FA Minutes 4/2/25

Faculty Assembly Meeting Minutes
April 2, 2025
1:00 pm
Alumni Lounges

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

Meeting minutes taken by FA Secretary Matthew Jobrack.

Agenda:

Approval of Minutes (2/26/2025)

Reports:

Faculty Assembly President’s Report: (slides)

  • Announcement of upcoming Faculty Awards Ceremony
  • Announcement of dates for upcoming student research showcase events
  • Spring 2025 RCNJ Leadership Survey will be sent out by the end of the week
  • Ramapough Munsee Indigenous Partnership Project Scholarship announcement
  • Assessment workshops on April 9 and April 16 at 1pm

Provost’s Report:

  • Thank you to presenters and attendees of Faculty Scholarship Symposium Series this AY; will be continued next year
  • Liberal Arts Curriculum Task Force
    • Thank you to current members of the task force
    • Currently meeting weekly on Friday mornings
    • Charge for this task force and reports from previous task forces are available on Provost’s website
  • Acknowledgement of faculty scholarship and teaching achievements
  • Faculty Awards Ceremony on April 9 at 3pm: Thomases Award to Stephen Rice (HGS) and Provost’s Service Award to Catalin Martin (TAS)

College President’s Report:

  • Acknowledgements of faculty work
    • Encouragement of faculty to attend Ramapo athletic events
    • Successful Civic Engagement Teach-in on March 27; next teach-in on April 22
    • Successful Relay for Life event
    • Successful Admitted Student Day
  • Fiscal Year 2026 budget updates
    • Update on state higher-ed budget situation
    • Upcoming feasibility study on donor campaigns
  • Fireside chat and Q & A with President Jebb and Charlie Lewis on “Humanity in the Age of AI & Cybersecurity” on April 7, 1pm, as part of the Presidential Speaker Series
  • Thank you to Edward Saiff for work as Dean of TAS
  • Question and answer session with faculty

Announcements:

  • FYS Updates (slides)
    Peter Campbell, FYS Director
  • Transition from U.Achieve to Degree Works and Implementation of CourseDog Catalog/Curriculum Platform (slides)
    Vanessa Arriola, Interim Assistant Provost for Administration, Budget and Planning
    Jeneen Kelly, Registrar

Presentations/Discussion Items:

  • Faculty Handbook Revision Committee
    Handbook Revision and Sabbatical Program – Progress Report (slides)
    Ken McMurdy, FHRC Co-chair

    • Addressed parking lot issues from last AY
    • Partially addressed issues from faculty survey
    • Progress on sections regarding evaluation of service and scholarship
    • Sabbatical policy updates toward non-competitive model
    • Question and answer session

Formal meeting adjourned at 2:45 pm. Followed by General Education Town Hall event, led by GECCo, including:

  • Presentation and discussion of Faculty Gen Ed Survey results
  • Facilitated round table discussions and feedback gathering

Slides for the Town Hall presentation are available here.

Categories: Uncategorized