Exam Make-up day is Sunday December 23rd which presents a calendar crunch with Christmas and winter break.<\/span><\/li>\n
There is a possibility of starting the academic year earlier. \u00a0This would require adjustment to the AFT contract to start last week in August and to end the academic year earlier in June. The AFT will work with Provost\u2019s office to determine the possibilities.<\/span><\/li>\n
The New Jersey state legislature\u2019s 120 credit cap is non-applicable to RCNJ and does not impact the College\u2019s credit-hour system. \u00a0Public liberal arts colleges are exempt. <\/span><\/li>\n
Consequently, \u00a0RCNJ avoids having to redesign its programs in a very short period of time. The College\u2019s consideration of a hybrid \u00be credit hour model in the future is independent of the pressure of the legislation.<\/span><\/li>\n
The faculty handbook will be revising the by human resources. \u00a0RCNJ is the only New Jersey college with separate human resources and employee relations departments. \u00a0The function of these offices will be consolidated under human resources. <\/span><\/li>\n
Starting January 15, 2019 Nicole Morgan Agard will primarily and solely serve as RCNJ\u2019s \u00a0Chief Diversity Officer. <\/span><\/li>\n
One and two credit courses are not rigorous. \u00a0They require assessment and revision. Students \u00a0(namely transfer students) take up to 16 credits in in order to meet the 128 credit hour requirement. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
Every other meeting for Faculty Assembly will be in the Pavillon<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
President Mercer is traveling to Trenton along with the presidents of other New Jersey public colleges to meet with the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education. They will work on a strategic plan for Higher Education. \u00a0RCNJ\u2019s appropriations are lowest per capita than any other public liberal arts college. The challenge for RCNJ resides in how the College manages to get things into a budget that is flatlining. Some broad themes of the new strategic plan include: Workplace training and reducing tuition. \u00a0\u00a0We will also examine the possibilities for the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education\u2019s design of a funding formula.<\/span><\/li>\n
RCNJ receive 2k less per student than TCNJ. \u00a0The only schools receiving less per capita are Montclair State University and Stockton University.<\/span><\/li>\n
RCNJ had received more admissions applications than in any other \u00a0time in the College\u2019s history. The application rate is up by 5%.<\/span><\/li>\n
The College\u2019s graduate programs doing well with 600 graduate students on campus<\/span><\/li>\n
The Learning Commons will shift to Linden Hall which is being reconfigured to serve as swing space for the library\u2019s collections. \u00a0The Library facility will be completely demolished before it is reconstructed. The project is on budget at 42 million dollars and on time with drawings and specifications. \u00a0It is likely to completed based on the established timeline.<\/span><\/li>\n
Patrick O\u2019Connor, RCNJ\u2019s Government Relations Officer, \u00a0attended a briefing given by the Director of New Jersey Transit. \u00a0The Director suggested that he will try to help devise a plan for developing public transportation options for access to RCNJ. \u00a0Pat O\u2019Connor will work with New Jersey Transit to hopefully implement a plan in two to three months. <\/span><\/li>\n
There is nothing to preventing RCNJ from \u00a0offering Associates degrees. This comprises the primary initiative taken up by which are cannibalizing some two year colleges. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4. \u00a0Provost\u2019s Report<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Introduction of the Provost\u2019s Special Assistant, Diane <\/span>Couzens <\/span><\/li>\n
The Provost invites faculty to contribute to his discussion board \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
During a speech the Provost suggested that RCNJ needs to be innovative as success \u00a0is defined by defined by increasing impact, providing more opportunities and student success. The Provost proposed three cornerstones:<\/span><\/b>\n
\n
Curricular Innovation<\/span><\/em> characterized by signature graduate programs that feature Data Science, \u00a0RCNJ online [an online course offerings that are not in competition with existing programs], and Programmatic reviews that entail self-studies. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
International Orientation<\/span><\/em>: \u00a0Attracting new students and expand RCNJ activities abroad. \u00a0An innovation taskforce will be established to address this.<\/span><\/li>\n
Scholarly Excellence<\/span><\/em>: \u00a0Enlarging and supporting faculty-student research<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Language of the Voting Item:: The Experiential Component in the General Education Program will be moved from a Category to an Objective that states: Participate in an engaged, experiential activity that connects the course to real world settings.<\/span><\/li>\n
Issue with New General Education program relative to the experiential component. All objectives overlap with experiential objectives and \u00a0\u2154 do not encompass the experiential component at all. The experiential should be an objective and listed as a category with other categories. \u00a0The proposed solution is to make the experiential component an objective.<\/span><\/li>\n
Gecco will devise a manual and have standing committees like ARC<\/span><\/li>\n
The ambiguity of the language \u201cExperiential\u201d and \u201cengaged\u201d ambiguity will be addressed to determine what the metrics and qualifiers for these terms. \u00a0There needs to be clarity on how \u201dengaged\u201d is operationalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
6. \u00a0Middle States Report (Stephanie Sarabia)<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
The Middle States self study Oct 15th first draft were submitted by the working groups. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
During December 2018 the steering committee reviewed the chapters and provided feedback. \u00a0<\/span>The process was advised after the committee attended the Middle States conference. \u00a0The report will be published on the self study website. Google groups will be used to enable feedback on the report<\/li>\n
The Middle States working group co-chairs are seeking to establish Middle states office hours \u00a0to be available to discuss the chapters of the report.<\/span><\/li>\n
David Nast and Stephanie Arabia are taking suggestions on the process <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
7. \u00a0Report: Student Athletes (Dr. Ben Fine)<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Student Athletes\/Faculty: \u00a0Ben Fine is the faculty member contact that serves to bridge gaps between student athletes and their classroom performance by keeping coaches informed of and student athletes\u2019 progress. \u00a0Dr. Fine reports to Chris Romano about these relations. He affirmed that student athletes should not be afforded an unfair advantage in their courses.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
8. \u00a0FA Q & A<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
How can RCNJ facilitate an International Orientation and more more study abroad?<\/span>\n
\n
The Innovation Taskforce can determine how can we accomplish this to support travel funds. Ramapo Online would increase revenues to fund study abroad and academic affairs needs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Concern expressed about the language of the OSS statement that is circulated among faculty and students. \u00a0\u00a0It indicates that students must meet with OSS advisor at the end of the first week but does does not specify anything about meeting with the instructors to discuss OSS accommodations.<\/span><\/li>\n
Concerns expressed about expectations for service and faculty scholarship. \u00a0Faculty that are and wish to produce scholarship cannot be engaged in the level of service that we are currently expected to maintain.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
9. \u00a0Information Items<\/b><\/p>\n
Chief Diversity Officer (Nicole Morgan Agard)<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Communications Meeting Overview<\/span><\/li>\n
Change at the College Since the EDIC \u2018s Establishment<\/span><\/li>\n
Drafting a College Wide Diversity Plan<\/span><\/li>\n
Creation of an anonymous Online Bias reporting system<\/span><\/li>\n