October 31, 2023FA Minutes 10/04/23

Faculty Assembly Meeting
October 4, 2023
1:00 pm
Friends Hall

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.

* FA Secretary position is currently open. Meeting minutes taken by Dean Chen.

Agenda

Approval of Minutes (9/6/2023)

Faculty Assembly President’s Report:

• Family Day is on Saturday, Oct. 14. Faculty invited to contribute student research posters for display at LLC.
• Rebecca Root (Director of Prestigious Fellowships and Scholarships) calls for faculty to recruit, mentor, and nominate students in applying for these awards and opportunities.
• Reminder to fill out Classroom Technology Survey by 10/31.
• Save the date for various events:
  • First Gen Town Hall, Oct. 10, 1-2 pm, Alumni Lounges
  • Promoting the Mental Health of Students of Color, Nov. 15, 1-2:30 pm (virtual)
  • Faculty Development Day, Oct. 18, 1-4:30 pm
  • State of the College, Oct. 18, noon
  • Joint FA/AFT/RSA Fall Social, Nov. 8, 5-7 pm, Padovano Commons
• Faculty Handbook: This year, FAEC is compiling a list of issues and will coordinate with Employee Relations and AFT to determine how these issues will be addressed in the updated Faculty Handbook for 2024-2025.

College President’s Report:

• Expressed appreciation for faculty/staff involvement in various campus events.
  • Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (9/29)
  • Admissions Open House (10/1)
  • Queer and Trans History Month Proclamation (10/2)
• Announced that Ramapo College has been awarded the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement (McNair) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The $1.3 million in federal funding, distributed over five years, will go toward readying 25 academically talented low-income, first-generation and underrepresented minority STEM students in pursuit of a doctoral degree. Congratulations to Sandra Suarez (TAS), Joe Connell (CSS) and Eddie Saiff (TAS).
• Accolades and Honors: Ramapo improved its US News and World Report ranking as a top Regional University with strong rankings in several categories (Best Value, Best School for Veterans, Top Performer on Social Mobility, etc.) Also ranked #1 public college in New Jersey by College Choice.

Provost’s Report:

• Expressed appreciation for faculty’s continued support for and advising our students. October is Academic Advising Month. Winter and Spring ’24 Registration set to begin on October 30.
• Reaffirmed the importance of shared governance.
• Echoed President Jebb’s congratulations on the McNair grant awarded to Ramapo.

Announcements:

RCNJ Roadrunner Collegiate Recovery Program: Judy Green (Director, Center for Health and Counseling Services)
Promote greater campus awareness and enlist faculty partnership and support for student recovery from substance abuse and mental health illnesses. For more information, see presentation document or reach out to Cory Rosenkranz (Coordinator, Substance Use Disorder Prev/Recovery Programs) at crosenkr@ramapo.edu.

GECCo Updates: Chris Reali, Sarah Carberry (GECCo co-chairs)

• Updated GECCo Manual (link)
• Upcoming GECCo Category Workshops
  • October 11, SSS, 11 am, room TBA
  • October 11, SR, during TAS Unit Council or after
  • October 18, HP, 11 am, room TBA

Voting Items:

FA voted to endorse the Comprehensive Academic Plan (CAP). (85 yes, 6 abstain, 1 no)

Elections:

The following faculty were elected as GECCo Category Coordinators:

• Scientific Reasoning: Emer McGuire-Pool
• Global Awareness: Tae Kwak
• Historical Perspectives: Cris Reali
• Culture and Creativity: Rebecca Leung

FA meeting adjourned at 2:00, followed by Faculty Forum on possible revisions to the curriculum review process and ARC Manual.

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October 17, 2023FAEC MINUTES 9/27/2023

FAEC MINUTES 9/27/2023

Present: Ken McMurdy (President, TAS), Amruth Kumar (TAS), Marc Gidal (CA), John McTighe (SSHS), Dean Chen (Vice President, HGS), Jeffrey Ellsworth (Councilor-at-Large), Stephen Larson (ASB), and Elizabeth Siecke (Library)

Excused Absence: Monika Giacoppe (Councilor-at-Large)

*FA secretary position is currently open. Meeting minutes taken by Dean Chen.

Vote to bring the meeting to order at 10:00 am.

Approval of Minutes (9/20)

FA President’s Report:

• Went over proposed agenda for 10/4 FA meeting
• Went over minutes from 9/6 FA meeting
• TAS Research Symposium is scheduled for 4/24/2024, conflicting with AFT/FA/Unit Council. Sarah Carberry (TAS) requests that FAEC explore the possibility of rescheduling (perhaps to 4/17 or 5/1).
• AFT and RSA have agreed to co-sponsor the 11/8 social event along with FA.
• Shared governance meeting scheduled for 10/20 with representatives from FA, RSA, SGA, and College Administration. FAEC members suggested issues for possible discussion (detrimental effects of cut in hours and budget for student aids, improvements in college marketing, etc.)

Discussion:

• Discussed the BOT Resources Committee report from FA representative Prof. Rikki Abzug. FAEC will request a future visit from Prof. Abzug, VP O’Keefe, or both, for more details and perspective on College financials.
• Discussed setting up a FA-charged committee this year, in accordance with Section 2.0 of the (new) Faculty Handbook, to review the Faculty Handbook “within the context of new policies enacted at the College and/or new agreements made between the College and AFT.” The committee is tasked with determining if any modifications are needed to the Faculty Handbook.

Visitors to FAEC: Prof. Ashwani Vasishth (SSHS)

Discussed Prof. Vasishth’s proposal for having a Sustainability major with a required Environmental Studies minor.

Subsequent to the meeting with Prof. Vasishth, FAEC determined that in the absence of any policy language in either the ARC Manual or Academic Policies that would address this type of program requirement, this will require more discussion and would fall within ARC’s purview to make a determination.

Meeting adjourned at 12:00.

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October 10, 2023FAEC MINUTES 09/20/2023

FAEC MINUTES 09/20/2023

Present: Ken McMurdy (President, TAS), Amruth Kumar (TAS), Marc Gidal (CA), John McTighe (SSHS), Dean Chen (Vice President, HGS), Monika Giacoppe (Councilor-at-Large), Jeffrey Ellsworth (Councilor-at-Large), Stephen Larson (ASB), Elizabeth Siecke (Library)

*FAEC secretary position is currently open. Meeting minutes taken by Dean Chen.

Vote to bring meeting to order at 10:00 am.

Approval of Minutes (9/13)

FA President’s Report:

• Met with SGA president, Shannon DeCicco. SGA this academic year to focus on deepening student engagement and community building. Possible joint activities with faculty in Spring 2024.
• Met with Michael Yankovich (VP for Operational and Administrative Integration). Discussed improving the voting system for upcoming FA meetings, more effective use of parking spaces for faculty and students at Mackin-Bischoff. Updated the status of the Campus Facilities Master Plan.
• Reported four new graduate certificate programs moving forward for ARC and FA approval: Business Foundations, Data Analyst, Data Modeler, and Machine Learning. All are contingent on the approval of the minimum credit policy by Provost’s Council.
• Updated the status of the Podium Program.

Discussion:

• Faculty Handbook: FAEC will continue to work with AFT and ER on resolving issues, and also keep track of issues that need to be addressed next year.
• Bylaws Revisions: Tentative plan to have a faculty forum in November to get faculty input and suggestions.

Visitors to FAEC: Rob Doster (ITS)

• Discussed network issues and solutions.
• Survey will be sent out to assess faculty and students’ technology experience.
• Discussed concerns regarding cuts to Help Desk student-aid budget.
• ITS Help Desk station in E-Wing will relocate to ASB in October.
• Raised concerns that Banner now doesn’t have class email lists. ITS to look into how to repopulate it back to Banner.
• Discussed and explored options of voting system for FA.
• ITS to continue checking classrooms to ensure technologies are functioning well. For any issues, contact the ITS Help Desk.

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September 26, 2023FA Minutes 09/06/23

Faculty Assembly Meeting
September 6, 2023
1:00 pm
H-129

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.

* FA Secretary position is currently open. Meeting minutes taken by Dean Chen.

Agenda

Approval of Minutes (4/26/2023)

Faculty Assembly President’s Report:

• Integrated Calendar Task Force: FA representatives, Lysandra Perez-Strumolo and Debbie Yuster, would like to hear from faculty any concerns and/or suggestions regarding the current academic calendar at Ramapo. A survey has been sent and will remain open until 9/13.
• Stephen Larson is the new ASB rep to the FAEC.
• FA Secretary position remains open. Faculty who are interested should talk to FA President Ken McMurdy or their FAEC rep.
• Ramapo’s Annual Family Day will be held on Saturday, October 14. Faculty will again be asked to contribute student research posters for display.
• Faculty Development Day: Held on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. Theme of Artificial Intelligence. See Tammi Redd and Michael Bitz for details.
• Enrollment Update: VP Chris Romano’s report will be included in the follow-up email.

College President’s Report:

• Welcomed Provost Middleton to Ramapo College.
• Expressed appreciation to FYS Director Yvette Kisor for inviting guest speaker Grace Cho to this year’s Convocation. Cho is the author of Tastes Like War: A Memoir, the 2023 First Year Seminar summer reading selection.
• Expressed appreciation to FA President Ken McMurdy and FAEC members for work over the summer.
• Class of 2027, our second largest and most diverse class ever, continues the trend of outstanding academic achievement.
• The College earned grants that support academic research, mental health, and hunger relief.
• Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center hosted a highly successful international conference this summer.
• Our students returned to studying abroad and are more fully engaged in community service, internships, and leader development opportunities.
• The College secured state resources that included $31.7 million to repurpose Linden Hall, $1 million in support of our Nursing Program, and $1.8 million in support of our strong student outcomes.
• Ramapo was home to some great summer programs including Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Fund, and First-Generation Student Legacies. We also hosted a summer concert series and myriad camps and activities.
• The Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce is now headquartered on our campus, and we are creating spaces and gathering opportunities through our new E-Sports lab, Berrie Center Student Gallery and Performance Space, Multicultural Center, micro-markets, and Student Wellness Room.
• Celebrate faculty achievements (David Coleman, Jacob Labendz, David Gurney, Catalin Martin) and conferences coming to Ramapo this fall (COPLAC, International Conference on Taiwan and China).

Provost’s Report:

• Over the summer, the provost has met with people across the TLC to understand how he might better support their work. He also met regularly with deans and FA leaders to plan together. In the new semester he will be visiting Unit Council meetings and hopes to visit classes as well. All of these efforts will help him better partner with faculty to advance the College’s core mission of teaching and learning.
• An area of concern that has emerged among faculty is the need for clarity and transparency in identifying and distributing funding to faculty for travel, professional development, and special projects. The Provost’s Office has compiled a list of funding opportunities for faculty, which was sent out in the provost’s welcome letter on August 30, 2023. The resource guide should be helpful and informative in planning requests for support.
• Recently updated Ramapo’s Academic Integrity policy with particular attention to artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology tools and websites that have raised questions and concerns. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, necessitating an on-going conversation and shifts in policies and practices to keep up with those changes.
• For faculty, pragmatic implications for technology evolution include continual attention to learning about new tech tools that impact teaching and learning, updating syllabi and assignments to adjust to those changes, and more focused conversations with students to set expectations for appropriate use of technology tools in your classes, including clarity in your syllabi. On Wed, October 18, Tammi Redd and Michael Bitz will be holding a Faculty Development Day to focus on AI, with an exploration of how AI tools may be implemented in our curriculum to enhance learning and ways our faculty can establish clear expectations for students.
• Comprehensive Academic Plan reflects Ramapo College’s liberal arts traditions and values, underscoring faculty-student relationships that serve as the central focus of our work on campus – nurturing student growth, understanding, and aspirations.
• Faculty achievements (David Coleman, Jacob Labendz, David Gurney, Catalin Martin) and conferences coming to Ramapo this fall (COPLAC, International Conference on Taiwan and China).

Introduction:

Bernadette Connors, the new Assistant Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs, will work on comprehensive policies for research grant submissions to better support faculty in their efforts for scholarship funding. Her office is in Mansion Room 213.

Presentations/Discussion Items:

Comprehensive Academic Plan (formerly Academic Master Plan)
Ken Goldstein, Stephanie Sarabia (CAP co-chairs)

• Reviewed progress since Spring 2023 and previewed next steps.
• Town Hall/Reflections session for CAP to be held on Wednesday 9/20 in ASB-136 from 2:45-4:00. Faculty may also provide feedback through a qualtrics survey sent out by the CAP Task Force co-chairs.
• Final CAP to be sent out to faculty on 9/27.
• Faculty Assembly will vote to endorse the plan at the 10/4 FA meeting.

Curriculum Review Process
Ken McMurdy, David Oh (ARC chair)

• Would like to refocus curriculum development and review process at the local (Convening Group, Unit) levels, thereby gaining meaningful content review without sacrificing accountability.
• Removing technical syllabus policing duties from the ARC would enable it to play more of an All-College consultative role and concentrate more on new programs.
• ARC will bring forward proposed revisions to the ARC manual for a vote at the FA meeting on 10/4. (The revised manual will be shared with all faculty a week in advance of the FA meeting.)
  Note/Correction: After the meeting and based on faculty feedback, it was decided that a Faculty Forum on this topic was warranted. The Forum will take place after FA at 2pm on 10/4, and any proposed revisions to the ARC Manual will be brought to FA for a vote on 11/8. In the meantime, faculty are to follow the existing process.

GECCo Updates
Chris Reali, Sarah Carberry (GECCo co-chairs)

• New course submission pause for AY 2023-24, with the exception of the Systems, Sustainability, and Society Distribution Category.
• GE workshop to be held on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, either before or after the AI workshop.
• GECCo encourages faculty to participate and serve on the Curriculum Assessment Teams (CATS).
• GECCo is looking for new members to join and coordinate the committee’s Global Awareness, Historical Perspectives, and Scientific Reasoning categories.

Proposal for In-Meeting Voting Method:
Ken McMurdy, Alexia Mavros (ITS)

FA meeting adjourned at 2:45.

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September 24, 2023FAEC MINUTES 09/13/2023

FAEC MINUTES 09/13/2023

Present: Ken McMurdy (President, TAS), Amruth Kumar (TAS), Marc Gidal (CA), John McTighe (SSHS), Dean Chen (Vice President, HGS), Monika Giacoppe (Councilor-at-Large), Jeffrey Ellsworth (Councilor-at-Large), Stephen Larson (ASB), Elizabeth Siecke (Library)

*FAEC secretary position is currently open. Meeting minutes taken by Dean Chen.

Vote to bring meeting to order at 10:00 am.

Meeting with Jenn Hicks McGowan, Janelle Evans (POER):

• Explained faculty personnel processes and clarified which processes fall under old handbook vs. new handbook for this academic year.
• Highlighted some key changes made to the Faculty Handbook
  • Common application form for career development, FSF, and sabbatical is now fillable and writable.
  • Common application form requires the applicant to initial the pledge statement. (Renewed emphasis on follow-up reporting.)
• Key dates reminder: career development training on 9/18; promotions info session on 9/21; and Faculty Handbook concerns will be discussed on 10/18.

Approval of FAEC Minutes (9/6)

FA President’s Report:

• Planned FAEC visitors: Rob Doster (ITS), Shannon DeCicco (President, SGA), Eric Wiener and Lisa Lutter (Campus Facilties Master Plan TF)
• AFT will co-sponsor FA social event on 11/8.
• Cory Rosenkranz will make a short presentation at FA on RCNJ Roadrunner Collegiate Recovery Program.
• Student textbook concern: if not available at bookstore, students may not be able to use financial aid to cover the expense.

FAEC Discussion:

• CAP Town Hall: Will take place on 9/20 from 2:45-4:00 in ASB-136. Last forum prior to FA endorsement vote on 10/4. Survey is also open until 9/21 (midnight).
• ARC Manual Revisions: Open forum at 2pm on 10/4 (after FA) to discuss possible changes to curriculum review process, as introduced at last FA. Vote on revisions would take place at 11/8 FA. In the meantime, we are following the existing process.
• Voting Methods: Will coordinate with Mike Yankovich and Alexia Mavros to make the swipe-in process more efficient. Otherwise, the piloted method appears to be the best way to facilitate in-meeting/real-time voting while adhering to the restrictions of the bylaws.

Meeting adjourned at 12:00 pm.

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September 17, 2023FAEC MINUTES 09/06/2023

FAEC MINUTES 09/06/2023

Present: Ken McMurdy (President, TAS), Amruth Kumar (TAS), Marc Gidal (CA), John McTighe (SSHS), Dean Chen (Vice President, HGS), Monika Giacoppe (Councilor-at-Large), Jeffrey Ellsworth (Councilor-at-Large), Stephen Larson (ASB)

Excused Absence: Elizabeth Siecke (Library)

*FAEC secretary position is currently open. Meeting minutes taken by Dean Chen.

Vote to bring meeting to order at 10:05 am.

FA President’s Report:

• Power Outage: Due to ongoing power outages on campus since 9/5/2023, the 1 pm FA meeting will be moved to H-129.
• Mackin-Bischoff Parking: Public Safety is still assessing student parking needs and will announce an updated policy soon. FAEC will continue to stress the importance of faculty parking in this location.
• Campus Facilities Master Plan: BOT approval now targeted for January 2024, in order to take into account the Comprehensive Academic Plan and additional feedback.

FAEC Discussion:

• ITS: John and Amruth will continue to meet regularly with Rob Doster (ITS) in order to address faculty technology concerns.
• Faculty Handbook: New handbook is now live on the POER website. FAEC will reach out to POER to request clarification on which guidelines should be followed for various personnel processes.

Meeting with President Jebb and Provost Middleton:

• Discussion of agenda items for 1 pm Faculty Assembly meeting
  • Comprehensive Academic Plan (CAP)
  • Possible revisions to curriculum review process
  • Faculty forum for under 11 faculty with Jeff Ellsworth
  • President Jebb’s planned report
  • Provost Middleton’s planned report
• Need for improved marketing for specific programs
• Need for increased funding for faculty travel due to rising conference/travel costs
• Need for continued funding for student aids

Meeting adjourned at 12:00 pm.

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September 6, 2022FAEC MINUTES 08/17/22

FAEC MINUTES 08/17/22

Present: Ken McMurdy (President, TAS), Katie Cohen (Library), Amruth Kumar (TAS), Marc Gidal (CA), Malakiva  Sundararajan (ASB), Dean Chen (Vice President, HGS), John McTighe (SSHS), Jeffrey Ellsworth (Secretary)*

*Both Councilor-at-Large positions are currently open.

Vote to bring meeting to order at 10:00am.

FA President’s Report:

• Enrollment Update: 873 first time students registered for the fall semester
• Family Day/Student Scholarship: suggestion to request at Unit Councils for faculty to contribute student posters that faculty already have to Family Day
• Strategic Plan Writing Team: SPWT is being formed. Prof. Naseem Choudhury will chair.
• Registrar Search: Fernanda has stepped down. Currently no faculty asked to serve on the search committee, as faculty are off contract in the summer. FAEC maintains that the committee should have FA representation and will pursue adding FA rep members.

FAEC Discussion:

• Convenor Compensation: discussion of Interim Provost Gaulden’s plan to fund convenor compensation using recovered funds from adjusting graduate teaching +1 credit policy. Concerns raised over:
  • faculty compelled to teach in graduate programs
  • staffing problems in grad programs if compensation is lessened
  • how sliding-scale compensation for convenors would be calculated
• Transparency in Service Compensation: suggested that once a semester the Provost should publish a list of all service-related positions and their compensation (money, course-release, etc.)
• Provost Search Committee: MFSA should select their own representative. Tenure should be required for FA unit representatives.
• Academic Master Plan: Discussion of FAEC’s vision for the process for developing an Academic Master Plan.

FAEC Guests: President Jebb, Interim Provost Gaulden

President Jebb:
Received equity from the state regarding dollars per student (floor rate) and getting half uncovered lines covered for benefits (one time add on in state budget, need to work to keep this).
Reorg of college structure progressing well, benefits of flattening structures.
Must address budget realities: ongoing structural deficit.
COVID reverberations are still ongoing and we need more resources to address them.
Last year’s debt restructure allowed capital to be available for limited investments in college.
Complimented faculty on the quality of the work they did on faculty handbook revisions.
Building a relationship with the state is going well, additional focus on building the relationship with the county.

Interim Provost Gaulden:
Emphasized the importance of getting the academic master plan task force rolling.
Last year we offered a significant number of courses with very few students even though they were duplicate sections of the same course.

Meeting adjourned at 12:41 pm.

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August 21, 2022FAEC MINUTES 07/20/22

FAEC MINUTES 07/20/22

Present: Ken McMurdy (President, TAS), Katie Cohen (Library), Amruth Kumar (TAS), Marc Gidal (CA), Malakiva  Sundararajan (ASB), Dean Chen (Vice President, HGS), John McTighe (SSHS), Jeffrey Ellsworth (Secretary)*

*Both Councilor-at-Large positions are currently open.

Vote to bring meeting to order at 10:00am.

FA President’s Report:

• Enrollment Update
  FAEC reviewed current enrollment numbers as provided by VP Romano. First year deposits are below pre-pandemic numbers, but close to projections. Bills are due on August 1st, and so updated numbers after that date will be more informative. FAEC will also ask how Ramapo’s enrollment trends compare with those of other comparable NJ institutions.
• Curation of Outstanding Student Work/Family Day
  Discussions are ongoing with VP Romano about how best to collect and organize samples of undergraduate research and other outstanding student work for display at Family Day. The goal is to tell the story to prospective students/parents that there are many outlets for such work at Ramapo. It was suggested that video interviews with students about their research could be even more impactful.
• Councilor-at-Large Open Positions
  Both positions remain open. Ken will continue to solicit volunteers.
• FA Meeting Calendar/Dynamic Google Calendar
  The Google Calendar version of the FA Meeting Calendar is faec.ramapo@gmail.com. This version will be updated more frequently and will include a few more all College events. FAEC will remind faculty of this option at an upcoming Unit Council.
• FA Representatives on Board of Trustees Committees
  The following faculty have agreed to serve as FA representatives for AY 2022-23.
  • Rikki Abzug – Resources Committee
  • Kathy Yeaton – Audit Committee
  • David Oh – Mission Fulfillment Committee

FAEC Discussion:

• President’s Inauguration
  Katie reported as liaison to the Presidential Inauguration Committee. The event will take place at 2pm on Friday, October 14, 2022. Faculty are encouraged to participate and will receive a form by email for RSVP and request for regalia. Concerns were raised about faculty who may wish to attend but cannot due to their teaching schedule.
• Provost’s Faculty Research Lecture Series
  Provost Gaulden is following up on an idea that arose in part from last semester’s Faculty Forum on Community Building, which is to establish and curate a lecture series in which Ramapo faculty give short presentations on their research. FAEC discussed ideas for making the program as successful as possible and will continue to collaborate with the Provost’s Office on this project.
• Academic Master Plan
  Provost Gaulden has proposed a jointly charged, faculty-driven task force that would work to develop an Academic Master Plan. For context, FAEC reviewed the final reports from the Task Force on Shared Governance (TFSG, F’17) and the Task Force on Academic Excellence and Engagement (TFAEE, S’15). General discussion surrounding possible charge, membership, timeline, etc. followed. Concerns were raised regarding the timeline and whether the task force should be delayed until after the new provost search is completed.

FAEC Guests: None

Meeting adjourned at 12:06 pm.

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