Abstract of Jan. 14, 2013, Faculty Senate meeting

Western Today staff

January 16, 2013

Karen Stout, Faculty Senate president, called senators to order at 4:01 p.m. Senators accepted Senate minutes of Nov. 26, 2012, and standing committee minutes.

Stout announced:

  • Congratulations to Vice President Johann Neem, recipient of NEA’s 2012 Democracy in Higher Education Award
  • Conversation with students is encouraged regarding faculty expectations for class attendance during snow emergencies. The university is open barring extraordinary circumstances; however, no one is expected to put life at risk to get here.

WWU President Bruce Shepard announced:

  • As chair of the Council of Presidents, Shepard is working to align agendas and priorities.
  • Faculty, student and administrative leadership meet weekly to share ideas on effective approaches to the new legislature including funding for decision packages and a push to attain 50/50 state-tuition funding by 2020.
  • Plans are underway to accept three recommendations from the Diversity Task Force (see http://www.wwu.edu/president/diversity.shtml).
  • Western follows best practices regarding safety of its students.

WWU Provost Catherine Riordan reported:

  • on faculty hires and the approval of college access plans;
  • key programs such as Canadian American Studies and the Border Policy Institute will continue to report to the Provost’s Office;
  • Growing student interest in pre-health and pre-allied health is creating bottlenecks and may require providing professional advisors which has budget implications;
  • Woodring College is presenting a free talk on education’s future by Barnett Berry at 7 pm, Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the Rotunda Room of the Whatcom Museum, 121 Prospect St. Educators are especially encouraged to attend.

Dan Boxberger, faculty legislative representative, reported from Olympia, where he and other CFRs are preparing to address the House Higher Education committee on Wednesday with their specific policy goals.

Steven Garfinkle, presidentof the United Faculty of Western Washington, reported:

  • Adjustments as a result of the work of the committee on Compression and Equity will be distributed to faculty by March 1.
  • UFWW's bargaining success is featured in the 2013 January edition of the NEA Higher Education Advocate which can be accessed at the UFWW site: http://www.ufww.org/.

AS Bottled Water Free Initiative: Faculty are encouraged to support the AS Bottled Water Free Initiative presented by Victor Celis, ASVP Academics and Katie Savinski, ASVP for Student Life, Carolyn Bowie and Sara Purington. The initiative is an attempt to reduce the sale and distribution of single-use bottled water and further enhance sustainability on campus.

RN to BSN: Mary Baroni, Interim Nursing Director, Jill Mount, RN, Ph.D., Human Services; and Beth Boland, Chair, Human Services and Rehabilitation attended to answer Senators’ questions about the proposed Nursing program. The program and course proposals have been approved unanimously by the ACC, which will be reviewed in the next set of Senate meeting materials. A document on the recent history of the proposal is available from the Senate office.

Constituent Concerns: Constituents expressed concern 1) that the only way to obtain a ticket to graduation is through the purchase of a cap and gown; 2) that a separate fee required to take recreational classes in PEHR will drive students away when they should be encouraged to exercise.

Senate adjourned at 5:45 p.m.

APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS

Approved: To Faculty Senate: Elsi Vassdal-Ellis, Design, through 2014
To ACC: David Rossiter, Environmental Studies, for Troy Abel, thru 2013
Vacancies: 1 CBE representative to serve on ATC
1 Senator to serve on the Parking & Transportation Capital Implementation Advisory Committee.
Senators reviewed a Senate Election Calendar proposed for approval at the next meeting