Faculty Senate abstract for meeting of Sept. 27, 2010

Scott Pearce, Faculty Senate president, called the 2010-2011 Faculty Senate to order at 4:01 p.m. Senators accepted senate minutes of June 2, 2010, and UPRC Committee minutes of June 2, 2010.

Pearce discussed challenges ahead with the new and continuing budget cuts. Jeff Newcomer presented UPRC’S timeline for reviewing budget proposals as well as the deadline for a new university strategic plan. A draft of the plan that will be presented to the Board of Trustees on Oct. 7, then posted for campus wide feedback, including through general faculty assemblies. Faculty are encouraged to discuss concerns and ideas with the UPRC representative from their colleges.

Provost Catherine Riordan reported that the excellent job done with capital project planning has ranked several of our projects including Carver Gym, classroom upgrades and the Fraser Hall renovation the highest in the state. Capital proposals will now be ranked by OFM and the HEC Board. Special thanks to Rick Benner and Francis Halle.

Riordan presented actions taken as a result of the governor’s August 2010 announcement that she would be withholding an additional $3.3 from the university, forcing an increased reliance on self-sustaining funding. Deans and unit managers had to meet in early September before the start of school allowed for faculty input.

Riordan expressed regret that quality programs have to be cut and some good and longtime employees have to be let go, and she asked for UPRC and faculty to forward guiding ideas to provost@wwu.edu. Riordan has as her main goal the protection of Western’s core mission despite the fact that Western is the most efficient and at the same time lowest funded of any university in Washington. Discussion was raised by David Meyer regarding one of the cuts, movement of the Music Library into Wilson.

Ramon Rinonos-Diaz, Associated Students Vice President for Academics, announced that listed on the AS website are roughly 100 jobs available for students that faculty can let their classes know about; the AS has registered 1,200 students to vote; and the AS would like to identify students with stories they are willing to share with legislators in Olympia. Please e-mail ASVP.gov@wwu.edu.

Steven Garfinkle, United Faculty of Western Washington president, commended President Shepard and Provost Riordan on their commitment to a timetable and plan for holding tenure track lines open; announced this as a bargaining year for the faculty contract and said that the committee will begin meeting this week; said that all faculty are asked to respond to an electronic survey about the contract that will be sent this fall; suggested that an elected faculty committee dealing with budgets and planning should exist in every college, in line with a desire for transparency and a bottom-up process. Faculty can perform extra service by communicating issues to deans and other faculty. Minutes of such committees could be provided to UPRC for information and to help it better perform its mission. The creation of faculty budget committees in each college would bring the university into compliance with the bargaining agreement.

Constituent concerns included:

  • problems with “wait listing” at the 300 and 400 level classes in the sciences;
  • considered effects on the community and fundraising in light of cutbacks to the Music Library;
  • effect of staff cuts on the use of grant-funded equipment in the sciences.

Presentations:

  • Senators heard Brent Carbajal, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, discuss the culture of shared governance in CHSS, including communications between the Faculty Affairs Council and the Dean’s Advisory Council (department chairs). Carbajal emphasized that strong involvement of the faculty in decision-making causes faculty to become even more interested and involved in governance.
  • Steven VanderStaay, vice provost for Undergraduate Education, updated senators on the many successful changes and accomplishments that went into the final report in preparation for meeting with accreditors this October. See the full report on the Provost’s website.

Senators postponed discussion on the CFR bylaw and voted to adjourn at 5:47 pm.

APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS – Chuck Lambert, Appointments Officer

To Faculty Senate: Kate Wayne (Elementary Education), for Joanne Carney, fall quarter

To Academic Technology thru 2012: Derek Yip-Hoi (Engineering Technology), John McLaughlin (Environmental Science)

To Senate Library Committee: Stanford Goto (Woodring), 2011; Kathryn Anderson (Fairhaven), 2012; Doug Clark (Geology), 2011

To LGBT Advocacy Council: Tim Fitzpatrick (Music), 2012

Vacancy: Associated Students Green Energy Fee Committee: One faculty member thru 2012