Faculty Assembly

July 11, 2020FAEC minute May 27th, 2020

FAEC 5/27/2020 DRAFT

Attendance: Roark Atkinson (HGS), Naseem Choudhury (President), Katie Cohen (Library, incoming), Christina Connor (library), Donna Flynn (Councilor-at-Large under 11), Scott Frees (TAS), Lisa Lutter (CA), Thierry Rakotobe-Joel (ASB), Mihaela Serban (SSHS), Ashwani Vasishth (Councilor-at-Large over 11)

Secretary: Kim Lorber

Guests: Martha Ecker (AFT-President), Interim-Provost Susan Gaulden, President Peter Mercer,

FAEC President’s Report

Meetings with the President: Naseem met twice with President Mercer; she will have Scott Frees (as VP) with her at future meetings. State budget and drawbacks for finishing/extended fiscal year and what might come next year was discussed: We have a big budgetary hole. Going forward we have about an $11 million hole and if for the full year, it is estimated to be a $31 million+. If we open dorms, etc. it will make the holes smaller. She encouraged him to be more transparent with the community to let people know where we stand.

Meetings with Provost Gaulden:

Faculty handbook revision: Susan was not aware that faculty handbook had been stalled; she will check.

Stipend/reassignment times for summer & fall: faculty were approached by deans to give these back for the summer and possibly the following AY. No decisions have been made about withholding stipends in the summer or fall. These are in negotiations with the union.

5 Year Assessment Plan: some groups are starting this in the fall to be completed in the spring. Naseem asked if this can be deferred for a whole year in order to have all materials on hand and to avoid additional projects during this chaotic time. Provost agreed with the caveat that CG provide rational and understand that programmatic changes will be delayed for a year.

Reopening committee: Considering multiple options and engaging faculty. The committee is waiting for representatives to return worksheets for summary. Report to the provost is due June 1.

AFT President, Martha Ecker reported: The 3 unions have met more with the Provost more regularly than the President. Ongoing local negotiations. Stipends and reassignment time: Should be negotiated by the union at a fair rate. Faculty handbook: Employee Relations is working on Faculty Handbook beginning with promotions. Statewide College Councils: AFT is negotiating with the States Office of Employee Relations to secure a no lay-off deal. Negotiations are ongoing. The offer is with the Presidents of the colleges.

FAEC Member

Question regarding student evaluations were raised: Will there be student evaluations in the Fall?

Personnel procedures: Uncertainty around timelines and process going forth is creating confusion. Faculty who are waiting for promotions, etc. have been unofficially told there has been an extension. Needs verification. Questions regarding the reappointment, tenure and future promotions timelines and processes are also unclear.

Re-opening Task Force: Questions about covering for unwell colleagues was raised. What if a faculty member becomes unwell and cannot teach or has to care for someone else? Who is going to teach those classes? A discussion about the role of convening groups and deans and having consistent processes to address these issues ensued. Scott, who is on the reopening committee, reports from now? until August, we will have to figure out how we communicate within convening groups. Deans will have the final say as this is a personnel and HR matter. We will need to have a conversation with our deans about renumeration; they need to have plans.

For Fall 2020: We need to prepare to be online. We will need to spend our summers converting our courses and need to do very well as a faculty in the fall.
Question about lower our caps was raised: Naseem was told that they would not go down. Suggestion: Faculty with a new prep for a new course that was intended to meet F2F, swap with a colleague who is already offering that course online? May reduce the stress of prepping a new course and in a new delivery mode. Should we expect to go back in the spring? What will happen if we do or do not? Spring 2021 registration has not happened so can those caps be reduced? It will increase instructional cost. We need more information.

Martha reiterated that there is an ongoing conversation with employee relations re: Faulty handbook, personnel calendars and deadlines. This needs to be communicated to faculty. We negotiate with Virginia (HR) now instead of Nicole (previously ER) so timeline is longer. HR also reports to CFO and not Provost. Structure is not ideal. She does not expect caps to be reduced.
What happens if a faculty member becomes sick; some faculty taught through COVID. We need contingency plans.

Grading/attendance: will we go gently/lightly/easier as this semester with one or possible two semesters being remote during possible future COVID 19 waves? No accommodations for additional pass/fail going forth.

Sciences (Scott): Science meetings today. Labs will have to be drastically different. Whatever we decide to go with, unit discussions are needed.
Some programs have been asked to rethink courses: art studio classes, for example. We are discussing remote and not online classes.

President and Provost Gaulden Arrived
Naseem will make a schedule for FAEC meetings this summer and invite them. We are also planning a Faculty Forum.

President Mercer reported that the budgetary news is not good. State of NJ is down 25% in revenues: $10 billion. We are receiving 50% of the April, May, and June planned income. They are not giving any state funding for July, August, and September. Loss of references from events, conferences, etc., we will end up with a loss of 10s of millions of dollars. We have small cash reserves for an emergency.

Revenue side: gave back $5.2 million to students for room/board, and parking.

Naseem asked Peter if there is any possibility to roll out a plan before 7/15. We can have multiple plans while we wait for the Governor’s directives.

Susan said the working timeline is through 6/8. Then it is unlikely to know anything before end of June. PPE costs: where is the breakeven point? When does it make sense to open or not. Many are asking for liability protection, which might change peoples’ minds about reopening.

What would you like us to convey to faculty? Personnel costs and furloughs and potentially layoffs are possible, per Peter. It is frustrating and there is not enough info to know the extent. Courses are filled; who will pick those up?

Susan was asked about the timeline for cancelling courses and what is considered “low enrollment”. She responded; we have to fill classes. Conversation about cancelling courses earlier than in the typical year ensued. She confirmed that deans were paying close attention to this. Cannot increase instructional cost.

Remote work: Susan said this will be a Human Relations issue; we have to have contingency plans for faculty and staff is people become sick. This is a heavy lift and a chance to understand the community we are. We do not want to demoralize anyone. We need to deliver a high-quality product.

Course caps: can’t reduce them now; cannot afford. Assured us to return to old caps when all is well. This is not the new normal.

Faculty who are not comfortable being on campus in the Fall: Can this be communicated to them sooner rather than later? If one cannot come for whatever reason, alert your deans now (Naseem’s suggestion). Can we start these incremental things in-house now?
Susan has been waiting for HR, faculty are not unique, and employees may not be comfortable coming in either. The communication will be forthcoming, but she cannot promise when. She speaks with Virginia (HR) all the time.

Opening Research Labs: there will be the option to use the labs but will need social distancing guidelines. She does not want to give today’s plan but will be communicating soon.

If K-12 doesn’t open, how could we open? Issue surrounding public transportation, etc. were discussed.

Renegotiating academic calendar with the union: Pro’s and Con’s were considered. Lots of unknowns.

Communication: Naseem addressed this with Susan after Peter left. Inclusion of faculty is important in this process including budgetary issues. Transparency is needed.
Susan discussed concerns about meeting enrollment targets vs. deposits, and attracting students to the smaller programs. She discussed the cost of only expanding the bigger majors (there might not be seats for these students). Roark noted other schools are not lowering their tuition and asked if can we create such incentives:
Montclair did a 2 for 3 courses: sign up for 2 and we’ll give you the 3rd. Montclair, Kean, are not in good positions; Ramapo is leading the pact without these problems so far.
In the summer of 2020 deans will create a new 2-credit topic courses to give students a taste of what remote learning is like? If we do not do it well, it will be tough.

Returning students are asking: can they live on campus? How will these be maintained? How will bathrooms be cleaned? Naseem suggested adding a video of the dorms so people can see: you will have your own room, etc. CDC recommends 1 person per bathroom. They also say in healthcare facility, have to have separate room for people with symptoms: we would have to figure that out. We don’t fill dorms so we can spread out students. Timely info is needed for parents to make timely decisions.

Indefinite remote teaching (Mia): We will need to plan for indefinite remote teaching, too. Is the task force plan going to be fall, spring, 2 years ahead?
Susan: The task force is focusing on Reopening only. Maybe another committee is needed

Susan: Summer courses will not be pass/fail. Provisions for course evaluations was also for spring, too. Susan is fine with making temporary policies and extending them.
Course evaluations will go forward in the summer and fall (as before). If we had a redo of S20 of being in person and pivoting the semester, she would possibly consider pass/fail, again.

5-year Program Reviews Communication
Susan will let all convening groups who are on the calendar for next year that they may opt to defer the review for a1 year.

Summer communication: This would be appreciated from deans as well as her. She will ask the deans to join her in her plan to do so.

MARTHA: Required to come to campus or not: This is not a union issue, it is ADA. The real problem will be for people who are at risk of transmitting to elders in the household. She will look into compensation for taking over courses.

Message to convening groups: complete working group documents and note problems.
Reach out to faculty who might have stepped back due to being overwhelmed, etc. Who is coming back and who is not?

Political issue of virus/infection cases/Mia: Other countries have handled things differently and have had better outcomes; this is something we can control. The differences across the globe are based not on the virus but policies/politics.

Communication: Naseem has asked the President and the Provost to communicate every other week; she will communicate with faculty as needed. The deans need to share more information; unit reps from various constituencies need to communicate more as we should, with what we can share, when we meet with our own.

See CNN interview with NYU’s Scott Galloway (per Thierry) re: college at risk of closing.

Categories: FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC

April 30, 2020FAEC MINUTES 04/22/2020

DRAFT FAEC Minutes 4/22/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2020 | Location: ONLINE/REMOTE | Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guests: Stephen Rice, Jacqueline Braun

I. FAEC Minutes Approved

II. ARC Updates

ARC has nearly completed its processes this semester for proposal review and approval. ARC suggests that a document management system is developed and implemented to facilitate submissions and review should RCNJ continue to work remotely during the fall.. A simple system can be created using Canvas. The college catalog should be published by next Fall. Stephen Rice will take over as ARC Chair.

GECCo and WAC have separate charges and need to clarify its relationship to FAEC for the future.

III. Contingency Planning – Remote Fall Semester

The administration should plan for the event that we deliver courses online for the Fall 2020 semester. In the event that RCNj will resume the Fall semester remotely FAEC suggests the development and implementation of guiding principles at the convening group and unit levels to manage a remote teaching and course delivery process. If we have to extend remote learning into the Fall these online teaching processes should be formalized for consistency.

Resources that faculty need to continue remote instruction should be identified. There should also be informational clearinghouses devised to facilitate this process and address concerns that faculty may have .

It is important that convening groups and units inform faculty that they should prepare in the event that they may need to teach remotely in the Fall. The process may need to involve ARC to ensure that syllabi include information that aligns with instructional measures implemented for remote learning and teaching.

It is important for faculty to revise syllabi to address obligations to students including office hours, methods of course delivery, grading etc.

The administration cannot structure the course but can inform faculty of the methods of delivery and the interface for instruction. For remote course delivery faculty are not obligated to use college approved LMS. For Summer classes, faculty must use Canvas.

The faculty can develop proposals for remote instruction rather than react to proposals that the administration puts forth to ensure that there is some clarity on how we will proceed in the fall.

IV. Reappointment and Promotions

At present, binders are on hold and decisions are on hold for promotion and reappointment. Reappointment and promotion decisions are on pause until September. There is concern about the lack of an online document management system for reappointment applications. A system should be developed to ensure that these processes can be implemented remotely.

V. RCNJ Library

The library is currently working with consortiums and vendors to facilitate free services for books and other resources but cannot be sure that companies will extend free services through December. The library is using trial versions for some services but may not be able to do this through the summer. The library is operating with an extremely limited budget and librarians will make decisions that support the curriculum holistically and equitably distribute resources between Units. The library is operating on reduced funds from this year’s budget unit at least September 30. FAEC is concerned about the fundraising for the library and the possibility that it could be idle. Communication from Library Unit liaisons will be distributed to each unit to provide more information about resources going forward.

VI. State of RCNJ’s Finances

There is currently a hiring freeze but it is unknown as to whether there is also a promotion freeze. There are concerns about job loss on campus. There is also concern about how the College will manage financial losses due to potential reduced enrollments and a drop in fees that The College usually depends on as part of student attendance.

RCNJ may be bound by Sodexo contracts although students are not on campus and foodservice operations are abnormal due to the COVID19 emergency. Filling classes may be an issue and if RCNJ transitions to online instruction in the Fall there will be a loss in parking and dorm fees. There is the possibility that monetary gifts to the college may be rescinded as donors renege on their pledged contributions.

FAEC would like to know when the debt will be retired for the dorms. It would also be helpful for the administration to provide projections or an exact accounting of figures indicating RCNJ’s losses over the summer and otherwise.

The Provost is waiting for other units in the college to determine which areas must be scaled back before considering reductions to academic affairs. In the provosts purview, Academic Affairs should be a last resort for cuts. Adjunct instructors may be reduced in an effort to manage losses going forward. Currently 300+ adjuncts are teaching approximately 100 sections over the course of the year.

VII. Stipends

Stipend in general will be on hold over the summer due to budget shortfalls. Any negotiation of stipends with the Provost must involve AFT as per the local contract. Course releases and stipends are very inconsistent. It is an extraordinary measure to cut salaries across the board but reducing the number of stipends granted will be a reasonable way for the administration to scale back.

There needs to be a consistent and universal process for how faculty are being asked to relinquish or forego stipends. The criteria by which faculty are being asked to give up stipends needs to be documented. Some faculty have been asked to provide services without a stipend, while some have not. Furthermore, there is irregularity in the distribution of summer stipends.

VIII. FA Transitioning and FA Bylaws

On July 1, 2020 Tae Kwak will step down as FA President and Naseem Choudhury will resume this position. However the FA bylaws indicate that the official start date is September 1. The FA bylaws must be revised to reflect the July 1st start date. Naseem and Tae have worked together to ensure that the transition is seamless. Some FA procedures have been inconsistent and out of sync with FA bylaws. Naseem will revisit the FA bylaws to ensure that codification and modification is implemented to support transparency within FA processes and structures. The FA bylaws may have to change or eliminate the over and under 11 year requirement for some positions.

Meeting Adjourned 12 pm

Categories: FA RCNJ Minutes 2020, FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC

April 22, 2020FAEC MINUTES 04/15/2020

DRAFT FAEC Minutes 4/15/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 | Location: ONLINE/REMOTE | Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guest: President Mercer, Provost Gaulden

I. FAEC Minutes Approved

II. Stefan Becker and Full Professorship Promotion Slots

Stefan Becker is returning to RCNJ as a full professor of Environmental Science. He will be working in Environmental Studies with SSHS. Becker may possibly be teaching Physical Geography, World Sustainability, and FYS.

Not necessarily specific to this case, but concerning senior administrators (including Provosts, Vice Provosts, and Deans) who are are hired with faculty tenure and full professor rank, if they choose to formally join the faculty after they step down from their administrative positions, can create imbalances. In particular, there is concern that (1) they contribute to the total number and proportion of full professors which is likely to negatively effect the calculation that goes into determining the number of full promotion opportunities available for traditionally hired faculty, and (2) they may adversely affect the student/faculty ratio and breadth of field, particularly for smaller Convening Groups, and negatively impact the possibility of hiring a necessary specialist needed for the curriculum in that Convening Group.

FAEC suggested that there should be clarification about how the College handles the transitions from an administrative to faculty positions. There should be specification about whether such transitions will take up faculty promotion slots, as well as what the implications are to FTE. FAEC also suggested to the Provost that convening groups and search committees should be involved in any considerations regarding the transition of administrators to faculty positions to ensure that there is alignment and that the CG’s needs have been factored into any assessments.

III. RCNJ Hiring Freeze and New Faculty Lines

The existing hiring freeze will be sustained until further notice. Units that have conducted searches and received acceptance for offers made have already obtained approval. Offers will not be rescinded but new offers will not be made. All searches are presently on hold. Searches for two part time lines for the library have been suspended. There was/is an active search for a Canvas Administrator, and a search was completed for a new Nurse Practitioner but no offer has been made.

IV. RCNJ Budgetary Concerns

Students received partial reimbursements for room and board. RCNJ will have to examine cost cutting as the state is withholding funding that it previously committed to grant the College. The cuts to the RCNJ budget are greater than the federal stimulus would be. When courses are solely remote, and if the College cannot resume classes on campus RCNJ will be ”in the red” without revenues raised from room and board, including auxiliary revenue raised from summer rental of dorms and classrooms. The Provost stated that The College cannot promise that everyone will keep their jobs. The provost stated that, “absent something unusual, there will be staffing considerations.” Additionally, the Provost explained that reassign-time and stipends will have to be negotiated but will be considered on a case by case and reasonable basis.

FAEC expressed concern that some universities and colleges are using the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse for austerity. In most other institutions the administration will see a dip in their salaries. Additionally, in the past when Stefan Becker served as provost, the FAEC President asked him whether non-academic units would experience budgetary cuts. Stefan asserted that it is not his business and that he did not know. FAEC stated concerns about administrative bloat at The College and informed the Provost that it should be informed about what non-academic units are cutting and scaling back on. In discussion with the Provost, FAEC noted that the core function of The College involves teaching and that administrators should be mindful of this. Furthermore, FAEC reminded the Provost that it is necessary for the FAEC to be informed of the guiding principles and approaches to addressing budgetary cuts and administrative bloat.

There is a rumor circulating that a letter has been presented to faculty that informs them that they will receive an 11 percent pay cut. This is not the case, there are no such letters being distributed to faculty or staff. However AFT has specified that during declared financial emergencies faculty can be subject to a 3 per cent pay cut. Furthermore, the Provost explained that If the state declares a financial emergency tenured professors could be vulnerable to termination.

FAEC recommends that other revenue generating ideas are explored. Considerations should weigh how faculty can contribute and how people can take more classes remotely. This issue involves the marketing of online classes, which should be taken up by the College.

Although Chris Romano has communicated that RCNJ enrollments for the summer 2020 and Fall 2020 are solid, there is still uncertainty regarding how The College will proceed in the Fall. Boston University devised a contingency plan not to resume campus-based classes possibly until January 2021. RCNJ must be prepared with contingency plans.

According to AFT an RCNJ provost has never exercised the power to regulate or reassign the mode of course delivery, or where courses should be situated [if online or at other off-campus locations] but could certainly make this determination.

There has been no further discussion of Three Plus One programs that the FAEC has been privy to.

V. RCNJ Commencement and Student Concerns

RCNJ is examining ways to develop features that can replace a graduation and harken back to an actual commencement ceremony. President Mercer indicated that graduation, “is not going to be as it was”

FEAC suggests that the administration send out an official announcement as soon as possible to proactively address concerns about commencement and other issues that seem to be uncertain. Mercer explained that students can voice their concerns with the Dean of students, and that he would not deter them from reaching out to him directly.

VI. RCNJ Student Survey

The Provost shared that the student survey reflects students complaints about faculty are using several kinds of online interfaces to facilitate classes and that faculty are assigning too much work.

Meeting Adjourned 12 pm

Categories: FA RCNJ Minutes 2020, FACULTY ASSEMBLY MINUTES, FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC, Uncategorized

April 15, 2020FAEC MINUTES 04/08/2020

DRAFT FAEC Minutes 4/8/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 | Location: ONLINE/REMOTE | Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guest: President Mercer

I. FAEC Minutes Approved

II. Status of RCNJ Commencement 2020

Graduating students are expressing uncertainty about the fate of RCNJ’s commencement ceremony. President Mercer explained that RCNJ is awaiting information from Governor Phil Murphy and the Stay-At-Home order to make a determination about whether the graduation will be cancelled or postponed.

FAEC suggested that informing students about whether graduation will happen can help them adjust the changes and mitigate uncertainty–even if graduation was pushed to December.

FAEC also proposed that the College conduct an Arching ceremony in lieu of a graduation commencement. President Mercer will communicate with students about the prospects for a commencement ceremony and he expressed a desire to do more to do something for students beyond an arching ceremony.

FAEC will compose and distribute a message to students to provide them with information in an attempt to alleviate uncertainty.

III. President Mercer’s Communication to Faculty

FAEC informed President Mercer that all faculty have not received the e-mail message and that it is in its explanation of issues that may impact the college community. President Mercer relayed that the state sequestered money and our funding is being reduced at a time when the College is most vulnerable. The college does not have much of an endowment. AFT will meet with Peter to discuss the matters outlined in the e-mail.

FAEC expressed concerns about enrollments for upcoming semesters and terms at the College citing the impact that changes may have on international student enrollment and the limited RCNJ endowment. There is also concern that the unexpected events resulting from this crisis may be used by the administration to make abrupt changes such as possible potential programmatic changes, furloughs as causes for concern, mandated online and remote classes, and the delay or extreme limitation of tenure decisions.

FAEC urges faculty to complete the surveys that have been disseminated by the administrator in order to register faculty sentiments and positions on the teaching experience.

FAEC also suggested the need for a collective virtual space where faculty can communicate online.

IV. OSS and DACA

FAEC is concerned with how students with special needs are dealing with remote learning. FAEC is wary that all students may not receive the kinds of help that they require and may fall through the cracks.

FAEC urges faculty to be aware that if a student is not a legal permanent resident and a Dreamer they cannot be placed on rosters to receive federal OSS funds. The DACA program is more vulnerable than ever and measures to protect students should be revisited.

V. FAEC Position Tenure and Openings

FAEC seeks a replacement for the FA Secretary which is a non voting position. The candidate can be a non-tenure track faculty member.

FAEC terms are coming to an end for the representatives of TAS, ASB, and the Library

The FAEC unit representatives for CA, HGS, and SSHS have been filled on a temporary basis and require permanent faculty participation.

VI. The final FA meeting for Spring 2020 [April 29, 2020]

FAEC will assign roles for facilitating the final FA meeting via Webex. There is a need to manage participants, sort through comments made via the chat function, coordinate verbal participation, and enforce time limitations for verbal comments or questions

FAEC will ask the Provost to speak with deans about more consistent communication with faculty, as well as to examine and suggest models that deans have exercised to communicate with faculty

Meeting Adjourned 12 pm

Categories: FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC

April 15, 2020FAEC MINUTES 04/01/2020

DRAFT FAEC Minutes 4/1/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020 | Location: ONLINE/REMOTE | 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

Guests: President Mercer and Provost Gaulden

I. FAEC Minutes Approved

II. RCNJ Library

The library can no longer purchase online materials for remote learning but online books are available for free from publishers.

The National Emergency Library is available until June: https://archive.org/details/nationalemergencylibrary

Students and faculty can use the Library’s Remote Access Page Link: https://libguides.ramapo.edu/remote-access

III. Funding and Budgetary Issues

President Mercer explained that the State government may not grant RCNJ bailout funding and that it is possible that RCNJ must prepare for a much smaller enrollment in the fall semester.

FAEC noted some savings due to COVID cancellation but also identified revenue stream losses including the rental of dorm and classroom space during the summer term.

IV. Faculty Concerns with Online Instruction

The provost confirmed remote course delivery will resume through the summer, all in-person classes will be canceled for the Summer, and that Online /remote Instruction will be the sole method of course delivery during this period.

Adjunct instructors are concerned about class size and potential changes in student capacities for online courses. Normally, the maximum is twenty-four students and FAEC believes that this is the acceptable maximum number of students per class section. Provost Gaulden mentioned that online class capacity limits may be increased going forward as a way to compensate for lost revenue due to COVID-19 restructuring.

There are mixed reports regarding the $1000 incentive for creating online courses but it is confirmed that this is no longer being offered going forward.

The FAEC contends that there needs to be a serious conversation about online and hybrid pedagogy in the near future. It is assumed that at some point summer in-person class instruction will be completely canceled.

There are security concerns regarding online education, information privacy, the protection of intellectual property, as well as testing and exam proctoring, and determining who has access to the online course interface.

Online courses must be developed with faculty and students that have disabilities in mind.

V. AFT Executive Board Update

The tenure clock cannot be delayed due to the disruption in academic activities but specific tenure requirements can be addressed.
During a meeting with the Interim provost it has been decided that student evaluations will not be administered this semester.
The Faculty Handbook Revision Task Force has not met yet but a draft of the revised document was proposed on April 1st and the Task Force will meet on April 8th to discuss it.

VI. Pass/Fail Grade Policy

Clarification on the announcement of Pass/Fail option will be announced today. Provost announcement to faculty and students. Powerpoint for students www.ramapo.edu/policies

https://www.ramapo.edu/provost/policy/emergency-spring-2020-pass-fail-grading-option/

Students will have up to one week after final grades are posted to determine whether they wish to consider the pass/fail grade option. If students opt to receive Pass/Fail grading they should be informed of the implications for maintaining their student financial aid status, as well as how it may impact international students’ visa status, their acceptance into graduate programs, and its overall impact on their semester and cumulativeGPA.

Provost Gaulden informed the FAEC about the introduction of a GPA calculator for students that enabled the calculation of the semester and cumulative GPA.

VII. FA Meeting Concerns

FAEC is planning to conduct a virtual FA for April 29th which is the last scheduled FA meeting for the school year. Considerations for a Webex meeting and facilitation of faculty interaction during the meeting are being examined with the hopes that participation can be maximized.

VIII. Provost Gaulden

Timelines for tenure and reappointment can be modified accordingly.
Deans and faculty can authorize independent study virtually to ensure that students meet graduation requirements.
Some classes requiring intensive lab resources may be canceled as faculty will not be able to deliver content without certain instruments or access to spaces Ex. Black and White Photography.
The provost is searching for ways to address faculty concern about online exam proctoring.
Final grades are due on Monday, May18th by 9am sharp. The provost stressed that it is essential to submit grades by the deadline in order to give students reasonable time [1 day] to opt for a Pass/Fail grade.

IX. RCNJ Commencement and Arching Ceremonies

President Mercer has determined that the RCNJ commencement will be postponed and not canceled. An Arching Day in the Fall 2020 may be possible for graduates. FAEC proposed that changes could include the hosting of a campus commencement ceremony that closely resembles the arching ceremony. A decision on commencement will be furnished by President Mercer at a later date.

Meeting Adjourned 12 pm

Categories: FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC, RCNJ Faculty Assembly Minutes 2019

April 4, 2020FAEC MINUTES 03/25/2020

DRAFT FAEC Minutes 3/25/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 | Location: ONLINE/REMOTE | Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guests: President Mercer and Provost Gaulden

I. FAEC Minutes Approved

II. FA President

The state government is not releasing more than 480 million to colleges and public schools.
Parents have been asking about refunds for tuition
All Summer classes will run as remote classes all in person and hybrid courses will follow a remote delivery model.
The April 13th withdrawal deadline is the standing deadline for this semester
It will take at least a week to receive the Chromebooks that have been ordered by the College for distribution among staff or faculty
Altice Optimum has an open wi-fi network which can possibly be used by students in New Jersey for internet access

III. April 29th FA meeting

The response rate for the previous FA Qualtrics survey was much higher than similar surveys in other semesters as 160 votes were registered when in some instances 60 votes would be received. FAEC is un sure of what to do for the 4/29 FA meeting regarding the facilitation of recording votes for voting items. It is possible to record content for faculty accompanied by an online forum for discussion using Webex or zoom. FAEC plans to donate the remainder of the FA budget to the Student Emergency Relief fund.

IV. COVID-19 Communication and RCNJ Response

Faculty and staff were not forewarned about the March 14th college closure in any COVID-19 communication. The Bergen County Executive made a decision to close all schools earlier than The administration decided to close The College and it is disturbing that the approach taken by The College was conservative. Emergency committees needs include faculty representation with issue-specific specialization. It should be determined as to whether members of the Emergency Response Team would like assistance from the faculty also.

V. REMOTE INSTRUCTION, CAMPUS AFFAIRS, and INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

There is a need to update and revise an informational document due to the constant new developments related to the shift to remote instructional delivery. To avoid informational mis-matches and lags, it is imperative that the administration facilitate communication as information regarding remote instruction, as well as faculty and staff affairs is time sensitive and routinely developing. This information must be centralized and published on the RCNJ websites in versions for faculty, staff, and students. FAEC does not want to be a secondary source of information and is not comfortable having two sets of information that two different bodies are be responsible for. FA unit representatives can e-mail faculty in their respective units to gather input and questions that can be answered and features on an informational page dedicated to faculty concerns.

VI. REFUNDS on DORMS AND TUITION

The College has not barred anyone from dorms but it is suggested that students do not come or stay off of campus. Students were encouraged to obtain their textbooks out of their dorms if they planned to leave campus. The College is considering a plan whereby it will not issue refunds on dorms to offering pro-rated refunds on dorms. These cases need to be handled on an individual basis until they come up with a standing policy. The New Jersey Statewide stay at home order makes it so that students cannot move out or come to campus to move out in large groups. According to President Mercer students can retrieve their dorm contents and a staggered schedule has been developed to facilitate small groups with retrieving their possessions. If some deans have communicated with students about this already it is due to their coordination with Residence Life. At present the college is not closed but some students and parents want to withdraw from the college for the semester. The biggest concern for the college is a flux or requests for tuition and dorm refunds from students and parents as this will contribute to budgetary shortfalls this year. A proposed model that the provost is considering is a refund for graduating seniors and credit for those who are not graduating in for their enrollment in future years.

VII. GRADING POLICY

Graduation requirements have to be waived in certain cases. A Pass/fail option should be considered and feedback about this should be solicited from faculty. The College must consider how such a move would impact financial aid or students’ ability to go to graduate school programs that may require letter grades. At present TCNJ and Rutgers University are issuing pass/fail grading options. Students can be presented with a pass/fail grade choice but faculty still have to allocate letter grades. Students are urged to meet with their faculty advisor. Incomplete grades can also be a consideration in some cases.FAEC is concerned that students will ask faculty about the consequences of opting for pass/fail grades and faculty may not have certainty about this. A flexible incomplete or withdrawal and/or possible pass/fail options are desired. However, there are conflicting opinions about a pass/fail option among faculty and consensus must be obtained. The Provost does not want to inform students about this possibility in order to encourage students to give online learning a chance.

VIII. TESTING and EXAM CONCERNS

Faculty are concerned about how they will deal with remote exam facilitation for students taking exam remotely. Some faculty can allow them to type their answers or photograph their written responses then send them via e-mail. The college will be using a program called restorium for the delivery of exams to nursing students.

IX. RCNJ LIBRARY

Based on preliminary planning, Linden Hall was the prefered space for computer accessibility for students, however, there would be no in-person library services, such as book check-outs. Librarians and library staff were originally charged to come in on a rotating basis but no provisions were made for PPE or cleaning instructions. Over the weekend, Governor Phil Murphy and the Secretary of Higher Education ordered that all university and college libraries be closed to the public not excluding faculty, students and staff. Library faculty and staff continue to work remotely and are allowed to retrieve personal materials on the coming Sunday and Monday.

Some database companies, such as Project Muse and JSTOR, have given free open access to their collections and librarians have been authorized to purchase more e-books (update 4/1/2020: librarians are no longer authorized to purchase new materials). For information on services and electronic materials, consult the library’s Remote Access Libguide: https://libguides.ramapo.edu/remote-access

X. President Mercer

The President seeks to make space available on campus for a field hospital.

The State is concerned about revenues over the next year and the state of the public purse. A billion in spending will be put in reserves and this can impact public colleges. Fifty percent of operating aid to colleges can be slashed by $70 million. It is unclear as to whether there will be a bailout at the state level.

XI. Interim Provost Gaulden

The Provost wants to thank faculty for their response to the abrupt change and the transition to online instruction.

Meeting Adjourned 12 pm

Categories: FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC

March 30, 2020FAEC MINUTES 03/11/2020

FAEC Minutes 3/11/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2020 | Location: B226 | Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guests: President Mercer and Interim Provost Gaulden

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

I. FAEC Minutes Approved

II. Faculty Concerns Regarding COVID-19

FAEC is concerned with the ambiguity of the March 10th communication titled, Campus Communication on Coronavirus and the College’s plans for the handling of courses, remote instruction, midterm examinations, and the overall COVID-19 containment response.

Faculty have been informed to prepare to deliver their courses remotely but await detailed communication regarding this process and plans that the college has in place as a response to COVID-19.

FAEC will compose a response to the President’s communication to address issues of concern relative to remote course delivery and midterm scheduling,

FAEC suggests that faculty representation is included on the College’s Pandemic Assessment Team. If faculty will not be required to remain on campus, it is imperative that a designated faculty member is included in any deliberations about course delivery and faculty roles during this time.

FAEC will develop an official response that includes guidance for the handling of course delivery and faculty expectations.

FAEC will consult with AFT about teaching duties and course delivery so that faculty can have conversations with their respective deans about this developing matter.

FAEC will draft a letter to address the administration and seek more information about the College’s handling of the COVID-19 response, and specifically faculty concerns regarding the use of compensated time in the event of illness, faculty presence on campus, and online course development. The letter will cover the following:

A need for the RCNJ’s COVID-19 containment response to bear consistency with the plans set forth by Governor Murphy.
Ensuring that sick days cannot be used should faculty need to remain off campus due to COVID-19 related illness.
Faculty and staff are not required to remain on campus for remote course delivery.
The college will only use minimal staff and essential faculty on campus if there is a need to do so.
Faculty require time that does not overlap with their existing duties in order to design or re-design online coursework
Greater clarity and consistency about travel as sports teams are continuing to travel domestically.
Future communication to the campus community and specifically regarding changes that impact faculty and staff expectations require precise language regarding directives and the actions that The college will take.
There is a lack of clarity about whether midterms will maintain their regular schedule for the current week as this matter is addressed in conjunction with Spring Break without specificity

III. FAEC will communicate the following to faculty:

The State of New Jersey published guidelines indicating that faculty do not have to use sick pay/leave and there is a need for RCNJ to reconcile their policies with those of the state. The local AFT will be asked to attend to this concern and further coordinate any contractual issues.

Faculty needs to provide the minimum contact time whether inside or outside of class.

Meeting Adjourned 12 pm

Categories: FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC

March 15, 2020FAEC 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

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

March 4, 2020FAEC MINUTES 02/12/2020

FAEC Minutes 2/12/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

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

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

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guests: Interim Provost Gaulden

———————————————————————————————————————

FAEC Minutes Approved

1. FA Voting Items Survey Results

122 votes were registered in the recent FA survey that was administered by FAEC via qualtrics.

2. RCNJ’s Acting President

Provost Gaulden informed FAEC that Kirsten Loewrigkeit is serving as RCNJ’s acting president as President Mercer is “off campus” and the role will be filled on a rotating basis among President Mercer’s cabinet members.

3. Three Plus One Students and Programs at RCNJ [TPO]

The plus-one year amounts to a total of 38 credits. TPO students will enter RCNJ with 90 credits and would need a total of 38 credits. FAEC was informed that TPO students will enter RCNJ with, “advanced” Associates Degree rather than an Associates Degree. Eight credits are required for the completion of the plus-one term and will not be covered by the Pell Grant and will instead be covered by a provisional loan that students will need to take out.

4. Interim Provost Susan Gaulden: Middle States, Faculty Concerns at RCNJ

The Provost is primarily concerned with how can FAEC support a good Middle States visit although the Middle States agenda is not finalized. Provost Gaulden explained that “70% of colleges that are on warning,” from Middle States is due to the lack or absence of programmatic and curricular assessment.

She explained that the trend in online learning means that online contact hours are assessed, in addition to the workload, and the span of time that learners are engaged with coursework. Furthermore, she explained that the assessment of the quality of online education should meet the same standard as classroom-based contact.

The Provost assigned Michael Bitz to the Middle States interview group for online learning due to his work with the facilitation of an online learning taskforce at RCNJ.

Provost Gaulden advised that the Middle States team will question GeccO regarding curricular changes although she is aware that the GeccO membership has changed since new curricular changes were implemented. She also mentioned that a lot of thought went into which GeccO members would sit for interviews with the Middle States team and will be based on bottom-up recommendations and administrators’ inputs. The Provost informed FAEC that its members will be asked about shared governance.

FAEC shared their hope for a shift in the culture of shared governance and information sharing at RCNJ. The Provost assured FAEC that justification will be provided for decision-making relative to faculty and campus related issues.

FAEC also expressed concerns that faculty have with the administration relative to support and real action for ensuring diversity at RCNJ. FAEC mentioned that despite task forces, focus groups, and campus climate surveys it is unclear as to what is being done with the information that is generated, as well as how it is used toward growing and securing real diversity at RCNJ.

5. Presentation of FA Concerns to the Interim Provost

FAEC discussed and will further develop a “laundry list” of concerns to present to Provost Gaulden. FAEC Unit representatives will request input from their unit members regarding their concerns and questions for the Provost. The FA President was asked to reconsider things that the Provost changed or proposed to change and will provide Provost Gaulden with a list of the FA’s most pressing concerns related to tis matter.

The FA President was also asked to account for leadership at RCNJ for the Middle States study and report. Middle States’ interests transcend the results obtained about leadership via campus climate surveys, but rather they want to see that action has been taken to address matters evidenced by survey results. They want to see a pattern of attempts to address matters/concerns that have been recorded.

6. Other concerns raised for examination by the provost are outlined below:

7. Alcohol and Other Drug [AOD] Policy

The AOD policy and fines imposed on students as means to enforce policy compliance must be revisited. There have been requests for meetings regarding how this policy has changed. The enforcement of the disproportionately impacts students of color on campus. The policy is in need of revision and culturally competent considerations must be waged in this process, as well as in its enforcement.

A conversation must take place with the be The Chief Diversity Officer who does not make the policy but serves an advisory role in its enforcement.

Link to AOD policies: https://www.ramapo.edu/publicsafety/alcohol-and-drug-policies/

8. Diversity at RCNJ

President Mercer and the former Provost stated that TPO’s would support RCNJ’s diversity goals, as well as increase minority student enrollments but increased enrollment of minority students was never a factor in their financial projections for TPO’s at the College.

RCNJ is on its way to being a minority serving institution regardless of TPO’s and The College must make a commitment to diversity. One of the concerns is the reporting process for bias incidents. In effort to avert gatekeeping, bias incidents can also be reported to the New Jersey State Ethics Commission, in addition to the EDIC, ELO, and the Affirmative Action Director.

9. Course Evaluations

The average response rate for online course evaluations is around 25%. The FAEC will recommend that the College revert to paper based evaluation as the default and employ online evaluations only if faculty Opt-in relative to the mode of instruction.

The current incentive proposal for granting extra credit to students that complete course evaluations is problematic. This method of granting extra credit per student cannot occur unless information about the whom has completed evaluations is disclosed to faculty. FAEC maintains that the extra credit scheme is a non-policy and needs to be addressed by the current provost. The withholding of student grades for a defined period of time is proposed as a means to encourage participation in student course evaluations via electronic delivery. Faculty concerns regarding course evaluations are important for personnel considerations but can easily be addressed through immediate return to paper based evaluations.

10. Faculty Handbook Revision

Helen Higgenbotham, RCNJ’s former Director of Affirmative Action, is still listed as the current Affirmative Action Director in the faculty handbook

The Faculty Handbook revision task force is being assembled to address immediate concerns regarding the processes outlined in the handbook for tenure, promotion, and sabbatical considerations.

Meeting Adjourned at 12 pm

Categories: FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC

February 22, 2020FAEC MINUTES 02/05/2020

FAEC Minutes 2/05/2020

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, Feb 05, 2020 | Location: B226 | Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guests: President Mercer, Provost Becker, Virginia Galdieri

—————————————————————————————————————————-

FAEC Minutes Approved

1. Tenure and Promotion Assessment Procedures

By practice and precedent tenure and promotion [T&P] is not arbitrarily rejected and faculty recommendations are normally followed. At some institutions the provost can exercise arbitrary decisions in tenure recommendation and approval but this has not been the case at RCNJ.

Candidates cannot be assessed on criteria that they were not aware of at the outset. The process needs to include an internal rater and requires clarification of who should establish criteria for tenure and promotion T&P, as well as how they are implemented. The overdue revision of the process is essential for future T&P considerations.

2. Faculty Handbook Revision Taskforce

The Charge drafted by FAEC will indicate the following for the revision of the faculty handbook:

It is important for revisions to identify the roles of the convening group, unit, and concentration for each school. Furthermore, deans should be informed that the process is bottom up. The unit should be responsible for determining these criteria. Also, convening groups are deemed most fit to wage evaluations of candidates’ scholarship and what it must constitute. There should be six representatives from the faculty assembly, one from the library, one from EDIC, and at least one from Dean’s Council. Committee members should not be appointed by Deans.

Some concerns raised relative to the criteria for consideration of T&P include: The assessment of faculty of color, service commitments at the all-college level,

The FAEC will recommend that a representative committee secure a consultant from Stockton to form this committee and Perhaps the AFT president from Stockton can be involved.

If FAEC expects gatekeeping or advocacy this should be specified although the words “gatekeeper” and “advocate” should not be used if a fair process is sought.

3. 3+1 PCCC Visit last Thursday

Faculty and administrators met from the Psychology, Liberal Studies, and Social Science contract majors. The plans developed from these contract majors were presented.

A few issues require clarification including, which institutions maintain curricular oversight for the 3rd and 4th years, namely which institution is in charge of the 4th year.

John Yao will need to clarify issues related to the following:

The RCNJ four year plans are constructed to grant 4 credits. The Center for Students Success should not be manipulating the curriculum to allow for 4 credit courses to be taught as 3 credit courses.

Why a couple of classes were added by PCCC, which differed from the original plan. This was something that was done by advisors. The courses were not recommended by RCNJ faculty.

There is a problem with 4 credit RCNJ courses being taught as 3 credit courses at PCCC. The ARC committees at PCCC pushed the courses through as 3 credit courses.

RCNJ faculty syllabi could be used by PCCC faculty to teach the exact course or a version of it at the PCCC campus.

It is unclear as to which campus some of the classes will be conducted.

PCCC students are not allowed to take summer or winter classes for the 3rd year since this is not built into their financial aid award structure. Due to a recent law at the state level students will be granted 4 credits for free in 3+1 programs. [[[Can we add a link to the relevant law?]]] Students carrying 60 credits would automatically receive 4 free credits from RCNJ. Clarification is warranted for how students will earn the required credits given the fact that summer/winter courses would not be covered by financial aid.

The psychology program RCNJ would not be able to conduct courses at PCCC due to the fact that there are no faculty at PCCC that can do this. There is also no supervision or lab facilities. supervise labs. RCNJ faculty would expect the students to come to RCNJ in the 4th year for this program.

FAEC maintains that any course that is an RCNJ course that will be taught at PCC, it needs to be cleared by RCNJ, needs to be assessed by RCNJ and needs to be a 4 credit course. If it is not the case then this is not a RCNJ course.

4. President Mercer

A copy of the 3+1 exclusivity agreement and MOU between Passaic County Community College and RCNJ will be provided to FAEC.

5. Provost Becker – TPO with Passaic [PCC]

There are opportunities for shuttling students to RCNJ’s campus during the 4th year of 3+1’s. At present there is no way 3+1 students to enroll in summer courses at RCNJ since financial aid resources will not be available to them.

Variations of the financial model for 3+1’s demonstrated that students would need 38 credits in the plus one year and if this has changed then this needs to be clarified since summer credits will not be allowed.

Provost Becker asserted that it is an assumption that the Passaic model may not work for other community colleges and RCNJ for potential 3+1’s.

If students transfer with 60 credits/ and AA degree state law stipulates that 64 credits must be earned upon transfer and 4 credits are given for free.

Revenue will be generated for students taking 38 credits but that revenue would be less if we are granting 4 free credits. It would be one summer or winter term less for revenue.

Meeting Adjourned

Categories: FACULTY ASSEMBLY MINUTES, FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2020, RAMAPO FAEC

Faculty Assembly

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