Because so many librarians were unable to attend yesterday's meeting, we are distributing minutes by e-mail. The minutes will also be added to the ALUW Web site on the staff web (http://staffweb.lib). This is not a transcript, but as close as I could get with notes.
Dottie Smith, ALUW Secretary
ALUW President Betsy Darrah introduced President Richard McCormick by mentioning that there is extensive information on his home page and showed the URL (http://www.washington.edu/home/president). He responded by saying that you can reach him directly by e-mail, rlm@u.washington.edu, and that he answers his own mail.
He apologized for being late and distracted, but he had just come from suspending university operations, canceling classes and exams, with all the personnel ramifications of that decision. He also commented that although the university was closed down, the librarians were still at work! He has always appreciated the work that we do, the facilities we manage, and the services we provide. He considers them mission-critical for the university. Universities sometimes try to be first-rate universities without building first-rate libraries, piggy-backing off nearby libraries, but this strategy is rarely successful.
President McCormick said that, rather than giving a talk, he wanted to listen to us. He's new and therefore still learning.
Elaine Jennerich: We've heard that you want to reach out to the state. What do you think that means in terms of library services?
RLM: The best universities are responsive to the people of their states, but don't try to be all things to all people. In the past when times were tough, the UW was thoughtful and successful with strategic thinking about where to concentrate resources. For example, I want to make sure the Libraries are able to do new initiatives, especially interdisciplinary ones such as international education and environmental education. I am planning to appoint a faculty task force on outreach. A librarian should be on the task force.
Carla Rickerson: What do you see as the role of librarians in university governance?
RLM: I don't know. What do you mean?
Carla: For instance, will a librarian be on the new task force?
RLM: I gather librarians haven't been active before. You'll certainly be involved in carrying out the recommendations of the task force. How does it work now when faculty conspire to offer new areas, new degrees or programs? Do they consult librarians?
Several librarians answer: We are consulted after the fact.
Betty Bengtson: There is a sign-off procedure for new programs. However, if we respond that we don't have the resources to support the new program, it's generally ignored. (Laughter)
Carol Green: Our situation is strange because we aren't faculty. Some librarians believe we should be; some do not. I work in the Forest Resources library. It has taken me 10 years to be considered a peer in the College.
RLM: Is funding for the Libraries generally built into grants?
Carol Green: Usually not, although maybe we get some funding through the indirect costs.
Jill McKinstry: Perhaps we could tie that [programmatic or funding inclusion] to [the] strategic thinking in undergraduate teaching, outreach, etc.
RLM: The matter of inclusion is the will to do so. I can do that. I know that people thought that when I came there would be a big university-wide strategic plan. I don't believe that's a good idea. I hope that people will move that way, especially in environmental education and international education. In other areas, I will rely on existing governance. Planning efforts can't succeed if all the stake-holders aren't around the table.
Judith Henchy: Will you elaborate more on your international education plans? I represent one of those areas--Southeast Asia. I am afraid that involving the local business community will result in losing some control over research agendas, etc.
RLM: Maybe the faculty will pick up some trends, new areas from the business community.
Judith: This comes to mind because of the decrease in Title VI funds. We'll really feel the cutbacks.
RLM: Will those dollars be replaced by business dollars and agendas be changed? The university has to be prepared to use its dollars to keep programs in languages, literature, culture, religion. We've done well in those areas, especially Asian. Finding resources to do it is a challenge.
Joe Kiegel: I would like to talk about competitive salaries for librarians. This is a specially good time to visit us, since we've just received paychecks with our raises and are feeling flush right now. However, we have not always had the support we thought we should have in dealing with the legislature.
RLM: Librarians made a strong case with respect to comparison with peers. You'll have my support. I helped the librarians at North Carolina with that. You do have to be persistent. You can count on me and the administration for help.
Elaine: Can the Libraries do anything for you in terms of information, etc.?
RLM: I don't want to be too detailed. We'll just concentrate on these strategic areas. You may know better what's needed, so let me know.
Jill: What are your reactions to the State of Washington now that you have traveled across it?
RLM: I discovered a lot of concern that the UW be a player with the other state schools, private schools, K-12 schools. There's a lot of criticism that we haven't been good in the past in cooperating and participating in partnerships. We are lucky in the way that our state is governed in respect to higher education (as opposed to North Carolina). We did prepare a supplemental budget for technology, etc. and have gotten a good response. Of course, the danger in going too far down the partnership road is that we may go to the lowest common denominator. The Libraries here are vastly more distinguished than all the other state [university] libraries put together.
Steve Hiller: As you went around the state, did they understand the differences with a research institution?
RLM: With some part of their brains, they did, and with others they didn't. I spoke today at the Bellevue Rotary. Two gentlemen approached me. Both of them had nieces who had not been able to get into the nursing program due to GPA. We are the regional university as well as the state research institution. On some levels they recognize that. On another they are adding up such things as faculty contact hours.
Steve: What can we do as university employees to help the people of the state appreciate what we do?
RLM: Thanks for the question. Just take every opportunity. Point out things like the Libraries supports research in a hundred plus disciplines. We need to find opportunities for explaining, telling what we do. For example, we can brag about the excellence of our graduate programs, but we can't expect people to care. I had a friend, a dean, in another state who told a legislator that his program was one of the top programs in the country. The legislator responded: "I don't think that's appropriate."
Thom Deardorff: How about making a case in regard to the economic impact the university has on the state?
RLM: That's only part of the argument.
Nancy McMurrer (Law): What do those angry folks in the state have in mind to have us do with K-12 education?
RLM: Our higher education is much more successful in the world's perception than our K-12 education. Legislators see that higher education has better access to revenue streams. It looks to them like higher education could contribute some expertise to K-12. They use words like "seamless. This would be like a K-20 system where at years 10-15 there would be some action in that period to have smooth transitions. If we were somehow magically to break down barriers that all would be fine. We don't know how to make it happen and neither do they.
Martha Tucker: Do you have some particular plans for the technology money?
RLM: Better access for students to e-mail, labs,etc. We are working on a Washington State Higher Education Network--a statewide network of four-year institutions linked together. The third piece is library specific, a cooperative program that Betty can talk about.
Betty: We received over 700 thousand here in a supplemental budget to prepare for the network sort of behind the scenes. All the libraries now have Innovative Interfaces systems. The next phase will involve better linkages and improved interlibrary loans.
RLM: Of course you will be more on the giving end. I don't know how difficult that'll make your lives, but then the alternative to being on the giving end isn't good. As far as distance learning, if the academic [imagination or creativity] can catch up to the technological advances, we can do it.
Karyl Winn: Can you tell us about the need for distance learning?
RLM: People perceive expertise here and expect that through technology we can do it and for some areas we can do this and we should try. However, there never will be a time when it won't be important to have face to face interaction. If we had done this meeting online, for instance, there wouldn't be as many people here.
Jill: Have you heard any feedback about the [UW] telecourses being offered?
RLM: No, I haven't heard any.
Betsy Wilson: Betty and I were recently in the control booth for one of George Bridges' classes. He himself was surprised that one of the advantages was that ESL students got to hear it again. This was not the intention of the video.
Karen Sy: There are also some implications for librarians with distance learning. Often students in the library will change their research strategies based on something they find. That sense of serendipity and discovery isn't there without the resources. They can refine the questions, find related topics. Is that part of the discussion?
RLM: I don't know, but it should be.
Elaine: What has surprised you about the university since you came?
RLM: Everything is new. Every day I say, "I can't believe I didn't know that." I knew it was an outstanding university, but I didn't know the details. My core generalizations about what a great place it is weren't a shock. I knew there were problems, but they aren't insurmountable.
Karyl: Is there a difference between the East and the West?
RLM: It sure rains a lot here--but I knew that, too! The culture is different, but not dramatically. I'm really happy to be here.