Abstract of June 7, 2010, Faculty Senate meeting

Daniel Larner, Western Washington University Faculty Senate president, called the roll call of the 2010-2012 Faculty Senate prior to calling the entire senate to order at 4:02 p.m. Senators accepted senate minutes of May 17, 2010, along with the standing committee minutes.

The 2010 Faculty Senate completed old business as Daniel Larner led the senate in endorsing the resolutions of the University of Arizona and the Arizona State University senates on Arizona Immigration Law SB 1070. The WWU Faculty Senate resolved that "We stand with our Arizona colleagues in their efforts to call attention to the adverse effects of this legislation on their students and their institutions, and to counteract the damage done to education and to society at large by its passage into law."

WWU President Bruce Shepard thanked everyone for their hard work and noted that faculty agreement on postponing the merit raises allowed the university to claim credit toward the furlough deficit. Additional ideas are being considered to avoid the furloughs, which would differentially affect classified staff. Shepard is planning future opportunities for new board members to engage in open discussion with faculty leadership, chairs of standing committees, deans and others on campus. Shepard encouraged building on the university's strengths in a variety of underdeveloped areas, such as Allied Health, Extended Education and External Programs, and international programs.

Provost Catherine Riordan introduced "catalog cleanup" for fall quarter, an idea that will provide mileage in Olympia. Eliminating moribund programs will provide truth in advertising for students. Cleanup will go through ACC and senate processes.

Riordan suggested that "waitlisting" worked out well for 100- and 200-level classes, adding that with some tweaking it will be introduced next year to the 300 and 400 levels.

Marsha Riddle Buly, legislative representative, called on faculty members to seek legislators' support for affordable four-year higher education opportunities for Washington residents as election campaigning is about to begin.

Steven Garfinkle, United Faculty of Western Washington president, announced the importance of the survey that will ask about faculty issues to be brought to the bargaining table when the new contract will be ratified. Faculty members are asked to reach out to their stewards, a member of the union board or Garfinkle himself to immediately address problems that arise.

Seating of new senate and election of officers: President pro tem Dan Larner announced the following slate of faculty members willing to serve as executive officers in 2010-2011, which the senate then elected:

• Scott Pearce (Liberal Studies), senate president
• David Meyer (Music), vice president and parliamentarian
• David Hartenstine (Mathematics), secretary
• Chuck Lambert (Special Education), appointments and elections officer
• Steve Henson (Economics), at large

Marsha Riddle Buly serves as a voting member of the executive. Roger Anderson, as chair of ACC, and Jeff Newcomer, as chair of UPRC, serve on the executive as non-voting members along with the past president of the senate.

Constituent concerns:

• Concern that a suspension of ordering has left faculty no way to acquire equipment that science faculty require in the summer to complete research, especially in chemistry, which works to get grants during that time.
• Request for more notice about who has offered to serve on the Executive Council so senators can vote with timely information.

Motion from the Executive Council: Senators passed an Executive Council recommendation that the College of Humanities and Social Sciences governing council and the graduate council faculty members select the representatives to UPRC for 2010-2011.

Senators received reports from the chairs of senate standing committees and heard Jeff Newcomer comment on UPRC's first year.

Senators reviewed a change to Bylaw 7: Senate Legislative Representative and will consider the matter in fall quarter for a vote.

Senators voted to adjourn at 5:30 p.m. prior to meeting in the solarium for the university president’s dinner for retiring, continuing and new senators and chairs of senate standing committees and guests.

Appointments and elections (Chuck Lambert, appointments officer):

Appointed: Deputy Legislative Representative: Mary Lynne Derrington, Educ Lead. Marsha Riddle Buly continues thru 2010-2011 as Legislative representative.

Senators (one year term): To Academic Coordinating Commission: Spencer Anthony-Cahill, Chemistry; Kathleen Saunders, Anthropology; To UPRC: Scott Pearce, Liberal Studies; To Library Committee: Ron Helms, Sociology
Vacancy: 1 Senator to Academic Technology Committee: To Academic Technology Committee through 2012: Geoffrey Matthews, as chair of CS; Reiko Darling, CHSS; Raine Dozier, Woodring; John McLaughlin, Huxley College (confirm 10/27). To Senate Library Committee through 2012: Nicholas Wonder, CBE; Cristina de Almeida, CFPA,
Stanford Goto, Woodring; Brian Bingham, Huxley (confirm 10/27)

OTHER UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Concerns Committee (LGBTCC), 2010-2012
Rich Brown, Theater; John Korsmo, Woodring; Trula Nicholas, Human Svcs; Diana Gruman, Psychology;
Charles Sylvester, PEHR

University Services Dining Contract Committee – Sunsets in early 2012 Babafemi Akinrinade; Paul Bingham; Billie Lindsey; Kathleen Young; Randall Burtz

Academic Coordinating Commission: The new Senate confirmed the appointments made on May 17th.

For all committees, check the Faculty Senate website for updated rosters. See “Memberships on Committees”