Matthew Liao-Troth, 2008-09 Faculty Senate president, called the senate to order at 4:04 p.m. Senators accepted senate minutes of April 6, 2009. Standing Committee minutes were approved, including a motion by the Academic Coordinating Commission to create a Committee on Undergraduate Education.

Liao-Troth announced:

1. Faculty with views on bicycle and skateboard policies are invited to attend the hearing for proposed changes to the WAC on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Old Main Room 340;

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2. Faculty are invited to meet the candidate for bookstore manager at 3 p.m. this Friday in Viking Union Room 567.

WWU President Bruce Shepard reported:

1. The new provost, to be announced on Tuesday, is someone who understands what distinguishes Western and is willing to lead by listening;
2. We are challenged to position ourselves politically in a state with a populist culture;
3. Banner can help develop a proper chart of accounts for the university beginning at the department and program level.

Provost Dennis Murphy reported that Limited Term Faculty with only two quarter contracts will not be disadvantaged in terms of health insurance.

Andrea Goddard, Associated Students Vice President for Academics, reported:

1. AS elections are under way;
2. AS appreciated the clarification of budget matters from the President and Provost.

Bill Lyne, president of Uniteed Faculty of Western Washington, reported that UFWW and the administration signed the Memo of Understanding to delay funding the special merit awards until Sept. 15, 2010, before the recipients were announced.

Lyne reported that UFWW is starting discussions on the six campuses on how higher education budget problems must resonate across the state; if we accept drastic cuts then this will become the norm. Lyne added that tuition increases may seem large but amount to only $600 per year, far less than the cost of staying an extra year at the university because of access problems.

Faculty and staff are still encouraged to visit http://www.ufww.org for user-friendly letters which must be sent from home addresses, not state e-mails. Additional information on legislators is available from http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rosters/default.aspx.

Constituent Concerns include

1. failure to notify students and faculty working in the Chemistry building in the evening that a SWOT exercise was to be held;
2. discounts offered to faculty for gym access may offset stress and impact health insurance;
3. a request to charge gym membership via regular payroll deductions rather than once a year;
4. respect and honor are due to Western’s exceptional faculty who received special merit despite the fact that the award will be delayed.

MOTION ON UPRC CHARGE: In a required second Faculty Senate vote, senators passed a motion approving the creation of the University Planning and Resources Council. Faculty can now be appointed to the committee, which will meet for the first time at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, in Old Main Room 340.

Senators will vote on whether to participate in the Higher Education Research Institute online survey of faculty satisfaction after checking whether you can “opt out” of answering self-identifying questions.

Senators moved to a faculty caucus at 5:24 p.m. and adjourned at 5:35 p.m.

APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS –Tracy Coskie, Appointments Officer

Coskie reported that the online voting system for the Senate election showed an increased faculty response over the use of paper ballots. The following faculty were elected to the 2009-2011 Faculty Senate: Spencer Anthony-Cahill, Chemistry; Branko Curgis, Mathematics; David Hartenstine, Mathematics; Chris Suczek, Geology; Mick Cunningham, Sociology; Mike Mana, Psychology; Vicki Hsueh, Political Science; Kristin Denham, English; Daniel Rangel-Guerrero, MC&L; Ryan Wasserman, Philosophy; Michiko Yusa, M&CL; Erin Hazard, Art; Shawn Knabb, Economics; John Feodorov, Fairhaven; Joanne Carney, Elementary Education.

Candidates are sought for Standing Committees; please contact the Senate Office via e-mail.  College governing bodies are invited to select their faculty representatives to the UPRC.