June 25, 1993
The Board of Regents of Washington State University met pursuant to call, in Open meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 25, 1993, at the WSU Mount Vernon Research & Extension Unit, Mt. Vernon.
Present: William R. Wiley, President; Richard R. Albrecht, Phyllis J. Campbell, R. M. “Mac” Crow, John W. Ellis, Scott B. Lukins, Louis H. Pepper, and Kate B. Webster; President Samuel H. Smith, Provost Thomas F. George, Vice President for Business Affairs Sallie A. Giffen, Vice President for University Affairs Stanton E. Schmid, Executive Assistant for Administration and Counsel Sally P. Savage, Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School Robert V. Smith, Vice Provost for Student Affairs K. J. “Gus” Kravas, Senior Assistant Attorney General Paul Tanaka, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Geoffrey L. Gamble, Executive Director of Budget and Planning Gregory P. Royer, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics Larry Schrader, Associate Dean of Agriculture and Home Economics Arlen Davison, Faculty Senate Chair Ken Casavant, Staff Senate President Jay Becker, Alumni Association President Marlene Fallquist, GPSA President Oliver Bangera, and ASWSU President Heather Metcalf.
1. General Opening Remarks and Introductions. Regent Bill Wiley welcomed everyone to the meeting. He provided a special welcome to members of university groups who were participating at the Regents’ table for the first time. He welcomed Marlene Fallquist as new President of the Alumni Association, Oliver Bangera as new President of GPSA, and Heather Metcalf as new President of ASWSU. He also thanked Dean Larry Schrader, Associate Dean Arlen Davison, and Mt. Vernon Station Manager Andy Anderson for hosting the Regents’ meeting in Mt. Vernon.
President Sam Smith also welcomed everyone to the meeting. In addition, he announced that Vice President for University Affairs Stan Schmid would be retiring from his position effective December 31, 1993, in order to pursue a career and utilize his talents in the art world. He thanked Vice President Schmid for his outstanding service and dedication to the University and asked for a round of applause in his honor.
2. Minutes. It was moved and seconded that the Board of Regents approve the minutes of the meeting of May 7, 1993. Carried.
3. Granting of Degrees. It was moved and seconded that the Board of Regents approve the recommendation of the faculty that the candidates whose names appear in Exhibit A be advanced to the degrees set above their names as members of the Class of May 8, 1993.
4. Higher Education Coordinating Board. Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Geoff Gamble reported on the June 3, 1993, meeting of the Higher Education Coordinating Board. Among the actions taken at that meeting were: 1) approval for the Bachelor of Science in Psychology for WSU Vancouver; 2) approval of a revised instruction format for the Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences to 18 new sites around the state, including Mt. Vernon. In addition to this, he announced that Elson Floyd had accepted the position of Executive Director of the HEC Board.
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5. Report by the Vice Provost for Research. Vice Provost for Research Robert V. Smith provided information with regard to some recent faculty and student awards. He said that Dr. Margaret Murnane, Assistant Professor of Physics, was awarded a Presidential Faculty Fellowship from the National Science Foundation; that Dr. Henry Kapteyn, Assistant Professor of Physics, was awarded the Lomb Medal from the Optical Society of America, which is the highest award given in optical physics; and that Mr. Steve Gregg, a doctoral student in the Department of English, was awarded an NEH Dissertation Grant of $17,500 for the upcoming academic year.
Dr. Smith also provided an update on graduate student health insurance. He said that the state has approved funding of $1,000 per student for health insurance coverage for teaching and research assistants.
6. Update on the Budget and Reconfiguration. Provost Thomas F. George opened his presentation with a short review of the membership of the Reconfiguration Committee and a review of some of the terms associated with reconfiguration. He stated that reconfiguration principally involves programs and that the reconfiguration process provides a means of identifying possible changes involving the rearrangement of programs and components.
Provost George’s update involved a presentation and slides which are reproduced as Exhibit B. Discussed throughout the presentation were issues concerning the budget planning process, which includes the principles, guidelines, and area reductions. Also reviewed and discussed were the budget allocation and reconfiguration schedule and a detailed list of area reductions for fiscal year 1993-94 for the Pullman campus. The list of area reductions was discussed in detail and many questions arose from the Regents regarding specific cuts in particular areas. One of the emphasized points in the presentation was the fact that the reconfiguration principles focused on greater cuts in administrative areas than in academic areas. The Regents asked what kinds of cuts were taken in Business and University Affairs, as well as Student Affairs. Provost George indicated that Business Affairs will take a 10 percent cut, University Affairs will take a 10 percent cut, and Student Affairs will take a 9 percent cut. Also discussed were the cuts to be taken in the Libraries. The Libraries will absorb a 2.41 percent cut, and those cuts are to be mostly in personnel. Provost George mentioned that the faculty included a proviso in their recommendations to the Reconfiguration Committee that no cuts should be made in periodicals, journals, etc., so these items would not be reduced in number.
Another area of considerable discussion involved the issue surrounding the moving of a program from the main campus to a branch campus and how this can constitute a budget cut. Specifically mentioned, was the construction management program that is being moved from Engineering on the Pullman campus to WSU Spokane.
The final result, as summarized by Dr. George, is that the University must absorb a reduction in funding of its operating budget of 6.2 percent. This results in a final budget of $352.38 million for the Pullman campus for the 1993-95 biennium which is a total reduction of $9,566,303 form the Current Authorized Level and the Essential Requirement Level.
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A discussion on the process for budget reductions and reconfiguration ensued. The Regents cautioned that the University continue to use the principles and guidelines developed in the process in the event of the upcoming tax initiatives and the possible negative consequences that could result from the passage of these initiatives. The question whether the process could withstand such sever budgeting constraints was raised. It was agreed that the process was strong and had been quite effective and that it could serve as a strong base for a new process to be developed should passage of the tax initiatives occur.
The Regents commended the Reconfiguration Committee and the University for the development of a sound and efficient process and for the positive way in which the budget reductions and reconfiguration were handled.
It was moved and seconded that the Board of Regents adopt the resolution in Exhibit C approving the declaration of financial stress, approving the program reconfigurations enumerated in the attachment to the exhibit, delegating authority to the President or his designee to take necessary actions to implement budget reductions. Carried.
7. Name Change for the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Surgery. It was moved and seconded that, effective immediately, the WSU Board of Regents approve the name change of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Surgery to the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Carried.
8. Report by the Vice Provost for Student Affairs. Vice Provost for Student Affairs Gus Kravas thanked the Regents for participating in the recent Commencement exercises and for making it a positive and pleasant experience. Dr. Kravas provided an overview of the “Alive” orientation program to take place on the Pullman campus throughout the summer. He also reviewed a special orientation session held recently for branch campus staff members to introduce them to their WSU Pullman colleagues and to help them learn more about changes in financial aid, registration, and other areas of Student Affairs. He said a positive byproduct of this orientation is the pride the branch campus staff gain in being a part of WSU rather than feeling like separate system. Dr. Kravas spoke about the services provided on the branch campuses and the effort to provide the same services as those in Pullman, such as health care, counseling, etc. Dr. Kravas spoke about some of the special services and activities at the branch campuses, as well, such as the food drive at WSU Spokane and some of the social activities occurring at WSU Vancouver.
At 10:20 a.m., the Board recessed for a short break and reconvened in Open Meeting at 10:32 a.m. Present: Regents Albrecht, Campbell, Crow, Ellis, Lukins, Pepper, Webster, and Wiley; President Smith, Dr. George, Ms. Giffen, Mr. Schmid, Ms. Savage, Dr. Smith, Dr. Kravas, Mr. Tanaka, Dr. Gamble, Mr. Royer, Dr. Schrader, Dr. Davison, Dr. Casavant, Mr. Becker, Ms. Fallquist, Mr. Bangera, and Ms. Metcalf.
9. Report by the Vice President for Business Affairs. Vice President for Business Affairs Sallie Giffen distributed a brochure entitled “A Guide to Safety at WSU” and indicated that it was recently published brochure required by law to be distributed to all students.
June 25, 1993
10. Contracts under Previous Delegation of Authority. Vice President for Business Affairs Sallie Giffen reported that, on the authority delegated to the President of the University of his designee by the Board of Regents at the meeting of January 24, 1986, she had approved entering into contract with the following:
S. G. Morin & Son, Inc., Spokane, for the Exterior Renovation of Stevens Hall, in the amount of $321,210, including sales tax, to be paid from Housing and Dining System funds (Local Funds).
Patriot Fire Protection, Inc., Spokane, for the Eastlick Hall Fire Protection System, in the amount of $124, 681, including sales tax, to be paid from Minor Capital Renewal funds, Minor Capital Improvement funds and Safety Minor Capital Improvement funds.
11. Completion of Contract. It was moved and seconded that the Board of Regents approve, for purposes of RCW Chapters 60.28 and 39.08, the satisfactory completion of the following contract:
Knight Construction, Deer Park, for Ventilations Improvements in Bustad Hall, in the final amount of $68,153, including sales tax, to be paid from Minor Capital Renewal funds (State Building Construction Account).
Carried.
12. WSU Vancouver, Phase I, Campus Development. Mr. Lee Kerns from the architectural firm of Zimmer Gunsel Frasca Partnerships presented a brief update on the preliminary design documents for the infrastructure work at WSU Vancouver. Mr. Kerns’ presentation demonstrated the site plan showing the various buildings to be constructed as well as the design documents for the infrastructure work, including the development of the roads and parking, which will be independent of the building construction. He said that WSU will also be improving approximately one mile of existing roadway and that there is additional roadway in Clark County to be developed. He stated that the Washington State Department of Transportation will also continue development of some of these roadways in order to allow access to the entire campus. Mr. Kerns showed technical slides depicting some of the future landscaping and some of the utilities, such as the water line, sewer lines, storm drainage and gas lines. Mr. Kerns overviewed the schedule for this project, as well.
Regent Ellis asked questions regarding the permit process for the development of the roadways. Dr. Dengerink responded that they are anticipating the granting of a conditional use permit and that they are working with Clark County on scheduling a hearing on this issue. This permit will be good through Phase I of construction.
Regent Wiley asked why WSU is having of absorb all the costs for the highway improvements, and Ms. Giffen responded that Clark County did not receive any state funding for this, so it was decided to add this to the WSU work.
June 25, 1993
It was moved and seconded that the Board of Regents approve the completion of preliminary design documents for the infrastructure work at WSU Vancouver, and authorize proceeding with construction documents for this work in two parts; Part IA-Onsite Infrastructure Work and Part 1B-Offsite Infrastructure Work. Carried.
13. Report by the Vice President for University Affairs. Vice President for University Affairs Stan Schmid said he appreciated President Smith’s earlier comments with regard to his retirement. He said he is very appreciative of all the comments he has received from various individuals and spoke affectionately about the time he has spent at WSU. Mr. Schmid summarized the gift report for the month of May, 1993. He said the year-to-date total for donations and private grants was $28,338,942, which is an increase of approximately $7 million over last year at this time.
14. Reports by University Groups. Faculty Senate Chair Ken Casavant provided comments with regard to the following topics: the Extended Degree Program which received strong support from the faculty; activities relating to assistance for displaced faculty during budget cuts which also has received a great deal of positive response from the faculty; and his thoughts on Initiatives 601 and 602 and how the reconfiguration process that is in place will help WSU to deal with this, if these initiatives should pass. He also provided comments about the reconfiguration process and summarized the Faculty Senate’s response to the Reconfiguration Committee recommendations. Please see Exhibit D for a copy of the memorandum to President Smith from Ken Casavant.
Staff Senate President Jay Becker said that they concurred with the Faculty Senate by accepting the recommendations of the Reconfiguration Committee and said that the staff are beginning to understand the process. He said the Committee did a good job of sharing the process and that the staff are starting to see the University as a whole and are feelings a higher degree of ownership than they have in the past. Please see Exhibit E for a copy of the memorandum to President Smith from Jay Becker.
Mr. Becker also provided comments with regard to current Staff Senate issues, such as the possible discontinuation of summer hours and the staff’s resistance towards such a policy. He said the new slate of officers scheduled to take over on July 1 is enthusiastic about the upcoming year and that the Staff Senate continues to grow and to improve.
GPSA President Oliver Bangera provided comments about the positive action that has been taken to protect the students from the budget cuts and mentioned his enjoyment of working thus far in his new role with Vice Provost for Student Affairs Gus Kravas and ASWSU President Heather Metcalf. He also mentioned that Vice Provost for Research Bob Smith has been very helpful to him in taking over the GPSA presidency. He highlighted some of the current issues for graduate students, such as health insurance and mentioned a new project with regard to the establishment of a research-based journal at WSU.
ASWSU President Heather Metcalf said that “communication” will be the main focus for ASWSU during the upcoming year. She spoke about the reallocation of the S & A
June 25, 1993
fees, new student orientation, and the branch campus meeting with student leaders that took place on June 9.
Alumni Association President Marlene Fallquist provided comments about upcoming Alumni Association events, such as the executive board meeting to take place in Seattle. She announced that the Alumni Association’s “summer meeting” will now become a “fall meeting” and that it is scheduled for September 10. She said the Alumni Association will become more involved in recruiting activities and will increase their interest in the issue of diversity. Ms. Fallquist also provided some comments on the Extended Degree Program and the budget and said that the Alumni Association will continue to look for ways it can help the University and to be of service. She commended the University for the way the budget cuts are being handled.
15. Meeting of Shareholders, Students’ Book Corporation. The meeting of the Board of Regents was recessed, and the meeting of the Shareholders of the Students’ Book Corporation was declared open.
It was moved and seconded that the Shareholders of the Students’ Book Corporation adopt the resolution appearing in Exhibit F approving the Articles of Amendment, the Restated Articles of Incorporation, and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Students’ Book Corporation. Carried.
The meeting of the Shareholders of the Students’ Book Corporation was declared closed and the meeting of the Board of Regents was declared open.
16. Presentation by WSU Mt. Vernon. Dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics Larry Schrader welcomed everyone to Mt. Vernon and introduced Associate Dean and Superintendent of WSU Puyallup Arlen Davison. Dr. Davison also welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the following individuals: Dr. Kay Haaland, Chair of the Skagit County Extension Office; Dr. Debra Inglis, plant pathologist; Dr. Kassim Al Khatib, weed scientist; Dr. Gary Moulton, scientific assistant; and Dr. Wilbur “Andy” Anderson, station manager and research horticulturist. The Regents participated in a tour of the Mt. Vernon station, which included various presentations conducted by the above individuals throughout the tour.
The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, June, 25, 1993. The Regents had lunch with guests from the Mt. Vernon and surrounding communities and the staff of WSU Mt. Vernon.
Before leaving for the Mt. Vernon tour, Regent Bill Wiley announced that the Board would recess for lunch as soon as the tour was completed and would then reconvene in Executive Session at 1:00 for approximately 3 hours to discuss personnel matters. He said no action would be taken as a result of the Executive Session/sub>.