Faculty Assembly Executive Council | Minutes | 9/12/18

Date: Wednesday, September 12, 2018 | Location: A218 | Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Attendees: Kathryn Zeno, Tae Kwak, Donna Flynn, Sam Mustafa, Kathy Zeno, Renata Gangemi, Christina Connor, Hugh Sheehy, Eva Ogens

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guests: Provost Becker and President Mercer
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1.  FAEC Minutes approved

2. Campus security and safety

FAEC discussed the need for a consistent campus security plan especially for areas that are not school buildings and classrooms.

3. Emergency Preparedness Task Force

President Mercer informed the FAEC that the college Emergency Preparedness Task Force is being reconstituted and that there is a need to conduct college wide simulated exercises.

4. Delayed openings and early closings due to power outages on Wednesday 9/5 and
Thursday 9/6

FAEC President, Tae Kwak was notified by unnamed faculty members concerning the delayed opening policy.

Early closings especially impact three hour classes that meet once per week.

The administration’s communication post power outage created some confusion about the situation and could have been streamlined, as more than one e-mail was disseminated to address the issue.

FAEC learned that during the power outage health related concerns encompassed non-flushing automatic toilets; hot classrooms and offices, and no light/power

Faculty in the ASB building reported a power outage on the evening of 9/6 that was not resolved as backup generators never initiated. This is of grave concern as building occupants had to navigate the darkened stairwells with only the light provided via their mobile phones. Campus security aided the building evacuation process. According to President Mercer he was unaware of this incident.

President Mercer reported that the power outage was caused by an overload of the master circuit breaker resulting from improperly calibrated amperage and surge level assignment to the solar panels and master circuit breaker. This caused an incongruity whereby even a minor power surge would overwhelm the circuit breaker. Orange and Rockland neglected to respond in a timely manner and Pennsylvania-based consultants were commissioned to address the matter.

FAEC suggests that there should be prioritization of what backup generators handle in the event future power outages. Furthermore, more communication about the infrastructural changes involving installation of the solar panels was necessary.

5. Library Renovation Taskforce

FAEC learned that the Library Renovation Task Force has not met to date but will meet when the architects are available. President Mercer explained periodic meetings will be held in the near future. President Mercer chairs the task force.

President Mercer informed the FAEC that the Library Structural Engineering Report indicates that the water table is higher at lower level corner where Krame Center would be located in the new Learning Commons requiring the construction of a different entrance.

6. Library Renovations

According the FAEC Library representative Christina Connor 75% of the circulating collection has been removed from the George Potter library and placed in storage over the Summer.

Most of the reference collection, as well as parts of the parts of archives, and The Holocaust Center collections were moved off-site

The process of moving the stacks off-site or relocating them to Linden Hall was originally scheduled to happen entirely during the Summer 2018 but will also transpire during Winter 2018. The relocation will be complete when students return in Spring 2019.

A shared concern among the Librarians is that they may be operating Linden Hall and the current library facility simultaneously.

7. Interlibrary loan and materials access in other libraries:

A new interlibrary loan system is in place. The new system provides for automatic population of the document delivery request form once online patrons sign into it. The system tracks the requests that patrons make.

RCNJ library is a party to reciprocal borrowing agreement with several New Jersey public universities and college. Borrowing privileges include books and some media but not databases. Book requests can be made online.

8. Textbooks and library/electronic resources:

The task force on textbooks never convened. RCNJ maintains membership with the NJ Library Association whereby access to OER [Open Educational Resources] can be attained.

An Open Education Task Force has been formed to include:

• 2 library members
• 2 IDC members
• 2 faculty members
• 2 SGA members

SGA President, Stefan Lally was scheduled to meet with Provost Becker but the meeting has not occurred.

FAEC discussed that textbook purchases may bear the heaviest impact on students in the hard sciences and business programs.

Provost Becker mentioned that it was the priority of his former institutions to allocate stipends to faculty that teach highly demanded courses for the development of OER and materials conversion to electronic resources.

9. Student Opinion Survey [Teaching Evaluations]

FAEC discussed the the desire to have Course Evaluations called student opinion surveys.

It was asserted that RCNJ cannot do away with teaching evaluations as they are part of the AFT negotiating process and that the evaluation instrument should be useful for personnel decisions and faculty interests.

Provost Becker agreed that it is pre-mature to default to online evaluations and that the default should be the most popular and requested format, which is the paper evaluation. This is due to the fact that the general online response rate is extremely low and cannot be regarded as representative of student input regarding faculty performance or their learning. Provost Becker suggested that a task force needed to investigate how response rates can be improved. The Nursing program’s online evaluation response rate is very high. Initially tenured full professors were evaluated online.

FAEC raised concern about the shift to online evaluations and the process of reappointment and tenure. Questions were posed as to whether requirements exist for a specific response rate since evaluations are “cherry picked” and not used in a reliable manner.

Concerns were voiced about the process of selecting evaluations for promotion and tenure processes relate to the impossibility of eliminating bias, as well as the notion that administrators will choose the “worst” evaluations in order to deny tenure or promotion.

FAEC asserted that the process of using electronic evaluations was rushed under the former provost and a mechanism should have been implemented to delay students’ access to grades should they fail to complete online evaluations. Furthermore, it was suggested that faculty should have to opting in to using online course evaluations.

There is a need to clarify how hybrid courses should evaluated. Currently courses have the option of opting in to electronic course evaluations.

10. Possible change from 128 to 120 credit hours

President Mercer informed FAEC that the RCNJ request to remain a 128 credit hour institution has not been reviewed.

FAEC, Provost Becker, and President Merced examined whether a 4 credit system is best as concerns about the 3 credit system encompassed 4/4 or 4/3 course load options and constraints on faculty research and service.

It was suggested that possible ways to compensate for a 3 credit system include:
Meaningful reassign-time
A tiered system which allows for reassign time based on research activity. More time could be allotted to faculty with a rigorous research program.

Provost Becker asserted that allowances could be made for certain minors within majors, and or requiring less credit hours for some majors and minors, which could allow students to take on more electives.

The Provost insisted that even if RCNJ is forced to go to 120 credits options can still be discussed, and suggested that a town hall meeting among faculty and staff take place to allow for open dialogue about the matter.

FAEC asserted that there be a more formal mechanism for feedback to provost about this and other issues.

11. Middle States accreditation

FAEC discussed the fact that conveners are responsible for assessing programs.

Provost Becker expressed concern that popular 2 credit Conditioning [COND] courses are not being evaluated; are taught by staff members; function without faculty oversight; and do not possess learning outcomes or syllabi. Such courses are popular among students that minor in Civic Engagement. The Provost intimated that this needs to be addressed prior to Middle States visits.

Credential tracking and storage for middle states visits

Provost Becker and the FAEC discussed the protocols for Middle states to assess/understand faculty qualifications and it is assumed that employee relations tracks faculty credentials

ASB currently employs the SEDONA system for credential tracking but it was mentioned that it is not sufficient for “reporting flexibility” that includes the tracking of faculty credentials and scholarship. Digital Measures was suggested as an appropriate system for tracking.
Provost Becker names Spool as an adequate credential-tracking system due to its ability to create reports, house artifacts and publications, as well as provide storage for reappointment and tenure documentation processes.

12. Message for unit Council meetings:

Wed. Oct 3, 2018: The new Secretary for Higher Education will be on campus to discuss the new strategic plan for higher education.

Provost Becker projected that RCNJ plan for curricular innovation via understanding of where/what can be improved and done better. The Provost also supports the development of new programs.

Address the fact that the annual review does not trigger faculty to examine their programs

Meeting adjourned at 12 pm.

Categories: FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2018