FA 09/28/22

Faculty Assembly Meeting

September 28, 2022

1:00 pm

Friends Hall (SC-219)

Faculty Assembly is open to a general college audience, including administrators, but only FA members may vote. Faculty, including library faculty and all full-time employees contractually obligated to teach are FA members as defined by our bylaws.

President’s Report (Ken McMurdy):

• John McTighe announced as Parliamentarian
• Provost Search Update: Search Firm meetings with constituencies at Ramapo were very productive and positive.
  • Themes:
    • Shared-governance
    • Passion for teaching
    • Personal investment in the institution by constituencies
  • Drafting provost position document
• President Jebb’s inauguration – October 14. If you want to bring your class, please RSVP. Streaming the inauguration to classes is also an option.
• Provost Bite-Sized Research Presentations are kicking off soon. October 3, it is listed on the FA calendar, please consult for more details.
• FAEC At-large councilors are still unfilled. We need people to step forward for these positions.

President Jebb:

• Acknowledgement of our concern for those in Florida as the hurricane approaches.
• Discussion of the Future Series and PNP’s. Strategic Planning process and master planning process is a priority for the college. Strategic writing team is in full swing
• Discussion of the reorganization and how it has been improving organizational functionality at the college.
• Discussion of the fiscal state of the college, steps the college has taken to improve matters, steps that we hope to take in the future, and intention for future collaborations.

Interim Provost Gaulden:

• Gave a shout out to “The Class of Covid-19”
• Faculty Resource Network: our level of membership has been raised back to level prior to the pandemic. Faculty are encouraged to engage with it.
• Director of International Education: Ruma Sen is chairing the search committee.
• BS in Neuroscience has been approved by the state of New Jersey for Ramapo College
• Faculty Handbook revisions – currently under review by the Provost’s office

VP Virginia Galdieri:

• Sabbaticals: 8 sabbatical semesters for the 2023-2024 academic year
• Promotions: 4 for associate professor, 3 for full professor
• Tenure/Reappointment/Promotion Process: employee relations has conducted two training sessions, one for career development and one for promotion. Recording of the promotion training is available online at the ER website. We are on track for the calendar for these matters.
• HR Reorganization: HR is split between a people operations division and an employee relations & strategic initiatives division. Several vacancies currently exist
• Faculty Handbook: discussion of potential timelines under consideration and especially when it will be implemented when ultimately approved
• Faculty with questions regarding ER matters can contact Virginia, as well as reaching out to ER in general.

Nicole Morgan-Agard:

• Bias incident occurred, but details cannot be shared
• Discussion of college response to incidents, how and when to distribute college-wide acknowledgement of events happening and condemnation of such events.
• Reviewing placement of cameras and patrols, should resources be shifted or expanded to provide security to campus community

Academic Master Plan Task Force (AMPTF):

• Faculty raised concerns over the method by which the membership of the task force was determined – selected versus elected. Faculty raised concerns over the term “low-hanging fruit” and what that exactly means as the task force moves forward.
• Faculty raised concerns over moving forward with the academic master plan task force while a provost search is underway.
• 5 Candidates for the 3 Elected Positions on the Task Force, candidates introduced themselves
  • Carol Bowman
  • Stephanie Sarabia
  • Emily Leskinen
  • Lisa Cassidy
  • Ruma Sen
• Voting will be done by Qualtrics survey after the meeting

Adjourned: 2:30pm

Categories: Uncategorized