Faculty Senate > Recent Posts > Minutes > 2025-2026 – Minutes > Meeting Minutes: September 18, 2025

Meeting Minutes: September 18, 2025

MINUTES

The Faculty Senate met on Thursday September 18, 2025, in French Admin Faculty Senate Conference room 344B and via Zoom. Sixty (63) senators were present, three (3) vacancies with twenty-eight (28) absent, and sixteen (16) non-voting members. The meeting was called to order by Ken Roberts, Senate Chair, at 3:52 pm.

Guest Presentations (30 minutes):

Digital Accessibility – Holly Ashkannejhad, Director, Title IX Coordinator, Compliance & Civil Rights

Digital Accessibility Resources

  1. Call to Order: 3:52 PM
  2. Approval of minutes from April 17, 2025, Faculty Senate meeting (PDF)
    • Approved by consent
  3. Additions or changes to the agenda
    • P. Buckley motion to move Discussion Item #4 (Item #2025.09.18_540_COC) to Action Item #1.
    • D. Grigar seconded the motion
    • Motion approved; 52 approve, 0 reject
  4. Announcements
    • None
  5. Updates
    1. WSU Leadership – Not available to attend, at Board of Regents meeting
    2. Legislative affairs – COF Retreat planned for 10/18/25. Olympia mood apprehensive of more budget cuts
    3. Board of Regents – Not available to attend, at Board of Regents meeting
    4. Remarks by Faculty Senate Executive Committee
      1. Faculty Senate Chair – Announced T. Klein selected as Faculty Regent. Will assume role in October. Shout-out to Library Dean and Library committee for work to retain Wiley subscription. Confirmed with HRS the Unionization of Postdoctoral Associate/Fellows. They are now in the beginning of contract discussion.
      2. Immediate Past Chair – Communicated that she will continue to fulfill the role of Immediate Past Chair while fulfilling the duties of Faculty Regent. Listed committees that she will be representing Faculty Senate on, to include the Presidents Strategic Quarterly Governance & Policy Action Council. This council will look at mainly internal policies.
      3. Chair Elect – Highlighted current committee openings to include newly formed committees. Visit Faculty Senate website for more information (link included in email distributed on 9/15 to all faculty.
      4. Executive Secretary – Announced the upcoming Faculty Senate executive positions that will be coming open for election (Chair Elect and Executive Secretary). Application portal opens in January.
  6. Information Items
    1. Items approved by Steering Committee during summer session
      1. (Item 2025.05.22_429_C0C) Proposed Faculty Compensation Committee membership composition (Exhibit 429A, 429B, 429C)
        • No discussion
      2. (Item 2025.05.22_527_Steering) Proposal to move Faculty Regent nominations forward – Update to Faculty Regent Position Nominations (Exhibit 527A, *527B updated document)
        • No discussion
      3. (Item 2025.05.22_528_FAC) Proposed updates to Faculty Manual IV.A.1 Payroll Procedures (Exhibit 528A)
        • No discussion
      4. (Item 2025.05.22_529_CoC) Recommendation for approval of the Faculty Senate committee appointment for vacancy on the Committee on Committees (Exhibit 529A)
        • No discussion
      5. (Item 2025.06.26_534_Steering) Memo from Provost – Faculty Merit-Based Salary Increases (Exhibit 534A)
        • No discussion
      6. (Item 2025.06.26_535_Steering) Memorandum RE: October 2025 Faculty Merit-Based Increases (Exhibits 535A)
        • No discussion
      7. (Approved by NWCCU: (Item #2024.12.12_466_Steering) Proposal to create a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies degree (Exhibits 466A, 466B, 466C, 466D, 466E, 466F)
        • No discussion
      8. (Item # 2025.09.18_544_CRP) Minor Change Bulletin No. 1 (Exhibit 544A)
        • No discussion
    2. Editorial revisions to Course Change Bulletins
      1. REVISED: (Item #2024.10.31_449_CRP) Undergraduate and Professional Major Change Bulletin No. 3 Courses (Exhibit 449A, 449B)
        • Explained Exhibit B has slight changes (mainly editorial)
      2. REVISED: (Item #2024.12.5_463_CRP) Graduate Major Change Bulletin No. 4, Courses (Exhibit 463A, 463B)
        • Explained Exhibit B is has slight changes (mainly editorial)
      3. REVISED: (Item #2025.01.30_486_CRP) Graduate Major Change Bulletin No. 6, Courses (Exhibit 486A, 486B)
        • Explained Exhibit B is has slight changes (mainly editorial)
      4. REVISED: (Item #2025.02.27_491_CRP) Minor Change Bulletin No. 5 (Exhibit 491A, 491B)
        • Explained Exhibit B is has slight changes (mainly editorial)
      5. REVISED: (Item #2025.03.20_503_CRP) Graduate Major Change Bulletin No. 8, Courses (Exhibit 503A, 503B)
        • Explained Exhibit B is has slight changes (mainly editorial)
    3. Additional Information Items
      1. Ken Roberts appointed Matt Hudelson as Faculty Senate Parliamentarian
        • No discussion
  7. Agenda Items
    1.  Action Items
      1. (Item #2025.09.18_540_COC) Recommendation for approval of the Faculty Senate committee appointment for vacancy on the Budget Committee (Exhibit 540A)
        • Motion approved; 53 approved, 0 reject
    2. Discussion Items
      1. (Item #2025.09.18_537_CRP) Undergraduate and Professional Major Change Bulletin No. 1, Courses (Exhibit 537A)
        • No discussion, move to action item 10/2/25 meeting
      2. (Item #2025.09.18_538_CRP) Graduate Major Change Bulletin No. 1, Courses (Exhibit 538A)
        • No discussion, move to action item 10/2/25 meeting
      3. (Item #2025.09.18_539_CRP) Professional Health Sciences Major Change Bulletin No. 1 (Exhibit 539A)
        • No discussion, move to action item 10/2/25 meeting
      4. (Item #2025.09.18_543_CRP) Undergraduate and Professional Major Change Bulletin No. 1, Requirements (Exhibit 543A)
        • No discussion, move to action item 10/2/25 meeting
  8. Constituent Concerns:
    • A. Goodman, VetMed – Concern over recent changes to ABD waiver policy that reduced student tuition waivers from five (5) semesters to two (2) without input from Faculty Senate. Research dollars are being spent on tuition for research students.
      • T. Barry, Graduate School Dean – Understand confusion and concern. In communication with VetMed and other college leadership. Will provide additional communication providing options for these students. ABD waivers are only one kind of tuition waiver.
  9. Adjournment: 4:34 PM
M. Hudelson

Matthew G. Hudelson

Executive Secretary, WSU Faculty Senate

Associate Professor, Mathematics

Email: mhudelson@wsu.edu