Approved 3/8/04 

WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting

February 23, 2004

James Loucky, Senate President, called the Senate meeting to order at 4:01 pm.  Forty-one (41) people were present including twenty-seven (27) Senators, one (1) recorder, and ten (10) guests.  (See attached roster). 

 Approval of Senate Minutes

§         The Senate approved the minutes of February 9, 2004 with an amendment to the Library presentation.

 Items from the Chair

¨       President Loucky reported that faculty forums on growth/off-campus options as well as collective bargaining will occur in Spring, following United Faculty of Western Washington campus workshops scheduled for March 4^th.  Loucky reported 100 attendees at the February 19^th forum on civil liberties.

¨       Loucky announced Senate collaboration with Associated Students to develop a list of locations suitable for upgrading into shared learning spaces.  Faculty are urged to relay concerns to the Executive Council.

 Items from the Administration

¨       Provost Bodman presented proposed state Senate and House figures for education, subject to compromise with the release of the governor’s budget. 

¨       Bodman reiterated his guarantee of $2 million for temporary faculty for 2004-05, and will bring recommendations based on Deans’ requests to the next Senate meeting.

 Arntzen Eatery

Senators heard a presentation on the Arntzen Eatery scheduled for completion 10/04 by Willie Hart, Interim Director, University Residences (Facility Management), and Susan Vogelson, Viking Union Eateries, described what would be available, and Bob Schmidt was present to assist with the board displays.  Vice President Coughlin promised that faculty advice would be sought prior to future displacement of classrooms for projects such as this.

 Q&A – Vice President George Pierce

¨       Senators engaged Vice President George Pierce is an incisive discussion regarding implications of loss of significant parking space on campus, particularly for faculty who work substantial and varied schedules.  Questions whether there is meaningful faculty participation in key campus planning were strongly voiced.

¨       Pierce explained that the University Strategic Master Plan, with a goal to grow to 12,500 students, tells us that growth and access are key elements, while still maintaining quality and aesthetics.  Pierce confirmed that the campus master plan began in 1990 as internal document not subject to outside scrutiny, but that city growth invited us to include a lot more folks from off-campus.  The Campus Institutional Master Plan (IMP) came out of that after four years of work and was approved in October 2001 by the Board of Trustees.  Pierce reported heavy involvement by faculty and others on a committee chaired by Professor Warner.  The Capital Budget runs off the master plan, and items that need to be built new, or need study become capital budget requests put together by the university, with faculty involvement.

Parking Issues

Senators asked Pierce much parking will be lost in meeting the master plan goals.  Pierce responded that the plan calls for a progressive approach to alternative means of transportation, and that a great amount of effort has been expended on promoting student effort towards alternative transportation.  Currently there are 3,400 spaces on campus, but placing parking off-campus gives us credit back for future expansion.  Former Senate President Leroy Plumlee, Management, addressed the Senate and Vice President Pierce, and commented that there appears to be a movement to eliminate cars completely from the campus, and thereby eliminate all parking. Plumlee noted that a third sidewalk created on the Sehome side of the new building eliminates up to 60 parking spaces, in an apparent oversight about the need for a loading dock.  A street crossing tennis courts also has been eliminated by a due process committee.  Some departments such as Communication Sciences and Disorders will be affected when the shuttle bus for the disabled can no longer have close access to the department.

 Lots Near Fairhaven to be Eliminated

¨       Senators noted that changes to the IMP were happening too easily and they objected to any elimination of the 12A, 18R and C lots near Fairhaven, with the closing of the adjacent road.  George Pierce confirmed that the hundreds of parking spaces will be eliminated, and there are no confirmed plans to build a parking garage on or near the campus.

¨       Senators speculated that when a faculty member or staff person has to leave campus during the day they will not be coming back since getting to and from campus is such a chore, and that this can significantly affect teaching quality and campus involvement. Plumlee noted that all we are getting for this disregard of faculty will be some playing fields.

¨       Senators pointed out that space at a drive-in for faculty and a shuttle bus to campus are not the same as having space on campus.  Senators asked about future plans that put in walkways and moved roadways eliminating significant amounts of parking near buildings; Senators noted that IMP for streamlining along 21^st Street called for roadways running through intersections in an apparently different configuration than what has been built and suggested that changes have been made without sufficient faculty input into the process. 

¨       Senators appreciated neighborhood input regarding roadways, but also pointed out that faculty must be the primary voice in decision-making, that Western is the largest employer in Whatcom County, and that students will be directly affected by faculty presence eliminated from campus.

¨       Former Senate President John Purdy thanked Plumlee for his view and added “We are isolated up here, and there is little understanding that there are many events going on and faculty participate at all hours.”  Senators pointed out that the Rec Center was not in the original plans and that the plans appear at times to alter arbitrarily.  Senators also pointed out that with a hierarchy of hundreds of people vying for the G lots, it is more important that teaching faculty get here to do their job, rather someone from the Foundation, for example.

¨       Ron Riggins noted that what dropped out of the original plans were the five parking garages, and nothing was put in to resolve that loss or take its place.  Faculty and staff are being pushed to the periphery of campus and there is no understanding as to why.  Other Senators added that the mission of the university has to be kept in mind, and that faculty access will have very big impact on its educational mission.

¨       When asked if there was a particular committee or individual that eliminated the 60 spaces near the communications building, Pierce responded that the decision involved designers who felt it was important to intentionally make a statement the east side of campus is not a back door, but part of the campus, and to give it a better perspective, which ties into the IMP.

¨       When Senators asked if we could still build a parking structure the response was that a parking garage is too costly and that permit prices would prohibitively increase.

¨       Armory.  Roger Germain cited additional problems for faculty and students that arise from working at the Armory, another site seriously affected by being located off-campus.  The time factor involved prohibits students from registering for two classes in a row, which inflates the university’s access problems, and this will be compounded when students have to park and shuttle at a Lincoln lot.

Reading of Standing Committee Minutes

The following Standing Committee minutes were accepted.

Academic Coordinating Commission, 02/03/04

Academic Technology Committee, 1/28/04

University Planning Council, 1/28/04

Senate Legislative Committee, 2/3/04

Senate Library Committee, 1/16/04

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.

Calendar:  The last two meetings of the Senate will take place on consecutive Mondays, May17th, and May 24th.

Resolution Regarding WWU’s Commitment to Civil Liberties

Lorraine Kasprisin made a motion, seconded by Jim Stewart, which the Senate passed unanimously (with one abstention) to resolve as follows:

 “WHEREAS, Western Washington University, in the pursuit of the traditions of liberal education, and in     the active promotion of free inquiry and free discussion, relies on and supports the liberties guaranteed to the people by the Constitution of the United States, and by the Washington State Constitution; and

“WHEREAS, the recent enactment of the USA PATRIOT Act (and several executive orders) authorize(s) the federal government to act in ways that infringe upon fundamental liberties of free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, rights to be informed of charges, to confront witnesses and to have a speedy trial, the right to counsel, and the right to due process of law all guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution;  and

“WHEREAS, so acting, the federal government violates and threatens to violate the Constitutional rights it has sworn to uphold, and

“WHEREAS, Western Washington University takes pride in the increasing diversity of its community of learners and scholars, and cherishes differences in political, religious and cultural heritage and expression; and

“WHEREAS, we believe that secret surveillance, individual or group surveillance based on racial, religious, national, or ideological profiling, or the monitoring of university records of any kind would have a chilling effect on the free inquiry and free discussion which are the cornerstones of any institution of higher learning; now, therefore,

“BE IT RESOLVED that Western Washington University will refrain, to the extent legally    permissible, from cooperating in any way with federal activities that violate or threaten to violate constitutionally protected rights and activities of any members of the university community, including, but not limited to the following:

(1)     Monitoring of political or religious gatherings or activities by individuals exercising their First Amendment rights;

(2)     Monitoring of research or creative activity by faculty or students, or of course content or activity;

(3)     Monitoring of library or academic records, including student records, of any kind;

(4)     Complying with requests for nonconsensual release of student or faculty records;

(5)     Complying with requests for any information that would compromise the confidential attorney-client relationship.

“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it shall be the policy of Western Washington University to instruct all personnel receiving requests or demands of any kind from Federal agencies to refer those requests or demands to the Assistant Attorney General for Western Washington University for review.

“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Western Washington University, acting through its administration and its faculty, will continue to do everything in its power to actively and deliberately foster the free inquiry and discussion, both public and private, which is so essential to its mission, especially when and where there may be attempts to suppress or inhibit, or indirectly to chill those freedoms.” 

Resolution to be Forwarded to Board of Trustees

Joan Hoffman made a motion, seconded by Lorraine Kasprisin, asking for  the text of the resolution on civil liberties to be forwarded to Wendy Bohlke for review, which was withdrawn. 

Kristi Lemm then made a motion, seconded by Lorraine Kasprisin, and slightly reworded by friendly amendment of Janice Lapsansky, to “forward the Resolution to the Board of Trustees for their consideration and possible endorsement,” which was passed unanimously by the Senate (with two abstentions). 

President Morse volunteered to speak with Board members to see if wish to consider coming up with supporting language.

Adjournment

Senators adjourned at 6:05 pm.

Written by Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, 2/2304

                      _______________________________

                                                                                                            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)