March 2, 2007
The Board of Regents of Washington State University met pursuant to call in Open Meeting at 9:00 a.m., on Friday, March 2, 2007 at Student Services 129, Vancouver, Washington.
Present: Regent Connie Niva, Vice Chair; Regents, Theodor Baseler, Harold Cochran, Francois Forgette, Laura Jennings, Kyle Smith, V. Rafael Stone, and Michael Worthy; President V. Lane Rawlins, Vice President for Business Affairs Greg Royer, Vice President for Information Systems Mary Doyle, Vice President for University Relations Sally Savage, Vice President for Equity and Diversity Mike Tate, Senior Assistant Attorney General Antoinette Ursich, Faculty Senate Chair Chuck Pezeshki, ASWSU President Zach Wurtz, GPSA President Jason Doss, Tri-Cities Chancellor Vicky Carwein, Spokane Chancellor Brian Pitcher and Vancouver Chancellor Hal Dengerink, and Executive Vice President Larry James.
Absent: Chair of the Board of Regents Kenneth Alhadeff, Provost and Executive Vice President Robert C. Bates, Vice President for Development Len Jessup, Alumni Association President Doug Tracey, and Chair of WSU Foundation Board of Governors Larry Culver.
1. Vice Chair of the Board of Regents. Regent Niva welcomed everyone to the Board Meeting. She also introduced Regent Harold Cochran of Prescott who was recently appointed to the Board of Regents to replace Chris Marr of Spokane.
2. President of the University. President Rawlins welcomed everyone to the Board Meeting, including Regent Cochran. He thanked Chancellor Hal Dengerink for hosting the meeting and asked him to say a few words.
Chancellor Dengerink provided welcoming remarks. He said that although Vancouver is 250 miles away from Pullman, WSU Vancouver and all the regional campuses are part of Washington State University with a common mission. He noted that this is becoming more apparent and easier with the addition of freshman and sophomore students at WSU Vancouver.
3. Minutes. It was moved and seconded that the Board of Regents approve the minutes of January 26, 2007, with corrections made to the Faculty Senate Report and a typographical error appearing under the Student Affairs Committee report pertaining to an increase in the housing and dining rates.
Carried.
4. Reports from University Groups:
Faculty Senate Chair Chuck Pezeshki reported that the Graduate Studies Committee approved the Ph.D. for the College of Nursing and that the Faculty Senate approved the Academic Integrity Policy. He said that Chair-elect Ken Struckmeyer will represent WSU in Tucson as part of his continuing efforts to build an academic partnership in the PAC-10 Conference. He reported on the “Under the Big Tent” debate that the Faculty Senate is planning with Student Affairs, the Foley Center, Service Learning, ASWSU, Athletics and GPSA. He added that space has been converted inside the Childcare Care Center for an infant room and that there will be an additional nine slots for infants, which will help with the current short-term problem of lack of infant care. He reported that the Faculty Senate is paying close attention to the current legislative session and in the potential for faculty pay raises, in particular. He added that they had a set-back in the budget structure relative to pay raises and hoped that both President Rawlins and the Regents would address this key issue.
GPSA President Jason Doss reported that the Wiley Research Exposition was very successful. He added that participation doubled in presentations and that there was great interest by graduate and professional students. President Doss also reported that the GPSA Athletics Committee has been working with the Athletic Department to start a GPSA sports night program. He added that they purchased tickets for two basketball games and distributed them to GPSA students and their families. The program was so successful that they will do the same thing for Baseball. Lastly, he reported that he has been involved with the CUB retail vendor selection and that the vendors have been selected.
ASWSU President Zach Wurtz thanked Jason for providing the background on the CUB vendor selection. He announced that the vendors in the CUB will be Carlita’s Cocina, Jamba Juice, Panda Express, The Pita Pit, Villa Pizza, and Wackadoo’s. He reported on Coug Day at the Capital and the bill that will be presented in the future regarding the purchase of textbooks. He also reported on the multicultural fundraising gala that was held in Seattle and noted that ASWSU has teamed up with Facilities Operations to help organize this year’s Cougar Pride Days. He added that ASWSU presented former basketball coach Dick Bennett with the ASWSU Honorary Alumni Award, the highest honor awarded by ASWSU. Lastly, he reported that they hid 25 “Bennett Balls” around campus for students to locate that were interested in purchasing two tickets for the upcoming Pac-10 Basketball tournament.
5. Executive, Planning, and Budget Committee. Regent Niva reported in the absence of Regent Alhadeff. She reported that the Executive, Planning, and Budget Committee discussed the actions that will be brought before the Board at the May Meeting, including the Academic Year Tuition and Services and Activities Fee Rate Setting; Facilities Names Recommendations for Wilson Hall and the Plant Biological Sciences Facility; Delegations of Authority; and Elections of Officers. Regent Niva noted that until the appropriations bill passes, the parameters for tuition and fees rate setting are unknown. Once the legislature has completed its session and passed a budget, the WSU administration will submit tuition and fee rate recommendations to the Board. She added that the Governor’s Budget submitted to the Legislature would limit the undergraduate tuition increase at the research universities to 7 percent per year for the 2007-2009 biennium.
President Rawlins commented that he appreciates Faculty Senate Chair Pezeshki’s comments on faculty salaries and stated that faculty salaries have always been a high priority. He indicated that when you combine earmarking with a slight decrease in enrollment, it takes away flexibility in the planning process. He said that some progress has been made and that faculty salaries will remain a top priority.
Chair Pezeshki thanked President Rawlins for his comments and hopes that faculty salaries could, at a minimum, keep up with inflation.
6. Regional Campus and System Reports:
WSU Spokane. Chancellor Pitcher referred to his report and highlighted that WSU and UW have received a million dollar grant to implement the Phase I of the WWAMI Classrooms Project to develop “tele-immersion” video-conferencing classrooms in Seattle, Pullman, and Spokane. This initiative will allow the opportunity for students and faculty to interact across multiple sites regardless of the location from where they are teaching. He also reported that the Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy have engaged local universities and the health care community to explore the feasibility of a collaborative state-of-the-art clinical simulation lab using life-size mannequins that are controlled by a computer. He reported that a team of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students spent three weeks in China and Tibet working with their counterparts from Xian University. The goal of the trip was to understand how the local population uses local materials and customs in its architecture, landscaping and home interiors to respond to the natural environment. He also reported that teams from the Interdisciplinary Design Institute are participating in a semester-long project helping to redevelop downtown Hillyard. Lastly, he reported that WSU Spokane has taken leadership to organize a partnership of local public higher education and school districts to improve math and science education.
WSU Tri-Cities. Chancellor Carwein reported that legislative activity has been of great interest to the Tri-Cities community since the funding to expand WSU Tri-Cities to four-year status. She added that the combined impact of the generous freshman incentive package, aggressive recruitment activity, and the high level of community awareness and support has paid off in terms of interest in WSU Tri-Cities from prospective freshman, transfer students and parents. She reported that the recent recruitment marketing activities have contributed to the surge of applications. Some of those marketing activities included radio and newspaper advertising in both English and Spanish, primarily targeting parents of high school students; formal and informal campus tours; presentations to service clubs and community organizations; a strong presence at community, high school and community college events; and a high level of publicity and media coverage related to the four-year expansion, scholarship donations, and the donation of laptop computers by Lockheed Martin. She reported that the volume of incoming applications continues to exceed expectations. WSU Tri-Cities received 229 applications for 35 slots and that 210 transfer applications have been received, which is an increase of 60 percent from this same time last year. Chancellor Carwein also indicated that based on conversion rates between applications received and students enrolled, they will need to increase their freshman enrollment request. Dr. Carwein reported that the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory remain on-track for fall completion. Lastly, she reported that they will hold commencement on the Tri-Cities Campus this year and that Governor Gregoire will be the keynote speaker.
Regent Forgette commended Dr. Carwein for her outstanding work in such a short period of time and for her enthusiasm in bringing higher education to the community.
WSU Vancouver. Chancellor Dengerink reported on an editorial that appeared in The Columbian that demonstrates WSU Vancouver’s local impact and engagement and the role of WSU Vancouver as a research institution. He added that the article demonstrates WSU Vancouver’s connection to the community and the engagement that is emphasized both for instruction and research efforts. It also emphasized the quality of the faculty. Chancellor Dengerink further reported that WSU Vancouver is anticipating growth in the coming year and they are preparing for the sophomore students. Lastly, he reported that President V. Lane Rawlins will be commencement speaker for their upcoming ceremony and hopes that the Regents will be able to attend.
System Report. Chancellor Dengerink reported on the partnership between Capital Planning and Development and the regional campuses. He indicated that Capital Development on the regional campuses has to go through major county permitting processes and additional regulations that Pullman does not normally have to face. At the same time, there is concern that the quality of construction being consistent with the WSU overall policy and building to WSU standards. Assigning staff from the Pullman Campus to lead in these processes has been made to make certain that we are able to take advantage of facilities development expertise that exists in Pullman at the same time to put them in a position to being able to respond quickly and thoroughly to the external requirements that occur in the communities. He asked Vice President for Business Affairs Greg Royer to comment on the partnership.
Vice President Royer reported this partnership provides the Chancellors with an individual on a day-to-day basis that acts as their capital planning person overseeing all their construction projects and at the same provides the expertise in Pullman and the entire system. He reported that this partnership is working very well.
7. Academic Affairs and Equity and Diversity Committee. Regent Niva reported that the Academic Affairs and Equity and Diversity Committee received an enrollment update. She added that we have had the largest application volume of freshman for 2007 than this university has ever had. She indicated that transfer applications and international applications are also up. The committee also had a discussion on the regional accreditation that will take place in April 2009 for WSU. She added that being a land-grant university, the process can be quite complicated. The thirty-member committee has been selected. The Regents will be asked to participate in the review and will also be updated regularly. The committee also received a cohort analysis of tenure track faculty from Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Fran McSweeney. The report shows that we are in line with many universities. Lastly, Regent Niva indicated that the committee received a progress report on the Diversity Education Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to enhance the educational, professional, and personal experiences of WSU students, faculty, and staff. The programs offered through this initiative have been extremely successful.
8. Report from the Provost and Executive Vice President. Associate Executive Vice President Larry James reported for Provost Bates. He reported on the academic workshop that involved deans, department chairs, chancellors, vice chancellors to talk about critical issues facing the academic side of the House. Discussions included the budget, presidential transition, legislative update, and graduate education.
9. Report from the Vice President for Equity and Diversity. Vice President Tate first thanked ASWSU for its leadership to support multicultural and diversity endeavors. He reported on the relationship that has been forged with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and stated that on April 19, the Tribe will sponsor a Diversity Scholarship Dinner to support diversity education, scholarships, and retention programs for students at Washington State University system-wide. He indicated that the Kalispel Tribe has made it possible to hold an event at its facility, the Northern Quest Casino, to raise money to support diversity and will also be absorbing the costs for the use of the facility. Vice President Tate also reported that they have started planning the 6th annual Chateau Ste. Michelle fundraiser that will held in August and also thanked Regent Baseler for his continued support. Lastly, he highlighted the Equity and Diversity Insight magazine, a new annual publication with a unique focus on Equity and Diversity.
10. Business Affairs and Information Technology Committee. Regent Niva reported for Regent Jennings. She said that the committee reviewed and discussed the actions that will be brought before the Board at the May Board Meeting. Those items include the construction of a consolidated storage building, a 6.67 percent fee increase for the Student Recreation Center, restoring exterior finishes for Wilson Hall, replacing windows and adding air conditioning to Johnson Tower, and renovating the HVAC systems in Sloan Hall and the EE/ME Building.
Regent Niva also asked Barry Johnson, Assistant Vice President for Business and Finance, to provide an update on the 2006 Financial Statement for the Students Book Corporation. Mr. Johnson provided a summary of the Financial Statement noting that current assets as of June 30, 2006, totaled 7.4 million dollars.
Regent Niva also reported that the committee received an update on the Parking and Transportation Services Fee, and an update on Trust Lands.
11. Report from the Vice President for Information Systems. Vice President Doyle reported on the need to replace the Enterprise Server. She said that the server is nearing capacity on days with normal workload and does not have sufficient capacity to handle the volume of work that occurs during periods of high user demand. The cost to replace the server is $1.2 million and will be capable of adding additional processing capacity during future periods of peak load if the need arises.
12. University Development, University Relations and Athletics Committee. Regent Forgette reported that the committee received an update on the WSU Foundation Gift Report from Patrick Kramer, Foundation Vice President for Constituency Programs, and a Campaign Update from Jeff Puckett, Foundation Vice President and Campaign Director. They have reached 57 percent of their 75 million dollar goal to date. Currently $42 million has been raised as compared to $35 million from last year at the same time. He also reported that the endowment has a balance of $290 million.
13. Student Affairs Committee. Regent Worthy reported for Regent Stone. He reported that the committee discussed the actions that will be brought before the Board at the May Meeting. Those actions include the allocations for the S&A Fees for Summer 2007 and the 2007-2008 Academic year, and revisions that need to be made in the WAC Code pertaining to the Academic Integrity Policy in the Student Conduct Code. Regent Worthy also reported that the committee received a report on the recommendations from academic advising consultant Dr. Fay Vowell; an enrollment update on WSU Vancouver; a report on developing pipelines for the next generation of women leaders; and a report on sustainability initiatives that Regent Kyle Smith has promoted. The committee also discussed the increase on the Student Recreation Center Fee.
He asked Kyle Smith to briefly discuss the Coug Link Peer mentor Program that he has assumed.
15. President’s Report. President Rawlins commented on his deep appreciation of our student leadership and the ability to work together. He added that he is pleased that WSU has a productive team that trusts each other. He thanked everyone for their good work and looks forward to the May Meeting in Pullman.
16. Final Comments and Adjournment. Vice Chairwoman Niva thanked everyone for attending and indicated that the next Board Meeting will be held in Pullman and hoped that the Regents will be able to participate in the commencement ceremonies following the Board Meeting.
At 11:30 a.m. the Regents’ Meeting adjourned.
Approved by the Board of Regents at its meeting held on May 4, 2007, Lighty Student Services 405, Pullman, Washington.