Faculty Legislative Representative

October 17, 2023

WSU Faculty Senate Steering Committee:

I am formally expressing my interest in serving another three-year term as the WSU Faculty Legislative Representative.

I have eagerly and enthusiastically come to this decision for the following reasons:

1. I believe that I have been very effective in this role to date (e.g., helping to pass the Faculty Regent bill, obtaining historical increases in student financial aid, garnering support for a range of new WSU-specific projects).
2. There remains critically important work with the legislature still to be done (e.g., enhancing faculty compensation).
3. Having served in this position in Olympia for the past several years, I now have very deep and strong working relationships with key legislators, staffers, and others, such that I can be even more effective going forward.
4. I find the work extremely enjoyable and gratifying. In short, I feel that I have a unique combination of prior experience and current skills that allow me to be effective and impactful as a bridge between WSU and the state legislature.

In the paragraphs that follow, I elaborate upon some of my past experiences, as well as my current skills and motivations, and how I see these supporting and advancing WSU system-wide shared governance generally, and the role of Legislative Representative specifically.

Past Experience:

I have 31 years of experience as a faculty member and 23 years of experience as an administrator in higher education, with the past 19 of these years being spent at WSU. Importantly, my experience at WSU has included system-wide responsibilities (e.g., Director of the School of the Environment, Director of the Meyer’s Point Environmental Field Station), as well as campus-specific duties (e.g., Director of the College of Science in Vancouver), and thus I have a good understanding of the diverse issues facing WSU faculty across our state. More broadly, I have tried to be a student of higher education in general (e.g., current Association of Public Land Grant Universities [APLU] Board Member), and to understand the many issues facing colleges and universities across our nation. More specifically, I have spent the past five years building strong and deep working relationships in Olympia with key legislators and their staffers, as well as other individuals and groups across our state’s higher education landscape (e.g., the Council of Presidents, the Washington Student Achievement Council, the College Promise Coalition, etc.).

Current Skills and Motivations:

In addition to my broad state-wide and nation-wide perspectives on higher education, I have specific skill sets that I believe are invaluable to the position of Legislative Representative. These include excellent listening skills, honed over many years of working with varied and diverse academic and non-academic partners alike. I also have an ability to communicate complex ideas and issues to non-academic members of the public. Over the course of my career, I have made many professional trips to Olympia and Washington, DC to visit with state and federal legislators, their staff, and/or agency personnel to discuss matters of interest and concern to WSU. In so doing, I have learned that academics and legislators often have different communication styles, and that a balance of humility and flexibility on the one hand, along with persistence and persuasiveness on the other hand, is often what is needed to secure the support of legislators for higher education initiatives. These “soft skills” or “people skills” are something that I very much look forward to continuing to bring to bear on the position of Legislative Representative. Finally, my motivation in pursuing this position, as with all my roles at WSU, is to serve the needs of the faculty, students and staff. Indeed, serving as the Legislative Representative has been extremely exciting, invigorating and gratifying.

Time and Other Commitments Needed to be Successful as the Legislative Representative:

I have a deep understanding and appreciation for what the position of Legislative Representative and Council of Faculty (COF) member entails, and the enormous importance it holds for having a positive influence on the relationship between the legislature and higher education institutions in our state.

More specifically, I am aware that a 2-day to 3-day per week presence in Olympia is required when the legislature is in session, along with additional time during the week required to prepare for meetings. Given that I reside in Vancouver, about 90 minutes from Olympia, I am also available on short notice to attend various unexpected “last minute” or “ad hoc” events in Olympia, as they arise. In addition, I am aware that attending all WSU Faculty Senate and Steering Committee meetings is required of this position. Moreover, my supervisors have agreed to adjust my other duties – teaching, research and service/administration – to allow me to honor the sizable time commitment required to continue to be successful in the position of Legislative Representative.

Thus, for all the reasons outlined above, I believe that I have the requisite skills and experience to be successful in the position of WSU Legislative Representative. If I am fortunate enough to be chosen to serve, I promise to work tirelessly on behalf of the WSU faculty, students, staff, and community.

Thank you for your consideration of my candidacy.

Sincerely,

Stephen M. Bollens
Faculty Representative to the State Legislature (2021-24)
Professor, School of the Environment
Washington State University