Meeting Minutes: October 19, 2023

Minutes

The Faculty Senate met on Thursday, October 19, 2023, in French 130D and via Zoom. Sixty-six (66) senators were present with twenty-four (24) absent and twenty-five (25) non-voting members present. The meeting was called to order by the Senate Chair, Eric Shelden at 4:10 pm.

Guest Presentation: with Senior Vice Provost, Laura Hill; the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Survey Update. Joining Vice Provost Hill, we welcome the COACHE Survey Committee Co-Chair’s –Professor, Doug Call and Associate Professor, Katie Cooper (PDF).

• Concern: Process for promotion within the career track subdivisions are somewhat unclear and promotion for clarity over time would be most helpful. -G. Taub
  • Response: Support for clarity within the promotion and tenure guidelines has been noted.
• Concern: Consistent and routine mechanisms to continue to improve and address shortcomings. What is the motivation to perform these surveys.
  • Response: The COACHE survey is funded by a university funded state bill 5227. The HRS survey is an internal survey while the COACHE survey is an external survey, and the goal is to alternate these survey’s every year. The action plan responsibility is shared between academic affairs and the Office of the Provost. This February, the next COACHE survey will be released. -B. Tanner
• Concern: Dissatisfactionwith faculty leadership and identifying what / who faculty leadership is within the COACHE Survey.

1. Call to Order at 4:02 pm
2. Approval of minutes from the October 5, 2023 faculty senate meeting (PDF).
3. Announcements
   1. Information Items
      1. The faculty senate executive officers met with the Office of the Provost leadership team on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
      2. The faculty senate executive officers will meet with President Schulz and Provost Chilton on October 31, 2023.
      3. (Item #2023.10.19_356_Registrar) Minor Change Bulletin No. 3 (Exhibit 356A).
4. Reports
   1. Remarks by Faculty Senate Chair Eric Shelden
      1. Faculty Senate Concerns and Activities Table (PDF).
         1. Concern: IRB wait times are specifically aimed at personnel amendments and contributions to the processing delay. -L. Fournier.
      2. Faculty Senate Legislative Representative Applicant Steve Bollens has been identified as the candidate for this year’s election (Review more about the process here).
      3. Reference Item: Supervisors / Managers Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Updated October 2023 (PDF).
5. Additions or changes to the agenda
6. Agenda Items
   1. Action Items
      1. (Item #2023.10.05_345_GSC) Recommended approval of the new Individual Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program (IIDP) Handbook and Bylaws (Exhibit 345A 345B 345C 345D).
         1. Approved; 57 approved, 0 rejected
      2. (Item #2023.10.05_346_AAC) Undergraduate Major Change Bulletin No. 1 (Exhibit 346A 346B).
         1. Required 2.60 GPA policy concerns as it relates to the BS in Mechanical Engineering and the long-term consequences for students not being able to to retake a course with a 2.00 (C) or greater grade.
         2. Motion from John Schneider to hold the BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Bulletin and proceed with the remaining bulletin; seconded by J. McDonald. Motion identified as out of order and rendered void.
         3. Discussion: there are many other programs that require a 2.60 GPA that are not exclusionary to the mechanical and materials engineering course.
         4. Approved; 51 approved, 3 rejected
      3. (Item #2023.10.05_347_Registrar) Additions to the Academic Calendar, Fall 2030 through Summer 2035 (Exhibit 347A).
         1. Approved; 55 approved, 0 rejected.
      4. (Item #2023.10.05_349_Registrar) UCORE Renewals and changes approved by the UCORE Committee –Bulletin No. 1 (Exhibit 349A).
         1. Approved; 54 approved, 0 rejected.
      5. (Item #2023.10.05_350_Registrar) Professional Health Sciences Major Change Bulletin No. 1 (Exhibit 350A).
         1. Approved; 60 approved, 0 rejected.
      6. (Item #2023.10.05_351_Registrar) Graduate Major Change Bulletin No. 1 (Exhibit 351A).
         1. Approved; 57 approved; 0 rejected.
   2. Discussion Items
      1. (Item #2023.10.19_353_GSC) Recommended approval to Extend the Doctor in Education Leadership to WSU Everett (Exhibit 353A 353B 353C 353D).
         1. No discussion
      2. (Item #2023.10.19_355_CoC) Graduate Studies Committee three-year term vacancy recommendation (Exhibit 355A).
         1. No discussion
      3. (Item #2023.10.19_357_RAC) WSU Center for Research and Innovation in Special Education (Exhibit 357A 357B).
         1. Concern: Why is there no cost-center associated with this proposal? V. Walden
         2. Response: Centers that do not generate revenue can be established without cost-centers attached to them. -J. Firestone
7. Constituent Concerns
   1. Grant Administrators and IT Policies that limit the access to administration privileges within the College of Arts and Sciences. The access and approval to install programs is not conducive to the work function of many faculty within CAS. Policy changes relating to this limitation did not include the input of research faculty. -P. Buckley, -H. Jansen, V. Walden
   2. Graduate student bargaining process, increased stipend support, and budgeting process request. -N. O’Donnell
      1. The faculty senate will be hosting a presentation on this topic on January 18^th where more information will be provided. -T. Barry
8. Meeting Adjourned at: 4:45 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Matt Hudelson, Executive Secretary