Abstract of Oct. 1, 2012, Faculty Senate meeting

Karen Stout, Faculty Senate President, welcomed the 2012-2013 Faculty Senate and called Senators to order at 4:03 pm. Senators accepted the Senate minutes of June 4, 2012 and Standing Committee minutes.

President Stout announced: 1) if you can assist the October 23 Compass2Campus visits, please contact Shar Sarte Prince; 2) faculty are reminded of the need to ease Veterans’ transition to campus; 3) the revised Academic Honesty Policy will be on the October 15 Senate Agenda; 4) the Exec Council continues discussions on creating a regular process for departmental review of programs, including graduate programs, which would include consideration of elimination, merger, or creation of departments or programs; 5) Vice President Johann Neem will bring his draft review of the Faculty Handbook to the Senate after discussion at Exec Council.

Steven VanderStaay, VPUE, reported for Provost Riordan on several new programs and minors including: 1) The Institute for Energy Studies which has industry support as well as student interest; 2) CBE’s Entrepreneurial Studies, including the use of entrepreneurial methods to solve social problems; 3) Nursing RN to BSN, housed in Human Services; 4) Alternative Education, a Fairhaven/ Woodring effort that collaborates with the local Bellingham schools.

VanderStaay reported on 1) enrollment: a) more freshmen this year had preliminary interest in the Sciences due in part to growth in Kinesiology, pre-med interest, and a Marine Biology course offered to freshmen at Shannon Point; b) more FIG clusters were designed this summer and a new Strand sequence links GURs over the course of a year. 2) State funding priorities will become clear later this year: a) whether Gateway predesign may be funded for design; b) whether Carver Gym will be totally funded or funded in phases.

Dan Boxberger, Faculty Legislative Representative, anticipates that open courseware will be a legislative issue, with implications for academic freedom as well as course content. Please contact him at Daniel.Boxberger@wwu.edu with concerns or if you are willing to visit Olympia with him.

Steve Garfinkle, UFWW President, urged Senators to become familiar with the new collective bargaining agreement and its impact on working conditions at http://wwu.ufww.org/. Garfinkle announced a new dues structure based on salary, and the formation of committees to resolve issues related to: 1) compression/equity; 2) chair compensation; 3) compensation for extended education. Forums will soon be held on implementing a “representation fee”.

Victor Celis, ASVP-Academics, discussed AS initiatives including a possible ban on the sale of plastic water bottles. The AS is in contact with the Mayor about student rental safety, and the AS hopes to be effective in its lobbying efforts to obtain a state budget that supports all students.

Presentation: Cait Huntsman, AS Voter Education & Registration Coordinator, asked faculty to join the AS in efforts to engage students politically both on and off campus by reminding students to register online at http://wastudents.org/vote/wwu by the October 8 deadline.

Senate approves Executive Council Action (from this summer). The Senate voted to unanimously approve the following action of the Executive council: Temporary expansion of Graduate Council membership (with graduate faculty only) in order to undertake large number of graduate program reviews this AY. The developing plan hopes to create subgroups with senior Grad Council members mentoring temporary members in order to complete the unusually high number of reviews

Senators discussed the Structure and Process of Shared Governance at Western, including better communication that results when Senators speak directly with members of constituent groups. Senators viewed charts describing the organization of the Senate and it standing and curriculum committees. Processes on these and on the College Governing Councils are reinforced through collective bargaining which emphasizes faculty’s role in choosing faculty committee members. Western is also unusual in that curriculum is 100% controlled by the faculty, who are urged to continue to take an active role in shared governance.

Adjournment: 5:56 pm

Appointments and Elections: Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, 2012-13 Officer
To the Faculty Senate: Debra Salazar, Political Science, through 2013 (for Vicki Hsueh)
As Senator to ACC: Andreas Riemann, Physics, Area A
To Academic Technology Committee: Paula Johnson Dagnon, ElemEd (for Diana Jones)
To University Planning & Resources Council: Larry Estrada, Fairhaven, Fall & Wtr (for Dan Larner)
To Senate Library Committee: Danny Rowe, Fairhaven, thru 2014
Vacancies: 1 Senator to serve on Senate Library Committee