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WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting - January 24, 2005

Jim Stewart, 2004-2005 Senate President, called the Senate to order at 4:10 pm.  Twenty-nine (29) people were present including twenty-two (22) Senators, one (1) Legislative Liaison, one (1) recorder, two (2) guests and three (3) ex officio members.  (See attached roster).  

Approval of Minutes of January 10, 2005.

Senators approved the minutes of January 10, as written.

Items from the Chair

§    President Stewart welcomed Sue Guenter-Schlesinger, newly appointed Executive Director of the office of Equal Opportunity and Employment Diversity.  Guenter-Schlesinger is here just a few weeks from Logan, Utah, where she served at the University for 14 years.  She also has experience in Heidelberg, Germany where she served as the Army’s EEO officer, as a civilian.  In her welcoming comments to the Senate Gunter-Schlesinger emphasized her interest in working with faculty on diversity and equity issues.  Guenter-Schlesinger is temporarily located in OM420, Ext. 3307. 

§    Stewart reminded faculty that Wednesday, January 26^th, would be a Day of Remembrance for Tsunami victims with a Noontime service on the VU plaza and a 7:30 film showing.  Faculty received a notifying email.

§    On behalf of the Senate, Stewart expressed condolences to Ira Hyman who is on the East Coast due to a death in the family. 

§    Stewart reported that Werner Brog is Bellingham’s guest on February 16 at 7 pm at the Whatcom County courthouse.  Brog will report on our city’s travel habits using non-auto modes. We were one of four U.S. cities chosen by the Federal Transit Administration for this pilot project.

§     William Lyne, Vice President and Parliamentarian, and spokesman for United Faculty of Western, reported that the administration is challenging whether composition of the bargaining unit ought to include Chairs, faculty Academic Directors, or faculty with as few as 1/6 time appointments.   A tentative agreement had been reached to hold the union election on February 24^th, which is now postponed.  One option is to conduct the scheduled election, and hold the challenged ballots until after the election.  Lyne suggested that these would not matter if we assume it is a landslide.  Lyne reported it is the prerogative of PERC and the administration to postpone the election, which could involve a cumbersome hearing procedure of several months.  Provost Bodman clarified that the question is really whether or not certain temporary faculty fall under the ambit of “casual employment”, and there is precedent for these issues in Central’s decisions.  Senators asked questions and conducted a straw vote on the topic later in the meeting (see below).

Items from the Administration

§    President Morse announced that Robert Frazier, University of Montana, has accepted the position of Vice President for External Affairs.  Frazier has been asked to fill in several vacancies at once at his current position, which postpones his arrival until May 1^st.  Morse said that when he arrives he will visit faculty throughout the campus.  

§    Morse reported on her continuing effort to promote faculty and staff salary increases despite a “state of flux” in the current legislature, and reported several proposals to combine and create new campuses.  Morse emphasized there is not enough money to support the schools we have, and that with some space considerations in terms of what we already have we will accommodate the expected influx of students.

§    Morse reported she continues to fight for Western’s needs, and that we are #2 after Washington State, and it appears we will likely get the funding for the Academic Instructional Center.  Programmatic minor capital projects are also high on the list, with the emphasis on preservation.  This means we will get more funds to renovate buildings, put in mediation, and improve other areas which can be big for us.   Preservation and Minor Cap Budget items are separate from new buildings.

§    Legislative Liaison Todd Donovan reported that outgoing Governor Gary Locke’s budget proposed a 3.2% salary increase, but there is not yet a proposal from the new governor.  Some topics under continued discussion include graduated tuition, and minimum admission standards.  Donovan reported that salaries will be discussed in the Ways and Means Committee.  Morse commended Donovan for driving home from Olympia after a late Wednesday night session, and then driving back early the following morning in order to be the faculty representative who testified before the legislature.

·    Provost Bodman seeks a process for securing faculty input on an update to the Strategic Plan prior to a 10-year accreditation review to take place in 2008. 

·    Bodman will report on Professional Leaves at the February 14^th Executive meeting.

Reading of Standing Committee Minutes:

A.     Academic Coordinating Commission, 1/4/05 – Accepted.  

B.     Academic Technology Committee, 11/17/04 – Accepted.

§    David Bover, Chair of the Academic Technology Committee, brought the text to the Senate for its consideration as a motion.  The language charged this Faculty Senate Standing Committee to give consideration and advice to the campus technology structure, including Administrative Computing, Lan Managers Group, and Computing.  The intent is to integrate membership of various technology groups to ensure greater faculty involvement. 

§    The Executive Council will review and bring the motion forward at the next meeting.

C.     University Planning Council, 12/1/04 – Accepted.

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Appointments and Elections – Jeff Newcomer, Officer

Senators appointed the following faculty:

As Deputy Legislative Liaison, Fall 2005 – Sara Singleton, Political Science.

To the Faculty Senate:  Laurie Phelan, for Ramona Chauvin, Wtr Qtr

To the Sustainability Committee – Hart Hodges (1-yr term)

Newcomer announced the following:

Vacancies: 

University Planning Council, term ending Spring 2006

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

Parking Appeals Board, term ending Spring 2007

DISCUSSION

FACULTY REVIEW OF HIGH LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS – Report of Ad Hoc Committee

§    Senators reviewed a draft report from the Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of High Level Administrators, as well as commentary from Provost Bodman.  Ad Hoc Chair, David Patrick emphasized its draft nature and was encouraged by the possibility that a new model may emerge from shared discussions between Senate and Administration.  Patrick has not yet had a chance to discuss formally with President Morse and other parties that need to be included.

§    Bodman explained his time table for regularly scheduled evaluations,  and noted that all of the deans and major administrative personnel who report to him are now in an established 5-year review process, allowing for 2 or 3 per year..  Bodman acknowledged the Senate’s request for well-defined faculty input into those evaluations. 

§    Faculty need to know their input is being heard, and request involvement in compilation, and the report of the particular individual under review.  President Stewart agreed with Bodman on a need to work with administration so as not to have two parallel processes, but one process with strong faculty involvement.

§    Dean Salzman, a member of the Ad Hoc Committee expressed a real need to include faculty as soon as possible, while working on a more systemic approach that would not be just an “added on report”.

§    Senators asked questions and discussed options.  Provost Bodman noted that a separate survey by the Faculty Senate could be unnecessarily redundant.  Bodman expressed concern about confidentially in gathering and collating results and writing a report.  Bodman noted that he has never discussed and would not support any discussion of personnel by the Senate.  Bodman asked if the Senate really wanted to take on the responsibility and consequences of such a public evaluation.  However, Bodman is on record that “he does want to have routine evaluations take place, and that they be fair and transparent”.

§    Senators suggested that a “quick” evaluation might be separate from a formal five-year evaluation and might take place at one or two-year intervals.

§    Following further discussion Senators agreed that only one confidential process should occur.  Such a process might include some less extensive faculty review occurring at shorter intervals, perhaps biannually.  Such active input on a quick turnaround basis could be formative to a Dean.  President Stewart will continue to meet with administration on the issue and report back to the Senate.

COMPOSITION OF BARGAINING UNIT (Discussion continued)

Motion to delay tabled.

§    Senators continued the discussion on a possible delay of a vote to unionize because of administrative challenges to the composition of the bargaining unit.  (Administration challenging whether composition of the bargaining unit ought to include Chairs, Faculty Academic Directors, or faculty with as few as 1/6 time appointments.  United Faculty of Western supports an all-inclusive union as only one union can be formed) 

§    David Fewings made a motion which was seconded by David Patrick and opened for discussion.   The text suggested that the Senate express the opinion to PERC that a vote on union representation without a clear decision as to which faculty would be in bargaining unit would create uncertainty.  The Senate thus requested that the vote be delayed until uncertainties are resolved.  The motion was tabled.

§    Senators spoke strongly in favor of notifying faculty constituents of the question under discussion. 

Committee of the Whole.  Senators moved into a Committee of the Whole at 5:50 p.m..

§    Senators split 50-50 (with two abstentions) in a straw vote on whether the Senate should advise PERC to delay a union vote until a clear decision has been reached as to which faculty would comprise the bargaining unit. 

§    Senators returned to regular session at 6:08 pm.  Senators will notify constituents of the issue.  Lyne will report to the faculty after meeting with union stakeholders.

Adjournment

Senators moved to adjourn at 6:10 p.m.

Written by Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, 1/24/05

                                                                                                            _____________________

                                                                                                            Lorraine Kasprisin, Secretary

Faculty Senate Roster 2004-2005