Mark Aakhus

The Academic Master Plan guides Rutgers--New Brunswick toward academic excellence, inclusive research, and service to the common good. It is grounded in four core pillars: Scholarly Leadership, Innovative Research, Student Success, and Community Engagement. The plan aims to advance knowledge, expand opportunity, and improve lives by fostering a culture where everyone thrives, accelerating innovation for the public good, and making a global impact through local action and community engagement.

The meeting covered various topics, including updates on the implementation of Canvas as the university-wide learning management system, an administrative report encompassing the COVID-19 situation, and the Rutgers Dance Marathon. Discussions included the university's response to the pandemic, remote instruction, and contingency plans for the fall semester. The meeting also addressed committee reports on grade inflation, consensual relationship policies, student success/advising and career services, and health and wellness support for students. A resolution on part-time lecturer healthcare was discussed, along with the process for populating the new Information Technology Committee and the upcoming 2020-21 Senate meeting.

The meeting covered various topics including an update on the coronavirus, DACA, and carbon neutrality. Discussions included university policy updates, bandwidth capacity for remote teaching, and the status of actions related to the ICAC report. Several committee charges were reviewed and extended, and new charges were issued to various committees, including the Student Affairs Committee, the Academic Standards, Regulations, and Admissions Committee, the Research and Graduate and Professional Education Committee, and the University Structure and Governance Committee. A discussion took place regarding the possible integration of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Medical School, and the 2020-2021 Senate calendar was reviewed. The meeting also included the assignment of the Nominating Panel and the planning of the March 27, 2020 Senate meeting.

The agenda includes reports from the chair and secretary, consideration of updated university policies (Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources, Information Classification, Information Security Awareness, Training, and Education, Email and Calendaring Policy, Audit and Monitoring, Policy for Human Subjects Protections and the Institutional Review Board, and Investment Policy), a discussion with the RBHS Department Executive Chairs, and reports from standing committees and panels. Proposed charges include investigating the use of RAMS mailing lists for communication, adopting a second reading provision before voting on resolutions, broadening recognition and compensation for part-time lecturers, and improving communication mechanisms regarding changes in major IT applications. The agenda also includes responses to previous charges, old and new business, and the April 30, 2021, University Senate agenda.

The agenda includes reports from the Chair and Secretary, policy updates (60.5.3 Other Academic Titles and Definitions of Academic Titles), an administrative report, discussion on deadlines for submitting agenda items, roles and relationships within the Senate, communication protocols, and updates from standing committees/panels. Several proposed charges are included, covering topics such as poor student busing services, coordination of shared governance entities, definitions of environmentally and socially responsible materials, naming of facilities and programs, immunization policies for university affiliates, sunsetting of academic credit, and improving virtual Senate meeting formats. Old business and new business items are also listed, including a report from the RBHS Chancellor and discussion of Senate communications.