FACULTY SENATE

                                                                                                                                                          Minutes of November 21, 2011

Call to Order

Karen Stout, Faculty Senate President, called the 2011-2012 Faculty Senate to order at 4:00 pm.  Stout welcomed twenty-seven (27) Senators along with ten (10) others for a total of thirty-seven (37).  (See Roster).

Items from the Faculty Senate President:

Approval of Senate Minutes: Senators accepted the Senate minutes of November 7, 2011 as written.

Reports and Announcements:

§  President Stout announced that some Distinguished Student Employees have not yet found jobs on campus and many work study students are also looking for employment. Senators should visit the Student Employment Center website or http://www.finaid.wwu.edu/studentjobs/   for information on hiring.

§  Senators heard Sara Wilson, Special Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, give a brief summary of the benefits of contributing to the Combined Fund Drive, and were directed to the website at http://www.wwu.edu/cfd/ for ways to make donations.

Other Reports:

§  President Shepard reported that 1) much of his time at present is spent in Seattle on capital campaign issues; 2) Clara Capron, Director, Financial Aid, is serving as Acting Director, Admissions; sufficient time will be allotted for the process of conducting audits of the Admissions Office; and 3) the budget situation requires the same strong effort as last year in mobilizing students and alumni.  Faculty are encouraged to visit http://www.wwu.edu/president/  for reports and updates.

§  Provost Riordan alerted Senators that 1) specialization seems to alleviate some of the acute problems students are facing in finding jobs when they graduate; 2) work is being done to align and standardize processes across the colleges for confidentiality, promotion, and peer review, etc., as well as record-keeping; 3) our culture at Western values rigorous responsible faculty reviews, and new rulings should not undermine faculty’s continued willingness to participate in such practices.  Chairs of governing councils and UFWW are working on the legal status of confidentiality surrounding external review letters.  Riordan encouraged continued and regular commentary and support to faculty scheduled for pre- and post- tenure review.

Discussion: Faculty Code of Ethics

§  Sue Guenter-Schlesinger, Vice Provost for Equal Opportunity & Employment Diversity, explained that revisions to the Faculty Code of Ethics are to inform and protect both faculty and students in the somewhat gray area of consensual personal relationships. Senate recommendations included a request to clarify definitions, to acknowledge the possibility of privileged or unfair power advantages in relationships between faculty and students, and to continue a broader conversation on ethics.  Related policies can be found at http://www.wwu.edu/eoo/ .

MINUTES FROM SENATE STANDING COMMITTEES (Exhibit B)

Appointments and Elections:   Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, 2011-12 Officer

Vacancies (the Senate will email campus faculty in order to recruit):  1 faculty member (Area A) to serve as Senator, replacing David Bover through Spring 2012; 1 Senator to serve on Academic Technology Committee; and 1 Senator to serve on Senate Library Committee; 2 faculty to serve on the Student Publications Council.

MOTION FROM THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (moved and seconded).  Senators passed the following motion brought from the Senate Executive Council:  “That Council member-at-large, Spencer Anthony-Cahill, Chemistry, serve as interim Vice President and Parliamentarian (he will not serve as Senate President), and that Senator Vicki Hsueh, Political Science, serve as Interim At-Large Executive Council member, both through Spring Quarter 2012.

§  Senators thanked David Bover, Vice President, for his service on the Senate.  Bover has been appointed Associate Dean of the College of Sciences and Technology.  The 2012-2013 Senate will vote this spring on the Executive Council for next academic year.  Faculty elected to the Senate are invited to volunteer for service on the Executive Council.

ADJOURNMENT

Senators moved to a Faculty Caucus at  5:25 pm prior to adjournment at 5:50 pm.

November 21, 2011 – Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder

                                                                                                __________________________________

Kathleen Saunders, Secretary, 2011-2012

FACULTY SENATE – ROSTER 2011-2012