FAEC Minutes 10/30/19

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2019  | Location: A 226  | Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Attendees: Tae Kwak, Donna Flynn, Roark Atkinson, Hugh Sheehy, Eva Ogens, Kathy Zeno, Lisa Lutter, Christina Connor, 

Guests:  Nassem Choudhury (MFSA), Martha Ecker (AFT), Provost Becker, President Mercer

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

 1. FAEC Minutes Approved 

 2. Presidential Search Committee

The FAEC expressed the Importance of the need to register faculty concerns and positions with the BoT regarding the selection of the presidential search committee.  Several people withdrew their nominations but five nominees remain. Faculty have expressed reluctance to participate in the nomination as they are not aware of the details of the selection process.  There is cynicism about the effort involved in serving on the committee as it is perceived that it may not be fruitful. FA needs to clarify the process to the faculty and there is a need to formalize this process.  SSHS has not had a conversation about the presidential committee search selection process. A request will be made during FA for additional nominations.  Nominees must be forwarded to the BoT by November 8th but the FAEC may ask for a “meaningful”  extension to determine a more robust process for nominating candidates. If an extension is not granted the FA will request a town hall meeting with the BoT to ensure that faculty can wage their concerns and gather information from the BoT.

Thus far the BoT is responding to FA input and this may be an invitation to engage them for additional FA concerns.  Although it has been cited that using search firms to select administrative leadership can be a liability rather than an asset to institutions the BoT will select a search firm in January and the presidential search committee will meet in February.  

MFSA was allowed to have a representative on the presidential search committee and the FAEC hopes this is the beginning of a precedent where MFSA has a permanent seat at the table.

The search committee will not be composed of a representative from each school.

The BoT declined a request to include AFT union representatives on the search committee but a formal request has not come from the faculty.  The absence of union representation is a significant issue. FAEC needs to demand that the committee should not proceed without AFT union representative.  Should the BoT decide to move forward without an AFT representative, then the request and their denial of union representation will be entered into the record. The FA will be presented with the AFT’s letter regarding the search committee for endorsement.

The Presidential Search committee candidates include:

1. Ira Spar [HGS]
2. Rikki Abzug [ASB]
3. Eric Karlin [TAS]
4. Paramjeet Bagg [TAS]
5. Ashwani Vasishth [HGS]

Faculty will be able to cast an up or down vote via Qualtrics survey.  The deadline for submitting self-nominations will be extended to Friday, November 1 at  11:59 pm. Each nominee will answer to the original questions put forth by the BoT and an additional question that the FA devises. The top three will advance as nominees for the committee and the fourth will be held as an alternate.

Currently there are no under 10 or under 15 candidates.  The FA President has been approached with concerns that service on the presidential search committee could bear implications for non-tenured and promotion-seeking candidates. The AFT ensured that if faculty are harmed by participation in the presidential search committee process that the union will take measures to address and correct any injury incurred as a result of activities during service to the committee 

Presently, RCNJ staff are not represented on the presidential search committee.  Staff would have the least autonomy and are the most vulnerable members to serve on the presidential search committee.

The FAEC also raises  concern that the total number of presidential search  committee members can can lead to a deadlock.

The FAEC concurs that the nominees to serve on the presidential search committee must be consensus builders that represent a multitude of faculty perspectives and are willing to use their voices in the process.

The FAEC would like to address the following relative to the presidential search committee:

1. The need to conduct a formal town hall meeting among the BoT, faculty, staff, and administrators
2. Faculty representatives serving on the presidential search committee are expected to communicate to FAEC about the committees’ processes, developments, and decisions.  
3. A formal request for a course release and summer stipend due to the work involved in the process
4. Clarification about how staff members are compensated and granted time to serve on the committee  

3. Naseem Choudhury (MFSA)

The BoT has agreed to install a seat for an MFSA member on the presidential search committee.  This is the first time that MFSA will have a voting member on a search committee. This is important to the process as MFSA members ensure a broad representation of search committee members.

MFSA will not appoint the representative but membership has been invited to self- nominate.

The process involves the initial self-nomination accompanied by the submission of a summary of qualifications and experience.  The summary and candidates’ names will be distributed to the membership, the MFSA membership will cast a vote and up to a total of three nominees will be endorsed based on the outcome.  The names of the nominees will be forwarded to FAEC. The MFSA will ensure that the nominees that are not selected for inclusion on the committee will serve as MFSA alternate representatives.  The MFSA president will deliver the names of the search committee nominee to FAEC by theThursday or Friday following their selection. The MFSA would like to understand how the search firms for the process of forwarding presidential candidates will be considered.

4. Martha Ecker (AFT) 

The AFT recommends that the process for selecting representation on the presidential search committee should be reconsidered and that the process established by the BoT should not be accepted without a review and implementation of feedback from the FA.   The AFT suggests that there should be discussion about the process for assembling the search committee and what the committee desires in a presidential candidate.  

The AFT asserts that  the coordination of the search should not be conducted by members within the President’s cabinet.

The AFT contends that faculty’s relationship with the BoT  is mediated by Brittany Goldstein and that the BoT has a misconception of the faculty as a result of not having interaction with the faculty.   

5. Provost Becker

The status of the Three Plus One {TPO’s] programs is “pretty close” to an agreement with Passaic Community College. There has been no contractual agreement signed by the provost but MOU’s between the institutions have been signed.  Exclusivity has been built into the TPO agreements.

The provost mentioned that If RCNJ runs TPO’s there would be a projected goal that meets existing graduation rates or higher.  He also insisted that the programs must have outstanding adjunct and that net revenues will be allocated to the programs that facilitate the TPO’s

The number of promotions slots will be known by Friday.  Applications are due by November 15th. The Provost will coordinate with HR to ensure that  the announcement happens sooner in the future.  

Moodle will be migrated to Canvas upon request and the Canvas sandbox feature is available for faculty to begin designing their course pages. 

6. President Mercer

A portion of the $1 million in funding from the Governor’s office that was sequestered over the past summer has been released to RCNJ.  The construction of the Learning Commons is proceeding on schedule.  

7. Three Plus One Programs (TPO’s)

President Mercer suggested that both the initial curricular development and delivery of TPO’s will involve significant work from respective convening groups and ARC in order to establish a precedent for other convening groups.  

FAEC affirmed that ARC would naturally be involved in the course structure of TPO’s due to the fact that any credit hours changes to RCNJ courses must be approved by the committee. TPO’s that choose to offer 4 credit RCNJ courses as 3 credit courses will be subject to this process. 

Direct assessment of anything that is produced in courses that are taught by adjuncts will continue to undergo a review.  Programs with directors will deal with adjuncts and in convener programs the conveners will facilitate with it.  

8. Faculty Assembly Agenda Notes

Will open up for Q+A after Provost and President’s report and conclude earlier to commence the Faculty Forum.

Meeting Adjourned at 12:00 pm

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