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.

Categories: Uncategorized

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

Categories: Uncategorized

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

Categories: Uncategorized

January 31, 2018DRAFTJanuary 31, 2018

1. Yes: 93%
2. No: 3%
3. Abstain: 4%

1. Pedagogy needs to be reviewed. In terms of delivering the pedagogy, it was approved by the convening groups with the Dean’s approval. The convening groups should be all that is needed as original courses converted to online have already received ARC approval.

1. Yes: 31%
2. No: 57%
3. Abstain: 11%

1. Yes: 94%
2. No: 5%
3. Abstain: 1%

1. Some schools have requirements which must be met prior to graduation
2. There is now an impass: it will not be a school requirement nor part of gen-ed. There is not another way to implement this; yes it was a good idea but. . . The task force was not to think about implementation. Now, upon implementation, it cannot be done.

1. Yes: 84%
2. No: 8%
3. Abstain: 8%

Categories: Uncategorized

January 31, 2018FAEC Minutes 12-6-17

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes December 6 2017 ASB 008 Room 10:30am to 12:30am

Attendees:​ Christina Connor, Cristina Perez, Roark Atkinson, Tae Kwak, Gladys Torres-Baumgarten, Kim Lorber, Eva Ogens, Renata Gangemi

Excused: Kathryn Zeno

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

Guest:​ Stephen Lally and Tim Woody

1.     Minutes Approved
2.     There was discussion of the vulnerability of international students on campus, especially during holiday breaks. There are faculty on campus who are concerned that international students are being brought to campus without ample resources and infrastructure (e.g. host families for during breaks) to ensure housing and meals throughout their stay. Currently, faculty volunteers and organizational gifts are helping to sustain students during the gaps in housing and meal plans provided by the College. Other scholarship students, such as athletes, enjoy fuller benefits plans. A committee member observed that the College seems to commit more than enough resources to recruiting international students while not providing for them as well as it could while they are on campus. A committee member suggested international students might benefit from the establishment of a dedicated bill of rights. A committee member observed that other schools in the New Jersey state system seem to do a better job. A committee member stated that the Nepal recruitment program may already be in jeopardy because of the reputation the College’s program has acquired from unhappy students returning to Nepal. A committee member observed than an outsider taking stock of Ramapo’s plans for aid-dependent students might reach the conclusion that the College values athletes over international students. Most committee members agreed that this is an issue which seems largely unknown to the faculty.
3.     There was discussion of the College’s relationship with Middle States. A committee member noted that the faculty might not be utilizing its connection to Middle States to the best of its abilities. Middle States exists as a mouthpiece for faculty to express its concerns to an independent organization that will relay those concerns back to the College at an administrative level.
4.     Some committee members stated that there is a degree of discontent among faculty with respect to the due date for grades and the recent public notice (Faculty informed of 12/27 due date via email on 12/6). FAEC will attempt to make future due dates available early. Committee members agreed that incorporating the grade due date in the Academic Calendar at the start of the College’s fiscal year would address current faculty concerns with the process.  
5.     Faculty Assembly to vote on the final document of the Shared Governance Task Force later today. Various voting options were discussed, depending on the number of faculty present at FA.
6.     Library architects will be on campus December 13 10-11 in SC 156 and 4-5 in ASB 136 for a forum for faculty, students, and staff to observe plans for new library ask questions and raise concerns.
7.     There are concerns about the retirement of Luminis (currently planned for end of S’18) and (possibly) Moodle. FAEC President will contact George Tabak regarding sending another communication about termination/transition dates.
8.     Lally and Woody Visit: Roukema Center will make arrangements for international student needs during interim; some students qualify for College coverage, while some are subject to charges. Lally and others will encourage President Mercer and Administration to find money for uncovered students. College staff and organizations have volunteered to supply transportation and other services. A committee member stated that full scholarships and housing scholarships should cover student needs during holidays and dates College is closed. There is some question as to whether Admissions or the Roukema Center is responsible for recruitment and seeing to these students’ needs during such times. A committee member raised the question of whether it would be helpful for faculty to donate food this winter. A committee member suggested money donations are more effective. A committee member asked whether CSI might donate money for international student trips and events; Lally replied that the answer depends on the politics of how to use the student activity fees paid by all students. SGA will vote on Shared Governance plan by Monday 10/11. The SGA Relief Committee has secured a room in ASB for a food pantry for homeless students; a majority of homeless students state a preference that peers staff the pantry. SGA would like faculty to participate in a Task Force on Open Education Resources.
9.     Meeting adjourned 12:33

Categories: Uncategorized

January 31, 2018FAEC Meeting Minutes 1/17/18

FAEC Meeting Minutes 1/17/18

In Attendance: Tae Kwak, Kim Lorber, Christina,  Donna Flynn (replacing TA rep Cristina), Gladys, Marta, Eva Ogens, Roark Atkinson, Kathy

Snow late opening: 11am

Cristina introduced the new TA rep as she is teaching during our meeting times this semester.

According to the FA Bylaws, Article V, Sec. 1, H-I: “H. Meets regularly with the President of the College and sits as a member of the President’s Cabinet; I. Meets regularly with the Provost and sits as a member of the Provost¹s Cabinet.” Tae said the writing is ambiguous so he is now on the Councils of both (Provost’s Council and PAC). In practice, no previous FA cabinets have sat on the President’s Ccabinet. Tae will research this as the President’s Cabinet has the top representative from each campus body except, in this case, the faculty’s (FA President).

Homeless Students: If we provide more than we do (meal tickets and a room for one or two days ). Only two people can authorize this; one is Chris Romano, VP of Enrollment Management, the other is the Dean of Students. This seems unreasonable as the athletes stay at no extra cost and no one complains.

Tae will run for president again.

FA President Election: Tae encouraged us to bring this to Unit Council so others can run if they wish.

Library Update: At a recent library renovation marketing meeting, attendees were informed that the project will now be known as the “Learning Commons” project, and to remove the term “library” from marketing information concerning the project. Dean Siecke was informed by a librarian who attended the marketing meeting that this decision had been made.  Dean Siecke was never directly notified about this, but had inquired in the past if this was happening. Past responses confirmed the term library would always be a part of the project’s title.  There was general concern among FAEC members about the removal of library from the project title and its future implications. Librarians are currently exploring examples of Learning Commons’ projects on other college campuses and how they work in relation to the library.

Christina, Roark, Tae, and Dean Siecke met over Winter Break to discuss the handling of the library renovation. Dean Siecke is seeking clarification from President Mercer as to the rationale for the proposed name change.

There is still concern among FAEC members over the inclusion of certain offices and amenities within the proposed plan, particularly when those spaces may remain dark and not open for student use. Gladys offered to speak to Dean Petkus to verify the Bloomberg Terminals will not be transferred to the library, with general agreement from FAEC members that it seemed logical to keep the technology within ASB.

FAEC members expressed concern over potential conflict of interest of certain members of the President’s Library and Learning Commons Task Force.

Roark suggested the possibility of rewriting the Library’s Mission to strengthen the argument to keep the renovation “library-focused.” Christina has drafted a motion for Faculty Assemble about the project title change.

Nicole Agard-Morgan arrived at 11:42am. She was approached by students and faculty regarding issues of the international students. Her thoughts and recommendations following a meeting with the President. Some comments made at the FA Forum were received as insulting. Nicole feels we should have this again to talk about diversity itself as well as micro-aggressions. She is interested in getting the same or similar training from the Rutgers previous presenter, a Ramapo grad, and/or others. She would like our support. She will meet with Martha Ecker as well for AFT support.

Examples of upset follow. The mean income from Nepal, for example, was given so Stefan, president of the SGA, said people are approaching them and asking how they can afford to come here. Tae noted there is an unintentional and unconscious way in which we say some things that are actually condescending. The major problem is sometimes the most well-intentioned students come across as condescending. We will need concrete examples to understand how what we have said was received no matter how well intentioned. Whether in Unit Council or Faculty Assembly, small group discussions should be included. We need to have it and need examples so people attending know this is real. The staff training was excellent. It needs to be real/relevant to faculty with examples when the training(s) is/are made. Tokenization is common when a class discussion is about a topic with only one student with this background, present. Then the discussion defers to them. We need training. Some international students feel isolated by the response. The Roukema Center has been given new charges to attend to meals, etc. Students report feeling ghettoized. This should be under the umbrella of the Dean of Students.

This is a three part issue: homeless students, international students’ needs, and diversity training/awareness. Efforts to help international students at the last minute may have been more elegant had it been done earlier. We can proceed more thoughtfully in the future so needs can be addressed.

Categories: Uncategorized

January 20, 2018Faculty Assembly Executive Council | Minutes | 12/05/18

FAEC Minutes 12/5/2018
Faculty Assembly Executive Council [FAEC] Meeting Minutes
Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2018  | Location: A218  | Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Attendees: Tae Kwak, Donna Flynn, Sam Mustafa, Cristina Perez, Hugh Sheehy, Renata Gangemi, Christina Connor, Kathy Zeno
Secretary: Nakia Matthias
Guest:  Provost Becker;  Stephan Lally, SGA President;  Sarah Carberry, GECCo Chair; and Michael Unger

___________________________________________________________________________

 1.  FAEC Minutes Approved

 2.  SGA President,  Stephan Lally: SGA Food Pantry and The “We Care” Program

The SGA food pantry stock is currently adequate.  The food pantry also includes toiletries; baby food/supplies; and school supplies.

There is a need for monetary donations to the We Care Program.  The program encompasses the Student Relief Fund, as well as resources for food insecurity [food pantry], and homelessness.

An announcement for donations to the We Care Program will be made at the next Faculty Assembly on 12/12/18.

The average request for student assistance is $500 and assistance is granted at $2000 or less.

The SGA President wants to create a Wellness Fee, whereby students will be granted unlimited free mental health services with their enrollment. The proposed mental health services provision required board approval.  At present students are allotted three medical/clinical visits per year with a copayment of $15 per visit to under the current scheme offered at RCNJ.

Information about the We Care Program can be found via the Office of Equity and Diversity Programs web page at: https://www.ramapo.edu/ccec/we-care-program/

Applications to the Student Relief Fund are available via the following link:

https://www.ramapo.edu/sga/student-relief-fund-application/

Donations to the Student Relief Fund can be made via the Ramapo ‘Giving” web page. Follow these instructions to donate to the Student Relief Fund:

1. Visit the Ramapo ‘Giving’ web page: https://www.ramapo.edu/giving/
2. Click on the “Make A Gift” button
3. In the “Gift Designation” area click on the drop-down menu and select “Other”
4. In the “Other Gift Designation” field, manually type in “Student Relief Fund”

3.  FAEC Morale Fund

The FAEC “Morale Fund” budget has been reduced from $2,000 to $1,500.  The FAEC has cut spending on FA refreshments [not including coffee], faculty requests for celebratory funding, and paper ballots in effort to donate as much as possible monies to the Student Relief Fund, which needed capital, particularly in the beginning.

A request has been made to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Cathleen Davey and President Mercer to restore the $2,000 budget.

4.  Starting the academic year earlier, Reading Day, and Exam scheduling

Provost Becker is considering options to begin the academic year earlier within the month of August in order to adequately accommodate reading day scheduling and commencement scheduling.  This proposal must be discussed with the AFT before a decision can be made. However, the change is proposed in part to avoid issues related to the fall of Labor Day within a given calendar year and the potential time-crunch that it creates with reading-day and exam proximity to the holidays.

Reading day schedules that fall on a Sunday are not academic days as no classes and offices are offered in Sundays.  Weekend reading day scheduling does not grant students adequate time to prepare for exams due to the absence of any real break between their classes and exam dates.  Reading Day needs to be formally defined by the college so may that it may be honored in accordance with its intended purpose of allowing students to have adequate preparation time for their exams.

Some hybrid courses are experiencing exam scheduling conflicts with regularly scheduled classroom-based courses.  This must be rectified going forward.

5.  Faculty Scholarship

At a recent Librarians Unit Council meeting, the provost discussed his plan to request from each school/unit a scholarship statement outlining how each area defines scholarly excellence in order to help guide the tenure and promotion process. Per the provost, the scholarly statements would work alongside the Faculty Handbook. However, the RCNJ Faculty handbook specifies the terms for faculty scholarship and decisions to revise these terms must be made in consultation with the AFT.  

  6.  GECCo Report from Sarah Carberry and Michael Unger

The criteria general education courses will be revised by Sarah Carberry. GECCo will also devise a revised charge and manual.

Students will be required to take three experiential keystone courses to include:

• First Year Seminar (FYS)
• Studies in Arts and Humanities (SIAH)
• Social Science Inquiry (SSI)

For these courses the changes involve the removal of outcomes that conflict with what GECCo and FA voted on.  Additionally, an extended experiential task force will be voting on the new objective for these courses. In the past there has been no continuity in what was voted on versus what was implemented.

The Deans Council will officially be dissolved by way of the authority of the FAEC, GECCo, and ARC.

Sarah and Michael pointed out that other than a registrar-purge there is currently no mechanism for a class being removed from the course catalog if it has not been taught for 10 years.   

Sarah and Michael  also discussed ways to steramine assessment.  They maintained that assessment processes must consist of a routine that involves audits, syllabus checks, tracking whom has been assessed, and developing information based on a random cluster sample of how faculty programs and courses are assessed.

In terms of courses such as FYS there is a misconception that these classes can be assessed the same way because they have the same course number but there may be no consistency in their content and specific focus.  Assessment for such courses must be customized and a syllabus audit must be a feature of this process.

The FAEC and GECCo share the belief that work of assessment should be minimized but maximum benefit and effectiveness should be achieved through its processes.

Meeting Adjourned at 12:00 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

December 6, 2017FAEC Minutes 11/15/2017

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes November 15 2017 ASB 008 Room 10:30am to 12:30am

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

Excused: Cristina Perez

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

Guest:​ Beth Barnett

Meeting opened, 10:30

Minutes approved.

FAEC President and Student Body President will meet with President Mercer to discuss possibility of temporary emergency housing for homeless students. A committee member requested that the FAEC President meet with President Mercer about honoring the bylaws requiring the College President to meet regularly with the FAEC President, for that time to be dedicated to discussing issues of identified importance to the College; the bylaws also call for the FAEC President to be given a seat at the President’s Cabinet meetings.

Shared Governance: a committee member stated that President Mercer affirmed his intent to await the final report of the Task Force on Shared Governance to make a decision to create a College Senate. There was general agreement that the first step toward success in the area of SG is establishing an atmosphere of professional trust in which a culture change could take place. A committee member stated that communication about the past and current state of the relationship between the Administration and the Faculty will be necessary for an establishment of aforesaid atmosphere of professional trust. A committee member underscored that point that both the Administration and the Faculty must be open to admitting past failures and errors if progress is to take place. A committee member stated that the goal of SG is to establish a climate in which compliance mechanisms are unnecessary and in which conflicts are identified and minimalized early in any collaborative process involving the Administration and the Faculty. There was discussion of creating an annual College-wide survey for Faculty and Administration (with a comments section) allowing for both bodies to assess SG. It was stated that according to FA Bylaws, FA should have a representative at the Provost’s Cabinet (note: FA Bylaws state “Cabinet”; there is no “Provost’s Cabinet”; Bylaws should be amended to denote “Provost’s Council”).

Library Renovation: the placement of the Krame Center has not been decided, as there seems to be some disagreement between interested parties about the floor where it belongs (new plans put it on the first floor, not the fourth floor, as was originally imagined). These disagreements proceed from disparate expectations for how some spaces will be used; there are also questions about the decision to allot the Krame Center three office spaces. There remains concern regarding the creation of certain types of spaces (e.g. a cafeteria) that students have stated they do not wish to have in the new library.

Provost’s Visit: Course evaluation system is transitioning; Barnett proposes that FAEC form groups to review instruments. Barnett would also like to encourage a wider use of online evaluations across the College and is interested in the following specific changes in Spring 2018: 1) require faculty to opt out of online evaluations as opposed to opt in (current system) and 2) hold student grades until students have evaluated their courses online (online evaluations only). The system change will be a test and not necessarily a permanent change. There was some discussion of how faculty might be directed to use information from evaluations in self-assessment and particularly in the self-evaluation documentation required for tenure and promotion. Possible changes to the Faculty Handbook were considered; there was discussion of concerns about junior faculty being hurt by unforeseen problems in transition process. Barnett stated that a Task Force on revising the evaluation instrument and system would probably help; she added that the Faculty should consider how expectations for junior faculty differ from those for senior faculty and consider preparing a statement on faculty development from this angle. There was discussion of the possibility of streamlining the tenure and promotion process; it might be possible to allow faculty seeking both to apply with a single binder. The FAEC President requested that the Provost ask Employee Relations to post T&P deadlines in a common calendar posted early in the semester. A committee member stated that faculty applying for promotion are frustrated in the deadline change for applications when the date the College announces the number of promotions available has remained the same. The Provost explained that the current accounting of opportunities for promotion is to some extent determined by College’s history of hiring in the past fifteen years; the percentage of individuals permitted at each rank is set by the Board of Trustees.

A committee member inquired about the process for dealing with students under interim suspension; faculty members are currently not formally informed of the actual start date or end date of the time during which students are banned from campus when on interim suspension. As it currently stands, faculty are informed by the student that is on suspension. Protocols for handling such cases need to be formalized. Provost Barnett stated that she would speak with the Dean of Students to develop and implement a procedure for more effectively dealing with this issue.  

Meeting adjourned 12:45

Categories: Uncategorized

December 6, 2017FAEC Minutes 11/8/2017

Faculty Assembly Executive Council (FAEC) Meeting Minutes November 8 2017 ASB 008 Room 10:30am to 12:30am

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

Excused: Renata Gangemi, Cristina Perez

Secretary:​ Hugh Sheehy

Guests:​ S. Lally, J. Velazquez (SGA/Student Emergency Relief Committee)

Meeting opened, 10:30

Minutes approved.

Library Renovation: Library faculty remain uncertain about the future of the library in the aftermath of 11/1 Faculty Assembly; some committee members expressed disappointment in faculty participation in the discussion of the renovation plans. Architects have been working on a design they hope will satisfy all interested parties (the Cabinet, Library Faculty, and donor families), but they have not consulted with all of these parties equally. There have also been inconsistencies between what the library faculty have been told by the administration and the plans for the renovation that have materialized.

        There was discussion regarding the ongoing sense of uncertainty regarding both renovation plans and plans for interim book storage and a “swing space” for students to use for studying. Committee members discussed the apparent lack of shared governance on these issues. A committee member proposed the idea of preparing a minority report on the library renovation project. A committee member suggested discussing the question of shared governance and the library renovation in upcoming Unit Council meetings (11/15). The FA President proposed that Deans allow representatives of the Library Faculty to attend upcoming Unit Councils on behalf of Faculty Assembly. FAEC will schedule a Library Town Hall to follow immediately on discussion of Shared Governance at 11/29 Faculty Assembly; following this, FAEC members will report back to Unit Councils on 1/17.

        A committee member discussed the erratic nature of the progress on Library Renovation. A committee member stated that the Cabinet’s decision-making seems to take place in the absence of guiding principles; a committee member stated that the library faculty could provide guiding principles based on their knowledge of best practices in this area.

Student Homelessness: There are students on campus who have become homeless in the course of their studies at the College. The College administration so far has not shown a will to accommodate the unusual needs of these students, regardless of the circumstances. SGA reps convey that they have had mixed success with the use of a meal plan for students in need; they report that relevant information has not always been available to them. SGA reps have been reaching out to the Ramapo Foundation to raise the money needed to house students in currently vacant rooms. A committee member noted that the College is already taking a loss on vacant dormitory spaces and that raising money to defray some of those costs would be a benefit to the College. A committee member stated that this is an opportunity for the Administration, the Faculty, and the Student Body to work together on solving an important problem.

An SGA rep stated an interest in reaching out to the State government to work on lowering tuition in New Jersey state Universities and Colleges.

Meeting adjourned 12:30a

Categories: Uncategorized

December 6, 2017DRAFT 12/6 Faculty Assembly Minutes

Faculty Assembly Minutes

December 6 2017 Pavilion 1 pm

Faculty Assembly President: Tae Kwak

Secretary: Hugh Sheehy

• Tae Kwak called meeting to order 12:40 PM

• Minutes of 11/1 Approved

• FA President’s Report: Tae Kwak is nearing the end of this term as FA President. If you are interested in running for this position, please contact him. Kwak has asked half the current FAEC members to delay stepping down to ensure some degree of continuity in membership. New FAEC members should slect an alternate from their UC. Kwak announced he has donated some FAEC funds to address emergency student needs. Faculty are invited to make any donations they see fit. There are homeless students on campus. SGA is taking the lead on this. It is the FAEC’s hope that the College will find a solution for them. At the end of the semester, Luminis service will be terminated. Faculty still using Luminis should migrate to Moodle.

• College President’s Report: Applications and deposits are up since this time last year. The President believes this is due in part to the vibrant cultural life on campus stemming in part from faculty-led and –planned events. Mercer hopes to get a public transit line to the College to potentially increase the number of students from public transit-dependent areas; the President is optimistic about the incoming administration’s reception of this suggestion. The President believes it would behoove the College to have a presence at the American Dream Meadowlands.

A faculty member inquired as to what kind of presence the College might have. The President speculated about a range of possibilities, including a satellite MBA Program.

• Provost’s Report: Barnett hopes to have an update on new CA Dean by next FA. There will be another round of emeriti applications in the Spring. ITS is adopting new software to support Spring Semester Teacher Evaluations; the tool will remain the same, but Barnett encourages the faculty to form a Task Force to revisit that evaluation instrument. There is a new final exams policy on the Provost’s website; please see the College website for the new exam schedule for the Spring. The Provost invites faculty interested in participating in the College’s self-study for Middle States to volunteer quickly, as there is much work to be done in a relatively short period of time.

• Task Force on Shared Governance (Ken McMurdy, Chair): McMurdy went over the plan overview and discussed the need for faculty to get involved and devote themselves to implement the principles articulated in the Shared Governance Plan. A number of faculty members praised the TF’s work. A faculty member asked whether the TF has a timeline for implementation of the Plan. The Provost answered this question by stating that this depends on the College community’s acceptance or rejection of the Plan and the consequent reaction; it might charging involve another Task Force or making a decision in connection with the possible adoption of a College Senate. McMurdy added that he believes the first step needs to be taken quickly, whatever it is. A faculty member requested that if the faculty votes for the Plan that it then move to vote on a structure. Barnett stated that SGA and the President’s Cabinet are also voting whether to adopt the Plan. A member of FAEC stated that the President and the Provost have been supportive throughout this process and that the FAEC expects the Administration will support the Plan. A faculty member asked to see the results of the faculty survey on the Shared Governance Plan. McMurdy said he will share it, though he did not have the numbers available to share at Faculty Assembly. McMurdy discussed the “Dynamic Protocol for Decision-Making Within Shared Governance”; he walked the Assembly through the Task Force’s “Practical Recommendations for Implementation”; finally, he stated the TF’s conclusion that Shared Governance is possible with sufficient involvement from community members.

Vote on TSFG Report: 100 Votes (89 Yes, 4 No, 7 Undecided)

• Library architects will be on campus on 12/13 to answer faculty, student, and staff questions and hear concerns about the plans for the new library. They will hold two sessions, one from 10:00 AM-11:00 AM in SC 156/157 and another from 4:00 PM-5:00 PM in ASB 136.

• Search Committee for New Provost (Yvette Kisor, Chair). Kisor reminded faculty that external search firm will be coming to campus and discussed their role in the search process. External Search Firm for New Provost will be on campus and available at various times on Monday, 12/11 and Tuesday 12/12. From the College’s official email:

The team from Witt Kieffer has been provided the results of the Provost Characteristics Survey and will be hosting a series of meetings on-campus next week. These meetings are designed to provide the team with first-hand experience of our campus. Meeting discussions will be geared toward understanding more fully the complexities and challenges of the Provost position, gleaning multiple perspectives on the skills and qualities a highly qualified Provost at Ramapo College will need to succeed, and generating a leadership profile that is both strategically aligned to Ramapo’s needs and attractive to a diverse pool of candidates.

The schedule for Witt Kieffer’s visit to campus is:

Monday, December 11 in Alumni Lounges/Student Center Room 156
10-10:45AM  with Faculty
11-11:45PM with Staff
1-1:45PM with Conveners
2-2:45PM with Faculty
4:15-5PM with Cabinet
5:15-6PM with Student Leaders
6:30PM with Trustees

Tuesday, December 12 in Alumni Lounges/Student Center Room 156
9-9:45AM with Direct Reports
10-10:45AM with Deans
11-11:45AM with Faculty and Staff

• Tae Kwak spoke about the memorial service for Professor Seung-Sup Kim and relayed an invitation to faculty to celebrate Prof Kim’s life next Wedneesday 12/13 6-7:30 PM in SC 219.

• Tim Judge (AFT Vice President of Adjuncts) invited faculty to attend today’s AFT meeting, at which the contributions of adjuncts will be acknowledged.

full-time faculty and students about adjunct faculty who have made a significant impact

• General Discussion: Ann Lepore asked volunteers for Shared Governance interested in making provisions for international students to contact her. A faculty member stated a concern that administrative offices on campus are not taking the responsibility they should for emergency situations involving homeless students and international students; if the College will not take care of its international students, this faculty member stated, then international education should not be a pillar of the College. The faculty member stated an opinion that the faculty needs to focus on identifying and solving the “systemic problem” that makes it possible for emergencies such as the recent ones involving international students to go unattended. FA President stated that it is his goal to solve this problem, as well as his hope that this conversation is the beginning of the solution. The faculty member who stated the initial concern reiterated the view that stakeholders and decision-makers in the College offices who might be held responsible for the lack of resources for international students should be identified. FAEC President argued the College might view international students as adding value to Ramapo College in a way similar to the way athletes add value to campus and to then make equal provisions for those international students. There was some discussion of the problem of how to identify precisely how many international students need assistance during breaks. After a good deal of crosstalk and argument about misinformation and scapegoating, a faculty member stated that President Mercer had identified the Roukema Center as the campus organ through which support for international students should be arranged. A faculty member stated that Roukema Center is currently helping. A faculty member argued that the Dean of Students, not the Roukema Center, should be held responsible; the faculty member stated that the larger takeaway is that various College bodies need to work together to ensure international students receive the appropriate support.

Categories: Uncategorized