Update January 27, 2021
Given that the framework for ONEWSU will be explained in a series of whitepapers and coordinated with the WSU System Council, I have moved this discussion to a page linked in the menu. Comments posted here have been moved as well. As we learn more about ONE WSU, we will share in this new location.
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Dear Faculty,
I have posted the Notice for the January 22, 2021 Board of Regents retreat on the Faculty Senate site. The retreat will be in executive session from 8:00 am to 8:30 am on January 22, 2021. Following this, the meeting will be streamed on YouTube. Please note that the white paper will be the focus of the retreat. Please use the comments below to provide feedback that I may convey to the Board of Regents
Greg Crouch
Faculty Representative to the WSU Board of Regents.
The white paper says that “WSU must expand its outreach through the growth of a unified system infrastructure known as ONEWSU. The system supports the campuses as they evolve their individual identities and serve their constituencies.” Further, “the growth in breadth, geographic diversity, and complexity of WSU’s system has not been matched with a statewide administrative structure.” The vision appears to be the addition of administrative positions (“other system officers will need to be identified”, eg Pullman Chancellor and Vice Chancellors). The white paper states that, at least in the short run, existing people would take on multiple roles, thus “there would not be a need for substantial investment in hiring for new leadership positions.”
I fully support the idea that WSU should be tailored to the communities in which it has a presence and that our multiple locations can be a strength. I have several questions regarding the white paper:
1) Administrator Resources. I don’t know what the workload is of existing administrators. I know that faculty are already very stretched and wonder if the same is true for administrators. How would their workload be affected by taking on multiple new administrative roles?
2) Coordination Costs. I know about some of the issues involved in trying to coordinate across campuses. My sense is that coordination takes significant time and energy for department chairs, staff, and administrators, which must come from somewhere. I’m wondering how these coordination costs affect our ability to perform our core mission (teaching, research, and community outreach). Does WSU have data on these costs and their impact on fulfilling our core mission? How would a ONEWSU affect coordination costs, and in turn, the resources available for our core mission?
3) Administrative Costs. WSU is a relatively small university spread across multiple locations. Many of our peers are spread across fewer locations. Presumably that means that their administrative overhead is lower and the service load of faculty is smaller – leaving more resources to dedicate to their core mission (teaching, research, community outreach). It’s not clear to me how WSU can afford to spend more on administration than other universities given our small size, current resources, and effects of the pandemic on enrollment and state funding. Presumably, we need a management structure that is as cost efficient as possible. How would ONEWSU accomplish this?
4) Faculty Service Loads. Relatedly, does WSU have data on the service loads of WSU faculty relative to faculty at peer institutions and how that service load affects teaching, research, and community engagement productivity? How would a ONEWSU affect faculty service loads?
5) Relative Payoffs for Investment Choices. What are the relative payoffs for our core mission of investing in faculty and graduate students versus investing in the “growth of a unified system infrastructure”? How would a ONEWSU affect our ability to hire and support faculty and graduate students in teaching, research, and community engagement? What are the implications of a ONEWSU for bureaucratic expansion and red tape?
6) Mismatch between Budget and Authority. Would a ONEWSU system have a centralized provost/dean structure, or would each campus have their own? If each campus has their own, how would this be paid for? If the dean/provost structure remains centralized, how will the mismatch between budget and authority be addressed? What would a ONEWSU do to address this mismatch?
6) Budget Constraints. WSU has constrained resources and, because of the pandemic, is likely to continue to face budget pressure. How would a ONEWSU reduce costs and increase efficiencies?
The changes in “One Faculty” and Extension appear to run contrary to what was told in the past. This is a drastic change and I am concerned it will change the work of Extension, decreasing the impact in the local communities.