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WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting - November 8, 2004

Jim Stewart, 2004-2005 Senate President, called the [MSOffice1] Senate to order at 4:05 pm. Thirty-one (31) people were present including twenty-five (25) Senators, one (1) recorder, two (2) guests and three (3) ex officio members.  (See attached roster).

Approval of Minutes of October 25, 2004.

Senators approved the minutes of October 25, 2004 as written.

Items from the Chair

¨       President Stewart welcomed Brian Gettman, the newly appointed Associated Students’ Vice President for Academics, to the meeting.

¨       Stewart reported that the Ad Hoc Committee on the Evaluation of High Level Administrators has met several times.  David Patrick, chair, is currently out of town due to a death in the family.  Senators offered condolences.  Provost Bodman reported that Stephanie Salzman, Dean of Woodring will serve on this committee. 

Items from the Administration

§       University President Karen Morse noted that a forum on Western’s presence on the waterfront was well attended.  Additional forums are planned.

§       Morse reported that candidates for Vice President for External Affairs are still under review.

§       Provost Bodman responded to Senate questions on the length of appointments of deans, stating that successful resolution of issues that arise during their five-year review usually means the dean is “kept on board”. 

Reading of Standing Committee Minutes (The following Standing Committee minutes were accepted):

A.      Academic Technology Committee, 10/6/04 – Accepted.   Members asked if a creation of a central ticketing system, expansion of the data warehouse, and security, are all related to academic computing.  Chair David Bover suggested not, but that they came out of a report of services that ATUS had been working on over the summer.

B.      University Planning Council, 10/13/04 - Accepted.  Includes list of Peer Institutions approved by UPC. 

Senate Library Committee, 10/8/04- Not Accepted.  One Senator commented that while choices of which journals are ordered reflect the research faculty are doing, they also reflect academic needs overall.  However, the faculty at Western publish a lot as compared to a lot of other undergraduate teaching institutions and this ought to be made clear.   In addition, the purpose of the Ad Hoc committee attached to the regular Senate Library Committee is to provide continuity and to evaluate how funds are distributed to each department.  The ad hoc members will no longer be officially meeting after December.   Senators asked that the minutes more accurately reflect this information, and that the heading and introduction specify what members were meeting (information is available on the Senate website at http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/senate). 

Appointments and Elections, Jeff Newcomer, Officer – The following vacancies were announced on the Agenda:

University Planning Council (one replacement (for D. Parker) until 2006, one winter quarter replacement (for M.Roelofs)

DISCUSSION

Revised Policy on Tenure and Promotion - Motion from the Executive Council

Ø      Vice President and Parliamentarian Bill Lyne reviewed amendments to Handbook language on Tenure and Promotion passed by the Senate in Spring 2004, followed by a questions and answer period. 

Ø      The changes which the Faculty Senate approved on May 3, 2004 are intended to accomplish several things:

·         Strengthen and clarify the faculty’s role in the tenure and promotion process,

·         Maximize flexibility for the probationary faculty,

·         Clarify the responsibility for implementing and amending unit evaluation plans,

·         Clarify language

MOTION

Ira Hyman “called the question” which was seconded by James Loucky and passed with two abstentions.  The Senate then unanimously passed a Motion “to accept the changes to the policy with a proviso that a number of grammatical and organizational changes be made” (referring to those identified during the meeting).  There were three abstentions.  The revisions will be published to the Faculty and will go before the Board of Trustees in December.  Provost Bodman requested that Section 15b, of the Handbook be brought into compliance.

The following identifies each change in the order in which it appears:

“III.D.2  This entire paragraph is deleted.  Its substance is included later in VI.A.1 and VI.C.1 with a significant change.  The counting of prior service no longer appears.  In order to maximize a probationary faculty member’s options the faculty believe that all probationary faculty regardless of previous experience should have the opportunity to serve the full six year probationary period if it is to their advantage.  At the same time, the language related to tenure is intended to allow a probationary faculty member to apply for promotion as soon as a strong case can be made.

“IV.B.1. Changes here make the language more concise as well as consistent with the elimination of the counting of prior service.

“V.C.1.  The changes in this paragraph are for consistency with the rest of the document.  The phrase “and shall contain a statement regarding the faculty member’s progress towards tenure,” was added after discussion with the Provost.

“V.D.1-7. The goal here is to clarify procedures for amending and following unit evaluation plans.

“VI.A.1.  We have replaced consultation with review of recommendations. We  have replaced the term administration with appropriate Dean and Provost to clarify who in the administration has the responsibility.  We have made clear that judgment of the faulty along with that of the Dean and Provost is an essential element in the decision to grant tenure.  We believe that replacing outstanding with substantial results in a more realistic statement.  Furthermore, we believe that to grant tenure on initial appointment should require outstanding reputation.

“VI.C.1.   Last spring the Faculty Senate agreed that the statement, “When a candidate applies for tenure and/or promotion, the total professional profile of the individual will be considered,” was sufficiently broad as to imply the statement, “All candidates must demonstrate a record of accomplishment at Western Washington University,” which has now been added after consultation with the President and Provost.

“VI.C.2.  The first paragraph of the old language has been eliminated in keeping with the changes discussed earlier.

“VI.C.3.  This section is reorganized into sub-paragraphs.  Sub-paragraph a. emphasizes the fact that the primary responsibility for decision to grant tenure or not lies in the faculty member’s academic unit.

“Sub-paragraph c. of VI.C.3. has been improved with clarifications resulting from discussions with the Provost and the Provost’s Council. The version passed last spring allowed a candidate to withdraw his or her application after receiving a negative recommendation. This could lead to an automatic referral of a negative recommendation to the next level which, in the final year of probation, would ultimately lead to a letter from the President terminating the candidate’s appointment. The new language makes it clear that the candidate must make the decision to advance the application upon receiving a negative recommendation. This allows a person to resign from the University and thus to avoid a certain stigma.  Also, in the same sub-paragraph new language makes it clear that, if a candidate in the final year of probation withdraws his or her application for tenure that act constitutes resignation from the University”.

Constituent Concerns

Senators brought forward the following Constituent Concerns:

1)  extent of oversight purview of the Sehome Arboretum Advisory Board and clarification that a roadway behind Fairhaven College does not remain a recommended option.

2)  location of faculty parking spaces throughout the campus, and notification to faculty of same

3)  a request to have the waiting shuttle not block cars attempting to leave or arrive.

4)  a request for information on, and a suggestion that the rules for use of, public space (e.g., Red Sqaure) for civic gatherings be discussed among faculty, Associated Students, and administration.

Adjournment

Senators moved to adjourn at 5:58 p.m.

Written by Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, 11/8/04

                                                                                                            _____________________

                                                                                                            Lorraine Kasprisin, Secretary

Faculty Senate Roster 2004-2005