Abstract of June 3, 2013, Faculty Senate meeting

Karen Stout, Faculty Senate President pro tem, called roll for the 2013-2014 Faculty Senate following a call to order at 4:02 p.m.

Senators accepted senate minutes of May 20, 2013, along with the standing committee minutes, including:

  • an Academic Coordinating Commission motion to distribute and discuss a Council for Undergraduate Education white paper regarding general education requirements
  • recommendations from an ad hoc calendar committee establishing a calendar for the next four years and “guiding principles” for setting future calendars
  • an Academic Technology Committee motion that endorses and rejects specific recommendations made in an ATUS report regarding computer lab usage
  • a motion from the University Planning and Resources Council that creates an ad hoc committee to review access issues

President Stout’s report:

  • Thank you to Provost Catherine Riordan for her service to the university; Brent Carbajal will become provost on Aug. 1.
  • Senators are invited to review two university policies:
    • Training for Responsible Conduct of Research or Scholarly Activities for Externally-Sponsored Agreements
    • Filming, Photography or Video Productions on University Property
  • Clarifying edits to the motion passed at the previous Senate meeting that allows non-tenure-track faculty to serve on the senate and its standing committees with compensation were presented and will be printed in the June 3 senate meeting minutes and available upon request from the Senate Office.
  • Concerns raised at the last Senate meeting regarding logistics for Scholars Week were heard and appreciated by the Scholars Week committee. The committee also asked for more volunteers to serve on the committee.
  • Other “constituent concerns” that President Stout has not yet been able to address will be tended to prior to her term officially ending as president.

Election of Officers: President Stout conducted the election of a slate of officers the Executive Council for the 2013-2014 Faculty Senate: Voting officers: Johann Neem, President; Spencer Anthony-Cahill, Vice President; Jim Graham, Secretary; Molly Ware, At-Large; Sara Singleton, FLR. The Appointments & Elections Officer position remains vacant; candidates may be pending. Non-voting members of the Executive Council include: Karen Stout, Past President, Chuck Lambert, UFWW President; Yvonne Durham, ACC Chair, and Hart Hodges, UPRC Chair (The UPRC Chair was elected in a separate vote during the meeting)

Resolution Honoring President Karen Stout: Senate President Johann Neem, who takes office the first day of summer school, read a resolution honoring outgoing President Karen Stout, which the Senate endorsed by acclamation.

Other announcements:

From Provost Riordan:

  • with no news from Olympia, there will not be a budget presented to the Board of Trustees in June
  • a retirement reception will be held for Steve Sulkin in VU565 on Tuesday at 3:30 pm
  • Western has expanded its partnership with Olympic College in Poulsbo
  • Provost Riordan and President Shepard join in thanking the Senate and its Standing Committees for the phenomenal amount of work accomplished in this past year

From Chuck Lambert, United Faculty of Western Washington president:

  • work continues with Steven Garfinkle to ensure that faculty get the best advocacy
  • several MOUs are in the process of being completed including one involving EE

From Victor Celis, Associated Students vice president for academics:

  • thanks to the senate for the opportunity to serve, which Celis felt contributed to his development both personally and professionally
  • progress is being made on the initiative to ban single plastic water bottles both in vending machines and in the markets on campus

Reports from Senate Standing Committees: The Faculty Senate accepted the annual reports of the achievements of the Senate Standing Committees prepared by the Chairs, and also accepted a report on Online Course Evaluations from Jim Graham, and a report on the Academic Integrity Task Force from Jackie Caplan-Auerbach.

Constituent concerns:

  • Questions about the recent Senate reviews of four Deans’ were raised including when these reviews will be complete (2 are complete, 2 will be completed by Finals Week) and if results will be disseminated to the university community (because these reviews are personnel matters, the results will not be publicly shared)
  • a new single search feature on the Library website will be presented in the Fall
  • a source of funding is needed to compensate for the large reduction in student technology fees to STEM programs.

Senators adjourned at 5:49 p.m. 

APPOINTMENTS & ELECTIONS – Jackie Caplan-Auerbach

Elected by the Faculty Senate:

As Chair of University Planning & Resources Council (2013-15): Hart Hodges, Economics,
As Faculty Legislative Representative (FLR), 2013-2015: Sara Singleton, Political Science

To: Student Publications Council: Christina Keppie, thru Spring Qtr 2015; Paula Airth, thru Fall Qtr 2015; Maria McLeod as alternate

VACANCIES ON SENATE AND STANDING COMMITTEES: University Planning & Resources Council: 1 representative from CBE; and 1 Senator
Academic Technology Committee: Fairhaven representative;
Senate Library Committee: 1 Senator
Academic Coordinating Commission: Replacement for Tracy Thorndike-Christ, Woodring College (Fall 2013 and Winter 2014 only)
VACANCIES ON OTHER UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES
Scholastic Standing Committee: 3 faculty (thru 2014, 2015, and 2016)
Faculty Development Grants: 1 faculty nominee
Judicial Appeals Board: 4 faculty nominations (2 are appointed)
Student Academic Grievance Board: 1 faculty nominee
2013-2015
Campus Dining Committee: 1 faculty
Executive Dining Committee: 1 faculty
Cold Beverage Contract Cte: 1 faculty
Associated Student Green Energy Fee Cte: 2 or 3 faculty
Parking and Transportation Advisory Committee (PTAC): 2 faculty

If you are available to serve on any of the committees listed above, please respond via email to the Faculty Senate office at RoseMarie.Norton-Nader@wwu.edu