December 5, 2018Faculty Assembly Executive Council | Minutes | 11/14/18

FAEC Minutes 11/14/2018

Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes

Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018  | Location: A218  | Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Attendees: Tae Kwak, Donna Flynn, Mark Skowronski, Sam Mustafa, Cristina Perez, Hugh Sheehy, Renata Gangemi, Christina Connor

Secretary: Nakia Matthias

Guests:  SGA Liaison, Philip Buechel and Provost Becker

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1. FAEC Minutes Approved

2. SGA Liaison, Philip Buechel

Buechel asked questions about the functions, roles and goals of the FAEC.

3. FA Morale  Fund

The FAEC Morale Fund is the operating Budget for FA.  It may be used fo retirement events, service awards, and any faculty-related celebratory events.  FA received $2000 from Ramapo Foundation. Coffee service costs $205. The FA Morale Fund budget has been cut to $1500 for next year. The FA was able to eliminate paper ballots as there has only been one within the last two years.

FAEC had deliberately spent less of our funds in order to help seed SGA’s Student Emergency Relief Fund (SERF) for SGA.  We did this by eliminating cookies and snacks (ordering just coffee and tea) as well as forgoing one beverage service. Tamka Quick inquired about how much FAEC is willing to donate to SERF.  At the end of AY 2016-17 and 2017-18, FA donated about $600 each to SERF. We were hoping to make a last donation of about $1000 at the end of this year.

The RCNJ SERF fund arose through a larger movement in New Jersey State. Students Government Associations in other colleges established agreements with food services so that skipped meals could be donated to other students in need.   This is not possible through the RCNJ meal plans provided by Sodexo, as the food service provider does conduct a diaggreate of actual versus. used meal plans.  Furthermore these has been no cooperation between RCNJ and Sodexo for meal skipping and donation.

4. General Education Curriculum Committee (GECCo)

GECCo will be modeled after ARC and create a handbook.  The FAEC President is talking with Sarah Carberry and Michael Unger about the creation of a new committee. It must be determined whether there is another FA endorsement to revert to the GECCO’s original (more expansive) charge.  Sarah and Michael will be asked if they would like to address this during the next FA meeting.

5. Shared Governance at RCNJ

6. Provost’s Council

The Provost’s Council has not met this year and will only convene when there is a voting Item.  The Provost’s Council makes changes to policies whereby FA is afforded 30 days to discuss the proposed changes and provide input.  If the FA makes no recommendations the policy proposal is implemented. This was problematic in the past as policy proposals and changes were made during  the summer months when the FA does not assemble.

7. Innovation Task Force

The new task force requires more participants that are knowledgeable of innovation in higher education and institutional change.  Each unit should have three to five representatives on the task force.

8. President’s Advisory Council [PAC]

PAC has not met in nearly a calendar year.  It is open to faculty and staff and functions as a way to communicate between the President’s Cabinet and faculty.

9. Employee Relations and Chief Diversity Officer Restructuring

Nicole Morgan Agard has been hired to replace the Director of Employee Relations. Morgan-Agard started in August 2016 and became Chief Diversity Officer (CDO).  This raised concerns about conflicts of interest from the Minority Faculty and Staff Association. The Director of Employee Relations position will be dissolved and Morgan-Agard will only function and CDO. the MFSA expressed concerns about  Morgan-Agard assuming the role of Chief Diversity Officer.

RCNJ has a separate Employee Relations (ER) and Human Resources (HR) departments although this is not typical in most New Jersey public colleges and universities.  According to our union (AFT), RCNJ has filed relatively fewer formal grievances than other colleges in NJ precisely because of our peculiar structure. The change in structure will negatively impact AFT on campus, as the point-person for the AFT will no longer be the Director of Employee Relations.  This places the AFT at a strategic disadvantage. Mercer does not want to hire a new Director of Employee Relations however.

The following is a copy of the letter from AFT President Martha Ecker to College President Mercer and his response:

November 9, 2018 … Dear President Mercer, We have come to understand that the Office of Employee Relations is to be disbanded and its functions to become part of Human Resources. As President, it is your managerial prerogative to structure the administrative function and organization of the college; however we believe that this change will not be beneficial to the college as a whole. Since 2009, the Office of Employee Relations has reported directly to the Office of the Provost rather than the Vice President for Administration and Finance. The collaborative relationship enjoyed by the AFT and Employee Relations has produced relatively harmonious labor relations that has resulted in significantly fewer issues leading to grievances and related filings. Even during the time when the faculty and professional staff were working without a contract, the collaborative nature of the working relationship between the AFT and Employee Relations benefited not only the faculty and professional staff, it benefited the students and the administration as well. When we searched for a Director of Employee Relations, Nicole Morgan Agard’s background and experience fit the needs of the position. The search for an Assistant Vice President of Human Resources did not include the duties of the Director of Employee Relations in the job description. We see the Office of Employee Relations as an indispensable entity uniquely tasked with the effective implementation of the union contract. The office has served an important role to the administration, faculty and professional staff in ensuring adequate adherence to the union contract and effective management of disputes. No rationale has been provided by your office for its elimination beyond the need to meet other administrative initiatives. This represents a concerning disregard for the needs of faculty and professional staff. We respectfully ask you to reconsider your decision in the best interest of students, faculty, professional staff and the college.   Sincerely, Martha Ecker President

 

November 13, 2018 … Dear Professor Ecker: Thank you for your letter of 9 November 2018. I agree that the functions of the Office of Employee Relations are indispensable and responsibility will be allocated within the Office of Human Resources to ensure that those functions will continue to be carried out effectively under the new arrangement. I have spoken with Virginia Galdieri and she is committed to maintaining the excellent relationship with the AFT and to meeting the needs of faculty and professional staff. I look forward to further discussions on how best to prepare a smooth transition in the few weeks remaining before the implementation date of January 1, 2019. Sincerely, Peter P. Mercer, J.D., Ph.D. President

10. Vice Provost

The Vice Provost position remains unfilled.  The position of Interim Vice provost had been offered to Michael Unger, but he is currently filling the Director of Assessment Position.  There is alco a vacancy for the Deputy Provost for Graduate Programs position. Provost Becker believes that the Deputy Provost for Graduate Programs may be unnecessary.   

11. AFT OPRA Request for Presidential Cabinet Salary Disclosure

The RCNJ AFT has filed an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request regarding the salaries of the RCNJ President’s cabinet members.  Raises were granted for the President’s cabinet members. The salary information has been released by the AFT.

12. Provost Becker and Curricular Innovation

Ramapo Online

Provost Becker wants to expand online classes, including graduate-level courses to increase RCNJ revenues.  He proposes a Ramapo Online initiative to grow programs, their revenues, as well as public-private partnerships in support of existing and new programs. Becker mentioned that at present the MBA program has 30 students and an online version of the program is needed.  He sees online expansion as a possibility for the forthcoming music and DNP programs.

Data Science

Becker seeks to initiate an interdisciplinary Data Analytics program as he sees the demand for data science in the private and public sectors.  The program is in the early planning stages marked by discussions about its features and potential implementation. The Provost asserts that a Data Analytics program would incorporate RCNJ’s core courses in business analytics, coding and statistics,  Becker envisions that the data analytics program will serve the RCNJ strategic plan and suggests that it could be a signature program at the graduate and undergraduate levels. His goal is to position RCNJ as the hub for Data Science in the region with national and international reach.

Program Reviews

Provost Becker recommends that program reviews be conducted as part of the planning for curricular innovation. The process involves program-level assessment of the work that units do to include self-evaluation, external evaluation, and the responsive development of a 5 to 7 year plan based on the feedback.   The Provost will provide guidelines for program reviews, secure external evaluators, and work through deans for scheduling them.

Meeting Adjourned 12:00 pm

 

Categories: FACULTY ASSEMBLY MINUTES, FAEC MEETING MINUTES 2018, Uncategorized

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April 30, 2018Minutes Faculty Assembly 4/25/18

Faculty Assembly Minutes

April 25 Pavilion 1 pm

Faculty Assembly President: Tae Kwak

Secretary: Hugh Sheehy

 

1. Minutes approved

 

2. President’s Remarks: The College is over halfway to $15 million goal for new library. Incoming Provost Becker will attend BoT Meeting 4/30 and will be available to have dinner with faculty members. Mercer shared numbers of locks changed on campus for enhanced security. The rest of the locks will be installed by the Fall. Other security factors being considered are the entrances and exits on campus. FAEC President Kwak expressed his appreciation for the 4/20 event on campus safety the Administration helped to plan and make happen. A faculty member asked about unblinded classrooms with glass walls. Mercer expressed his interest in looking into further security features for these spaces.

 

3. Provost’s Remarks: Syllabi for Fall 2018 are due to deans by June 30, 2018. Barnett went over the items that must be included on these syllabi and will send a memo outlining these required elements. There was some discussion of the number of grids or rubrics required by each syllabus and whether including program outcomes on syllabi would be rendered redundant by end-of-year reports. The Provost’s Service Award this year goes to Rachel Budin.

 

4. In the future, College-wide policies for all courses will be available as a link to be placed on syllabi.

 

5. 4/18 Voting Results: Faculty cast 165 ballots in the paper vote (about 77% return rate). in the future, paper ballots will be replaced with anonymous Qualtrix surveys. The passage of Ballot Item 2 will allow FAEC to amend and update old matter in the Bylaws. Hugh Sheehy will step down as FA Secretary in the Fall and take the place of the current FAEC HGS representative; Nakia Matthias will replace him. FA President Kwak will continue in his current role. Kwak stated that he will continue to work toward making the College’s vision of shared governance a reality; he also discussed a couple of changes respecting exam periods and grade due dates that have taken place under his watch. He plans also to make future FA meeting times and durations consistent. Kwak is reachable by email.

 

Voting Results:

Item 1 (Electronic Voting of Officers) Y 137, N 12, A 16

Item 2 (Amendment of Bylaws) Y 128, N 13, A 23

FA President: Kwak Y 143, N 1, A 20

FAEC Councilor at Large (11+Years): Mustafa Y 137, A 27

FAEC Councilor at Large (11-Years): Flynn Y 134, A 30

 

6. Stephen Anderson delivered the ARC report, stating that the Committee has approved 9- courses for inclusion in the Gen Ed. ARC is now open for submissions of new courses to be considered for the GE. Faculty considering new programs for the Fall can expect a new checklist on the ARC website. ARC is still determining who will be the next chair.

 

7. Sarah Carberry delivered the GECCo Report. Deans have agreed to include the Senior Presentation as a graduation requirement. Schools will decide requirements for each presentation and how to align their criteria with program outcomes. Faculty in Readings in the Humanities and CRWT have been contacted with requests for GE data. Carberry then talked about how to find scheduled courses that are in both the old GE and the new GE in Banner; the easiest way is to select all options under “Subject” and to then choose the relevant GE areas in “Attribute Type” and then “Section Search.” Students who wish to declare the new GE must get permission through the relevant deans, who will be responsible for contacting the Registrar. Newly declared majors will be responsible for completing new GE major requirements. A faculty member asked whether courses outside of the GE could be used as equivalents; Carberry replied that in general they may not.

 

8. Meeting adjourned 2:05

 

Categories: Uncategorized

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April 18, 2018FAEC Minutes 4/4/2018

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes

April 4, 2018

ASB 008 Room

10:30am to 12:30am

Attendees:​ Christina Connor, Kathryn Zeno, Tae Kwak, Gladys Torres-Baumgarten, Kim Lorber, Eva Ogens, Renata Gangemi, Stephen Anderson (for Donna Flynn (for Cristina Perez))

Excused: Cristina Perez, Donna Flynn, Roark Atkinson

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

Guest: Martha Ecker

1.     Minutes 3/28 approved
2.     Faculty Assembly Agenda: The provost continues to offer incentives for faculty members who are willing to teach online; Michael Bitz will discuss security concerns related to the expansion of online learning. Committee members expressed similar concerns related to the adoption of online course evaluations. There was some discussion of how the evaluation instrument might be improved; there was some discussion of how evaluations are used in the material submitted by faculty members for promotion decisions. There was some discussion of the value and reliability of evaluations: a committee member suggested they are valuable for making promotions decisions, while other committee members suggested that evaluations can be corrupted by disengaged or vindictive students, and another argued that it is impossible to measure phenomena such as sexist and racist bias in evaluations data.

It remains unclear whether we will hold a Faculty Forum on 4/25 as scheduled.

The Administration has scheduled a number of meetings involving the Faculty that interfere with scheduled faculty meetings.

        Ben Fine will give a talk about student athletes at the end of FA.

        There will be a discussion of whether the College should pay for OER.

        The College supports a one-semester sabbatical for outgoing FAEC Presidents; FAEC hopes the Faculty will endorse this measure to entice more faculty members to participate in FAEC.

3.     Martha Ecker discussed the New Jersey statute regarding tenure. She discussed the hire of the Vice Provost and the College’s current interest in hiring a new provost. She reminded FAEC that AFT can negotiate procedures but not content of agreements between colleges and state employees. She suggested that faculty concerns about the terms of administrative hires be brought to the floor during Faculty Assembly.
4.     Stephen Anderson described the three new majors proposed by ASB and ARC. He discussed the onerous process of approving courses for the new Gen Ed. He explained that ARC has also had difficulty recruiting members and maintaining continuity from term to term. An FAEC member and Anderson discussed making coordinating points of information in the new GE program on a simple form that might be made available online to students; Anderson said he would discuss it with the GECCo chair. He said he will also look into the mechanism coordinating the old GE with the new one for students who have to work with both.
5.     FAEC will hold a paper ballot vote on whether to update the FAEC Bylaws.
6.     FAEC discussed the candidates for the opening Provost position.
7.     FAEC will be leaving many items on the table for next Fall, and a number of significant meetings are scheduled for the end of the semester. The FA President will be in touch with FAEC members during the summer as needed.
8.     FAEC discussed the progress of the library renovation. Committee members discussed impressions that oversight for the renovation remains difficult to track.
9.     Meeting adjourned 12:30

 

Categories: Uncategorized

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April 4, 2018DRAFT Faculty Assembly Minutes 4-4

Faculty Assembly Minutes

April 4 2018 ASB 136 1 pm

Faculty Assembly President: Tae Kwak

Secretary: Hugh Sheehy

 

1. Minutes 1/31 Approved

 

2. President’s Report: Mercer talked about the new state budget and suggested expectations for increased $$ for public higher education should be tempered. With respect to new developments in higher education, Mercer discussed Rowan College’s adoption of a “3+1” model of degree pursuit, which would allow for students to attend a two-year college for three years and then complete their study in one year at a four year college. Mercer stated that he and the Administration are heading in a different direction: increasing access to Ramapo for students at two-year colleges. He stated his belief that the outlook for next year is good, with deposits and transfers up from this time last year. Regarding the Provost Search, Mercer stated his hope that negotiations will commence with the top candidate by next week and that he will be in touch with the Faculty with more information shortly. FA President Kwak asked about the search for a new Government Affairs Officer for the College. President Mercer replied that having a Government Affairs Officer in the state capitol is essential to staying abreast of developments in Trenton as well as continuing to represent the College’s particular interests, including lobbying for the College’s share of the budget appropriations. Mercer believes that Ramapo will benefit from these efforts. A faculty member made a statement on behalf of the Minority Faculty and Staff, which plans to make one of three recs: 1) failed search, 2) one candidate, 3) no recommendation—rec is forthcoming. A faculty member raised a question about offering more scholarship money for transfer students. Mercer replied that the College would like to offer more money, but doesn’t have it; he added that the College has invested in transfer students in the form of placing Ramapo staff at two year colleges in the interest of bringing more well-prepared students to the College. A faculty member stated that students are expressing their anxieties and fears about possible violence on campus and enumerated ways in which the College appears unprepared for unpredictable violence, such as a shooter on campus. Mercer replied that our security officers are unarmed and that he would like for them to remained that way; the record suggests that having more guns on campus—even only with security officers—leads to more shooting on campus. He also stated that there limits to how safe the campus could be made without altering the basic character of campus life. He stated that the College is hoping to take place in an active shooter exercise soon; the opportunity was presented recently, and there will be more information on that in the near future. However, he stated, the value of such an exercise will naturally be limited; he stated that the College will undertake adding certain safety measures (locks for doors, shades for windows) that have been under discussion for years. A faculty member asked when we might see some of the safety measures put into place, and Mercer replied that he would try to bring a time table to the 4/25 FA.
3.  Provost’s Report: Provost Barnett thanked Stephanie Sarabia (?) and Vice Provost Williams on their contributions to preparing the College for its Middle States visit. She reminded faculty that students are registering for classes this week and asked that faculty members do their best to assist their advisees. Barnett is preparing for an upcoming Board of Trustees meeting and will be taking forward a number of Faculty requests and recommendations. On Wednesday 4/18 there will be a Diversity Training program; Barnett urged all faculty to attend at their assigned times. CRW staff will decrease the teaching loads of full-time employees to free up staff resources for students in need of extra guidance or instruction. Barnett expressed her enthusiasm for the Roukema Center’s program for faculty conducting research abroad. A faculty member asked about the changes at the CRW. Barnett talked about logistical changes and also raised the issue of increasing CRW resources for graduate students. A faculty member recounted a story about an ITS problem she encountered while trying to advise a student and requested more advance warning in the future. Provost Barnett sympathized and stated that she would take this concern back to ITS.

 

4. Voting Items (92 Voting Faculty Present):

A. Museum and Exhibition Studies Minor

1. Yes 95%
2. No 5%
3. Abstain

B. Conversion of Business Administration Concentrations into their Respective Majors

1. Yes 97%
2. No
3. Abstain 3%

C. Course Evaluation Revision Task Force

1. Yes 91%
2. No 3%
3. Abstain 6%

D. Open Educational Resource Task Force

1. Yes 90%
2. No 6%
3. Abstain 5%

 

5. FA President’s Report: Tae Kwak discussed the changes that have taken place under his tenure as FA President. He underscored the newly implemented Shared Governance plan as a sign of things to come and stated his current concerns with existing difficulties the Faculty and the Administration have with communicating. Kwak promised to work on this issue going forward. He then raised the issue of the shortage of faculty interest in working on FAEC and announced that the Faculty have received the blessings of the Administration and AFT to award outgoing FA President’s with a semester of leave in the interest of establishing more incentive for faculty members to volunteer to take part in the broader endeavor of shared governance.

6. FAEC Candidates Introductions: Kwak introduced Donna Flynn, who was absent, and endorsed her candidacy for the position of All-College Representative (under eleven years). Sam Mustafa introduced his own candidacy for All-College Representative (over eleven years). Kwak also introduced two further amendments of the FA Bylaws. Kwak also invited untenured faculty members interested in becoming FAEC secretary to volunteer for the position.

 

7. Benjamin Fine talked his role as NCAA Division III Representative. He stated his interest in developing the position around the needs of the student-athlete population. He discussed the faculty mentoring program that assigns faculty members to different teams. Fine also stated that he is available to hear concerns and complaints about student-athletes; he added that he hopes to hear what Ramapo student-athletes are doing well.

 

8. FA adjourned 2:51 PM

 

 

 

 

Categories: Uncategorized

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April 4, 2018FAEC Minutes, 3/28/2018

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes

March 28, 2018

ASB 008 Room

10:30am to 12:30am

Attendees:​ Christina Connor, Donna Flynn (for Cristina Perez), Roark Atkinson, Kathryn Zeno, Tae Kwak, Gladys Torres-Baumgarten, Kim Lorber, Eva Ogens, Renata Gangemi

Excused: Cristina Perez

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

1.     Minutes of 2/28/18 approved.
2.     The President has yet to convene the Strategic Plan Assessment/Revision Task Force.  Faculty members of the TF are concerned they will not have adequate time to genuinely assess the current Strategic Plan since the TF’s report is due to the President on June 1, 2018.  The Task Force for the new Plan was informed that their work was urgent in the light of a new incoming Provost; FAEC members fear that there will not be enough time to give the new Plan the time and care it requires. It was noted that this Updated Strategic Plan was supposed to mark the implementation of the new Shared Governance principles.
3.     FAEC members discussed possible amendments to bylaws which will allow the bylaws to be updated and made more accurate.
4.     Provost Search: FAEC members discussed their impressions of the candidates for the new Provost position. FAEC members discussed the terms of the positions related to the tenuring of administrators after two years, pending the approval of the Administration. FAEC members raised concerns that excluding faculty from the tenure process for administrators both raises a conflict of interest for the Administration and disenfranchises the Faculty in a way that may not serve the College’s mission or students.
5.      FAEC will invite Nicole Morgan Agard and Martha Ecker to 4/4 FAEC Meeting to discuss status of administrators returning to Faculty.
6.     An FAEC member suggested that more ARC and GECCo members be invited to future meetings to inform FAEC of their work.
7.     FAEC members raised questions about a conversion table for the new Gen Ed and transfer credits in Fall 2018 and also the status of the software platform that will replaced Banner in Fall 2018.
8.     Meeting adjourned 12:30.

Categories: Uncategorized

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March 28, 2018FAEC Minutes 2/14/2018

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes February 14, 2018 ASB 008 Room 10:30am to 11:55am

Attendees: Roark Atkinson, Kim Lorber, Christina Connor, Kathryn Zeno, Tae Kwak, Eva Ogens, Donna Flynn (for Cristina Perez), Gladys Torres-Baumgarten, Renata Gangemi

Excused: Cristina Perez

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

1.     Minutes 1/31 and 2/7 Approved
2.     Melissa Van Der Wall is looking for founding professors or professors who have taught at Ramapo since near its founding to staff a Traditions Council dedicated to informing marketing and advertising practices at the College in the interest of “preserv[ing] and promot[ing] Ramapo’s history and traditions”.
3.     The library renovation proceeds. The URL has been changed to both include the word “library” and to remove it.
4.     OER: We have a drafted charge for the OER TF; the role of the TF will be to research costs and data about use, effectiveness, limitations. A committee member stated that librarians have attended a conference related to OERs and recommend an expanded timeline allowing for more faculty to attend conference, which is highly informative. FAEC members will seek volunteers for TF at 2/14 Unit Councils.
5.     Leadership Meeting: SGA President, President Mercer, Chris Romano, and Provost present. Administration is charging a TF with implementing an eight-year strategic plan for improving shared governance. This strategic plan will carry forward from current five-year strategic plan, which is set to expire at the end of June 2018. FAEC needs three volunteers to serve on TF. TF must be approved by Board of Trustees. A committee member suggests Steve Rice, who is familiar with strategic plan and the data gathered for it from the past four years. The work on this task force will continue through the beginning of the summer. Volunteers should report to Tae Kwak. FAEC members will seek volunteers at 2/14 Unit Councils.
6.     Course Evaluations: the course evaluation instrument is available for redesigning. How it is changed depends on the faculty.

There are three options:

1. Leave as-is
2. Change in FAEC
3. Form a TF for redesign

A committee member took issue in particular with the phrasing of questions 21 and 22. Faculty members raised a number of issues, beginning with question of whether course evaluations are useful; scholarship on the subject suggests they are not reliable. There is a question of how the College plans to utilize evaluations in the future: whether they will be filled out online or in the classroom. A committee member noted that the evaluation instrument has been updated recently and that the changes made then should be noted; a TF charge should include reaching out to the members of the previous TF. FAEC feels a representative is required from every Unit to ensure coverage of pedagogical interests. FAEC members will ask for volunteers at 2/14 Unit Councils.

Meeting adjourned 11:55

 

Categories: Uncategorized

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March 28, 2018FAEC Minutes 2/21/2018

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes

February 21, 2018

ASB 008 Room

10:30am to 12:30am

Attendees:​ Christina Connor, Donna Flynn (for Cristina Perez), Roark Atkinson, Kathryn Zeno, Tae Kwak, Gladys Torres-Baumgarten, Kim Lorber, Eva Ogens, Renata Gangemi

Excused: Cristina Perez

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

Guests:​ Provost Barnett, Vice Provost Williams

1.     Minutes approved
2.     Eva Ogens will fill in for Tae Kwak in the event he is unavailable at meetings in the next few weeks. FAEC needs a new VICE PROVOST for 2018-2019. FAEC members are actively seeking members for next year’s FAEC committee. FAEC members are still seeking Unit representatives for OER committee. Steve Rice, Donna Flynn, and Nick Salter have volunteered to work on the Strategic Plan Committee.
3.     Task Force to Redesign Course Evaluations: There are concerns that online course evaluations present a number of problems, ranging from a low response rate to studies indicating that online course evaluations tend to be less statistically significant. The Committee is unanimously agreed that the final two qualitative questions on the evaluation instrument require revision. FAEC members expressed hope that these concerns will be addressed as the College migrates from paper evaluations. FAEC members in HGS and TAS will seek volunteers.
4.     Provost and Vice-Provost Visit: A committee member asked the VP about her vision for the future of the College. The VP replied that she takes stock of an institution’s mission and place before making suggestions for change; after a semester, she is working on moving assessment forward; she is concerned with reaccreditation; she is interested in helping faculty tell the story of Ramapo’s mission and progress to Middle States. She has reached out to conveners to hold one-on-one meetings; she believes “it is faculty who move the institution” and that “the ground floor work needs to be supported by administrators.” States her expertise lies in assessment and reaccreditation, which she has been working in since 1991. States that central concern in her work on any project remains a school’s students.

A committee member asked the VP about her vision for shared governance at Ramapo. VP replied that she saw a meeting focused on SG when she first came to Ramapo. States that each institution approaches this topic differently. States that each institution has its own sense of the meaning of the word “share”. A committee member asked what are some of the existing obstacles to SG. The VP replied that new leadership figures must understand College’s goals as they stand in relation to untracked transformations in need across the College.

A committee member asked the VP about coming changes in the College’s assessment program. The Provost interjected that there seems to be a difference in what Middle States expects and what ACSB is prepared to deliver: MS wants evidence of effectiveness at the level of the course. A committee member stated that some faculty have the perception and concern that coming changes in assessment are migrating to instructor-based assessment as opposed to course-based assessment. The VP replied that there is no effort to make assessment instructor-based; stated that the assessment must be course-based and that evaluating instructor performance lies in another area. A committee member stated that the system requiring course section information should blind assessors to that information; a committee member stated that this should be made clear to all faculty. The Provost stated that the nature of the College’s contract with AFT makes using that information against personnel off-limits.

A committee member stated that communication between administration and faculty has been improving at Ramapo and could be improved further; the committee member commented specifically on the faculty’s preference for a system of relatively horizontal faculty-to-administrator communication over a vertical system.

The Provost stated that it is important to revisit College’s governance structure in the interest of ensuring vehicles for communication exist. A committee member raised the issue of the possible College Senate. The Provost stated that the idea has been shelved but remains a possibility. A committee member noted that this particular FAEC has worked especially well with SGA and that preserving this spirit of collaboration would be a worthy priority. The Provost stated that she feels this is a worthy pursuit.

A committee member stated that the goal of shared governance mission of the College is something they hope will be carried over into GEIT. A committee member stated that the faculty is seeking clarification on what office in the College to consult regarding curricular changes. The VP stated that the role of the Deans is to work with Faculty on curricula and assessment that it is the purview of the VP to ensure that the assessment programs adopted by the Schools will be effective and serve the students. The VP sees her work as “working closely” with the Deans as the Deans are working cooperatively with the Faculty. The Provost stated that a meaningful difference in the new VP’s vision is that Deans are empowered. The Provost asserted that Deans are in a better position to oversee the curricular and assessment work in their Schools.

The Provost stated that she sees “various levels of integration and scaffolding across disciplines”: some majors are more highly structured than others and that this is discipline-dependent. A committee member stated their appreciation of the clarification of this new program empowering Deans. The Provost stated that Middle States will be looking for a “more sophisticated” program of assessment now that the College has progressed from where it was a few years ago.

A committee member asked whether MS has stated any interest in seeing Ramapo doing a longitudinal study of skill acquisition. The Provost replied that MS does not make specific suggestions for assessment; it checks to ensure that a college’s assessment practices are legitimate; she stated that we do have the power to undertake a longitudinal study but may not yet be in a position to do so. A committee member inquired as to whether MS does offer guidelines in instances where it finds assessment practices wanting in rigor; the VP replied that MS gives broad instruction; the Provost stated that she has only seen MS criticize lack of rigor in cases where institutions relied too heavily on secondary sources.

A committee member stated that she hopes the College is in a good position, assessment-wise. The Provost stated the College has progressed from where it was a few years ago and that MS has encouraged the College to continue to develop its “culture of assessment.” The Provost stated that the College struggles to produce a steady flow of assessment data because of differences across courses (including co-ops); it is easier with standardized courses. The Provost stated that the College does not and has never standardized courses. She does not anticipate that the College ever will standardize them, and when she asked the Vice Provost whether “moving in this direction,” the Vice Provost shook her head to confirm the College is not moving toward standardization. Barnett stated that the assessment program could use “simple fixes” in the form of faculty input tailored to courses and co-ops.

A committee member inquired whether differences in pedagogy resulting in assessment difficulties might be a sign of health and whether placing a value on simplicity of assessment doesn’t do a disservice to students. The Provost stated that Learning Outcomes for programs cannot capture the whole scope of any College major’s learning experiences; rather, they outline what Faculty believe students in their respective disciplines should learn. A committee member stated that qualitative aspects of an education are more often important than quantitative ones; the Provost stated that she agreed. A committee member related the foregoing concern to the phrase “backward course design,” in which courses are designed with assessment outcomes in mind; the Provost stated that Learning Outcomes are created by Faculty and that the College always has and always will value academic freedom and diversity.

A committee member requested that VP be open to collaboration on projects with the faculty in the future. A committee member stated that they hope that the College can work on an Emergency Preparedness team and can address much-needed security upgrades. A committee member asked whether Deans can change grades; the Provost stated the rules for grade changes in the College have not changed. The Provost stated that there were several instances in which faculty members refused to change grades and which the Deans felt compromised by a lack of supportive paperwork; the Provost asserted that her sympathies lie with the Faculty but that she needs support from Faculty in the form of documentation of scores contributing to final grades.

5.     Meeting adjourned 12:37.

 

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March 28, 2018FAEC Minutes 2/28/2018

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes

February 28, 2018

ASB 008 Room

10:30am to 12:30am

Attendees:​ Christina Connor, Donna Flynn (for Cristina Perez), Roark Atkinson, Kathryn Zeno, Tae Kwak, Gladys Torres-Baumgarten, Kim Lorber, Eva Ogens, Renata Gangemi

Excused: Cristina Perez

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

1.     Minutes of 2/21/2018 approved.
2.     The tardiness of the email announcing the Middle States Town Hall Meeting on March 7 disrupted the FA/FF schedule. In the future, FAEC will insist on early coordination and at minimum, early notification directly from Provost/Vice-Provost’s Office.
3.     FAEC still needs more volunteers to be all-college representatives for the College. The Bylaws regarding which faculty may serve as all-college reps may need to be updated to reflect the tenure of the faculty population.
4.     In light of the 2/21 FAEC meeting, FAEC hopes the Vice Provost will read the Middle States report’s section on Shared Governance in the interest of gaining insight into the history of this issue at this College. A committee member emphasized the importance of reminding Units that Faculty TFs and Committees should take care to be detailed and explicit in their recommendations and decisions in the interest of helping the Vice Provost and the incoming Provost understand the Faculty’s point of view; the clearer the communication about policy and decisions coming from the Faculty, the easier it should be to achieve a good working relationship early on.
5.     Campus Security: A committee member wants the Administration to know that, in the wake of the Parkland FL shooting, students are afraid for their safety and asking for a number of security measures to be implemented. Committee members have the impression generally that the campus is not prepared for a mass shooter situation; they have the sense that students feel the same way. Committee members stressed that it is important both to make the campus more secure and also to communicate this to the student population; perhaps the latter could be achieved through a formal study or some kind of new emergency response protocol.
6.     FAEC needs candidates for all-college positions by end of day today.
7.     Meeting adjourned 12:30.

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February 21, 2018FAEC Minutes January 31, 2018

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes January 24, 2018 ASB 008 Room 10:30am to 12:30am

Attendees: Roark Atkinson, Kim Lorber, Christina Connor, Kathryn Zeno, Tae Kwak, Eva Ogens, Donna Flynn (for Cristina Perez), Gladys Torres-Baumgarten, Renata Gangemi

Excused: Cristina Perez

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

Guest: Peter Mercer, Beth Barnett

1.     Minutes approved
2.     Voting Item: Mid-Career Reflection: there are a number of issues with this aspect of the GE, ranging from questions of how it should be assessed to how the term itself is interpreted. This will be an exceptional voting item in that it can be removed from the GE without undermining the larger structure.

A committee member noted that a similarly difficult-to-assess item in the GE is the Experiential component.

3.     Online and Hybrid Learning

There is a question of whether a second Task Force is necessary for Online Learning or whether one Task Force could handle both Online Learning and Hybrid Courses.

        There are other questions related to Online/Hybrid Course initiatives. Some of these relate to assessment and practical questions regarding scheduling, student attendance, student participation, and ensuring the integrity of student work. A committee member observed that ARC and related Task Forces play roles that are by turns instructive, advisory, and troubleshooting in nature.

A committee member noted that some faculty have questions about the various visions of the future place Online/Hybrid Courses will occupy.

4.     Shared Governance and Structural Items:
5. Provost’s Council has not met since October.
6. Bylaw regarding President’s Cabinet and the FA President’s place in it was never accepted by the Administration and is thus inaccurate.

There may be other inaccuracies in the bylaws; it may be in the Faculty’s interest to amend some of the bylaws.

Committee members have questions about history of bylaws and will consult former members of FAEC about institutional past.

5.     Library: After a meeting involving librarians and President Mercer, there remain questions about the purpose of the new construction project. The most pressing questions relate to purpose of the construction. Is it a library primarily? Will it be more of student center in practice? What is the purpose of reported plans to omit the word “library” from the name of the new construction? The current library has a mission. What will be the mission of the new construction?
6.     President Mercer and Provost Barnett: A committee member raised a question about the cancellation of last two Provost’s Council meetings. Barnett states that the next two meetings will take place. A committee member asked that Emily Williams attend an FAEC meeting with Barnett. Barnett agreed and asked that the V. Provost be invited whenever FAEC wishes.

Mercer: There will be a change in the duration of BoT meetings. There will be fewer meetings, but each will last longer.

A committee member reported looking into state of writing centers around the state. There was some discussion of reallocating current resources and the possibility of future requests for increased funding. A committee member stated a concern that anecdotal evidence of falling SAT scores among recent classes of incoming students may indicate a need for an increase in learning support in the form of resources like the Center for Reading and Writing. A committee member stated that transfer students with Associate’s Degrees are allowed to bypass the College Gen Ed and may also be in need of increased or enhanced resources.

Mercer: A. BoT has extended President’s appointment. Mercer was planning to step down after Spring 2019 but decided to seek to stay on another year once it became clear Barnett would step down after Spring 2018; decision had support of Provost Search Consultants, and there were other concerns, including new library construction project and upcoming Middle States study.

1. Telephone contact from Governor Murphy, dinner at his house with other college presidents. Mercer is interested in bringing forth a number of issues, including getting more state money for the College; Ramapo needs a transportation link.
2. Meeting with library staff: use of term “learning commons” has been in use for years and was in documentation approved by Board. Board’s impression is, in part, that libraries have become outmoded and that “learning commons” is the preferred nomenclature for a presumably more modernized facility. Student Center lags behind SCs at other NJ colleges and perceives funding for this project as going into an enhanced student center coupled with a library in the form of a learning commons. Decision lies in hands of Board but intends to work with librarians going forward in the interest of satisfying all interested parties; this includes naming the facility.

A committee member asked that, if the Board envisions books as decentered by other activities including an increase in learning online, can Ramapo afford to pay for supplementary online texts and technical facilities? Also, how will the adoption of this learning commons vision affect the mission of the library?

Mercer: No board member sees the library as ancillary to function of LC; “the library is at the core”. College must also be careful about what it commits to buying and supporting; the LC must be limited in this interest.

A committee member stated that faculty in ASB were surprised and concerned that the word “library” seemed to be missing from the plans to name the new facility.

Mercer: The determination of the name is yet to be made. Will speak to issue at FA.

A committee member raised question of Potter name.

Mercer: Believes the name should be preserved. Also believes that the naming or placement of the name is question is subject to future developmental/funding concerns.

7.     Meeting adjourned

  

 

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February 21, 2018FAEC Minutes January 24, 2018

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes January 24, 2018 ASB 008 Room 10:30am to 12:30am

Attendees: Roark Atkinson, Kim Lorber, Christina Connor, Kathryn Zeno, Tae Kwak, Eva Ogens, Donna Flynn (for Cristina Perez), Gladys Torres-Baumgarten

Excused: Renata Gangemi, Cristina Perez

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

Guest: Stephan Lally​ and Jaime Velazquez

Meeting opened 10:30

1.     Minutes approved
2.     Learning Commons: There is some question of what the name of the Learning Commons will be, as well as how it will exist in relation to the library. For example, will the Learning Commons include the word “Library” in its name? If not, what is the rationale for excluding the word “Library” from the name? The current impression is that the Administration wishes for the library to sit, officially, within the Learning Commons; there is some concern that the current plans will diminish the function of the library for the sake of what President Mercer has described as a “transformative” vision. There remains a question of how this new construction will integrate the mission of the College; for example, unanswered questions of accessibility for the new buildings are in conflict with the College’s history of leadership in the field of disability accommodations.

A committee member noted that the current communication problems between Administration and Faculty regarding this project constitute yet another example of a failure of shared governance. A committee member stated that the Administration should operate more transparently in the interest of honoring the value of shared governance.

3.     Emergency Meeting of Board of Trustees: There was a meeting in which a two-year extension of President Mercer’s contract (now through 2021) at which protocol was muddled; the details of the contract extension remain undisclosed to the public.
4.     Mid-Career Reflection Requirement: It appears that the Deans hope to preserve their Schools’ independence with respect to advising students. Additionally, there is some concern that current Administrative goals for the Gen Ed program aim to standardize aspects of the curriculum in a manner contrary to the mission of the College and the liberal arts more generally.

There seems to be some confusion surrounding the meaning of “Mid-Career Reflection.” There may be some will among the Faculty to remove it from the Gen Ed.

FAEC votes to bring the issue to FA.

5.     HORC: “The formation of the Hybrid and Online Review Committee (HORC) is an outcome of recommendations from the Task Force for Online Learning (2017). HORC will become a standing sub-committee of ARC and will be comprised of elected or appointed faculty members from each of the academic units and the library. The purpose of HORC is to review and approve all new online and hybrid courses to ensure that they meet the criteria and benchmarks put forth in the Best Practices section of the Online Course Manual, revised in 2017. HORC will establish syllabi language and a checklist of criteria that a new online or hybrid course must meet before the syllabus can be approved by ARC and enter the course catalogue. HORC will also review and approve current online and hybrid courses at the request of and in consultation with faculty, conveners, and deans.

While it is the exclusive prerogative of the instructor, convening group, and school dean to determine the desirable format (traditional, hybrid, or online) of specific courses, the OHCR will review and approve all new online and hybrid courses to ensure that they meet the criteria and benchmarks put forth in the Best Practices section of the Online Course Manual, revised in 2017.”

Provided Michael Bitz and Stephen Anderson can prepare their presentation sufficiently in advance of January FA, it will be included on FA agenda for 1/31. If not, the presentation will be scheduled for February.

6.     Open Educational Resources: OER is a subscription service that would available through the Library. Rutgers is one New Jersey institution that subscribes. Doing so allows for considerable savings for students.

A committee member raised the question of how many Ramapo faculty would make use of these sources. A committee member raised the question of how carefully vetted the OER textbooks are. A committee member noted that if the College were to subscribe, there exists an infrastructure for helping students get information about and access to the OER texts. A committee member raised the question of the limitations of OER in terms of the currency of the textbooks. A committee member noted that ITS would need to be consulted about implantation concerns. A committee member noted that costs will have to be considered; costs will need to be considered against a number of factors, including faculty buy-in, and the documented effectiveness of OER.

SGA has drafted a charge for a Task Force to look into the value of subscribing to OER. FAEC confirmed its support of SGA’s exploration of this possibility.

12:30 Meeting adjourned

 

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