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WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting - January 10, 2005

Jim Stewart, 2004-2005 Senate President, called the [MSOffice1] Senate to order at 4:06 pm. Twenty-five (25) people were present including twenty-one (21) Senators, one (1) recorder, one (1) guest and two (2) ex officio members.  (See attached roster).  President Morse was attending a conference.

Approval of Minutes of November 22, 2004.

Senators approved the minutes of November 22 as written.

Items from the Chair

o      President Stewart reported that at its December meeting the Board of Trustees had approved the Tenure and Promotion policy passed by the Senate, as well as changes to the Legislative committee structure.

o      Stewart reported that a tape and DVD from the faculty forum on unionization would shortly be available from the library. 

o      Stewart is completing a voter’s guide with pros and cons on the topic of unionization.  Vice President Bill Lyne reported that the Public Employees Relations Board (PERC) had received sufficient union cards to suggest there was enough interest to certify an election.  PERC, along with the UFW (United Faculty of Western) and the Administration would set the date for an election decision by faculty on whether or not to form a union.

o      Stewart reported excellent give and take has occurred in discussions with the President and Provost on the Revised Faculty Grievance Procedure.  The draft will be brought to the Senate for a vote shortly, and Bodman has agreed that the policy will come before the Board of Trustees before the end of the academic year.  Some Senators on the Committee on Grievance and Sanctions noted that they are gaining specific experience that could relate to the revision of the policy.  Stewart asked that suggested revisions be forwarded to the Executive Council so that editing would not take place during Senate meetings.

Items from the Administration

Provost Bodman reported that an announcement of the new Vice President for External Affairs would be made within two weeks. Bodman also will provide a report to the Senate on approved faculty leaves by next meeting.

Reading of Standing Committee Minutes:

A.    Academic Coordinating Commission, 11/16/04, 11/30/04 – Accepted.  ACC representative Jeff Newcomer reported the ACC is moving ahead in seeking faculty members for its Ad Hoc Committee on the Evaluation of the FIG program.

B.    One Senator asked what is being done about General Studies major, and at what point would the faculty as a whole be able to weigh in.  Jeff Newcomer, Senate representative to ACC responded that the ACC has withdrawn from the discussion until a proposal or motion is brought forward.  Any suggestions from faculty constituents can be forwarded to Newcomer.

C.    Academic Technology Committee, 11/3/04 – Accepted. 

University Planning Council, 11/10/04 - Accepted.   Senators noted that UPC plans to assume responsibility within itself on academic input into buildings, rather than forming another committee.  Senators asked what that meant in terms of tracking issues and decisions.  Does UPC have a clear way of assuring that will happen?

D.    Provost Bodman responded that information involving stakeholders will be brought forward much earlier in the discussion, in order to address a concern that departments, when asking for changes, do not find out what happened with the changes.  Senators asked if faculty involvement would be inclusive, and if there will be decisions still made without the academic sector and faculty.

E.     In an upcoming meeting with George Pierce, Provost Bodman indicated he will emhasize that clear tracking be made available of who is making the decisions, when they are made, the accountability record.  University-wide general learning spaces as well as specific departments would be included. Bodman referred Senators to  bulleted items on page 3 of the UPC current minutes which specify critical communication points that need to be addressed.

Senate Library Ad Hoc Committee, 10/8/04 (Revised), 11/5/04, 11/19/04.  Accepted.  Joan Hoffman, Library Senator, reported that the Ad Hoc Committee has completed its report and is now dissolved.  The Senate Library Committee will itself continue to review the challenge of funding library inflation.  Bodman suggested the possibility that the acquisitions budget could be considered as a “quasi-utility” given the significant fraction of journal inflation, and asked if the committee had discussed this. Hoffman will bring the suggestion to the committee so that the idea can come in the final report as an alternative along with some projections as to cost and annual percentage.  Such a concrete proposal could move forward to UBAC with recommendations from the Senate in concert with the Provost and committee. 

Bodman asked about the possibility of instituting a “library fee” per credit hour for FTE students, and was assured the Librarian was experienced in this area.  The committee is discussing this among other possibilities. 

A downside of previous presentations on the topic was lack of quantification on how proposals could be carried out, since moneys for one area must come out of another.  Bodman noted that library inflation ranged between 6% and 9% and the State does not fund general inflation.  A library proposal should attempt to fund inflation above the general inflation rate as a start.  With a fixed budget of $1,750,000 the Library cannot maintain the increasing cost of its collection much less maintain the quality that a university such as Western should have.  Funding entire library inflation would be about $157,000 in any particular year.  Bodman pointed out that this matter must be tackled urgently.  Senators anticipate specifics from the Library Committee.

F.    

Appointments and Elections – Jeff Newcomer, Officer

Senators reviewed the 2005 Senate Election calendar.  A motion was made by Bill Lyne, seconded by James Loucky, to approve the calendar, which passed unanimously.  The calendar can be found on the Senate website under “Elections 05-06”.

Committee Vacancies 

Newcomer announced the following faculty vacancies:

¨     Ad Hoc Committee on Evaluation of the FIG program, 4 faculty through Spring quarter

¨     University Planning Council, one, term ending Spring 2006

¨     Faculty Development Grants, 2 nominees, one to be appointed (3-yr term, tenured)

¨     Sustainability Committee – 1 faculty rep (1-yr term)  This Committee is under the office of George Pierce, and will assess the use of green power at the University.

¨      Legislative Liaison, Fall 2005 – to attend 2 legislative meetings Winter Quarter as deputy liaison, and become Legislative Liaison Fall 2005.  Release time and travel available.  Newcomer reported that the official Liaison spends 6 or 7 weeks in Olympia during the Winter session, for about a day and a half or two days a week.  Newcomer emphasized that he enjoyed his experience very much, and the same could be said by Todd Donovan, the current liaison, and Barbara Mathers-Schmidt, who had served previously.  For further information, contact Jeff Newcomer or the Senate Office. 

Motion from the Executive Council

on various information delivery methods to faculty (Handbook)

In a second vote required for Handbook Bylaw change, Senators passed a motion to ensure that faculty Senate agendas and minutes are delivered to Faculty via web posting, email message, flyer, or FAST publication.

The motion passed unanimously.

Adjournment

Senators moved to adjourn at 5:10 p.m.

Written by Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, 1/10/05

                                                                                                                              _____________________

                                                                                                                              Lorraine Kasprisin, Secretary

Faculty Senate Roster 2004-2005