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WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting –April 18, 2005

Jim Stewart, 2004-2005 Senate President, called the [MSOffice1] Senate to order at 4:01  pm.  Twenty-eight (28) people

were present including twenty-three (23) Senators, one (1) recorder, two (2) guests and two (2) ex officio members.  (See attached roster).  

Approval of Minutes of April 4, 2005

Senators approved the minutes of April 4, 2005 as written. 

Items from the Chair

Ø     President Stewart.announced that Bylaws 7.6 and 7.6.1 had been approved in a second Senate vote conducted via email and that the new Grievance Procedure and the Bylaws will be presented for approval to the Board of Trustees on Friday April 22^nd. 

Ø     Vice President Bill Lyne announced that the Public Employees Relations Committee (PERC) will hold all day hearings on the composition of the bargaining unit on April 20, 21^st , 28^th, and 29^th in OM340. 

Ø   Provost Bodman distributed a statement defining one of the main issues before PERC: whether chairs are faculty, under an inconsistent statute which prohibits those who “exercise managerial or supervisory authority over other faculty members” from joining a bargaining unit. 

Items from the Administration

o      President Morse announced that the House had passed the Capital Budget which contains all of Western’s projects estimated at $73 million.  Morse confirmed that Western had been rewarded for implementation of legislative formulae and that we need to look carefully at our future roles and goals within our mission.  Morse warned that unlike Western, some schools may have lost their main campus funding through over funding branch campuses.

o     Morse announced that a compromise budget is still in committee but expressed hope that financial aid will not have to be funded out of tuition money, as was proposed by the Senate budget.  The House budget removes such constraints.

o     Morse announced plans to establish a Policy Review Task Force to review policies from the legislature.  Morse will also form a President’s Planning and Resource Council (PPRC) to enable her to hear direct discussion on broad level university issues.  Morse spoke of her review, and of her resolve to seek direct input from constituents, as well as direct advice and ideas from the broader campus. The University Budget Advisory Committee (UBAC) will form the core of PPRC and will include the EEOC Director. (see Senate website for membership).  PPRC will continue to function throughout the year following its normal budget allocations that commence in early May.  Morse emphasized that the PPRC and a Policy Review Task Force would be advisory committees.

o     Morse will report on current Waterfront Proposals at a future meeting, and is still accepting proposals.

o     Senators thanked Provost Bodman for a satisfactory review of Dean Brad Smith.  Bodman will submit his data for the review of Dean Riggins.  Bodman announced that there will be no review of Dean Murphy who plans to step down at the end of 2006-07.

o     Bodman reported positively on 34 promotion and tenure cases. 

ACTION ITEMS

Reading of Standing Committee Minutes (Exhibit B)

Senators accepted Standing Committee minutes and noted the following: 

Academic Technology Committee, 3/29/05.    One Senators noted that Password Hardening has commenced, and may interrupt normal access on computers for a day or so.

Appointments and Elections – Jeff Newcomer, Officer

Newcomer announced the following vacancies: 

Faculty Senate, 1 from Area D, through 2006

Executive Council:  2 Senators

Academic Coordinating Commission:  5 from all areas, 2 Senators

University Planning Council: 1 Senator

Faculty Grievance Committee: 1, not from Humanities

Salary & Welfare committee, 1, 4-year term

Senate Library Committee, 1, and 1 Senator (2-year term)

Academic Technology Committee:  all areas

OMBUDS.  President Morse requested a date for implementation of the new Grievance Policy following its approval by the Board of Trustees, and acknowledged, along with the Executive Council, that some time would be needed to appoint an Ombuds.  

      MOTION:

¨      Ira Hyman moved, seconded by Jeff Newcomer, that “following its approval by the Board of Trustees, the new Faculty Grievance Policy and its accompanying Bylaws 7.6 and 7.6.1 would take effect on the first day of Fall contracts, September 16, 2005” which the Senate passed with one abstention.

Senate Resolution on Budget Priorities

Senators discussed the following resolution presented by Ira Hyman.

“Whereas, the percentage of operating budget allocated to faculty salaries has decreased over the last fifteen years, and

“Whereas, this decrease in allocated resources contributes to non-competitive faculty salaries and to more reliance on non-tenure track faculty,

“Be it therefore resolved that the Faculty Senate directs its representatives on the University Budget Advisory Committee to work to insure that the percentage of the operating budget allocated to faculty salaries grows at a rate faster than the overall WWU budget. 

“Be it further resolved that the Faculty Senate directs the University Planning Council to also work to insure that the percentage of the operating budget allocated to faculty salaries grows at a rate faster than the overall WWU budget.” 

Senators conducted extensive discussion on this resolution, and expressed the following concerns:

Ø     Concerned about voting for something without a tangible goal; prefer to identify a goal that can later be measured as achieved.

Ø     “Pieces of pie” for Administrative Exempt appear to have doubled, while during recent years Classified Staff have received almost no salary increases.  Exempt salaries are tied to faculty salaries, however, there are Exempt with part time faculty status.  With the legislature requiring more and more consultation and paperwork, the workload for staff has increased.

Provost Bodman commented that different ways of looking at ratios and proportions provide different charts, and both he and President Morse have been aggressive at implementing faculty salaries.  A proportional argument is not necessarily the best.  The percentage of the operating budget as a whole is dependent on what the legislature does.  We have maintained proportionality by injecting tuition money.  If in the past 6 years, we take out locally appropriated funds, increase would be at 29% not 32%.  Over $2.6 million has gone into salary increases.  Proportionality is a closed system, with salaries and benefits, but benefits increase at a higher rate than salaries.  Another large percentage of the budget has gone into increased utilities rates.

Senators suggestions include:

Ø     A better objective would be quality of life, with an objective that is doable and measurable, and criteria that include incremental steps. 

Ø     Use a simpler statement, perhaps more vague such as:  Improve salaries to be more competitive nationally

Ø     Instead of asking to ensure that percentage grows at a faster rate, we ought to ask that it be factored into the decision-making process so that it does not get pushed aside and made invisible.

Ø     While there has been administrative success in using some of the local control to improve salaries, we still need to be pushing toward a greater effect..

Ø     Despite reasons for the administrative growth (growth in technology, and the Foundation), the resolution ought to separate faculty salary and concentrate on it. 

Ø     The resolution seems to pit one group against another and that it is easier to work together.

President Morse acknowledged the discussion was a good one, and that we all want the same thing.  The issues are complex, and there are a lot of things that need to be looked at before we move ahead.

Ø     One Senator would like to empower the Senate to hear from the administration or UPC when staff is being hired. 

Ø     While sympathetic with the intent of the resolution, Senators would like to see more data, to better understand the underlying causes.

Ø     One example mentioned was about 10 years ago when Chemistry, for example, brought in about $100,000 a year.  Today it is about 20 times that number, and requires staff to administer and to take care of new equipment.  The university is not the same today as it was 10 years ago.

Lorraine Kasprisin Moved to Table the Resolution, seconded by Hart Hodges.  The Senate passed the motion to table with 4 abstentions.

MOTION FROM THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL: 

o    Senators passed a motion to include wording in Article V of the handbook that enables the Executive Council to decide if there is sufficient evidence if a grievable action has occurred prior to a preliminary hearing.  The new language follows (underlined portions):

Article V.  Executive Council (p. 67)

V.3 Duties  The Executive Council …(unchanged)

If the Faculty Senate President brings a written complaint from a faculty member in accordance with Appendix E IV.C. the Executive Council shall decide whether there is sufficient evidence that a grievable action has occurred.

Discussion

Senators discussed expanding the Senate presidency to a 2-year term, and agreed to continue the discussion at a future time.

Adjournment

Senators moved to adjourn at 6:00 pm

Written by Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, 4/18/05

                                                                                                                              _____________________

                                                                                                                              Lorraine Kasprisin, Secretary

Faculty Senate Roster 2004-2005