FAEC Meeting Minutes, Dec 1, 2021

FAEC MINUTES 12/1/21

Present: Naseem Choudhury (President, SSHS), Bonnie Blake (Councilor-at-Large over 11, CA), Katie Cohen (Library), Donna Flynn (Councilor-at-Large under 11, TAS), Ken McMurdy (TAS), Kim Lorber (Secretary), Lisa Lutter (CA), Thierry Rakotobe-Joel (ASB), Mihaela Serban (SSHS), Ed Shannon (Vice President, HGS), Jeffrey Ellsworth (Spring 2022 In-Coming Secretary, SSHS)

Guests: President Cindy Jebb, Interim-Provost Susan Gaulden

Vote to bring meeting to order at 10:05am.

Minutes Approval: The 11/17/21 minutes will be approved next week. 

FA PRESIDENT’S REPORT

FAEC Meetings: We will have our last meeting for the semester next week.

Incoming FAEC Secretary: Jeffrey Ellsworth attended in preparation for assumption of this role next semester.

Meeting with Provost:

P-Cards: Ramapo is changing its procurement process. P-cards are part of that. They have not been taken from anyone who has one and uses it. The TAS ordering process, specifically, had been handled by one person who is no longer there, leaving the lab faculty to learn the new system and order on their own.

College Audits: Audits are occurring throughout the college.

Awards to Students, Honorariums, etc.: Gift card prizes given to students are taxed, as are honorariums and more. Hence, we have been discouraged from using them.

William Paterson: During the Communications Meeting, finances were not discussed. Ramapo is still hiring for many positions, which suggests we are in reasonable financial health. In light of the dire financial circumstances at WPU, faculty would like more open discussion on the financial health of the College.

Future Series: These cannot be presented in a hybrid format nor can they be recorded and distributed without the external speakers’ organization approving and editing first.

FAEC DISCUSSION

 Provost’s Council Report:

 Future Series: Provost Gaulden noted that there were fewer students and faculty available for the Future Series due to other commitments. Since many faculty are teaching remotely, it is impossible for them to attend. In addition, it is challenging to attend a 1pm-2:15pm meeting on a teaching day.

 Task Force on Course Delivery Mode: Work has begun, but nothing to report yet.

 Removing Gender Specific Language in Documents: This is being explored.

 Removal From Class Policy: Work on revising  is nearly completed. This interim-suspension policy needs to be expanded to include all class activities including those off campus (off-campus work, campus trips, etc.). Naseem is part of this revision with David Nast.

 Faculty Burnout: Faculty have been asked to be supportive of students and staff. Many feel that this is the hardest semester of their career and are feeling overwhelmed while they are required to care for others. Can we survey faculty and staff to see how well they are managing? This will be difficult for all in the spring semester, too. Students’ needs require us to meet with them, even if unplanned, also keeping many from attending Common Hour events. Can we have a wellness survey for all in the College?

 December 15th Gathering: FAEC is exploring offering this.                                                                                     

Provost’s Emails: The breadth of information included is greatly appreciated. However, many faculty find that these emails have too much important information in one place. Is it possible to break up the emails by topic, and include searchable subject lines, while still providing all of the same information?

Unit Council/FAEC Faculty Discussion: Unit Council was extended from 60 to 90 minutes to allow 30 minutes for faculty discussion led by the FA unit representative. We need to encourage the use of this time for its intended purpose, as it is crucial not only for FA representatives to report out to the unit, but also to receive feedback that can be brought back to FAEC.

 Adler Center: There has been no heat for approximately a month. On Monday, faculty were asked if they would like a new classroom, but new classrooms have not yet been assigned. There is no budget for more space heaters. Faculty are wearing outdoor wear in their offices and in the classroom, as are students.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

 Thank you: President Jebb appreciates everyone’s passion and efforts regarding student care. This has been a tremendous success. Honors students were very happy with the semester and their relationships with their faculty.

 Future Series: The next event in the series will take place tomorrow from 1-2:15 in the Pavilion. Dr. Jebb suggested that some speakers might also be able to participate in other campus activities (or classes). Although the future series presentation can not be hybrid for various reasons, can the subsequent Reflections component be hybrid so more faculty and others can attend?

 Trenton: Budget priorities were shared for more OSS and student support services (academic and counseling). Dr. Jebb also asked for greater equity of support for student costs across the NJ colleges. A request for a sustainable public transit link to Ramapo College was also made. Dr. Jebb will continue to cultivate relationships and raise awareness of Ramapo College, specifically inviting state representatives to visit our campus and meet with students.

 William Paterson’s Layoffs: This Ramapo College faculty concern was shared with President Jebb.

 Wellness at Ramapo College: We share the President’s concern about the wellness of students and appreciation for the efforts of faculty. We are also concerned about overall faculty and staff wellness. Faculty have found this to be an extremely difficult semester. Teaching is more demanding due to the increased number of students who require additional help and support.

 Teaching Challenges In-Person: It is hard to learn students’ faces with the masks. The in-person and hybrid model is very hard to navigate for those new to the model. We are still in the pandemic, which continues to weigh on everyone. Many faculty feel great stress trying to catch up, as much time is spent helping students who are struggling and overwhelmed. This contributes to faculty stress.

 Pandemic Protocol Adherence: President Jebb is grateful for everyone’s adherence.

 Support for Faculty and Staff: What can be done to help? One example is fixing the heat in Adler, a source of additional frustration. Provost Gaulden referenced a webinar she recently attended. Faculty are not just teaching and helping as they always do, but also dealing with the students’ stress as well as their own due to the pandemic and other factors. At times, we cannot attend other events or meetings because we are so committed to meeting our students’ needs. Faculty have their own family and medical issues. The kindness message is very much appreciated about students, but more validation of faculty and staff experiences would be beneficial.

 Communications Meeting: Chairs were close together with people eating, raising concerns about virus transmission. Some in-person people left, and many did not attend but would have had there been a hybrid option. Can chairs be spaced farther apart and can people not eat during the meetings? Can these be shared as hybrid presentations?

 Scheduling Events: Literature had a good evening series for many years. Reference was made to general education requirement for extra curricular component to AIID 201 Studies in the Arts & Humanities.  T. It would be helpful to identify events a semester in advance so the match between general education categories and relevance can be shared with all faculty teaching these courses instead of researching matching experiential opportunities, individually.

 The Importance of Being Earnest: Dr. Jebb was blown away by the talented students’ performances.

 Higher Education: The stakes are high during such a divisive time in society beyond the pandemic. We will have students who began their educational lives during the pandemic who will need assistance in catching up with what they experienced remotely versus in person.

PROVOST’S REPORT

 ESL Tutor: The ESL tutor’s hours have been doubled due to a survey done by Provost Gaulden.

  National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE): Anonymous faculty and student surveys will be coming in the spring, with additional components for faculty and students about academic advisement. There will be specific questions for students and others for faculty.

 Provost’s Emails: The important information is transparent and detailed. Is it possible to break it into smaller missives with searchable subject lines? The Provost’s website will break things down into topics.

 Meeting adjourned at 12:06pm.

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