ACTION ITEMS

The Faculty Senate unanimously passed a motion to approve an Online Voting Policy forwarded from the Academic Coordinating Commission in the minutes, with one minor amendment.  The policy allows online approval of minutes only when there is a question of time pressure.  Online meetings are discouraged.

Text of the motion can be found in the ACC minutes of April 9, 2007, and below:

“ACC Policy regarding Online Approvals

“Can a committee or subcommittee hold an online or email meeting? 

Online or email meetings are generally discouraged, as there is no guarantee of a quorum, and not all members may be available or have the technology available to fairly undertake such a meeting.  After business is discussed in a face-to-face meeting, a simple up/down vote on a question can be conducted via email, provided there is no objection from any member of the committee, and all members are included notified and provided with an opportunity to vote. Electing a chair via email would be unusual but could occur under the above conditions with extenuating circumstances, such as electing the Chair of the Grievance committee.

“Can a committee or subcommittee approve its minutes via email? 

Committee minutes can be approved via email if all the committee members agree, and there is a time pressure to get minutes approved so they can be forwarded to an approving committee, or to meet some other deadline. 

“Can a committee or subcommittee conduct discussion of business as if it were holding a meeting via email? 

Members of a committee sharing the email group can frequently or at any time discuss any topic they wish.  However, any significant action or discussion of the official committee must eventually be conducted in a face to face meeting with a quorum.”

-end

MOTION FROM THE SENATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

The Senate unanimously passed a Motion from the Senate Executive Council that revised the language below in Articles I through VI of the Constitution of the Faculty, Appendix B of the Faculty Handbook (new material underlined; deletions struck-through).  A full vote of the faculty will be held in April, and then the document will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees in June.  Changes take effect following that approval.  The entire document can be found on the Senate website at http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/senate

Article I:  Name and Purposes

I.1     The name of this organization is the Faculty of Western Washington University.

I.2     The purpose of this organization is to provide the Faculty of Western Washington University with a governance system empowered to speak and act for the Faculty in University affairs not covered by the contract between Western Washington University and the United Faculty of Western Washington.

Article III:  Faculty Senate

III.1    The Faculty Senate is empowered to speak and act for the Faculty in University affairs that are not covered by the contract between Western Washington University and the United Faculty of Western Washington with particular responsibility in the areas of curriculum, academic programs, Faculty salary, Faculty status, scholarly activities, and all matters relating to the welfare of Faculty, the education of students, and the academic mission of the University.

III.2    The Faculty Senate is limited to 30 voting members elected by the Faculty,; and the President of the University, the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University, and a college dean appointed by the Provost serving as Provost’s Council representative and the President of the United Faculty of Western Washington as ex-officio non-voting members.

III.3   Terms of Office.  Elections are held yearly in Spring Quarter.  Voting members of the Senate serve for two years or until the installation of a new Senate.  Elected Senators may not serve be elected for more than two three consecutive terms.

Article V:  Executive Council

V.1         and V.2 unchanged. 

V.3         Duties.  The Executive Council reports to the Faculty Senate, schedules its meetings, prepares its agenda, meets on regularly scheduled basis with the President and/or Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University and the President of the United Faculty of Western Washington, and performs such other duties as may be delegated to it by the Faculty Senate.  The Executive Council is to establish and maintain communications between the Faculty Senate and the University administration, and between the Faculty Senate and the Board of Trustees.

Article VI:  Amendments

     VI.1, 2, and 3 unchanged.

     VI.4   Bylaws to this Constitution may be adopted, amended, or repealed by majority vote of the total voting membership of the Faculty Senate provided that they are proposed in writing at one meeting of the Faculty Senate, are posted on the Faculty Senate website and delivered to the faculty through an email; flyer; or by publication in FAST as proposed, and are voted on at a subsequent the next regular meeting of the Faculty Senate. (2005)

-end of revised paragraphs

MOTION:   Following discussion, a Motion was made by Laura Laffrado, seconded by Roger Anderson, “that the Senate endorses the proposal for the Creation of a Center for International Studies”, which passed.

Summary:  Senators emphasized need for sufficient funding for a Director and assistants to fully serve students of International Programs and Exchanges, the international studies programs on campus, and requested special attention to Modern and Classical Languages and the International studies seminars in Fairhaven College.

Senators reviewed the Revised Strategic Plan brought forward in the University Planning Council minutes of May 17, 2006.  One Senator asked for clarification of text on page 5, especially in using words such as “diversity, “difference”, “cultural”, and “international.”  Roger Thompson addressed the issue as follows: 

Ø "Many goals are being addressed in this section.  One aspect is the way in which international studies is being folded into a section that is primarily concerned with diversity issues, one of the three main sections in the 1997 Strategic Plan.  "Diversity," as I understand the use of the term, has connotations that connect it to the American experience and topics like multi-culturalism. 

Ø “Those of us who do international studies are concerned that people outside the university who will be using this document--Olympia, HEC Board, etc.--might think that this section of the Strategic Plan is concerned only with domestic American concerns.  I'm proposing to use "different" in place of "diverse" to underscore the importance of studying other cultures. 

Ø “It would be more transparent if we could call for the study of "foreign" countries, but that language, for reasons I'm not entirely sure about, is unacceptable.  Even if obliquely, I think it is important for the new Strategic Plan to contain language that commits the University to ensuring that Western's students will become familiar and comfortable, through study about and travel in, the world outside the boundaries of the United States."

Senators moved to approve the following text on page 5 (moved by Thompson, seconded by Jim Stewart):

Ø    “Become more diverse and enhance opportunities for students to understand and participate in culturally different cultures and diverse societies.  Diversity remains one of the central values of the Western Experience. Therefore:

·   The University should strive to become more diverse through recruitment, hiring, and            exchange efforts.

·   The University should develop more avenues for campus community members to participate in diverse communities experience different communities locally, nationally, and internationally.

·   Units should integrate issues of culture and diversity the study of different and diverse societies more fully across the curriculum.”

 Senators also changed “campus” to “University” on page 5 following a motion by Ira Hyman, seconded by Laura Laffrado, and included the removal of repeated text on the first page under “Vision”.  Text changes follow:

“Improve communication throughout the University. campus. As Western has grown in size, scope and complexity, effective communication among its units and members has emerged as an important challenge”. … (remainder unchanged)

Repeated text deleted:

VISION: Western Washington University Washington University will become the premier public comprehensive university in the country through engaged excellence.

 Following these amendments, Senators moved that the Plan go forward as amended, which passed unanimously.

(moved by Hyman, seconded by Laffrado).