WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Regular Meeting – May 17, 2010

Call to Order

Senate President Daniel Larner called the 2009-2010 Senate to order at 4:02 pm following Orientation for new Senators at 3 pm.  Larner welcomed twenty-five (25) Senators and eleven (11) others for a total of thirty-six (36) people.  (See attached roster).

Approval of Senate Minutes - Senators accepted the Senate minutes of May 3, 2010 as written.

Report from the President: 

President Dan Larner reported

·         That resolutions on SB1070, the new Arizona immigration law, are available from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University;

·         Challenges continue in revising the elimination and merger policy.

Items from the Administration - Steven VanderStaay, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education – No report.

Other Items:

UFWW President:  Steven Garfinkle, President, UFWW, reported that results are still being processed from the UFWW elections.

ASVP Academics:  Ramon Rinonos-Diaz, Associated Students Vice President – Academics introduced Bernard Ikegwuoha, AS Vice President- Diversity.  Rinonos-Diaz asked for faculty input on an AS proposal to raise the green energy fee from $4.00 to $9.00, allowing for increased purchase of ROCs, and the funding of a student position on green energy.  Senators suggested a genuine cutback on energy use should be a high university priority.

Constituent Concerns

Senators brought the following Constituent Concerns:

·      Staff stress levels have increased largely due to lack of information about how the furlough bill will play out and fears of potential inequities;

·      A request for more specific university policy regarding contact and credit hours (ACC handbook at http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/senate/acc/index.htm);  

·      Confirmation that there is no formally approved administrative policy to systematically change courses to 5 credits. The suggestion to do so follows Bill Lyne’s presentations on the English Department’s efforts, and is offered as one of several ways to simplify credit requirements, rationalize load, and increase student access.  Implementation that preserves the quality of curriculum will require substantial investment of time and is unlikely to work for all departments.

PRESENTATIONS: 

Extended Education and Summer Programs (EESP) -- Terry Williams, Interim Executive Director.

Williams gave a definition of the various components of EESP, all of which are offered by Western, but which are sometimes confused:

§  Extended education: programs and courses, generally for credit or certification, delivered to students off-campus, after hours, in summer, involving independent learning, and other non-traditional arenas;

§  Distance Learning: programs and courses involving students physically separated from instructors and typically involving some form of electronic delivery online in full computer-based or hybrid format.

§  Continuing education: a program of lifelong learning designed primarily for students who participate part-time, usually taken after a degree is obtained, to enhance personal or professional goals, sometimes associated with completion certificates, but not typically resulting in credit or degree.

Williams also offered descriptions of a typical EESP student.  These might include:

§  Working professionals unable to fit in regular daytime courses for degree completion, certification, or an advanced degree; Adult learners seeking enrichment or a degree.

§  Retirees and youth; and those unemployed or underemployed seeking new skills.

§  Students unable to get to campus – because of remote location, disabled, military, prisoners, financial or family difficulty, etc.;  and other persons around the world seeking education away from campus.

§  Traditional students unable to get a filled regular campus class.

§  Students who have left school needing just a few courses to graduate or some preparation for graduate study

Extended Education students have specific and many times unique needs, such as:

§  Flexible schedules; retraining and certification; extended library hours and services

§  Degree completion; advising for returning adult students

§  Unique classroom alternatives (including distance learning and accelerated programs)

§  Tutoring and study skills assistance

§  Organizations and support groups for adult students

Some of the benefits of Extended Education

§  Course offering options and flexibility for colleges and departments

§  Faculty opportunities for service and income; more flexible teaching schedules

§  Enhanced course access and degree completion for students

§  Accommodation of flexible work schedules for students giving more opportunities for students to work and fund education

§  Reduced costs resulting from less student travel and efficient remote delivery

§  Community outreach and awareness from a broader audience across the state

§  Attraction of potential students (particularly out-of-state) through independent learning (correspondence) and on-line courses

§  Eased pressure for campus enrollments and facilities

§  Revenue generation for the university

The following Extended Education offerings exist at Western:

§  Academy for Lifelong Learning; Conference Services; Teacher Education Outreach Programs; Off Campus Courses and Degree Programs; Professional Studies Courses and Certificate Programs; Self-sustaining Course Offerings and Post-Baccalaureate Programs; Distance and Independent Learning; Summer Session; Academic Youth Programs; International Travel-Study Courses.

Western’s involvement in Extended Education:

§  Last year there were more than 13,000 participants in extended education offerings.

§   During that time, nearly 50,000 student credit hours were generated in extended education activities.

§  This year it is estimated that Extended Education and Summer Programs (EESP) programs will produce some $9,000,000 in gross revenue, including summer session, while returning roughly $3,000,000 to various areas of the university.

Williams reviewed the recommendations of the EESP task force and the white paper which was created which can be found on the Provost website at http://www.wwu.edu/provost/initiatives/extended.shtml

·      Williams mentioned that Provost Riordan has formed a search committee which will provide for a director for EESP who will assume the title of Vice Provost with no change in current funding for the position.  Williams will serve as Interim Director until a new director can be found.

·      Senators asked and learned about preserving quality oversight; compensation and time impediments to faculty research; technical innovations available for delivering course formats; Western’s role as an EESP niche player and the use of self-sustaining funds; availability of courses for low-income students and mechanisms for student feedback; and intellectual property issues as EESP expansion occurs.  Senators thanked Williams for the information he provided.

·      A Faculty Forum on EESP’s White Paper will be held May 27^th in Biology 234 at 4 pm (hosted by the Provost office and the Faculty Senate).

Assessment Update - Steven VanderStaay, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

VanderStaay reported to the Senate on efforts to prepare for the fall revisit from the accreditors.  He offered a definition of accreditation as a voluntary system of self-regulation, carried out by peer-review, in which an institution or program is assessed against a set of standards.   In addition VanderStaay:

·         Has implemented change as a result of last year’s accreditation recommendations, including improved committee structure and assessment procedures through the creation of the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE), review of the Library strategic plan, and faculty participation in decisions, particularly through the creation of the UPRC.

·         Noted that Western’s performance is spectacular, and that problems lie primarily in our processes for sharing, tracking and using performance data. 

·         Is nearing completion of a required accreditation response report for the fall revisit in which the areas of concern have been addressed.    VanderStaay presented a visual of the new assessment structure:

VanderStaay also announced:

·      Plans to develop goals related to “core themes”; and

·      Assistance is available to departments to meet the new assessment goals.

VanderStaay recommends posting competencies and outcomes in syllabi and on departmental websites.

STANDING COMMITTEE MINUTES – Reading and Acceptance (Exhibit B)

APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS – Chuck Lambert, Appointments Officer

To the Academic Coordinating Commission, 2010-2012 (final confirmation June 7^th):  Billie Lindsey, PEHR; Kristi Tyran, Management; Holly Folk, Liberal Studies; Peter Smith, Libraries; John Bower, Fairhaven; Kathleen Saunders as Senator; Spencer Anthony-Cahill as Senator.

VACANCIES: Academic Technology Committee and Senate Library Committee:  Faculty member to be selected by each College and confirmed by the Senate.  1 Faculty Senator as representative        

ACTION ITEM:

Senate Library Committee Charge:  Bylaw 7 – Second Vote

In the second of two required votes, Senators passed a revised membership charge to the Senate Library Committee which now requires college governing councils to appoint faculty to the committee.

DISCUSSION - Postponed

Senators expect to continue discussion and possibly take action at the next meeting on:

·      The Senate’s considered choices for two area appointments to the UPRC;

·      Changes to Bylaw 7 regarding the Senate Legislative Representative and the deputy representative.

Adjournment:  Senators voted to adjourn at 6:05 pm.

Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, 5-17-2010

                                                                                                ___________________________

                                                                                                Karen Stout, Secretary 2009-10

FACULTY SENATE ROSTER 2009-2011