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 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting –May 2, 2005

Jim Stewart, 2004-2005 Senate President, called the [MSOffice1] Senate to order at 4:15  pm.  Thirty-two (32) people

were present including twenty-four (24) Senators, one (1) recorder, three (3) guests and three (3) ex officio members.  (See attached roster).  

Approval of Minutes of April 18, 2005

Senators approved the minutes of April 18, 2005 as written

. 

Items from the Chair

Ø      President Stewart. Stewart reminded Senators to RSVP Special Events that they were attending the President’s Dinner for new and continuing Senators which will be held in SMATE on May 23^rd.

Ø      President Morse introduced Robert Frazier, Vice President for External Affairs, who arrived today from the University of Montana.  Morse also introduced and thanked Judy McNickle for her substantial contributions to Western’s budget which the legislature recently approved.

Ø      Morse announced that the President’s Planning & Resource Council will continue its current meetings to assess budget allocations  Morse expects to invite additional individuals from different areas to make presentations.  Morse commented on a good and open discussion.

Ø      Morse reported that the Waterfront Committee is still accepting proposals and has received twenty-one to date.  No decisions have been made.  Morse emphasized this as a time for “envisioning” ideas, and that there can be myriad opportunities for funding. 

Ø      Senators’ comments regarding the Waterfront project:  The Communications Department will host a survey and discussion, AND Morse will invite members of the committee to attend. One Senator asked for a clarified overall vision and more overt leadership.  Morse welcomed additional clarification on the first principles which have been developed and fine tuned by the committee.  Morse confirmed, in response to questions, that no decisions have been made about further development of the south quad, or the waterfront, and that all possibilities are still open for consideration.  Morse emphasized the intent to keep the primary mission of the university in the forefront. 

Ø      Provost Bodman reported that the Strategic Planning Task Force will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, and will meet weekly.  Drafts produced will be brought to the Senate for discussion.

ACTION ITEMS

Reading of Standing Committee Minutes (Exhibit B)

Senators accepted Standing Committee minutes and noted the following:

 Academic Coordinating Commission,  3/29/05.

Ø   Senators requested that the Senate representative to ACC relay statistical information to ACC regarding grade inflation.  Jeff Newcomer will bring the information to ACC for review.

Ø   Bodman Bodman reported that Western now occupies a prime position both in the State and in the nation in producing science and math teachers.  The HEC Board has agreed that new admissions standards for science and math cannot be implemented by 2008.

Ø   Senators anticipate the final report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Freshman Interest Groups (FIG) which will come through the Academic Coordinating Commission by quarter’s end.

Academic Technology Committee, 3/9/05.

David Bover, Chair of ATC, used power point to present a revised technology advisory structure prepared by the committee.  Objectives of the new structure include:

• Bring together all relevant stakeholders to discuss areas of common interest.

• Facilitate communication between various constituent groups that are users and providers of technology.

• Increase the accountability and involvement between all levels of the technology support structure.

• Provide increased representation by the faculty.

The proposed Technology Advisory Structure will include three separate committees with three separate charges, and each committee will have representatives assigned to the other two.  The Academic Technology Committee will be renamed the Academic Systems Committee.  The Faculty Senate will review the Committee’s actions, which will provide advice and review to the Vice President for Information Technology with respect to the resources and use of technology in fulfillment of the teaching and research mission of the university.  Two other committees will include an Administrative Systems Committee, and a Technology Infrastructure Committee.

The ATC Committee will continue to refine the charges for the new structure and bring it back to the Senate for approval.

Computer Purchase

Senators asked where, in the new structure, would decisions about investment in technology and funding for technology take place?

One Senator reported serving on the technology fee committee and the difficulty experienced by departments in guaranteeing that they will receive awards to upgrade or replace the computers in their labs on a 3 to 5 year schedule.  Senators suggested that the student tech fees could cause great uncertainty for a department if that is the only money relied upon to upgrade computers, and some departments charge additional fees which may prove burdensome to students.

Departments have proposals to the Student Technology Fee Committee and report getting turned down every year.  One Senator explained that the idea of the tech fee should only be for special purpose computers.

Senators thanked David Bover for his prompt response to the charge to review the committee structure.

University Planning Council, 4/6/07

Senators requested: 

o   that Facilities discuss the possibility of a sky bridge between Communications and the AIC building;

o   That safety issues be addressed concerning bicycles on campus, and include discussion of bicycle racks.  Senators pointed out that there is a local committee on campus which is involved with bicycles and they could be consulted.

o   That major problems with ventilation now occurring in the Communications Facility be resolved as well as addressed in future building plans.  Plans may be underway to address some of the issues, including sun deflecting screens in place of heat producing metal blinds.  Poor plans initially regarding ventilation have complicated problems.  Computer servers are on a different system from the computer labs which become unbearably hot due to their location. 

Appointments and Elections – Jeff Newcomer, Officer

Newcomer announced the following vacancies: 

Deputy Legislative Liaison to learn the duties of the position so they can step into the shoes of the Legislative Liaison at the end of her/his term.

Faculty Senate: 1 faculty from the College of Fine and Performing Arts, through 2006

Academic Coordinating Commission:  Faculty nominations are requested from Science and Technology, Business and Economics, Huxley, and Woodring, and 2 Senators.

University Planning Council:  1 Senator

Academic Technology Committee:  1 Senator

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL:  BUDGET RESOLUTION ON FACULTY SALARIES

Senators continued to review the budget resolution from the previous meeting.  Senators would like to ensure that the Senate is apprised, at least annually, with some level of detail, of where it stands with respect to its “share of the pie” in proportion to the entire university budget.  Senators will craft a separate resolution with specific directions to UPC or the Executive Committee to come up with language as to the process of Senate oversight of budget allocations to faculty, administrative, and staff positions.

Matthew Liao-Troth made a motion, seconded by Steve Henson, to shorten the resolution which was then amended further by James Loucky, following a five minute recess.  The resolution brought to the Senate floor for a vote reads as follows:

Resolved that the Faculty Senate directs its representatives on the President’s Planning and Resource Council and the University Planning Council to work to insure that faculty salaries become more competitive and that the percentage of faculty FTE filled by non-tenure track faculty decreases during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 biennium, and work to increase the proportion of the budget going to faculty salaries.

The Senate passed the amended resolution with two abstentions.

Immediately following the resolution one Senator asked to bring back a motion tabled two weeks ago, and then withdrew the motion, with a suggestion that the Executive Council and the Senate not back off a debate if it is duly noted that administrative exempt positions have increased significantly.  The issue will be brought back in the future.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

The Senate moved to a Committee of the Whole at 5:45 p.m. and no minutes were recorded.

Adjournment

Senators returned to report, and moved to adjourn at 6:25 pm

Written by Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, 5/2/05

                                                                                                            _____________________

                                                                                                            Lorraine Kasprisin, Secretary

Faculty Senate Roster 2004-2005