March 28, 2012, University Planning and Resources Council minutes

Chair Jeff Newcomer called the University Planning and Resources Council meeting to order at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, in Old Main Room 340. Twenty-one people were present.

The UPRC meeting minutes of March 7, 2012, were approved as written.

Discussion: Recommending Decision Packages for the 2013-15 Operating Budget Request: Newcomer began by thanking members who responded to an online survey asking participants to rank eight possible decision package proposals according to whether they should be: 1) included in the 2013-2015 budget request and aggressively pursued; 2) included in the 2013-15 budget request; 3) pursued as a self-sustaining program; 4) saved for a future budget request; or 5) not pursued. While in the past there may have been as many as eight or 10 proposals, in this budget climate members suggested that fewer, more well-developed proposals are better, and the remaining proposals should also be well-formulated so they are available if there is an opportunity to present to legislators.

Newcomer reminded the council that on Friday the president would be meeting to review the decision package proposals with planning unit leaders, Professional Staff Organization and classified staff representatives, the Associate Students president, the president of the Faculty Senate, the chair of UPRC and Planning and Budget director Paula Gilman.

Council’s comments and conclusions:

• Clean Energy: Include in the budget request and aggressively pursue. The proposal is politically timely, builds on our strengths, and utilizes many existing resources to address increased need in the “green” energy economy.
• Clinical Doctorate in Audiology: Include in the budget request and aggressively pursue. Obtain enabling legislation; this could be separately and prior to funding. A strong program at minimal cost, good job preparation for workers in a field with great demand, and infrastructure and equipment is already in place. Library journal licenses though are more costly for a doctoral program. Council recommended getting the support of organizations who have high demand for these professionals, as well as individual supporters and the audiology associations to strengthen the proposal.
• CREW. Include in budget request. While it builds on strengths, the proposal will be even stronger later as it is further de-veloped. Concern about how well Shannon Pt. is integrated into the main campus. At this point, this proposal is seen as a “hip pocket” opportunity to be brought forward if politically apt.
• Enhancing the Core (This includes entrepreneurship, ethics, leadership, international, & sustainability). Save for a future budget request. Idea builds on current strengths but is not fully fleshed out yet. There is a sense that the “Core” at present is not sufficiently defined, and it is not clear if it includes the Arts. The intent is really a Liberal Arts Education and what that looks like in the 21st Century. If it is challenging for council members to find coherence in the proposal, it will not be easy to sell to legislators. Even though the distinct areas are moving forward the proposal must be more specific and cohesive. May work better as distinct proposals or at best more refined and developed into a cohesive whole.
• Professional Science Masters (PSM). Save for Future Budget Request and possibly Pursue as Self-Sustaining. Discussion of this proposal led to larger discussion on graduate programs at Western and the need to pursue an holistic solution to graduate education at Western. The Provost is taking steps in this direction. Some suggested that if a PSM is perceived as “poufy” it would not be good to have the Western name attached and overall graduate programs might be degraded. NTT faculty who might teach in such a program are not required to actively pursue scholarship, which is important in the sciences. But the PSM also has a business component and in that area our standards for NTT are pretty high due to accreditation. This is different than a “certificate”. Others expressed concern about the quality issue, which would require a lot of time off cam-pus working with faculty on curriculum, doing training, and even teaching in the program to make participating students feel connected to Western. Others saw this program as a possible feather in our cap. If eventually taught on campus as well as off it could provide a market for our undergraduates. We need resources to do this, and a later proposal while initially self-sustaining should also include a request for funding to offer such a program on campus. If we want to move forward with this it must be integrated with things we are already doing well. The Provost assured the Council that we are not pursuing this or any other proposals to make money; all of the proposals are purposed primarily to meet the needs of the State of Washington.
• RN to BSN (Nursing) Completion Degree. Pursue as Self-Sustaining. Plan is in process for hiring a Director and a faculty member, with carry forward funds from last year. A “chicken and egg” problem exists because ACC cannot review and approve curriculum for the program unless we have expertise of nurses on board who can help us align the programs with nursing standards. We need experts to create curriculum, and at the same time get the curriculum through the proper processes in order to hire the experts. Provost Riordan explained that we can do it because we have the example of hundreds of such pro-grams across the country. Members asked if there has been discussion of building a residential partnership with the college in the county that offers the RN part of the degree. Eventually that program will have to realign itself since in 2020 it is planned that close to 80 percent of RNs will have to have the BSN to be licensed. The nursing shortage in the country is critical.
• Teach (Math and Science) Washington. Include in the budget request and aggressively pursue. Proposal needs a new title and it is not clear if it is housed in SMATE or Woodring. This is a well-supported proposal although people often don’t see the relationship between wanting future engineers and scientists and actually teaching them math and science as children. Steve Swan reported there is large federal money for STEM education, and the Work Force Council in Mt. Vernon endorsed and got behind this proposal. We don’t have the infrastructure to stay ahead and still do what we are doing, and cannot handle expansion without increased funding.
• Transition to Engineering. Include in the budget request and aggressively pursue. Proposal is expanded from December’s conversion proposal to now include 36 new graduates in Engineering. Some believe there is a good chance for funding given that UW and WSU got money for this last year. The cost for additional faculty and staff brings the proposal to just under $5 million for the biennium. Paula Gilman reported that in one of the versions of supplemental budget in the current legislative session we were allocated $1.5 million, for the transition to engineering, but none of those budgets are yet official

Ranked or Equal? Newcomer asked the council whether the proposals that are to be pursued aggressively should be ranked in any special order. Consensus was that there is enough diversity in the set of objectives and dollar amounts, and all have constituents who like them, so no order seems needed and will be determined rather by which legislator one talks to.

Additional Intermediate Capital Project Proposal from Geology: Council reviewed a capital budget request presented by Bernie Housen to reconfigure one floor of the Environmental Sciences building. The estimated cost is $4.5 million, much of which is equipment, including $1.1 million for an electron microprobe. Collaborative space which now consists of cubby holes would be opened up, and larger lab spaces would be provided for faculty with allied research interests. Graduate students could share the space for research in a more collaborative model, and a different room would be dedicated space for TAs to meet with students. This renovation would reduce the later overall cost of renovating ES if a Science building comes online for us. Francis Halle added that we are hitting a brick wall in ES with ventilation issues. This proposal does not require fume hoods, but would require some cooling in the labs.

Adjournment: Newcomer reminded the council that next week’s meeting includes discussion of the 10 year capital plan. UPRC adjourned at 5:35 p.m.

Next meeting: The UPRC will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, in Old Main Room 340 to discuss and make a recommendation on the draft of the 10-Year Capital Plan.