Executive Council Meeting: 10/22/2002
October 22, 2002, 11:30 am, Room 211B
Present: Mary Abrums, Andrea Anderson, Frank Cioch, Patricia Kelley, Sandeep Krishnamurthy, Carole Kubota, Barbara Van Sant and Linda Watts
Guests: Jane Decker, Woo-Chul Chung, Ryan Kent and Joe Shelley
Carole Kubota updated the EC on the Senate Executive Committee and its discussions of the Special Committee on Faculty Council Organization, (also called the 'Rose Report' as the Committee was led by Norm Rose). The report examined the existing Senate committees, councils and tasks forces at UWB, UWS and UWT to consider the current activities of the various councils and question how they might be reorganized to achieve increased effectiveness as well as better use of faculty time. One outcome of the 'Rose Report' is a proposal to replace current Faculty Senate Councils and the Senate Planning and Budgeting Committee with University Councils. These Univeristy Councils would be composed of faculty and administration and co-chaired by a faculty member and a representative of the administration. Carole will email the complete 'Rose Report' to the EC for review. Sandy Silberstein, Senate Chair is setting up a workgroup to continue to look at the University Councils, Norm Rose will sit on the committee as well as Jack Meszaros, representing UWB.. Jane Decker requested that Carole present the information on the Rose Report to Academic Council. Carole reported on some of the pros and cons that were discussed at the SEC meeting regarding the University Councils.
| Pros | Cons |
| Expanded knowledge/investment pool More collaborative decision-making policy Administration and faculty would produce clear policies |
A co-chair model may not be efficient Council size could be a problem There could be a dilution of the faculty voice |
Carole reported that the prevailing concern voiced at the SEC was: if the 'spirit' is not there, changing the structure of how business is done will not make a difference. Jane questioned how much governing authority these councils might have and suggested that Norm Rose be invited to talk to the faculty.
Report of meeting with Warren
Carole and Sandeep met with Chancellor Buck and discussed shared governance and budget issues. The GFO would like more input in the budget formation and found the budget workshops that Bill Kelleher presented informative. Pay equity issues were also discussed.
Discussion of Primer
Sandeep and Carole distributed a draft "Primer on Faculty Governance at UW, Bothell" which could be used as an informational resource to faculty, detailing current faculty governance structure, history and future vision. Sandeep will revise the document and add Office of the Chancellor to the Current Faculty Governance Structure. Input from the EC on the Primer included adding committee functions as well as the Office of the Chancellor, as the Faculty Council communicates directly with the Chancellor's Office. The section 'A Historical Note' will become a separate appendix and revisions within that section include omitting the enumerated points and summarizing those points with 'Growth and changes of scale now require our attention and have us considering instances within which a representative model might be implemented. Another revision is an addition to the following sentence: As a result we have moved to a representative form of governance elevating the EC to a more central role, changed to: As a result of institutional growth and attendant changes in scale, we have moved to a representative form of governance elevating the EC to a more central role.
ASUWB Visitors-Woo Chul Chung, Ryan Kent and Joe Shelley
Student government representatives Woo Chul, Ryan and Joe visited the EC and expressed the ASUWB's interest in more involvement with the EC and GFO. Faculty and student organizations want to foster a closer relationship and open communication. This visit by Woo Chul, Ryan and Joe is the first step in opening the channels of communication and presenting some ideas for consideration. The ASUWB would like to have a faculty advisor to help interpret the student government constitution. The collaboration and cooperation of the faculty body and the student body can result in better decision making, as was the case for the academic integrity statement. This effort is the beginning of a more open dialog between the faculty and students. The student government vision is to integrate the faculty's educational goals with students, through a representative from the ASUWB sitting on the EC and also appointing a faculty advisor to the ASUWB. It was noted that in order for a student to sit on the EC, the UWB Handbook would have to be revised. There may be more appropriate committees (for example, Academic Affairs which has had a student representative in the past) for student representation.
Discussion of Changes in Academic Calendar
Jack Meszaros sent an email to NBFAC (see attached-page 3 and 4). At this point, it looks like everyone likes this proposal. It is proposed that the Academic Calendar be adjusted so that finals are finished earlier in the quarter by a few days to a week. The faculty will provide input to Jack Meszaros on the changes to Academic Calendar; she will forward faculty comments to the Tri-Campus Council
Vision for UWB - Jane Decker
Jane shared her thoughts for the campus and the faculty. She is committed to engaging faculty in direct conversation about faculty governance. As Interim Vice Chancellor, she is refining and solidifying processes for academic affairs. Academic Council is taking on more responsibility advising the Chancellor, including budgeting issues. Jane asked that the EC keep her informed and she is happy to attend meetings when she is available.
Minutes submitted by Barbara Van Sant