WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting

February 9, 2004

James Loucky, Senate President, called the Senate meeting to order at 4:05 pm.  Thirty-eight (38) people were present including twenty-six (26) Senators, one (1) recorder, and eight (8) guests.  (See attached roster). 

Approval of Senate Minutes

§       The Senate approved the minutes of January 26, 2004 as written.  .

Items from the Chair

o       President Loucky encouraged continuing faculty participation on vital campus issues, and mentioned that Larry Gilbert has established a committee on classroom space, with an eye toward issues of growth and providing quality learning space—both effective classrooms and useful public spaces.  Other issues include reviewing institutional master plan and fostering closer links between the Board of Trustees and the Faculty.  Loucky reported that Vice President Pierce will address capital budget issues and parking concerns at the next meeting. 

o       Loucky announced that the Faculty Senate, jointly with the Associated Students, will co-sponsor a University-wide Assembly on Thursday, February 19, from 4-5:15 pm, in SMATE 150, on threats to academic freedom posed by the USA Patriot Act.  A Senate resolution on this comes up for vote on Feb. 23. 

 Items from Associated Students

Maya Tomlin, Associated Students Vice President for Academics requested faculty awareness towards students who will be participating in WWU Viking Days February 23-24, 2004. Associated Students sponsors a group of students who visit Olympia and talk with respective representatives and other state legislators.  Students will be alerting faculty and seeking assignments for the classes they might be missing during Viking Days.

 Items from the Administration

v     President Morse announced the finalization of the letter appointing faculty and others to the committee on compact issues and expressed pleasure in finding common ground with the Senate in appointing mutual nominees. 

v     Provost Bodman reported that House Bill 2747 to implement filtering software in libraries is dead in the Senate. 

v     Bodman reported that there are close to 30 amendments to the compact bill active in the House, with a clear difference between the House and Senate both in content and number of amendments.  Bodman suggested that not much else is currently known until the bill formally “crosses over”.

v     Bodman presented a report to the Senate on the 2004-2005 professional leave requests which for the first time in several years have substantially exceeded the number of quarters available, a number regulated by state law.  Bodman requests a faculty review of the handbook language on professional leave, particularly eligibility and waiting period for professional leave.

v     Loucky reported that one person has already volunteered from the College of Science and Technology to review the professional leave policy and he would like a Senator and one or two other faculty for a small review group. 

Reading of Standing Committee Minutes

The following Standing Committee minutes were accepted.

Academic Coordinating Commission, 1/20/04

Tom Downing, Chair of ACC, reported progress on GUR recommendations which will be ready for presentation to the Senate and the faculty following a review of creativity, as well as the first-year experience.

Academic Technology Committee, 1/14/04

University Planning Council, 1/14/04

v     

ACTION ITEMS:

Appointments and Elections, Kristen Parris, Officer

Parris reminded Senators of the approaching spring elections and that nominating ballots will be mailed out February 27^th for return by March 12 and urged them to encourage faculty constituents to run for the Senate and its standing committees.

Executive Council Motion:  Revised Faculty Handbook Language – Limited Term Faculty

In a second vote on the topic, the Senate passed the Executive Council’s motion to revise the Faculty Handbook language on the status of limited-term faculty which appeared in FAST on February 5, 2005.  The language will go into effect after approval by the Board of Trustees in April.

Executive Council Motion:  Two Faculty Assemblies

Following Loucky’s presentation of the Executive Council’s proposal, the Senate passed a motion unanimously “to hold faculty assemblies, on collective bargaining and on campus growth in Winter and Spring Quarter, with dates, time and location of the Assemblies to be set by the Executive Council.” 

Alarming Cost Inflation in the Libraries – Presentation by Alan Sleeman and Jeanne Armstrong

o      Allan Sleeman and Jeanne Armstrong, representing the Senate Library Committee, jointly presented a request that the Faculty Senate support adding an annual inflation component to the libraries' collection budget.  Sleeman and Armstrong described the skyrocketing costs of subscriptions, abstracts, and related library materials, and the lack of funding to maintain minimum current levels of journals and other media. After comments from Bela Foltin, University Librarian, Senators discussed the challenges to increasing library funding, and that inquiries should be made to publishers in the industry on why the costs are skyrocketing.  One price responsive action by the library has been the unfortunate consequence of having to cancel subscriptions.  Sharing journals among Universities is closely scrutinized and in many cases prevented by copyright law.  President Morse volunteered that extra monies would have to be an internal allocation within the University Budget; the State does not fund for the libraries specifically, but only funded us for tuition and for new enrollment.

o      Following discussion a motion was made by Kristen Parris, seconded by Tom Goetzl, to request President Morse and Provost Bodman, in conjunction with the University Planning Council and the University Budget Advisory Board, to investigate how to address inflation costs in library acquisitions.  The motion passed by hand count of 18 in favor, 4 opposed.

Sale of Local Produce in Viking Union Eateries

Tom Goetzl had distributed materials on local produce sales in Viking Union which Senators received in their packets.  Dan Warner, Accounting, reported that on February 19, at 2 pm at the Bridget Collins House, the State Department of Agriculture is sponsoring a farm-to-campus and farm-to-cafeteria forum.  This is part of a country-wide movement on the topic.  Following comments by Dan Warner, Senators passed a motion that proposed increasing the sale of local produce in Viking Union eateries.  WWU contracts with a private corporation with headquarters in France for food services, and while they are doing a good job, Senators noted that the corporation is not entirely familiar with the situation in Bellingham.  Senators noted that there is a contract in place for ten years, and it is possible to renegotiate the next contract to provide for more local food procurement.

Executive Session

Senators moved into Executive Session at 5:30 pm to discuss enabling legislation issues.

Adjournment

Senators adjourned at 6:20 pm.

Written by Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, 2/9/04

                      _______________________________

                                                                                                                          Thomas Read, Secretary

Faculty Senate Roster 2004

_______________________________

Article III.  Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate is empowered to speak and act for the Faculty in University affairs with particular responsibility in the areas of curriculum, academic programs, Faculty salary, Faculty status, scholarly activities, and all matters relating to the welfare of Faculty, the education of students, and the academic mission of the University.

The Faculty Senate is limited to 30 voting members elected by the Faculty, and the President of the University, the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University, and a college dean appointed by the Provost serving as Provost's Council representative as ex officio non-voting members.    (Faculty Handbook, page 55)