FAEC Minutes 2/26/2020

FAEC Minutes 2/26/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, Feb  26, 2020 | Location: B226  | Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Attendees: Tae Kwak, Donna Flynn, Kathy Zeno, Christina Connor, Scott Frees, Roark Atkinson, Naseem Choudhury, Ashwani Vashihth (Interim SSHS Representative), Pinar Kayaalp (interim HGS Representative), Lisa Lutter

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

I. FAEC Minutes Approved 

II. Revision to FA By-Laws

The FAEC recommends a revision of the FA by-laws to address ambiguities and some inaccurate information.  For instance, the bylaws indicate that the FA President should sit on the Provost’s “Cabinet” and the President’s “Cabinet” when they sit on the Provost’s Council and PAC. Additionally, FA by-laws define full voting members as full time employees that are contractually obligated to teach at least one course.  However, the number of FA members is different from actual full time faculty.  

Terms and election dates should be revisited with the goal of rules and practice being consistent.

III. Concerns to Share with Provost

Criteria for “new” (new or replacement) lines must be clear and transparent. Program closure criteria needs to be re-addressed.  The Administration currently has the right to close programs based on programmatic need but arguments can be made by the FA about this due to the fact that faculty are tenured to the college, and not to the program or their respective unit.  This would also create clarity for conveners enabling them to have clearer descriptions for tenure-track lines. It was also mentioned that having the process for tenure track line approval on paper could be problematic. The tenure-track faculty line strategy was tied to the strategic plan.  To ask for these lines they need to be tied to strategic plans but the strategic plan is an evolving document.  

IV. The George Potter Library 

The Library has been granted approval to open a search for two part time staff lines.  Leigh Keller, who currently serves in the role of Interim Library Director, will be asking for additional money to restore some of the lost resources that were cut due to the recent summer 2019 budget cuts.

V. Middle States Visit 

Although Middle States feedback was positive it was suggested that RCNJ need to work on Diversity at The College.  Middle States lauded the college’s Shared Governance efforts. The Middle States team was surprised that there is no mechanism for faculty to evaluate administration and suggested that the administration should be assessed.  It was suggested that the RCNJ Board be involved in closing the loop and reviewing faculty assessments of Deans and other administrators.  

VI. Presidential Search

The board will report to faculty about the Presidential Search.  FA will request that Susan Vallario provide an update and Unit reps on the search committee should be asked to provide regular updates about the status of the search.  At present the committee is waiting for feedback from the search firm. The Presidential search web page should also be updated regularly to reflect the progress of the search process.

Presidential Search Web Page:  https://www.ramapo.edu/presidential-search/search-process/

VII. FA Concern Regarding Three Plus One Programs and Intellectual Property 

The FA will provide a ranked list of concerns to the Interim Provost regarding Three Plus One programs [TPO’s].  Faculty will address concerns regarding off-site teaching. The FA maintains that faculty should not be compelled off site or to teach online courses for the sole purpose of satisfying TPO’s.  The former provost held an assumption that the faculty could be assigned to teach anywhere. Unless it is firmly negotiated with local AFT involvement faculty should not commit to off site arrangements as this will establish a precedent that faculty can be expected to teach beyond the RCNJ campus.  Any off-site teaching agreements must be thoroughly negotiated with AFT to include detailed compensatory expectations. 

There are concerns about labeling any new TPO arrangements as “pilot programs” due to the fact that there is no existing data that can be used to determine whether these arrangements will be sustainable and work toward specified outcomes before going forward.

There is also objection among the faculty about the use of track development as a means to circumvent ARC review and the necessary oversight for the development of RCNJ programs. This is currently a problem with Sociology and Law and Society programs.

Under current TPO agreements with Passaic County community College [PCCC] the provost wants to ensure that students have the Plus-One year at RCNJ but this arrangement is not feasible with Hudson County or Raritan County community colleges primarily for logistical reasons.

There is also concern about intellectual property rights and course content.  The Cabinet is in discussions for passing a policy regarding intellectual property rights but this has not been discussed with the faculty.

Any decision regarding the use and distribution of faculty intellectual property must be negotiated and entered into contract.

IX. Faculty Service, Course Releases and Stipends

Future FA presidents after Naseem Choudhury will no longer receive a one year leave. In order for this to be restored it must be negotiated in the faculty contract.  Deans possess a list of faculty who receive course releases and stipends. This need to be reviewed to understand how decisions are made on course releases and stipends allocated for service positions

X. Revision of Language in the T&P Handbook

The language in the tenure and promotion handbook should clarify how units determine recommendations based on use of the language strongly recommend and recommend which are used inconsistently at The College.  Tenure is recommended or not recommended while promotion uses the language “strongly recommended” or “highly recommended”. Furthermore the language, recommended and recommended with qualifications can be used and shortcoming evidenced in candidates’ applications should be specified by the committee in the candidates letter.

Tenure and Promotion are decoupled but it is unclear as to how the T&P committee can  evaluate candidates when there is no separation in the criteria that are applied. Each unit does this differently.

Meeting Adjourned 12 pm

Categories: FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC