ALUW Winter Quarter Meeting: 03/15/2010

Treasurer's Report - Deb Raftus

Savings balance = $3,033.30
Checking balance = $568.13

Reel Grrls presentation - Jessica Parker

www.reelgrrls.org
Parker provided an overview of the Reel Grrls program. Some studies indicate that girls watch over 3,000 ads per day. The program serves girls ages 9-19 and starts with sessions on media analysis. They then begin work in media production, turning the camera on themselves and/or others using professional-level gear. The program employs a mentorship model with women working with teenage girls and offers a variety of hands-on workshops in animation, cinematography, script writing, etc. Interns research and submit Reel Grrls films to film festivals and these films have been shown in hundreds of film festivals all over the world.

As part of the program, girls pair with a non-profit client during their summer apprenticeship. To see some of these films, see www.youtube.com/reelgrrls.

Faculty Council Committee Reports

For full reports, see www.washington.edu/faculty/committees/fcas/reports.html

Academic Standards - Cynthia Fugate
Looking at English language proficiency requirements to make sure students test in at the appropriate level and attend classes. International students can lose their student visa if they don't attend.
Surveying students and advisors to make sure all are aware that students can enroll in courses cross-campus (a UW Tacoma student could sign up for a class at UW Seattle).
Continuing to make changes to the student handbook.

Benefits - Charles Chamberlin
Looking at a way to establish an early retirement incentive for faculty in the form of six months salary deposited into a VEBA account (like a flexible spending health care account for funding health care costs during retirement) in exchange for giving up the right to a five year reappointment at 40%. Has asked librarians to be included. WSU announced a similar program about one week ago. Would be a one-time offer and whould need to decide by 12/31.

Educational Outreach - Lauren Ray
Committee may merge with education technology committee. Currently working though their mission - is focus educational outreach, online learning?
Concern that distance/online learning seen as a cost-saving measure in current environment although it has been noted that there is currently not enough support for developing these courses and the classes shouldn't be seen as cheaper.
Provost Wise has commissioned a report on the state of online learning at UW. There is also interest in the HEC board in having UW take on the same courseware that community colleges use.
Seven online courses were piloted in the regular time schedule this past year. Trying to expand online options for matriculating students without saying that they are cheaper to produce.

Educational Technology - Anjanette Young
Not present.

Faculty Affairs - John Vallier

Instructional Quality - Amanda Hornby
Fall meeting: discussed activity-based budgeting, how relate to profitability (e.g. more people in a class = more profit?). With budget cuts, fewer teaching assistants, larger classes - are we seeing a decrease in quality or at what point do we see a decrease in instructional quality? Discussed development of the Center for Advancement for Teaching & Learning.
Spring meeting: advocated for attendance at Teaching & Learning Symposium. Faculty Fellows will be this summer and will be a joint program for faculty who began work in either 2009-10 or 2010-11. Implementing a new assessment process - 2013 - will now run every three years.
At last meeting proposed combining Instructional Quality, Educational Outreach, and Educational Technology committees into Faculty Council on Teaching & Learning (not sure of current status).

Multicultural Affairs - Harry Murphy
Discussed Presidential Designee and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement Luis Fraga's report to the Council on the state of minority faculty on campus - and how they have been impacted by the current budgetary crisis. In describing the general state for faculty of color at the UW, Fraga referred to a newly coined phrase "flat is the new up." If things are not declining then things are going pretty well. Numbers of minority faculty have remained fairly stable. Recent budget discussions had led to a question, from some, about the existence of Fraga's office (for recruitment of minority faculty) at a time when there was a moratorium on hiring. Even given the moratorium on hiring in general, some hiring still occurred. Exemptions to the hiring freeze existed that required several levels of review, including review from Fraga's office. Fraga emphasized that hiring and retention of minority faculty is a priority of the Provost, as his office has a fair amount of flexibility in proposing recruitment packages for minority faculty. It is his job to keep minority faculty recruitment on her radar.
Data on new hires suggest the following trends - that using gender, race and ethnicity as categories (he doesn't have information on sexual orientation or disabilities) a higher percentage of women and Asians are hired than the overall trend would show in a typical time period. But the percentage of Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans is roughly equivalent to the patterns already established.
The Council will explore with Fraga steps that Deans can take to ensure faculty diversity at future meetings.

Research - Susanne Redalje
Mostly concerned about:

  1. Bringing in grant money
  2. Budget cuts
Distribution of grant funds and cuts not equal across the board. How will this affect long-term funding. As money is coming in, losing staff who manage money and losing expertise as trying to monitor quick changes in funding. Faculty are having to do more management themselves. There are also more grants that have different issues and/or control needs than in the past - for example, classified research. Who can be on a grant that involves classified information? Are foreign nationals ok? Publication controls are also becoming more common (companies have asked researchers not to say anything bad about the study results). There are also some grey areas: what happens if we do say no? Sometimes the money is already here and processed before we are aware of some of the controls placed upon the grant.

Student Affairs - Jill McKinstry
Christoph Giebel shared concerns about Federal Intelligence Officer Training Programs and possible effects on academic integrity, especially the Institute for National Security Education and Research (INSER) program in the ISchool. There are two years left in the grant that came with scholarships for students abroad. Concern that this would make students a target during travel abroad. Came up with solution that scholarships should be delegated to the ROTC program. Lots of discussion about the need for a firewall between academic programs and ROTC and grants like this one.
Affordable textbooks measure was approved by the ASUW. It is not clear how much power the ASUW resolution will have. In some departments, staff had the role of reviewing and coordinating textbooks. If those staff are gone, is this a role for the library?
Student athletes exit survey - conducted a survey for student athletes who have stayed (not those who have left). Also looking at transfer students since this is a different experience. Would like to try and do focus groups with student athletes. Their overall graduation rate is on par with regular students. Of special admits (about 30), only 50% graduate. There is some concern re: alcohol, eating disorders, and mental health. The PAC-10 is also considering football games on Thursday nights (being pushed by cable, financial incentives) even though most advising oppose because players would be away from campus Wed.-Sunday.

Tri-Campus Policy - Charles Lord
Not present.

University Facilities & Services - Paula Walker
The Faculty Council on University Facilities and Services (FCUFS) has met three times during Winter Quarter.
In January, the council heard a presentation on the status of the 520 bridge replacement project and how it might affect UW traffic; a presentation on the Rainier Vista roof area project, which will be related to the Sound Transit interchange; and a report on the recent purchase of the Alumni House property by the UW from the Alumni Association. At the same meeting, Colleen Pike, from the office of Capital and Space Planning reported on the UW's requests to the legislature for capital funding for UW Tacoma Phase 3 and the Balmer hall/Business School Phase 2.
At the February meeting, the council heard a presentation on the UW Technology fee structure that is proposed to replace current funding models for phones and data. Housing and Food Services presented their plan for alternative food services during the HUB construction project. Next, representatives from Capital Projects described the West Campus housing project and the renovation of the Ethnic Cultural Center. All of these projects (HUB, housing, Ethnic Cultural Center) are being funded by student fees.
The March meeting included a presentation from Roberta Hopkins of Classroom Support Services, with a survey of existing general classrooms of various sizes. Large-size lecture classrooms are in short supply, especially with the increase in numbers of large classes due to the budget cuts reducing the numbers of TAs in most departments. The second topic was a presentation on the HUB project construction area (where the fence will go) and how it will affect the walkways in this area. Bob Dillon, the Project Manager, plans to meet individually with the building managers of all surrounding buildings to share information and answer questions before the project begins.

University Libraries - Deepa Bannerjee
January meeting:

  • Circulation Harmonization Overview -- Thom Deardorff
  • Libraries Information Resources Reductions and Budget Planning: Charles Chamberlin reported on recent communication with the University community regarding the budget and its probable impact on the Libraries. Chamberlin reported that the Governor's budget for the next biennium included a 3.5% cut to all colleges and libraries.
  • Faculty Involvement in Open Access Facilitation -- Chair Bichindaritz reviewed the history of this initiative, reporting that Charles Wilkinson, then Chair of FCUL, had proposed a resolution concerning scholarly publishing alternatives and authors' rights that was ultimately approved by the Faculty Senate in April of 2009. Ensuing discussion led to a proposal by Chamberlin that a small group convene to formulate an action plan for the Council to consider at its next meeting. He offered to put the group together, and Councilmember Joyce Cooper offered to participate
February meeting:
Open Access Working Group Plans
Resolution steps for faculty and the follow up tasks were dicussed such as :
  1. Assess pricing practices and author's rights policies and journals.
  2. Adopt and use an addendum to to Publication agreement.
  3. Archive work in the UW's ResearchWorks or other repositories supported by research institutions.

Odegaard Library Update -- Jill Mckinstry provide an update on Odegaard Library's renovation and services enhancement plans and gave a tour of OUGL.

Women in Academia - Deb Raftus
Report on career cycle of female faculty is now available. Looking at doing a similar report for female lecturers. Met with focus group to further shape the survey to address specific concerns of lecturers.
Interest in having the chair of committee come to present results at the spring ALUW meeting.

Faculty Affairs - John Vallier
John presented information on Faculty Affairs discussion re: voting rights for librarians. See the powerpoint presented to faculty council on voting rights for librarians as well as the powerpoint summarizing the meeting for ALUW in the resources.

Discussion: voting rights in Faculty Senate, faculty status and/or collective bargaining for librarians

Need more pros/cons, info/analysis to make an informed decision re: faculty status, etc. Talk about further in the spring meeting?
Need to determine if librarians have the right to collective bargain. Charles thinks may have the right but need further guidance.
Work as a group to make the argument for voting rights within the wide scope of who is part of the faculty senate. Keep focus on voting rights as an issue alone, rather than faculty status, etc.
Not hurt to get vote from Faculty Council on University Libraries again in favor of librarians having voting rights.
Push case again that having a voice is important.
Clarify what we want, what we're concerned about. Do we want a voice at the University? Sabbatical? Are we concerned about oversight of tenure process outside the Libraries?
Librarian code does allow sabbatical similar to faculty - parallels faculty code and called professional leave.
Task smaller group to work on this and flesh it out?

ALUW advocacy:

  • Letter in support of WSL on behalf of ALUW & response
  • WLA Legislative Day - John Vallier attended
  • ALA Library Advocacy Day - Deb will send out email re: grant money
  • ALUW Facebook page