week" session, in reality the number of actual class days is significantly less than at institutions that refer to similar sessions as "three-week" sessions. Just as Spring Break doesn't figure into the calculation of the length of the Spring semester, the winter holiday break should not figure into the calculation of the length of the Winter Session.

Resolution:

Be It Resolved, that the Rutgers University Senate accepts and endorses the 1999-2000 Educational Policy and Planning Committees’ Report on "Winter Session" and urges the administration and deans and faculty of each unit to implement its recommendations.

COPYRIGHT PRESENTATION: A scheduled copyright presentation by University Librarian and Senator Gaunt was postponed.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT: Vice Chair Rabinowitz gave a brief report on the October 6, 2000 Executive Committee meeting. [The minutes of that meeting will be distributed with the December 1, 2000 Senate meeting packet.]

REPORTS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES, AND OF CAMPUS FACULTY LIAISONS: Senator Parikh reported on the October 13, 2000 Board of Governors meeting. Senator Hamilton reported on the October 19, 2000 Board of Trustees meeting. Senator Panayotatos reported on plans and recent activities of the New Brunswick Faculty Council.

ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business before the University Senate, Chairperson Scott declared the meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

Kenneth Swalagin
Secretary of the University Senate