WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGENDA FEBRUARY 11 & 12, 2016 FRIDAY, February 12, 2016 Location: Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 Johnson Lobby Lounge Time: 8:00 a.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER, APPROVAL OF MINUTES 8:00 – 8:05 • Board of Trustees Meeting, December 10, 11, 2015 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 8:05 – 8:15 3. BOARD CHAIR 8:15 – 8:25 4. UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT 8:25 – 8:35 5. ASSOCIATED STUDENTS 8:35 – 8:45 6. FACULTY SENATE 8:45 – 8:55 ACTION ITEMS 7. CONSENT ITEMS 8:55 – 9:00 a) Approval of Winter Quarter Degrees b) Construction Contract for Nash Residence Hall Mechanical Room Upgrade, PW690 8. APPROVAL OF 2016 SUMMER SESSION TUITION AND FEES 9:00 – 9:10 9:10 – 9:15 Presentation: Discussion Brent Carbajal, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Earl Gibbons, Vice Provost for Extended Education DISCUSSION ITEMS 9. ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING FOR ON CAMPUS STUDENT HOUSING 9:15 – 9:25 9:25 – 9:35 Presentation: Discussion Eileen Coughlin, Senior VP & Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services Active Minds Changing Lives Page 1 10. CHANGE AT THE CORE (C-CORE) 9:35 – 9:45 9:45 – 10:00 Presentation: Discussion Edward Geary, Director, SMATE & Geology Professor Break – 10 min (10:00 – 10:10) 11. SEATTLE OFFICE ACTIVITIES UPDATE 10:10 – 10:25 Presentation: 10:25 – 10:40 Discussion Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement, President and CEO WWU Foundation Craig Dunn, Dean, College of Business and Economics Aric Mayer, Instructor, College of Fine and Performing Arts 12. PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH UPDATE 10:40 – 11:00 13. CAMPAIGN UPDATE 11:00 – 11:05 14. OLYMPIA UPDATE 11:05 – 11:15 11:15 – 11: 25 Presentation: Sue Sharpe, Chair, Presidential Search Advisory Committee Presentation: Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement, President and CEO WWU Foundation Presentation: Discussion Becca Kenna-Schenk, Government Relations Director 15. BOARD GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REPORT 11:25 – 11:30 Presentation: Sue Sharpe, Chair, Board Governance Committee 16. INFORMATION ITEMS 11:30 – 11:35 a. Quarterly Grant Report b. Admissions and Enrollment Report c. University Advancement Report d. Capital Program Report e. University Relations and Community Development Report f. Annual University Police Report g. Annual Western Sustainability Report h. Mid-year Housing and Dining Report 17. DATE FOR NEXT REGULAR MEETING: April 7, 8, 2016 18. ADJOURNMENT Active Minds Changing Lives Page 2 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Approval of the Minutes PURPOSE: Action Items Purpose of Submittal: Approval of the Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes. Proposed Motion: MOVED, that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, upon the recommendation of the president, approve the following minutes:  Approval of the Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting, December 10 & 11, 2015. Supporting Information: Minutes of December 10 & 11, 2015 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 10, 2015 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGENDA THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Karen Lee called the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University to order at 3:07 p.m., in the Boardroom, Old Main 340, in Bellingham, WA. Board of Trustees Karen Lee, Chair Sue Sharpe, Vice Chair Earl Overstreet, Secretary Betti Fujikado Chase Franklin John M. Meyer Mo West Seth Brickey Western Washington University Bruce Shepard, President Brent Carbajal, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Eileen Coughlin, Senior VP, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services Brian Sullivan, Assistant Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement Steve Swan, Vice President for University Relations and Community Development Molly Ware, Faculty Senate President Roger Leishman, Assistant Attorney General Paul Cocke, Director of University Communications Paul Dunn, Special Executive Assistant to the President Elissa Hicks, Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees 2. STRATEGIC DISCUSSION: TRANSITIONS AND WESTERN’S FUTURE, JOINT SESSION WITH FOUNDATION BOARD Karen Lee, Chair, Board of Trustees and Dan Guy, President, Western Foundation Board led a discussion regarding Western’s future transitions, both administratively and with the campaign, and how to build the relationship between the two Boards. Guy stated that on November 12, 2015, National Philanthropy Day, the campaign officially met their $60 million goal and that the Foundation would be looking at a campaign wrap-up celebration sometime this coming spring. Trustees and Foundation Board members provided positive feedback about the campaign including: • Positively elevated Western’s presence in Washington State • Inspired alumni pride in Western Washington University • Provided a greater platform to tell the story of Western • Improved the Western message in the Seattle community • Focused Western’s attention and gave us a clearer sense of self and what we stand for • Gave Western and opportunity to think transformational and about the future Page 1 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 10, 2015 • • • Allowed for Foundation Board Development, strengthen the Foundation and helped to foster an improved cooperation and relationship between the Foundation, Board of Trustees and University Administration Provided the incoming president a great asset at the beginning of their term Allows for holes and needs on campus to be filled The Boards also discussed how they could continue to foster and strengthen the relationship between the two. They talked about the need to continue to get to know each other personally in order to further their common goals and vision for Western, but also the need to respect and support each board’s individual charges of governance and development. Both boards agreed that the new culture of listening and nurturing relationships needs to continue not only for the two boards but for the campus as a whole so that students feel as much a part of the culture and stay connected to the university after they graduate. 3. EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY BE HELD TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL, REAL ESTATE AND LEGAL ISSUES AS AUTHORIZED IN RCW 42.30.110. 4:30 – 5:00 At 4:44 p.m. Chair Lee announced that the Board would convene in Executive Session for approximately 30 minutes to discuss personnel and legal matters as authorized in RCW 42.30.110 (1)(g)&(i). The Board returned to open meeting at 5:25 p.m. with no action to report. Page 2 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGENDA FRIDAY, December 11, 2015 1. CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chair Karen Lee called the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University to order at 8:00 a.m., in the Boardroom, Old Main 340, in Bellingham, WA. Board of Trustees Karen Lee, Chair Sue Sharpe, Vice Chair Earl Overstreet, Secretary Betti Fujikado Chase Franklin John M. Meyer Mo West Seth Brickey Western Washington University Bruce Shepard, President Brent Carbajal, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Eileen Coughlin, Senior VP, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services Brian Sullivan, Assistant Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement Steve Swan, Vice President for University Relations and Community Development Molly Ware, Faculty Senate President Roger Leishman, Assistant Attorney General Paul Cocke, Director of University Communications Paul Dunn, Special Executive Assistant to the President Elissa Hicks, Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees There were no changes to the draft minutes as distributed. MOTION 11-01-2015: Trustee Brickey moved that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, upon the recommendation of the President, approve the following minutes: • October 8 & 9, 2015 • November 2, 2015 • November 6, 2015 • November 17, 2015 • November 24, 2015 The motion passed. Chair Lee commented on the added and noticed action agenda item regarding the proposed presidential contract amendments. She asked if there were any objections to the addition, to which there were none. Page 1 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 2. PUBLIC COMMENT As per Amended RCW 28B.35.110, the Board of Trustees provided time for public comment. There were no requests for public comment. 3. BOARD CHAIR Chair Lee started by offering the Board’s condolences to Barbara Sandoval, Secretary to the Board of Trustees, for her family’s loss. Chair Lee then reflected on her thoughts regarding the incidents of the past few weeks on campus. She acknowledged that racist stereotyping still exists throughout the country, but as she reflected on the events at Western over the last couple of weeks she thanked the entire university community for its willingness to take on such deeply rooted issues as race, equity, safety and inclusion. Because of Chair’s Lee’s personal history the issues of race and gender are particularly personal to her. However, she has always felt that education, and particularly higher education, is one of the great equalizers in our society, and that it is one of the reasons she enjoys being a trustee, especially at Western. Lee said that she feels that everyone is aligned to the same task, because the entire Western community cares about the education and betterment of its students and our society in general. She said that Western’s continuous striving for improvement and President Shepard’s approach of listening, setting aside judgement, learning and collaboration is a way to move the University and campus culture forward in a positive way that focuses on respect and engagement will bring healing to the campus and our community. Trustee Lee then welcomed the new trustees, starting with Trustee John M. Meyer and asked Trustee Brickey to make the motion and read the welcome resolution. MOTION 12-02-2015: Trustee Brickey moved that the Board of Trustees approve Resolution 2015-12 Welcoming John M. Meyer. The motion passed. Chair Lee then welcomed Trustee Mo West and asked Trustee Sue Sharpe to make the motion and read the welcome resolution. MOTION 12-03-2015: Trustee Sharpe moved that the Board of Trustees approve Resolution 2015-13 Welcoming Mo West. The motion passed. Trustees Meyer and West thanked the Board for their welcomes and both said that they look forward to the opportunity to serve on the Board over the next six years and to be part of this great institution and community. 4. UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT President Shepard thanked Trustee Lee for her remarks and support. He then commented about how proud he was to be part of campus and for the leadership and engagement that was shown over the events of the last couple of weeks. He said the passion and respect that has been shown Page 2 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 by everyone on campus has helped to spread empathy for others and continues to help improve relations on campus. 5. ASSOCIATED STUDENTS Chair Lee noted that Belina Seare, Associated Students President was not present at the meeting and moved on to the next agenda item. 6. FACULTY SENATE Molly Ware, Faculty Senate President also thanked Trustee Lee for her remarks. Ware updated the trustees on the Senate’s response to the recent events which included, sending a campus-wide response to all faculty, staff, and administration in response to the events; creating an accommodations guideline document which provided faculty with specific ideas for making accommodations for those students who do not feel safe returning to campus during dead week or finals week; and generating a list of principles and resources to support the campus in facilitating challenging conversations in the coming weeks in ways that strengthen the health of the campus climate. Trustees thanked Ware and the Faculty Senate for their leadership. Ware outlined the work that the Senate will engage in once everyone returns in the new term which includes prioritizing and discussing action steps to strengthen inclusive excellence on campus to more fully align university structures with Western’s values and mission/vision statement. Ware also summarized recent events in an effort to think strategically about getting student feedback and creating a pool of students at the beginning of each year who may be interested in influencing university decision-making. She noted that currently, meaningful collaboration with more than a few students is challenging at the university level. Ware said she would like a substantive pool of students readily available to participate in key projects adding that students in the pool would be identified by both faculty and an open invitation to sign up through an Associated Students process. 7. CONSENT ITEMS Chair Lee introduced the consent items. There were no questions. MOTION 12-04-2015: Trustee Brickey moved that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, on recommendation of the faculty and subject to the completion of any unmet requirements, approves awarding undergraduate and graduate degrees to the candidates listed in the files of the Registrar and Graduate Dean, for Fall Quarter 2015, effective December 12, 2015. The motion passed. Trustee Lee and President Shepard noted that the presenter for the next agenda item was not present yet due to double meeting duty, so it was proposed postpone that item it until later in the agenda. There were no objections to the agenda order change. Page 3 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 8. APPROVAL OF 2015-2016 INTERNAL AUDIT AND CONSULTING SCHEDULE, AND ACCEPTANCE OF 2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT Brian Sullivan, Acting Vice President / Assistant Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs said that the Office of Internal Audit submitted its 2014-2015 Annual Report to the Board of Trustees Audit Committee at its October 8, 2015 meeting. Following revisions as requested by the Audit Committee, the final draft is submitted to the Board of Trustees for their final approval. There were no questions from Trustees regarding the schedule or the annual report. MOTION 12-05-2015: Trustee Overstreet moved that the Board of Trustees, upon recommendation of the Board of Trustees Audit Committee and President Bruce Shepard, accepts the 2014-2015 Annual Report of the Office of Internal Audit, and approves the 2015-2016 Internal Audit and Consulting Schedule. The motion passed. Chair Lee announced a break at 8:28 a.m. The board returned and reconvened the meeting at 8:40 a.m. 9. AGREEMENT BETWEEN FOUNDATION AND TRUSTEES UPDATE Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement said that the attached proposed agreement had been updated to further amend aspects of the relationship between the University and the Foundation, specifically to include the lease of the President’s Residence from the Foundation and eliminate potential actions around patents and copyrights. All other updates are language refinements. She said this is the third amendment overall for the agreement and brings it in line with current best practices from around the country and peer institutions. Vice President Bowers asked for the Board to approve the updated Agreement between the WWU Foundation and the Board of Trustees. Trustees asked what the Foundation funds are used for to which Bowers said that Foundation funds are used based on the specific terms outlined by the donor or used as needed by the University. She said funds are treated like a three way agreement between the donor the foundation and the university and those terms are agreed upon on a case by case basis. Trustees asked for one minor correction in the attached proposed agreement in section 2, subsection D, last sentence: “The President’s expenses intended for reimbursement by the Foundation will be reviewed quarterly by the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University, or his (the chair’s) designee, to insure the President’s expenses have been properly submitted, reviewed, and approved.” MOTION 12-06-2015: Trustee Franklin moved that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, upon recommendation of the President, approve the updated Agreement between the WWU Foundation and the Board of Trustees as proposed in the attached. The motion passed. Page 4 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 10. APPROVAL OF PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH CANDIDATE EVALUATION CRITERIA Sue Sharpe, Chair, Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) introduced Kathy Kitto, Spencer Anthony-Cahill and Trula Nichols, PSAC members, and gave a brief summary to the Board, and asked for their approval of the proposed Presidential Characteristics/Evaluation Criteria and Application Screening Form created by the PSAC. Trustee Sharpe said that this action item is the last step in the search process so that the committee can move forward. Jan Greenwood, Partner, Greenwood/Asher & Associates, gave a brief overview of the steps taken to compile these documents and how they will be used going forward in the screening and evaluation of the potential candidates. Trustee Sharpe said that the documents represent the commitment and hard work of the entire committee and reflects the consensus within the group as a whole. Trustees thanked the entire Presidential Search Advisory Committee for the inspiring, comprehensive and relevant work this document represents and for their hard work in the process so far. Trustees had no questions. MOTION 12-07-2015: Trustee Overstreet moved that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, upon the recommendation of the Chair of the Board of Trustees and the Chair of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee, adopt the Presidential Characteristics/Evaluation Criteria and Application Screening Form. The motion passed. 11. PROPOSED PRESIDENTIAL CONTRACT AMENDMENTS Before Trustee Lee started discussion on this agenda item, President Shepard excused himself from the meeting room. She then asked Trustee Fujikado to make the motion for the first amendment regarding a merit salary increase for President Shepard. Fujikado said that Western has always placed an emphasis on competitive salaries and made a few points regarding President Shepard’s contract. Noting that President Shepard is the only Western employee that has not received an increase that given to many Western employees this past fall and his adjustment is actually less than most others given. Fujikado also said that the Trustees want this increase to be a recognition of his superior performance at the University over his tenure. MOTION 12-08-2015: Trustee Fujikado moved that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University approve Amendment No. 2 to the Employment Contract for President Bruce Shepard to increase the President’s annual salary with a merit increase of 4 percent, to $324,500, effective July 1, 2015, and authorize the Board Chair to execute the action on behalf of the Board of Trustees. All other terms and conditions are to remain the same. The motion passed. Trustee Seth Brickey abstained from voting as required per RCW 28B.35.100(4). Trustee Franklin said that as we all know, President Shepard will be moving on to the next phase of his life in 2016, and as such, the Board of Trustees needed to finalize terms of his second contract which the board approved in 2011. Terms of that contract were developed to retain him, and were done so at a time when he was being aggressively sought by other higher education institutions. Those terms have been finalized while also recognizing the superior level of leadership he has provided to Western the past eight years. Franklin noted that some of terms addressed in the Page 5 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 proposed MOU include, a defined time frame of his salary compensation and the terms of his professional development year, an early retirement tenure buyout, a payment for accrued vacation, terms of availability to consult or assist with the presidential transition over the coming year, and details related to the Shepards’ vacating the residence provided to them by the university. Trustees were pleased with the terms of the MOU and had no questions. MOTION 12-09-2015: Trustee Franklin moved that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University approve Amendment No. 3 to the Employment Contract for President Bruce Shepard in connection with his announced retirement from the presidency and the faculty, and authorize the Board Chair to execute the action on behalf of the Board of Trustees. All other terms and conditions are to remain the same. The motion passed. Trustee Seth Brickey abstained from voting as required per RCW 28B.35.100(4). President Shepard was invited back into the meeting room, to which Chair Lee informed him of the approved amendments and thanked him for his excellent work during his tenure. 12. WSU NORTH PUGET SOUND AT EVERETT Bob Drewel, Senior Advisor to President Dan Bernardo, Washington State University gave a brief overview of the Everett program, saying that Western is WSU’s largest and boldest partner in the venture. He said that only the best programs from each school were brought to College Center which helps the program do the most good for the community with the resources available. Drewel said that the center is a good example of cooperation between all the partners in that every partner brings its specialty niches to College Center without competing for the same resources. He added that by bringing the programs and needs to the people there is a distinct economic advantage for the students. Drewel said that the administration building project at College Center has commenced and is ahead of schedule and under budget. The building was entirely designed by staff at the center which helped to save a significant amount for the project. Trustees asked questions regarding the difference between a branch campus and a center, to which Drewel responded that a branch campus typically has a Chancellor and offers all four years of education and that a center has a Dean and only offers junior and senior level courses. Trustees appreciated learning more about College Center and the innovative cooperation that exists between the partners. Chair Lee announced a 10 minute break at 9:55 a.m. The board returned and reconvened the meeting at 10:08 a.m. 13. DIVERSITY TASKFORCE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE President Shepard commented that the issue of diversity, equity and inclusion has been one of his top priorities and was also set as a priority by the Board of Trustees when he started his tenure at Western. He said he knew Western needed to create a strategic plan to address this issue and a way to put plans into action. In response to that priority he created the President’s Taskforce on Page 6 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 Equity, Inclusion and Diversity and started to quickly develop a plan and steps for implementation on campus. President Shepard introduced Karen Dade, Co-Chair of the President’s Taskforce on Equity, Inclusion and Diversity /Presidential Fellow and Nick Sanchez, Co-Chair of the President’s Taskforce on Equity, Inclusion and Diversity who thanked President Shepard and the Board of Trustees for their leadership on this important topic. Dade and Sanchez gave a brief overview of the events from the last couple of weeks and noted that the processes already in place and the nine previously scheduled diversity trainings in the ten days after the events aided in helping individuals and the community process the events. The co-chairs then provided an overview of the focus for the taskforce in the upcoming year including adding more student representation to the taskforce, being ready for the next president to continue moving this issue forward, improving the process on campus based on the real life situations of the past few weeks and continuing the listening session across the campus community. They both said that progress has been made over the last couple of years, but that there is still much to do. Trustees asked how the taskforce collaborates with peer institutions. Dade responded by saying that taskforce leadership and members participate in professional associations and national and regional meetings, have looked at similar set-ups at other universities and have researched experiences and remarks from other diversity type groups. Trustees also asked what the taskforce has learned from the listening session on campus. Dade and Sanchez said that the community has responded well to the listening session that they appreciate the taskforce being willing to meet with people on their terms and they have learned that everyone is at different levels on the issue and that education at all levels is still needed throughout the community. They feel that many on campus are willing to be open, authentic and honest with regards to addressing the diversity issue which is encouraging. Adding that the campus collectively cares about the issue, and while people may not always agree, everyone cares about improving the issue. Sanchez acknowledged that there is still pain being processed by everyone, both new pain from the recent events and old pain that people have dealt with for a while and that needs to be addressed in order to move forward. 14. PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH UPDATE Sue Sharpe, Chair, Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) gave a brief summary of the events of the PSAC since the last Board meeting. She said with the approval of the Presidential Characteristics & Evaluation Criteria and Application Screening Form earlier in the day the next major step is up to the search consultant for marketing the position and recruiting applicants. Sharpe also showed the Trustees the updates to the Presidential Search website which includes the Presidential Leadership Profile approved by the Trustees at an earlier Board meeting. Trustee Sharpe said most of the hard work for the PSAC is done for a while and will pick up again after the application deadlines and screening starts in the new year. 15. OLYMPIA UPDATE Becca Kenna-Schenk, Government Relations Director said that the University Relations and Community Development office has been busy in between sessions doing advocacy for the university including on site campus tours, Compass to Campus visits, Western Leadership Forum, tours of the Carver Renovation site and the Munro Seminar. She said that several Western faculty, staff and students have been invited to testify for Legislative Committee meetings in Olympia which Page 7 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 have been very well received by the Legislative members. She said that currently there is a small surplus of state funds in the latest revenue forecast, but that is not expected to lead to new funding, just some small adjustments of last year’s budget. Kenna-Schenk said that Western will focus on small budget asks for next year including funding for Student Success programs, funding for the Campus Wireless Upgrade, and some building security upgrades. She also mentioned that this summer the Legislature asked all the teaching schools in Washington to put together proposals to address the teacher shortage with in the state. Woodring responded quickly and with a proposal that was very well received by the Legislature. 16. CAMPAIGN UPDATE Tim Syzmanowski, Associate Vice President for Development and Leadership Giving said that as of November 12, 2015 the campaign had reached its goal of $60 million dollars. Symanowski said that currently there are plans for campaign wrap-up celebrations on February 24th and March 8th and that details will come forward as things are firmed up. He shared a story from the Biology department and their need for a new microscope. He said that most of the money had been raised, but they were $20,000 short. A crowdfunding campaign was started and an alumni brought the campaign to their parent’s attention and the rest of the microscope was funded. Symanowski said that during a follow up visit by campaign staff the parents made an even larger donation of $150,000. He said that plans are in the works for the engineering robotics lab to be named in memory of their family member. 17. AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT Trustee Betti Fujikado, Chair, Board of Trustees Audit Committee reported that the committee heard the results from the State Auditor’s yearly financial statements audit and that Western received a clean report. She said the State Auditor’s Office was complimentary of the university’s response to GASB 68 and the university cooperation throughout this year’s audit and over the past few years. Fujikado also mentioned that Western was awarded the first annual State Auditor’s Award for Excellence in Financial Stewardship, to which she see as a testament to the excellence of Western’s Business and Financial Affairs division. 18. BOARD GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REPORT Trustee Sue Sharpe, Chair, Board Governance Committee reported that the committee discussed the onboarding process and gathered input from the new trustees and also discussed Western’s participation at the upcoming Association of Governing Board’s upcoming 2016 National Conference on Trusteeship in April 2016. 19. INFORMATION ITEMS a. Academic Affairs Report Provost Carbajal provided a written report with information regarding the number of declared student majors per academic department for fall quarter 2015 and fall quarter 2014. The reports include fall 2014 and fall 2015 peak date comparisons. b. Quarterly Grant Report Provost Carbajal provided a written report with information from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs concerning grant awards for the period July 1, 2015 – September 30, 2015 and fiscal year 2015/16. Page 8 DRAFT MINUTES for Approval December 11, 2015 c. Admissions and Enrollment Report Vice President Coughlin provided a written report regarding the university’s general enrollment and admissions. d. University Advancement Report Vice President Bowers provided a written report on the University’s Alumni Relations and Western Foundation activities. e. Capital Program Report Vice President Van Den Hul provided a written report on the University’s capital projects. f. University Relations and Community Development Report Vice President Swan provided a written report documenting recent activities of University Relations and Community Development. g. 2014-2015 University Financial Report Vice President Van Den Hul provided a written report on the University’s finances. h. 2015 Housing & Dining System Financial Report Vice President Van Den Hul provided a written report on the University’s Housing and Dining System. i. 2015 Wade King Student Recreation Center Financial Report Vice President Van Den Hul provided a written report on the Wade King Student Recreation Center. j. 2015 AS Bookstore Financial Report Vice President Van Den Hul provided a written report on the University’s Bookstore. k. 2015 Parking Services Financial Report Vice President Van Den Hul provided a written report on the University’s parking services system. l. Student Right to Know/Clery Act Vice President Coughlin provided a written report regarding the University’s policy on the Student Right to Know / Clery Act. 20. DATE FOR NEXT REGULAR MEETING: February 11, 12, 2016 in Seattle at the Washington Athletic Club 21. The meeting adjourned at 11:52 a.m. 22. LUNCH The trustees and invited guests enjoyed a presentation regarding the Recreation Degree Program from Keith Russell, Chair, Health and Human Development and students from the Recreation Degree program. Page 9 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: Bruce Shepard, President DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Public Comment Period PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: RCW 28B.35.110 requires that the governing boards of regional universities provide for public comment at meetings and follow procedures for open public meetings in the Open Public Meetings Act. Persons wishing to comment will sign in between 7:45 – 7:55 a.m. the day of the Board of Trustees meeting. The signup sheet will be given to the Board Chair at 8:00 a.m. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: Karen Lee, Chair, Board of Trustees DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Board Chair Report PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: Board Chair Karen Lee will report to members of the Board and President Shepard and his staff on topics related to the Board of Trustees. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: Bruce Shepard, President DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: President’s Report PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: President Shepard will present brief reflections on issues of interest to the Board. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard on behalf of the Associated Students DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Associated Students PURPOSE: Associated Students Report Purpose of Submittal: AS President Belina Seare will brief the Board of Trustees on recent activities of the Associated Students. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: Molly Ware, Faculty Senate President DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Faculty Senate PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: Molly Ware, Faculty Senate President, will brief the Board on recent activities of the Faculty Senate. • • • • The Faculty Senate recently worked with the Equal Opportunity Office & several faculty to learn more about Mandatory Reporting of sexual violence & harassment on campus. Faculty both had an opportunity to ask clarifying questions about federal policy & WWU’s expectations and to work through various cases as a means of practicing responses to situations they may encounter in their work with students. The Faculty Senate has appointed work teams to: o Create a pilot feedback system faculty can use to get feedback on classroom climate anonymously & mid-way through the quarter. o Design a new faculty mentoring process in collaboration with Steve VanderStaay VPUE. This mentoring process would be aimed at supporting recently hired faculty in connecting and becoming part of various communities based on interest and identity. The Faculty Senate recently approved the formation of a Social Justice and Equity Committee. This committee will support faculty’s ongoing learning and growth and will provide feedback on how various policy decisions coming through the Senate may impact equity on campus. The Faculty Senate will be appointing a work team whose role is generating criteria for making funding decisions about NTT service on campus. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Consent Items PURPOSE: Action Items Purpose of Submittal: Approval of the university recommendations provided on the consent item agenda. Proposed Motion(s): MOVED, that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, upon the recommendation of the president, approve the following consent items: • • Approval of Winter Quarter Degrees Construction Contract for Nash Residence Hall Mechanical Room Upgrade, PW690 Supporting Information: Materials supporting the consent item agenda are attached. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Provost Brent Carbajal DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Approval of Degrees PURPOSE: Action Item Purpose of Submittal: It is the Board of Trustees responsibility to approve awarding of degrees. Proposed Motion: MOVED, that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, on recommendation of the faculty and subject to the completion of any unmet requirements, approves awarding undergraduate and graduate degrees to the candidates listed in the files of the Registrar and Graduate Dean, for Winter Quarter 2016, effective March 19, 2016. Supporting Information: Lists on file with the Registrar and Graduate Dean. Students Undergraduates Masters Winter 2016 Comparison: Winter 2015 (Expected Number of Graduates) (Actual students graduated) 478 462 53 37 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Vice President Van Den Hul DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Construction Contract for Nash Residence Hall Mechanical Room Upgrade, PW 690 PURPOSE: Action Item Purpose of Submittal: Award a construction contract for the Nash Residence Hall Mechanical Room Upgrade, PW 690. Contract award following Board action. Construction to start June 13, 2016. Proposed Motion: MOVED that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, upon the recommendation of the President, award a contract to Blythe Plumbing and Heating, Bellingham, Washington, for the amount of $825,600 (base bid, plus alternates 1 and 2) for the construction contract for the Mechanical Room Nash Residence Hall Upgrade. Supporting Information: This project involves demolition of existing and provision of new centralized mechanical equipment within the building’s mechanical room, and replacing hydronic radiators with new radiators with thermostatic controls throughout the building. This project was advertised for competitive bidding from November 23-25, 2015, with the bid opening held at 3:00 p.m. on January 11, 2016. Two bids were received by the University (see attached bid summary). The Facilities Development and Capital Budget Office, Business and Financial Affairs, prepared the plans and specifications for this project. Project award of the contract is contingent on the approval of the contractor’s Responsibility Criteria submittal. Source of Funding: Housing & Dining System – Non-appropriated BID SUMMARY Job: Client: Date: MACC: Alternate No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 PW690 Upgrade Mechanical Room Nash Hall University Residences January 11, 2016 $725,000.00 Blythe Description & Bid Item Base Bid Condensate Pump Radiators Tiger $ $ $ 520,900.00 28,300.00 276,400.00 $ $ $ 608,200.00 45,521.00 531,550.00 1,185,271.00 Compare to MACC: sub total $ 825,600.00 $ 8.70% sales tax $ 71,827.20 $ 103,118.58 Grand Total $ 897,427.20 $ 1,288,389.58 Page 1 of 1 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Provost Brent Carbajal DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Approval of 2016 Summer Session Tuition and Fees Brent Carbajal, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Earl Gibbons, Vice Provost for Extended Education PURPOSE: Action Item Purpose of Submittal: It is the Board of Trustees responsibility to approve summer quarter tuition and fees. Proposed Motion: MOVED, that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, on recommendation of the President, approves the recommended Summer Session Tuition for Summer 2016: specifically, that Resident undergraduate tuition will remain unchanged at $250 per credit; resident graduate tuition will rise to $291 per credit; and non-resident undergraduate and graduate tuition will increase to $370 per credit. Student tuition will be charged on a per credit basis for Summer Session. Supporting Information: The proposed increases are necessary to cover increasing Summer Session operational costs, including salaries, benefits, and other expenses. Washington Resident Undergraduates If this motion is adopted, there would be no increase in summer session tuition for resident undergraduates, which accounted for 83.4% of the Summer Session 2015 population. Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, and the Evergreen State College have already determined they will not increase their rates for resident undergraduates for Summer 2016, while Central Washington University has adopted a 13% decrease from Summer Session 2015 undergraduate rates. The University of Washington has not yet adopted 2016 summer session tuition rates, but UW normally charges a higher tuition at a higher per credit rate than the other state institutions. Washington Resident Graduates The proposed motion results in a Summer Session 2016 resident graduate tuition rate 3.2 percent above Summer Session 2015 tuition rates, but on par with what the same students are paying during the current 2015-2016 academic year. Non-resident Undergraduates and Graduates Washington’s six public four-year institutions are divided in their respective approaches to establishing non-resident Summer Session tuition rates. This year, as in the past, three (UW, TESC, WWU) will propose differential Summer Session rates for nonresident students and three (WSU, EWU, CWU) have adopted a single Summer Session tuition rate. The proposed motion continues Western’s practice of charging differential non-resident undergraduate and graduate tuition. If adopted, the new tuition rate for non-resident undergraduate and graduate students will be $325 per credit. This represents an increase of 2.8 percent above Summer Session 2015 tuition rates. The non-resident fee would remain unchanged at $45 per credit. Even with the per credit increase, WWU would remain one of the lowest cost public university options in Washington for nonresident students enrolling in Summer Session. Source of funds: Self-supporting Dedicated Revenue Washington - State University Summer Tuition Rates Summer 2014 Resident Non-Resident Resident Non-Resident Undergraduate Undergraduate Graduate Graduate Institution Tuition per Institution Tuition per Non-Res Institution Tuition Institution Tuition per credit Credit Fee per credit Credit WSU UW CWU EWU WWU TESC $ $ $ $ $ $ 494.00 374.93 264.70 245.73 239.00 234.50 UW TESC WSU CWU EWU WWU Resident Undergraduate $ 1,028.21 $ 612.90 $ 494.00 $ 264.70 $ 245.73 $ 239.00 $ 14.00 Non-Resident Undergraduate Institution Tuition per Institution Tuition per credit Credit WSU UW CWU WWU EWU $ $ $ $ $ 494.00 378.30 264.70 250.00 245.73 UW TESC WSU WWU CWU TESC $ 234.50 EWU 709.71 509.00 344.50 295.80 256.00 253.20 UW WSU TESC EWU CWU WWU Summer 2015 Resident Graduate Non-Res Institution Tuition Institution Fee per credit $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 265.30 CWU 245.73 TESC 724.82 509.00 344.50 295.80 282.00 Non-Resident Undergraduate WSU $ 494.00 UW1 UW TESC WSU EWU WWU UW1 WWU EWU TESC CWU $ $ $ $ $ TESC1 WSU WWU EWU CWU Resident Graduate UW1 WSU $ $ $ $ EWU WWU CWU TESC 494.00 325.00 $ 45.00 245.73 229.90 Tuition per Credit Non-Res Fee $ 1,297.86 $ 648.70 $ 509.00 $ 344.50 $ 316.00 $ 45.00 $ 295.80 Non-Resident Graduate Non-Res Institution Tuition Institution Fee per credit $ 1,082.36 $ 642.70 $ 1,260.20 $ 509.00 $ 363.30 $ 344.50 $ 295.80 $ 256.00 $ 14.00 Non-Resident Graduate $ 1,082.36 UW $ 642.70 WSU $ 494.00 EWU $ 316.00 $ 45.00 CWU $ 264.70 WWU Institution Tuition per Institution Tuition per credit Credit 1 $ $ $ $ $ $ Summer 2016 - Proposed Resident Undergraduate 378.30 250.00 245.73 234.50 229.90 UW WSU EWU CWU WWU TESC Non-Res Fee Tuition per Credit Non-Res Fee $ 724.82 UW1 $ 1,297.86 $ $ $ $ $ TESC1 WSU EWU WWU CWU $ 648.70 $ $ $ $ 509.00 363.98 325.00 $ 45.00 286.20 509.00 363.98 291.00 286.20 265.30 Summer Session 2016 tuition rates not yet available; 2015 rates have been listed. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard on behalf of Vice President Eileen Coughlin DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Assessment and Planning for On Campus Student Housing PURPOSE: Discussion Item As reported to the Board in August, the University has continued working on its assessment and plans for adding apartment-style suites on campus. The following is an update of the various planning components along with the anticipated schedule for Board of Trustees actions: Update of Planning Components Housing Demand • In December we reported Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc. (B&D) would perform a student housing demand and market study to confirm on-campus demand for specific unit types that would assist us developing the project scope and programming for proposed new on-campus private bedroom suite-style apartments. This study confirmed demand is strong for such on-campus units and the University’s planned addition of 150-200 private beds is well within the total demand, would complement its current housing stock, and serve a growing target market without undue risk to the system. The target opening would be Fall 2018. • In Fall 2015, B&D conducted focus groups, intercept interviews and a student survey in addition to gathering off-campus housing market data to assess supply, demand and price points. B&D’s analysis indicates significant unmet demand on campus for the style of housing preferred by sophomores, upper division and the growing populations of out-of-state and international students: suite-style apartments with private bedrooms and shared living space and kitchens. International students appreciate the ability to prepare meals in keeping with culinary customs. International, out-of-state and some other students often desire year-round accommodations as well. Salient points of the study include: o Unmet demand for on-campus housing was measured for students who said they would prefer to stay on or return to campus if their desired unit configuration and price point could be met. The net unmet demand of all unit types in the survey was calculated using three pre-qualifiers of off-campus students who are currently paying at least $500, $600 and $700 per month. This provides a more qualified measure of the true capacity of students to afford associated rental rates given for the various styles of housing. o Not surprisingly, while the “net” demand across all housing styles surveyed strongly supports the University’s planned bed count addition in general, the study confirmed demand is even higher specifically for private bedroom, suite-style apartment housing. While international students were not separately surveyed, this population is growing as a percent of enrollment, so this style of housing will be important for Western’s future. A sample floor plan for a 4-private bedroom apartment suite from the University of Washington Cedar Apartments is shown below: o B&D’s analysis specifically targeted those students who wanted to stay on or return to campus to properly measure demand in spite of new luxury apartment-style suite living being build off campus at Lincoln Street (648 beds) and Forest Street (419 beds.) The survey provided University Residences with key information with regard to amenities desired and price points which will inform upcoming detailed planning with students and architects. o Results from the survey indicated 45% of on-campus residents have definitively decided to move off, 28% remain undecided and 21% will stay. However the survey was done early in Fall quarter, so as the year progresses students will become less undecided. o Among respondents who said they were not interested in living on campus next year, 79% said it was primarily due to the off-campus market offering the lowest cost option. The factors that would draw them to live in WWU housing (stay or move back on) were:   o For those currently living on campus: • 82% Lower cost options • 51% Pet-friendly environment • 50% Own bedroom For those already living off-campus: • 78% Lower cost options • 67% Own bedroom • 49% More private amenities not found on campus now Of those students wanting to stay on or return to campus, the following amenities were the highest priority in a new housing facility (in addition to private bedrooms and shared living space/kitchens):  Proximity to classrooms  Proximity to bus stop •  Small laundry room on floor  Proximity to convenience store/grab-and-go market  And, for those students already living off-campus: • Proximity to parking • Computer lab in building o While traditional and suite style with double rooms provides the kind of living that is important in providing first year student community support and experience, students have a strong preference for more privacy with single bedroom options and living space/study areas. Affordability and flexibility is critical for many students, so the option to prepare their own meals in an apartment kitchen rather than purchase a required meal plan was highly valued. o There is a perception on-campus living is tailored to freshman needs given programming and lack of unit configurations desired by upper classmen. This has fueled a negative connotation to living on campus with freshmen. Difficulty in securing housing and lack of available options has created a culture of moving off campus sophomore year and above. By offering the style of units desired and focused communities for upper division students, the stigma and supply issues should be mitigated. Current Housing Statistics: o The University has long aimed to provide housing for about 1/3 of students at the main campus. In recent years, between 28% and 29% have been housed in both campus residence halls and apartments. Of these, approximately 12.3% (or 500) live in Birnam Wood Apartments which are more popular with returning students. Total WWU Headcount 15,332 Total (14,426 State and 906 Non-State Funded) Other , 996, 6% Freshmen, 3179, 21% Seniors, 4448, 29% Sophomores, 2759, 18% Juniors, 3950, 26% Site Location • The University had narrowed the site for a new apartment building to two locations: the Ridgeway location above the Wade King Recreation Center and a site just north of Buchanan Towers (BT) across from the new Harrington Multi-Purpose Field. The University is working on a redistricting of WWU Master Plan boundaries at the BT site which would allow up to about 200 beds at that location. While both sites have advantages, they are fairly equivalent in constructability/site building costs. The decision will likely be based more on programmatic advantages returning students value. • One of the key considerations given the results of the survey, is not only to meet the highest priorities of students with regard to amenities within the building and location (e.g. proximity to classes/labs, bus stop, convenience store and parking) but to create a more visible community/culture of upper division student living. The Buchanan Towers site shows the most promise given the higher concentration of upper division students already present in addition to current amenities of a convenience store and computer lab within BT. Parking and a bus stop are adjacent, and it’s a fairly flat, short walk to the Recreation Center and to the south academic quad. • Below are percentage residents of the various existing on-campus student housing facilities near the two site locations, showing BT has only 23% and Birnam Wood has only 22.4% Freshmen versus 71% Freshmen in the Highland/Ridgeway community. Fairhaven has 62% Freshmen, but because those students are required to have a meal plan and utilize the Fairhaven community building there would likely not be much opportunity or need for close interface with the BT community. Highland/Ridgeway has 1167 total residents vs. 484 at Buchanan Towers and 496 at Birnam Wood, allowing for a more scaled and impactful addition to the South Campus Upper Division Community feel. • South Campus Community: Buchanan Towers “Classic” and “East” (the newer addition): Buchanan Towers Residents 484 Total (Some Kitchenettes, Meal Plan Required) Other , 45, 9% Seniors, 50, 10% Freshmen, 110, 23% Juniors, 77, 16% Sophomores, 202, 42% Birnam Wood - Just down Bill McDonald Parkway toward I-5 from Buchanan Towers: Birnam Wood Apartment Residents 496 Total (Apartments with Full Kitchens, No Meal Plan Required) Other , 43, 9% Freshmen, 22, 4% Sophomores, 120, 24% Seniors, 125, 25% Juniors, 186, 38% Fairhaven - North of Buchanan Towers: Fairhaven Residents 620 Total (No kitchens, Meal Plan Required) Seniors, 14, 2% Other , 54, 9% Juniors, 66, 11% Sophomores, 100, 16% • Freshmen, 386, 62% Highland/Ridgway Community: Highland/Ridgeway Residents 1167 Total (Primarily Suite-Style, No Kitchens, Meal Plan Required) Seniors, 17, 1% Other , 42, 4% Juniors, 117, 10% Sophomores, 163, 14% Freshmen, 828, 71% Bond Market Assessment and Fiscal Planning • University Residences will continue to work with the University’s Financial Advisor, Susan Musselman of the PFM Group, to review the current bond market, existing Housing System debt and potential structures for additional debt. • The goal is to maintain a solid fiscal position while keeping room and board rates competitive (e.g. in the 4% - 5% range) and investing in the infrastructure of our facilities. • Fiscal scenarios are being run for 150 bed and 200 bed options with the ability to structure new debt around upcoming retirement of existing debt during the earlier years. These scenarios will be based on rate assumptions that tie to the price points indicated in the B&D Study. Facilities Condition Assessment • University Residences has received preliminary results from a comprehensive Facilities Conditions Assessment. A thorough internal analysis during February 2016 will help determine the level of investment necessary over the next 6 years initially for the items identified as “Observed Deficiencies” along with a general plan for efficiently investing in the items identified as “Predicted Renewals” over the next 20 years. Investments may also be planned for opportunities for facility improvements students would value as indicated by the recent B&D Study. • The resulting fiscal investment plan for existing facilities will be mapped into the overall long-term fiscal plan of the System likely as a “range of investment levels” to ensure system health and funding capacity for both new and existing facilities over time. Planned Alternative Delivery Method and Timeline • Assuming the System fiscal projections confirm feasibility, the intent is to plan for a Fall 2018 opening. The University anticipates utilizing the GC/CM (General Contractor/Construction Management) process for procurement of construction services. This method can be utilized for scalability and efficiency in the design process, benefitting from contractor expertise during design. The University would be an integrated partner in the design with ample opportunity for student involvement. This approach could also provide a more defined project cost earlier in the process, which will be important as we consider proper rental price points for students. • Both the University of Washington and Washington State University previously employed alternative delivery methods (Design/Build and GC/CM). UW has completed most of their recent housing projects with GC/CM. WWU has utilized GC/CM successfully for Miller Hall and Carver Academic facilities. • WWU's Office of Facilities Development & Capital Budget and Mahlum Architects worked with Enrollment and Student Services in 2015 to develop a project and program description for the potential suite-style apartment complex. This program statement and the results of the recent B&D Demand Study will be utilized in an RFQ for design consultants. • Below is the anticipated timeline: o Between now and March, the University will:  Review the Facilities Condition Assessment in detail and incorporate needed work into the Housing System’s long-term fiscal plan.  Review long-term fiscal scenario projections and assumptions incorporating both a new 150-200 bed suite-style apartment building and a range of facility condition investments over time.  Work with Financial Advisor to confirm fiscal capacity and plan bond structures.  Prepare an RFQ for design consultant services o In April, present a detailed fiscal plan along with the potential rate impacts to the Board of Trustees as a part of both an updated long term capital plan and rate recommendations for 2016-17. Request informal approval to proceed with planning steps. o The University would obtain State approval to use the GC/CM method for this project and begin program refinement with student involvement. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Provost Brent Carbajal DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Change at the Core (C-Core) Edward Geary, Director, SMATE & Geology Professor PURPOSE: Presentation and Discussion Item Purpose of Submittal: Change at the Core: A Collaborative Model for Undergraduate STEM Education Reform (C-Core) is an NSF-funded institutional transformation project. Three institutions, Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College, and Skagit Valley College, are working together to transform courses in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Geology, Mathematics, and Physics from teacher- to student-centered learning environments. Currently, 60 STEM faculty are participating in professional development workshops, implementing and observing evidence-based teaching and learning practices, and collaborating on curriculum changes and course alignment across the three institutions. Challenges include: student resistance to change, classroom and laboratory spaces not designed to support student-centered learning, assessments poorly aligned with studentcentered learning practices, and faculty uncertainty about how to address the needs of diverse students. Preliminary data from student focus groups, faculty surveys, and case studies suggest that these challenges can be at least partially overcome through active engagement of department chairs, faculty learning communities, innovative student grouping strategies, explicit support and recognition for faculty reform efforts from deans, and establishment of regular communication among faculty, chairs, deans, and other administrators across the three institutions. Dr. Edward Geary, Director of Science, Math and Technology Education (SMATE), looks forward to the opportunity to provide Board members with additional information at the February meeting. CHANGE AT THE CORE: A collaborative model for undergraduate STEM education reform Ed Geary, Emily Borda, Joann Otto, and Catherine Clark (WWU), Ed Harri (WCC), Gabe Mast (SVC) DUE-1347711 Goals o Improve undergraduate STEM teaching and learning in participating institutions o Increase the engagement and success of underrepresented minority students in STEM majors o Create an adaptive model for improving undergraduate STEM education Professional Development Model Unburdened, outcomesbased Curriculum 3 Key Findings from How People Learn1 • Prior knowledge • Knowledge structure • Metacognition 5 Strategies of Formative Assessment2 • Clear outcomes • Eliciting evidence of student learning • Feedback • Peers as resources • Student ownership Common, researchbased Philosophy Studentcentered Pedagogy 1Bransford, • Learning targets • Learning progressions • Unburdening • Inclusive learning environments • Peer instruction • Inquiry-based tutorials J. D., A. L. Brown, et al., Eds. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, D.C., National Academy Press. 2Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Bloomington, IN, Solution Tree Press. Professional Development Structure Cohort 1: 34 Faculty Chemistry SVC Biology WCC Environmental Science WWU Geology Cohort 2: 26 Faculty Physics SVC Math WCC Engineering WWU Computer Science Addressing Barriers Barrier Limited Faculty knowledge/ Traditional attitudes/ beliefs • • • • • Strategies to address barrier Content immersion Peer observation Professional Learning Community work Familiarization of faculty, chairs and deans with research Faculty training Expectations of content coverage • • Familiarization with depth vs. breadth research Learning progressions Lack of instructor time • • • • Focus on manageable learning targets Work time during summer institute and workshops Project support for videotaping/data collection Use of department meeting time Student resistance • • Switch to outcomes-based student evaluations Training in strategies to promote buy-in Class size and layout • • Training in grouping/layout strategies Training in scalable teaching strategies • Traditional Department & college • practices & expectations • Inclusion of outcomes-focused data in dossiers Increased status for scholarship on teaching and learning Focus on student-centered instruction in decision-making Progress To Date • 60 STEM faculty using ScL strategies in lower division • • • • • Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Geology, Mathematics, and Physics courses at WWU, SVC, and WCC Cross-institutional discussions and collaborations about the Big Ideas all students need to know in lower division STEM courses Students more actively engaged in STEM classes Ongoing efforts to create more inclusive learning environments Changes in evaluation and space policies to support ScL Fall Workshop for all New Faculty at Western on Studentcentered Learning What C-Core Faculty Need • Space: Classrooms designed to support ScL • Mobile, adaptable, walk-able, pods, white-boards • Resources ($$) to support ScL training and compensation for students (TAs/LAs) to support high-enrolled classes • Graduate TA Training • Learning Assistant Program • Recognition and Support • T&P expectations and evaluations aligned with ScL practices • Dept. Service explicitly includes classroom observations • Institutional acknowledgement of innovative ScL practices • Engagement of Colleagues • Department meeting time and/or Retreats focused on teaching and learning • Incentives… preferential assignments, mini-grants, food • Mentor Teams organize observations What’s Next? • Inclusion of more faculty (Cohort 3) • Engagement of non C-Core faculty • Classroom Observations of ScL classrooms • Teaching/Learning discussions at Dept. meetings • PD for Teaching/Learning Assistants on ScL(?) • Publication of our results and dissemination of our initial model for institutional reform • Phase 2 C-Core proposal to NSF • Student-centered Learning becomes the “Norm” at WWU, WCC, and SVC Sustainability C-Core faculty as change agents Increased prioritization on curriculum and instruction in departments Chairs/deans as instructional leaders Departmental/institutional policies that support and reward student-centered practices WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement and President/CEO of the WWU Foundation DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Presentation on the Seattle Office Activities PURPOSE: Discussion Item Purpose of Submittal: Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement and President/CEO of the WWU Foundation, will provide an update to the board on the Seattle office activities. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: Sue Sharpe, Chair, Presidential Search Advisory Committee DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Presidential Search Update PURPOSE: Discussion Item Purpose of Submittal: Trustee Sue Sharpe, Chair of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee, will update the Board on the status of the presidential search process. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement and President/CEO of the WWU Foundation DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Campaign Update PURPOSE: Discussion Item Purpose of Submittal: Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement and President/CEO of the WWU Foundation, will provide an update to the board on the Western Washington University campaign. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Steve Swan, V.P. for University Relations and Community Development DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Olympia Update PURPOSE: Discussion Item Purpose of Submittal: Becca Kenna-Schenk, Director of Government Relations, will give an update on the 2016 legislative session. Supporting Information: State Relations The 2016 Legislative Session began on January 11th and is scheduled to end on March 10th. The “short,” sixty-day session is intended to provide legislators an opportunity to make adjustments to the two-year, biennial operating and capital budgets. The government relations team has been busy during the first month of session, with many efforts underway to advance Western’s 2016 legislative priorities, while also monitoring proposed legislation that would have impacts to Western. To date, over 3,500 bills have been introduced for the 2015-17 biennium, and Western is tracking over 300 of these. Western students, faculty and staff have already had a major presence in Olympia this session. On Monday, January 18th, more than 100 Western students were at the capitol for Viking Lobby Day. President Bruce Shepard and Steve Swan, VP for University Relations and Community Development, were in Olympia on January 18 and 19 for meetings with legislators, and on Tuesday, January 19, Trustees Mo West and Seth Brickey, along with former Trustee Ralph Munro participated in Regents and Trustees Day in Olympia. Western’s legislative priorities for 2016 are as follows: • Improving student success by investing in support services, including academic advising, tutoring and retention services; • Helping to address the teacher shortage facing the state by recruiting more individuals to pursue teaching careers and by increasing capacity within teacher preparation programs; and • Improving campus safety and connectivity by investing in facilities upgrades: o Security Upgrades for Campus Lockdown Capabilities– Request for state investment to improve Western’s emergency response system through replacement of its existing electronic access control system and expansion of the system in order to enable immediate lockdown of occupied buildings during campus emergencies. • Network/Wireless Renewal Initiative– Request for state investment in IT and wireless network infrastructure. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: Sue Sharpe, Chair, Board Governance Committee DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Board Governance Committee Report PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: Chair Sharpe will report to members of the Board of Trustees and the university president and his staff topics related to the Board Governance Committee. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Provost Brent Carbajal DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Quarterly Report on Grants and Contracts PURPOSE: Informational Item Purpose of Submittal: Information from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs concerning grant awards for the period October 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. Supporting Information: • Grant awards/totals for the period 10/1/15 – 12/31/15 • Grant awards for the fiscal year 2014/15 The total amount of grants and contracts received this period was $2,579,192.52. This includes both new awards and additions to existing awards. Department Biology Border Policy Research Canadian American Studies Computer Science Elementary Education Engineering Technology Environmental Sciences Environmental Studies Health & Community Studies Mathematics PEHR SMATE Shannon Point Marine Center Watershed Studies Woodring Total Award Total 7,000.00 12,160.00 111,716.00 53,003.52 500,000.00 53,000.00 259,843.00 39,495.00 199,999.00 299,867.00 36,948.00 45,518.00 52,270.00 904,973.00 3,400.00 2,579,192.52 Awards 1 Additions 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 12 2 9 SUBJECT: YTD Grant Awards Department 7/1/15- 10/1/15- 1/1/16- 4/1/16- Fiscal Year 9/30/2015 12/31/2015 3/31/2016 6/30/2016 2016 Biology 111,631.00 7,000.00 118,631.00 Border Policy 71,000.00 12,160.00 83,160.00 Campus Compact 673,464.00 Canadian/American Studies Chemistry 673,464.00 111,716.00 111,716.00 581,000.00 Computer Science 581,000.00 53,003.52 53,003.52 Engineering Tech 248,617.00 53,000.00 301,617.00 Environmental Sciences 746,749.00 259,843.00 1,006,592.00 39,495.00 39,495.00 Environmental Studies Extended Education - FTF 142,651.00 142,651.00 Geology 107,342.00 107,342.00 History 287,521.00 287,521.00 Mathematics 8,000.00 299,867.00 307,867.00 Physical Education, Health & Rec 24,650.00 36,948.00 61,598.00 Physics/Astonomy 301,885.00 301,885.00 Psychology 108,610.00 108,610.00 Research & Sponsored Programs 46,000.00 46,000.00 Science, Math & Tech Education 1,247,085.00 45,518.00 1,292,603.00 Shannon Point Marine Center 421,136.00 52,270.00 473,406.00 Toxicology 76,539.00 Watershed Studies 8,000.00 904,973.00 912,973.00 Woodring College of Education 77,668.11 703,399.00 781,067.11 Total 5,289,548.11 2,579,192.52 - 76,539.00 - 7,868,740.63 GRANT AWARDS FOR THE PERIOD NEW FUNDS ADD'L FUNDS FUND DESCRIPTION 56344 Addition to Globalization and Borders 12,160.00 55903 Addition to PEAB Teachers 1,800.00 55906 55108 56348 56373 Addition to PEAB School Admin/Principal Year 2 - Sediment Porewater Sulfide Supplemental to Channel State Dissemination School Self Assessment App and Backend Portal for Gov't of Laos 1,600.00 88,012.00 8,000.00 55795 56374 Year 3 - Collaborative Schools for Innovation & Success Restoration Monitoring in the Stillaguamish Estuary 55113 54584 Year 2 - Middle School Math Partnerships Logic Controllers for Research 55796 Year 2 - National Resource Center for the Study of Canada 1,670.00 500,000.00 71,929.00 299,867.00 53,003.52 111,716.00 October, November, December 2015 FUNDING AGENCY University of Victoria WA State Superintendent of Public Instruction WA State Superintendent of Public Instruction University of Washington Worcester Polytechnic Institute Risk Reduction Education for Disasters WA State Superintendent of Public Instruction The Nature Conservancy WA State Superintendent of Public Instruction Office of Navel Research University of Washington P.I. L. Trautman F. Rios DEPARTMENT Border Policy Research Woodring DEPT. TOTAL 12,160.00 1,800.00 F. Rios D. Shull A. Klein R. Paci-Green Woodring Environmental Sciences Engineering Environmental Studies 1,600.00 88,012.00 8,000.00 1,670.00 J. Carney J. Rybczyk Elementary Education Environmental Sciences 500,000.00 71,929.00 Mathematics Computer Science Canadian American Studies 299,867.00 53,003.52 J. Cohen J. Rrushi D. Rossiter 111,716.00 1,149,757.52 55114 56376 WSAC's Educator's for the 21st Century State Evaluation Effects of Multi-ingredient Supplement on Physical Performance 15,200.00 36,948.00 WA Student Achievement Council Albion Laboratories, Inc. D. Hanley L. Brilla 56375 56372 Optimized Additive Manufacturing for High Dielectric Strength Analysis of the Bureau of Land Management's decision-making 45,000.00 37,825.00 Tethers Unlimited The PEW Charitable Trusts N. Hoekstra G. Wang 52552 US Department of Education 55115 Year 2 - Long-Term Training Gant: Rehabilitation Counseling Research Experiences for Future Science, Math &Technology Teachers 30,318.00 55797 56377 55882 55798 The Science and Management of Contaminated Sites Connectivity in the Gulf of Alaska Lake Whatcom Monitoring '16 - '18 Shewmaker Internship 2015-16 99,902.00 52,270.00 904,973.00 7,000.00 199,999.00 SMATE Physical Education 15,200.00 36,948.00 45,000.00 37,825.00 E. Boland Engineering Environmental Studies Health & Community Studies University of Washington E. Geary SMATE Washington Department of Ecology North Pacific Research Board City of Bellingham Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife R. Sofield S. Strom R. Matthews D. Donovan Environmental Sciences SPMC Watershed Studies Biology 199,999.00 30,318.00 99,902.00 52,270.00 904,973.00 7,000.00 365,290.00 1,064,145.00 2,579,192.52 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard on behalf of Senior Vice President Eileen Coughlin DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Admissions and Enrollment Summary PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: To provide a general update on enrollment and admissions. Fall Quarter 2016 Update The freshman application deadline was January 31, 2016. The number of applications exceeded 10,000 for the first time in Western’s history. As of the date of this submission: • • • Freshmen applications are estimated to be up by 478: 7,520 now compared to 7,042 at the same time as last year. Admitted freshmen are up by 293: 4,515 compared to 4,222 Confirmed freshmen are up by 72: 394 compared to 322 Winter 2016 Enrollment Update Our winter quarter 2016 freshman and transfer enrollment was similar to last year. Winter enrollment of all students, including undergraduates and graduates, totaled 14,748 compared to 14,451 last year. International Admission Update International recruitment this winter will include attendance at 10 international transfer fairs in the Seattle area as well as individual visits to community colleges. Later in the spring we will attend the U.S. College Expo Fair and NACAC in Vancouver, B.C. As we are currently in the midst of application season, our International Admissions Advisor has also been working closely with applicants helping them through the application process. Admitted Student Receptions In February and March, our Admissions Counseling team will host 10 receptions for admitted students and their families throughout Washington plus a few key out-of-state locations. These receptions provide an opportunity to congratulate the students on their many accomplishments and personally connect with them and their families while they are making decisions about where to attend college. These receptions provide an important touch point for students to stay connected with Western, talk through their next steps and answer any questions about financial aid, scholarships, academic programs or life on campus. While the programs vary slightly, most include either current students, alumni or faculty in addition to our Admissions staff. This year, we are expanding our presence in the King County area to reach more students with 2 events in Northern Seattle, as well as programs in Bellevue, Renton and Tacoma. We also hold receptions in Spokane, Vancouver, Portland, and Northern and Southern California. Honors Invitational On February 29th, Admissions will host our Honors Invitational program. This day-long event for students who have been admitted with Highest Honors will showcase our campus, academic programs, student leadership opportunities and, of course, our Honors Program. Champions of Diversity Each year we participate in a program coordinated by Skagit Valley College called Champions of Diversity. Through this program, school counselors, teachers and community members from Skagit, Island and San Juan Counties nominate seniors in high school to be recognized via scholarships for their involvement in their schools and communities. Each public four-year institution in Washington then selects students to award with scholarship funding based on the nominations. This year, Western awarded Multicultural Achievement Program scholarships to 11 students. While it is still early in the recruitment cycle, 3 of these students applied to Western and an additional 3 are planning to attend Western after completing their two-year degree at Skagit. An additional 14 students who were honored at the Champions of Diversity event have also applied to Western. Majors Guide Update In collaboration with the Registrar’s Office, Academic Advising and Career Services, and University Relations, a team of staff members from Admissions, Communications and Marketing and Web Tech have developed new Majors Guides. Market research shows that one of the primary areas of interest of prospective students is comprehensive, easily accessible information about academic opportunities. These pages are designed for both prospective and currently-enrolled students. This visually appealing, 167 page tool includes all Western majors, pre-professional pathways and professional certification programs and is designed to describe: a) what the discipline is about, b) what is unique about Western’s program, c) what co-curricular activities or clubs are available, d) what the employment/graduate school outlook is like, and e) where to find more information. The pages feature an ever-changing “Major Spotlight” to introduce students to different fields of study and allow users to search by major or key word. The Major Guides are mobile-responsive and will be included on Western’s revised, mobile-friendly version of the homepage, scheduled to launch at the end of January. Newest Improvements to admissions.wwu.edu With an ever-increasing number of prospective students visiting university websites during their college searches (some market research puts that figure at 100% of prospects), and because these visitors expect an easy and engaging web experience, Admissions and WebTech continue to improve the user experience for visitors to the Admissions website. The most recent improvements include development of a Western Admissions Counselor Map and Student Admissions Representative (StAR) pages. The Counselor Map consists of a user-centered, interactive map of the United States used to connect prospective students with their WWU Admissions Counselor, based on their state, high school or college. The design allows users to quickly find the Counselor for their region through a visually stimulating process. The StAR pages showcase our student admissions representatives (StARs) and their incredible stories. The StARs will have their profiles, which include their home towns, majors, and quotes about their passions for Western, posted on the Admissions site. Prospective students want to know about current students and this new section of the Admissions website will allow them to easily explore the stories of some incredibly successful, interesting and enthusiastic Western students. New Admissions Digital Marketing Team The Admissions Digital Marketing Team is an interdisciplinary group who are passionate about Western’s mission and tasked with finding the most effective digital methods of communicating with and recruiting future Western students. The purpose of the group is to improve our digitally-based marketing outreach to prospective students (e.g. blogs, video, social media, etc.). Membership represents Admissions Communications and Marketing staff, Admissions Visit staff, Admissions Counselors, and University Communication, as well as current students. UNIVERSITY A D VA N C E M E N T REPORT FEBRUARY 2016 Now it can officially be told: we blew past our Western Stands for Washington Campaign $60 million goal months early – on National Philanthropy Day, no less! We also won awards of excellence in communications and marketing from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), winning Bronze awards for the campaign overall as well as for the campaign website, and receiving commendations for three of our newsletters: The Insider, the Alumni Association newsletter and this Board of Trustees report! With so much to celebrate, please plan to join us for our Bellingham and Seattle-based “thank you” festivities, set for February 24 and March 8 respectively. I look forward to seeing you there and thanking you in person for all that you continue to do for WWU. CAMPAIGN RESULTS THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2015 $60 $2.2 -GIFTS IN KIND $3.4 -PLEDGES $55 NOV 1 - DEC 31, 2015 2,587 Annual Giving donors contributed 3,233 gifts totaling $838,345. $50 $45 $40 ADVANCEMENT FAST FACTS $31 -CASH We solicited an extensive combination of donors, former donors and non-donor alumni through 10,363 direct mailings and 29,884 emails and other soliciations, resulting in excess of $200,000. $35 Our 37 Phonathoners made 53,060 calls, reaching 4,043 alumni and parents, garnering 645 pledges and raising $36,315. $30 $25 Engaging future and current donors, major gift officers conducted 86 in-person visits and reached out through 289 phone calls, emails and letters. $20 $15 $25.1 -PLANNED GIFTS We secured 13 major gifts totalling $710,180 and seven pledges totaling $466,854. $10 $5 $0 TOTAL $61.7 Million WWU Alumni Association’s nine events engaged 1,199 Western alumni, families, staff and community members. And we welcomed 106 new members to the Alumni Association, for a total of 2,504. $ MILLIONS 1 GROWING AWARENESS While the Western Stands for Washington Campaign ads went “dark” during the holiday retail noise, Advancement’s communications team promoted Alumni Association membership and donations, turning to social media to target specific audiences who already have a Western affinity. We launched an Alumni Association membership campaign that reached more than 72,000 WWU users and resulted in 944 visits to the membership page. While membership conversions are still being calculated, we do know that this December 24 ad, right, resulted in a visit to the WWU City Center office from a Lifetime member as well as a phone-in membership from another Lifetime member who gave it as a three-year recurring gift to her daughter, along with a $50 donation to alumni scholarships. ENGAGEMENT METRICS WITH DEAN FRANCISCO RIOS’ MOTIVATIONAL HELP, A WOODRINGFOCUSED PHONATHON RAISED $28,633 WITH 503 PLEDGES, A 2.3% AND 4.6% IMPROVEMENT, YEAR OVER YEAR. THE ANNUAL GIVING TEAM TRIED A NEW “EMAIL DRIP MARKETING” STRATEGY AS PART OF THEIR END-OF-THE-YEAR CAMPAIGN SECURING $67,874, A 94% BUMP FROM LAST YEAR’S SIMILAR EFFORT. ANNUAL GIVING’S ONLINE AND MAIL EFFORTS SECURED 975 GIFTS, TOTALLING $209,000. 2 E N G A G E M E N T EVENTS FROM NOV 2015-JAN 2016 THE HOLIDAY GOLD STANDARD: Western’s student ambassadors were on hand to welcome guests at WWU’s annual holiday receptions in Bellingham and Seattle. A capacity audience of nearly 300 attended the 14th annual Bellingham Leadership Forum on November 30 at the Hotel Bellwether Ballroom. David Marshall, executive director of the Fraser Basin Council, gave a talk entitled “The Salish Sea – Recreational Playground, Environmental Treasure, Economic Driver,” focusing on the important role the Salish Sea – a designation coined by WWU Professor Emeritus Bert Webber – plays in both the US and Canada. Marshall also emphasized ways in which the two countries can work together to maintain and preserve this important resource. WWU senior and Industrial Design major Leah Cohen-Sapida spoke on behalf of all Western students about the support she and others receive through philanthropy. Recently, she and two fellow students designed the Imbue, a loose-leaf tea brewer and drinking device, as part of a class project. CohenSapida told the story of bringing the product to market, the nearly $400,000 in financial backing they received through a Kickstarter campaign and the estimated 9,000 units already pre-ordered. She emphasized the important role private support plays in the lives of all students, and in response, Forum attendees contributed an all-time high of more than $10,000 in support of Western programs and scholarships. Nearly 500 donors, alumni, community members, elected officials, volunteers and friends of Western enjoyed the earlyDecember annual holiday receptions in Bellingham and Seattle. Bruce and Cyndie Shepard entertained more than 370 people were entertained at their home over the course of four nights, and 110 guests enjoyed a festive gathering at The Loft in Bothell. — — — We kicked off our seasonal events with shoulder-to-shoulder foot traffic through the Western City Center during Downtown Bellingham’s Art Walk on December 4. Western’s central Bellingham location hosted roughly 460 attendees, an expansive range of alumni, students, staff, faculty and community members. Visitors enjoyed local and WWU student artwork, as well as food, wine and – of course – cheery holiday photos with Victor Viking. On November 14, a group of Western alumni and friends gathered in Issaquah for a Village Theatre production of “My Fair Lady,” followed by a postshow complimentary wine tasting. Our partnership with Village Theatre continues to flourish: they provide discount tickets and we provide a social space where the Western community can enjoy the performing arts together. — On November 19, WWU Alumni Board member Kristine Worland, ‘86, VP of Continuum Consulting, hosted a BBQ at her home in Goodyear, Arizona, for area alumni. The festive atmosphere included a robust conversation – part of the Vikings Want to Know initiative launched by the board last year – about how WWU’s Alumni Association might become a major asset to alumni – and to Western. V IS FOR VIKINGS!: Victor was a popular draw at our City Center during Art Walk. — 3 E N G A G E M E N T CONTINUED... CENTER COURT: Western friends and families dominated at the Portland Trail Blazers game. On December 5, the Alumni Association hosted 145 guests for Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma. This annual event sells out every year and is a family favorite for Western alumni and friends. A wide variety of ages and class years joined us for the exhibit and reception. ALL THAT GLITTERS: Our Zoolights outing remains a festive annual favorite. — Western City Center played host to the Institute for Energy Studies’ staff party on December 8, with more than 30 employees of the Institute enjoying the downtown space while celebrating the holiday season. — Intrepid participants braved the elements during a particularly stormy Pacific Northwestern day, enjoying the WWU Alumni Association’s Skagit River Eagle Float trip on December 12. for appetizers, beer and wine before supporting the Vikings as they took on their rival Wildcats. — After a brief respite for the holidays, the Alumni Association welcomed in the new year in Portland with the Trail Blazers game on January 4. While the Blazers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, fun was had by all: the 40 Western attendees – members of the WWU community in the greater Portland area – were given the exclusive, hour-long opportunity to play on the “Court of Dreams” following the game. — Back in Bellingham, more WWU supporters gathered for the Western versus Central women’s basketball game on January 9. During the Carver Facility renovation, Vikings basketball has been moved to Whatcom Community College’s gym, but the change in location didn’t stop 41 of our alumni and community members from attending our pre-game party VICTOR IS OURS: Victor Viking & friends cheer on WWU’s women’s basketball. — 4 UPCOMING EVENTS FEB 18 – Ignite Your Intellect: Whatcom County’s Relationship with the Canadian Border at Western City Center in Bellingham FEB 18 – Vikings Want to Know at Jake’s Crawfish in Portland, OR FEB 24 – Western Stands for Washington Campaign Celebration on campus FEB 25 – WWU Men’s Basketball vs. SPU in Seattle MARCH 3 – WWU Palm Springs Social in California MARCH 4 – WWU Night @ Everett Silvertips vs. Seattle T-Birds in Everett MARCH 5 – Scholars/Leaders Celebration on campus MARCH 8 – Western Stands for Washington Campaign Wrap-up Celebration at the Grand Hyatt, Seattle MARCH 12 – Curling in Canada 10 MARCH 17 – Senior Celebration on campus MARCH 19 – Commencement on campus MARCH 19-23 – WWU Phoenix Events in Arizona APRIL 1– Art Walk at Western City Center in Bellingham APRIL 7 – Vikings Want to Know Reception at Boeing in Everett APRIL 9 – Ignite Your Intellect with Eric Leonhardt at LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma APRIL 20 – Ask an Alum on campus APRIL 20 - Ignite Your Intellect with Melissa Rice at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle 5 N E W & FA M I L I A R FA C E S Amber Asbjornsen, most recently the director of development at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, is now director of development for the College of Science and Engineering. Previously, Amber has held positions in WWU Advancement as leadership annual giving officer, director of annual giving, assistant director of annual giving and phonathon coordinator. Amber is a 2002 alumna of Western, and grew up in the Reno/Tahoe area in Nevada. Amber and her husband Andy, a 2005 alumnus of Western, have two sons ages eight and five. In December, Angie Vandenhaak, formerly the director of development for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, took on a new role as University Advancement’s director of development, annual giving, overseeing the Annual Giving campaigns and related programs. A 1999 WWU alumna, Angie began her professional life at Western by managing the Advancement division’s call center and direct mail program, going on to serve as the director of annual giving and director of parent giving. Angie, her husband Brian and their two children have made Bellingham home since 2000. Breanna Cain joins the division as our donor relations director. Most recently, she was at Faithlife, leading the employee recruiting efforts and working on special projects for their president, including the development of a women in leadership lecture series and the creation and maintenance of the web site Bellingham Wins. Previously, she was the development coordinator at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation and, prior to that, development associate for Island Hospital Foundation. She and her husband live in Birch Bay. Christa Countryman has recently taken on the Advancement division’s Seattle-based manager of corporate partnerships role, joining both Western’s Advancement and Academic and Career Development Services teams. A native of eastern Washington State, Christa earned an M.A. from Wheaton College in 2007, and brings prior experience in higher education, sales, publishing and nonprofit fundraising to her role. Her most recent position was as grants manager for an international nonprofit organization. A Seattle resident, she enjoys spending time with family and being outdoors. In December, Manca Valum, a 1983 alumna of Western, formerly the director of development for Huxley College of the Environment, took on a new role as Advancement’s senior director of development for University Strategic Initiatives which includes directing the university’s Corporate and Foundation Relations program. Prior to joining WWU as the director of development for the College of Sciences and Technology and Huxley College in 2006, Manca worked with two local nonprofit agencies. She lives with her family on the Valum Family Farm in Whatcom County . Mary Doherty was recently promoted from WWU Alumni Association communications and marketing programs manager to director of marketing and communications for University Advancement. Mary joined Western four years ago from the corporate marketing world and has 18 years of experience in journalism, PR, non-profit development and marketing. At WWU, she helped Alumni communications evolve its strategy to increase visibility and outreach, and handled all advertising and social media for the Western Stands for Washington Campaign. Mary lives in Bellingham with her two daughters. 6 Capital Program Report Board of Trustees February 12, 2016 MAJOR/INTERMEDIATE CAPITAL PROJECTS • Carver Renovation Mortenson Construction, the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) contractor, is wrapping up final subcontractor packages and subcontracts. Abatement and demolition work is nearly complete throughout the site and existing building. Pile installation is complete and foundation work is underway. Site utility work is also an ongoing activity. Structural seismic mitigation work and structural steel erection will be the next phase of the construction work. The project is scheduled to be substantially complete in April 2017. • Science Building Renovation and Addition Predesign THA Architecture and Western representatives continue to have meetings and working on elements of the Science Building Renovation and Addition Predesign. Completion is scheduled for June 30, 2016. • Performing Arts Center Renovation and Addition Predesign Opsis Architecture and Western representatives continue to have meetings and working on elements of the Performing Arts Center Renovation and Addition Predesign. Completion is scheduled for June 30, 2016. 2017-2019 CAPITAL BUDGET REQUEST AND 2017-2027 TEN-YEAR PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS • Work sessions are in progress to develop the University’s 2017-2027 ten-year plan. Concurrently, the divisions are finalizing the priority of their minor works requests for inclusion in the 2017-2019 Capital Budget Request. The draft 2017-2027 ten-year Capital Plan and 2017-2019 Capital Budget Request will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the April 2016 Board of Trustees meeting. For more information about the major projects, the Capital Program, and the Capital Planning Process, visit the Office of Facilities Development and Capital Budget website: http://www.wwu.edu/wwuarchitect/. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Steve Swan, V.P. for University Relations and Community Development DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: University Relations and Community Development Report PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: A written report is provided on the recent activities of University Relations and Community Development. Supporting Information: Report Attached 1 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING The Office of Communications and Marketing responded to numerous media inquiries, including from national media, following online hate speech and threats in November. Our office assisted with a number of media interviews with President Bruce Shepard, including; Chronicle of Higher Education: “How a President is Fighting Online Harassment of Minority Students.” See: http://chronicle.com/article/How-a-President-Is-Fighting/234409; and Seattle Times: “Western president defends shutdown over hate speech.” See: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattlenews/education/western-president-defends-shutdown-over-hate-speech/ Other major media stories included: Seattle Times: “UW, WWU getting even better in terms of value, magazine says.” See: http://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/uw-wwu-getting-even-better-interms-of-value-magazine-says/ Our Western Instagram account reached No. 1 in the world recently on a list ranking the accounts with the highest follower engagement. Engagement rate is typically seen as a top benchmark of ongoing account quality, as it measures the percentage of fans who consistently interact with the account. The list was limited to accounts that had at least 10,000 followers. In addition, the blog component of the Our Western student social media program has launched. The blog, which is run by a WWU student, features a variety of Western student voices about campus and community life. The goal is to give prospective students an unbiased look at the university as told by students and to give current students an outlet to share what they love about Western. See: http://wp.wwu.edu/ourwestern/ Our office also completed work on WWU's first in-house produced PSA airing on ROOT sports during two Western basketball games in January. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD6FlaW3BRY . The student-produced Western Window TV show is creating engaging stories about Western. See: http://www.wwu.edu/westernwindowtv/ In publications, we sent out the fall/winter edition of Window, the university magazine, to 105,462 readers. See: http://www.windowmagazine.org/window////. We also released the winter edition of Soundings, the quarterly publication sent to parents of Western students. See: http://www.wwu.edu/soundings/ In conjunction with colleagues in WebTech, we completed work on www.wwu.edu/research, an outward-facing landing page designed to show prospective students the range of research opportunities they would have at Western. Graphic designers worked on a wide range of design projects with offices across campus, including fliers, posters, banners and online and social media design work. In the following charts you will find metrics and other data associated with various mediums that Communications & Marketing uses in the dissemination of Western-related stories and information. 2 3 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS 4 Federal Relations On December 15, 2015, Congress passed and President Obama signed the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2016 budget agreement ("The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016). The bill, often referred to as “the omnibus,” provides critical funding levels for education that are much-needed, but only a modest improvement. While most higher education programs are funded at the same levels as the previous budget, the 2016 budget does increase the Pell Grant maximum award by $140, and, more notably, avoids draconian cuts that are averted because of the budget framework negotiated between the Administration and congressional majority in late October. AASCU (American Association of State Colleges and Universities) has released its list of the Top 10 Higher Education State Policy Issues for 2016. This is a summary of top issues that are trending nationally. The issues are: 1. Keeping College Affordable Through State Investment in Public Higher Education 2. Improving Institutional Outcomes and Degree Production 3. Combatting Campus Sexual Assault 4. Meeting State Economic Needs Through Higher Education 5. Aligning Secondary-Postsecondary Educational Standards 6. College Access for Undocumented and DACA Students 7. Guns on Campus 8. College Access and Success for Veterans 9. Free Community College 10. Student Loan Refinancing and Debt Assistance SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER WWU Small Business Development Center: Q4 – 2015 CONTRACT DELIVERABLES DELIVERABLES Annual Deliverable Q4 2015 YTD 2015 %Complete Total Businesses Advised 275 131 317 115% Total Advising & Support Hours Total Non-Clients Supported 2500 805 3330 133% 360 76 282 78% 635 4 207 22 599 94% (Unique Trainees + Unique Inquiries) Total Trainings Total Unique Entrepreneurs (Unique Clients + Unique NonClients) 5 BUSINESS PHASE Expansion Businesses Hours Retention Businesses Hours Startup Businesses Hours Annual Deliverable Q4 2015 YTD 2015 % Complete 100 1000 48 333 99 1309 99% 131% 100 1000 38 307 99 1172 99% 117% 75 500 45 165 119 849 159% 170% WWU Small Business Development Center: Q4 – 2015 HIGHLIGHTS • • • • SBDC Training cohosted with SCORE - Grow Your Business with Social Media SBDC Student Analysts - hired two WWU Master of Business Administration graduate research assistants SBDC Presentation – Ensuring Success, Three Questions for Business Owners, Whatcom Women in Business SBDC Training – Effective Financial Management, five part series kickoff WWU Small Business Development Center: Q4 – 2015 SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS & OBSERVATIONS Workforce In recognition of pending employee layoffs from several large county employers: Alcoa/Intalco Works, Nooksack River Casino, CH2M Hill, and Haggen, the Bellingham SBDC staff will continue to staff booths at major Job and Career Fairs. Receiving more inquiries from clients concerning market rates for wages; pressure to increase salaries & hourly wages. Access to Capital/Financing We are seeing quite a few more referrals from local banking partners. Industry Observations Several downtown retail businesses considering closure due to slowdown in sales. There is an increase of local businesses changing ownership, or current owners looking to sell/retire. Several clients claim weather changes as impacting their revenues. The longer warmer summer/fall has eroded the Back to School/Back to Fall buying patterns. Late summer sales were down as customers didn’t feel any urgency to purchase fall / winter clothes until late October. By that time, all major retailers were offering holiday sales. Smaller retailers did not experience their former high margin fall sales. New Satellite Office The WWU SBDC opened a satellite office in Bellingham in Barkley Village’s Corporate Office on Monday, Feb. 1. The SBDC’s main downtown office will continue to serve as the main office with its usual full staffing. The new office will be open for client meetings on an as-needed basis. The satellite office is a partnership between the university, the SBDC and Barkley Company. 6 WASHINGTON CAMPUS COMPACT • Students Serving Washington Awards Outreach for the Students Serving Washington Awards is underway! This pilot project grew out of our presidents’ meeting in which presidents asked how we might create a more compelling, collective statewide message about how higher education is serving a public good. These awards will bring visibility to student leaders from across the state who are making a difference in their communities and on their campuses. We will have three types of awards: social entrepreneur awards, outstanding service awards, and presidents’ awards. All students from Washington Campus Compact member institutions are eligible to apply for the social entrepreneur and outstanding service awards. In addition, each Washington Campus Compact president/chancellor will have the opportunity to select two students from their campuses to receive the presidents’ awards. The statewide recognition event will be held Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. • Statewide Presidents Meeting Washington Campus Compact will convene a statewide presidents meeting on April 26, 2016 prior to the Students Serving Washington Awards recognition event. Presidents and chancellors from the 42 member institutions will be invited to attend. Topics for consideration of the statewide dialogue will encompass issues of common relevance across higher education institutions in Washington. • Grants Washington Campus Compact has resubmitted two grant proposals for continued funding for FY 2017. The College Access Corps program places full time AmeriCorps members on campuses to recruit and place college students as college access coaches to low income K-12 youth. The VISTA program places full time VISTA members on campuses to recruit and place college students in community programs that work to alleviate poverty in communities. • Legislative Efforts Washington Campus Compact worked with legislators to draft a student engagement bill. HB 2451 was intended to help strengthen the partnerships between higher education institutions and K-12 schools by first mapping and tracking those partnerships, and then by collecting data on the value and impacts of those partnerships on student success. It was intended to support college student engagement focused on K-12 success and disseminate best practices across the state. The bill received strong bipartisan support among the House Higher Education Committee, including sponsorship by eight of the thirteen committee members. However, it did not make it out of the House Higher Education Committee for consideration. 7 WEB COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (WebTech) The months of December and January have had WebTech working hard producing several new websites, on-boarding our new employee, and resolving over 100 feature requests and bug fixes to existing websites. WebTech assisted the College of Business and Economics with launching their new website based on Drupal. https://cbe.wwu.edu. Collaborating with University Communications a new website located at http://wwu.edu/research has been created to highlight the work students do as undergraduates with faculty. The long term project of transitioning 21 ASP.NET sites from a server that is nearing expiration has been successful. All 21 sites have been upgraded and are running on the new hardware. The project not only involved upgrades but also transitioning certain applications to systems better suited for the current workflows of our workforce. Broad collaboration across the university led to the creation of a new page on the Western web site, Campus Safety Resources, http://wwu.edu/campus-safety-resources. This collection of links aims to provide a variety of resources to campus constituents. At the same time a new site aimed at facilitating resilience and prompt care and action for those in the midst of sexual violence was released, http://wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence. The Western Legislative Review, http://wp.wwu.edu/wlr and Dean of Students, http://wp.wwu.edu/students/ converted to our WordPress service to better engage with their respective constituencies on the mobile web. WebTech is pleased to announce the revised Western Homepage featuring full mobile compatibility, nearly 25% of students, staff, and faculty view the website on mobile devices. In addition there is an engaging new way for the academic offerings of Western to be viewed at http://wwu.edu/majors. Behind the scenes several other improvements have been made to improve performance and allow us to measure engagement in a more nuanced manner. WordPress activity from September 1st through October 31st # of Active WP sites mage, tests, and others Page views of WP Sites 63 15,309 56 23,518 8 Captioning Our YouTube properties saw the ratio of captioned versus non-captioned videos increase by 29%. 1400 Western's YouTube Captioning Ratio 1200 # of Videos 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Total # of Captioned Videos Total # of Uncaptioned Videos WESTERN WINDOW TV SHOW A synopsis of the latest episode of the Western Window TV Show, which is telecast on KVOS-TV via Comcast Cable on the west side of the mountains is listed below. This student intern produced show is aired Sunday mornings at 7 a.m. on KVOS and is also televised daily in Bellingham on BTV-10. Here is the address to the archives of the shows: http://www.wwu.edu/westernwindowtv/ and below is information on the three latest episodes. Episode 33 – January 2015 This month’s show is hosted by Chris Roselli of the WWU Alumni Association and Al Dowling, a student at Western. The following is the story lineup for this episode: • Raising The Roof for Students – Vice President for University Advancement Stephanie Bowers sits down to talk about her office and the role they play in raising money for Western and the University’s $60 million Western Stands for Washington capital campaign. 9 • • • • Design Around the World - Western Design students were recently given the opportunity to travel around Germany and Switzerland to study design and culture. Watch as students give perspectives on what they learned. Everything Canada - What do you really know about Canada? Come with Western Window as we explore “Everything Canada!” an event held by the Canadian Studies program at Western that helps people learn about our neighbors to the north. E-Bikes at Western - Katherine Frankhauser, a 2003 Western graduate, talks about her company Spark Mobility and its debut of electric bicycles at Western. Love Between the Covers - Pacific Lutheran University Professor Joanna Gregson and Western Professor Jennifer Lois discuss romance novels, the role they play in society, and the sociological elements that take place in the study of the genre. Episode 34 – January 2016 This month’s show is hosted by Chris Roselli of the WWU Alumni Association and Al Dowling, a student at Western. The following is the story lineup for this episode: • What’s New in CBE? – Craig Dunn, interim dean of Western’s College of Business and Economics, talks about the new interdisciplinary focus of the curriculum in the college. • Spotlight on Scholarship – A Look inside Scholar’s Week, an annual celebration allowing Western students to display and celebrate undergraduate research at Western, from Anthropology to Zoology and everything in between. • Time to Shine – Western’s “Gems Night Out” program aims to attract girls in grades 3-8 to explore science and technology with the goal of seeding an appreciation for the disciplines that could result in them focusing on science-related majors in college and careers afterwards. • Learning to Clean Up – Students in Western’s Huxley College of the Environment are learning more about toxic contamination in places like the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and how these sites can be cleaned and remediated and the many factors that go into real-life cleanup of toxic sites. • Natural Happiness – How important are the outdoors to Western students? Here’s what a few of them had to say as they reflect on how nature impacts their happiness. Episode 35 – February 2016 This month’s show is a single “Office Hours” segment hosted by Dan Purdy, director of Western’s Front Door to Discovery program. • Small Businesses, Big Impact - Dan Purdy is joined by Hart Hodges, the director of Western’s Center for Economic and Business Research; Art Sherwood, the director of Western’s IDEA Institute and the David Cole Professor of Entrepreneurship; Skye Elijah, a Western alumna and CEO of Coin Beyond; and CJ Seitz, the director of Western’s Small Business Development Center in downtown Bellingham, as they discuss the pivotal role that startup businesses have in today’s economy and the role of the University in providing that next generation of entrepreneurs. 10 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Vice President Richard Van Den Hul DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Annual University Police Report PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: Below is the annual update of the University Police Department. Supporting Information: The University Police Department is under the direction of Darin Rasmussen, Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police, supported by Donnell Tanksley, Assistant Director of Public Safety/ Assistant Chief of Police. The Strategic Plan pursues three primary goals: 1) Reduce crime, disturbances, and incidents that pose potential threats of violence or create a fear of crime in the community; 2) Strengthen community awareness, involvement and interaction with the Public Safety Department; and, 3) Develop the organization’s internal capacity and ability to promote and nurture the Community Oriented Policing philosophy among departmental personnel. State Level Participation Chief Rasmussen participates on the University Policing Committee of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). WASPC is the state’s recognized professional organization for law enforcement related issues, and has significant influence in Olympia. The University Policing Committee meets quarterly. This committee has a mutual aid agreement with six agencies for responding to major disasters or events, and a “best practice” policy for dealing with threats of violence and response to violent situations on campus. Community Participation Staff actively participates in professional associations and task force programs, including community committees, professional law enforcement associations, parking consortiums (public and private entities), community-based crime suppression and safety task forces, and campus committees. The Campus - Community Coalition continues to combat high risk drinking through education, prevention and enforcement. This organization addresses the many diverse issues that affect the relationships between the campus and surrounding communities. The University continues the funding of the Coalition, which includes Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, and Northwest Indian College as active partners. Western’s Chief of Police is a member of the Coalition’s Steering Committee, and he and other department police officers regularly attended Coalition meetings, neighborhood association meetings, and Hospitality Resource Alliance group meetings. Officers also participate in the Advice on Tap program in downtown establishments with the State Liquor Control Board and Bellingham Police Department officers. The University Police Department continues its strong working relationship with the City of Bellingham’s Police Department, and with Chief of Police Clifford Cook. This collaboration includes participating in the “Fair and Impartial Mid-Manager Training,” and the accompanying “Train the Trainer” courses being hosted by Bellingham Police Department in March 2016. Western’s officers continue to serve as members of the Bellingham Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), and participate actively in joint “Party Patrol” operations in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus. The “Party Patrols” target large parties that draw citizen complaints over noise, traffic, littering, and other behavioral issues. It is part of Western’s commitment to keep our students safe and be a “good neighbor” to the communities around Western’s campus. The Live Scan Automated Fingerprint Identification System enhances the process and timeliness of submitting fingerprints for criminal history records checks. Primarily designed for pre-employment and teacher-candidate required checks, the system is also used for criminal identification purposes. The department successfully completes hundreds of criminal history checks annually to facilitate the Compass 2 Campus program, and works with several campus partners to improve the safety practices for programs involving children at Western. The department has full compliance with FBI and Washington State Patrol requirements for security standards for Western staff who may meet or work in those areas that contain confidential criminal justice information. In its efforts to keep up with technology, the University Police Department’s Communications Center continually upgrades both its Computer Aided Dispatch/Records Management System software, and its method of access to the state and federal law enforcement communications and data systems. The department is connected to the State Intergovernmental Network for better access to the county, state, and federal information systems. The department participates with Whatcom County law enforcement agencies in the Whatcom Exchange Network (WENET) to share law enforcement, jail and prosecutor records, providing improved efficiency in real-time records checking. Public Safety Department’s two-part video training program for students, faculty and staff, “Run, Hide, Fight” and “Flashpoint” are shown as part of a “Behaviors of Concern - Violence Prevention” for faculty and staff. The videos link from the department’s homepage so that all staff, students, and faculty may have easy access to this important safety information. University Police officers participated with other agencies throughout Whatcom County in emphasis of traffic enforcement activities. These activities included DUI emphasis patrols and general traffic enforcement. The department leads a Safety Assessment Team (Threat Assessment), consisting of representatives from Enrollment and Student Services, Judicial Affairs, University Police Department, Counseling Services, Residential Life, and the Student Health Center. This group meets on a routine basis, as well as when necessary to deal with potentially threatening 2 situations, to strengthen the collective ability to resolve or mitigate issues of concern. The collaborative team of professionals has functioned well to respond to several serious incidents affecting the University. WWU Programs Through a close working relationship with the Office of Communications and Marketing and the Environmental Health and Safety Office, a multi-faceted alert system makes it possible to notify students, faculty, and staff via text messaging and email within minutes of an event that may pose an immediate threat to the campus. This system uses our current fire alarm system to facilitate voice messages to be transmitted throughout campus buildings. This system was enhanced this year with the additional channel of Desktop Notification, which sends a similar notification through all networked computers on campus. Western’s comprehensive alarm system also permits concurrent use for alarm systems for fire, duress, intrusion, and access control. With these features in mind, the University Police Department and the Lockshop are immersed in utilizing these new technologies within the University facilities and grounds. • Alarm standards continue being discussed and implemented into new and retrofitted building projects. These alarms terminate at the 24-7 Dispatch Center. Also within this program we continue to explore the use of closed-circuit television to enhance the alarms with “real time” viewing of the alarmed area(s). • The conversion of Western’s buildings from the conventional key methods to electronic monitoring and controls for access is continuing. This access system is directly linked to the existing infrastructure on campus. The Community Services Officer program utilizes uniformed police officers who present programs to the community dealing with Crime Prevention, Personal Safety, Property Protection, Substance Abuse, and other topics. The Bicycle and Skateboard Patrol program coordinates bicycle and skateboard safety efforts to heighten awareness to the central campus core of the campus regulations, and to allow more personalized contact with students, faculty, and staff. Officers engage in an educational program to make bicyclists and skateboarders aware of the rules affecting them, and a strong enforcement effort to hold violators who continue to ignore the rules in place for the “walk zones” accountable. Professional standards and training is a cornerstone in the development of competent police officers and civilian personnel, and a requirement of the accreditation standards. Officers are expected to demonstrate mental and physical skills that include strong written and verbal communication abilities, knowledge of relevant laws, officer safety techniques, and proficiency at skills that support proper patrol procedures. In 2015 officers received over 982 hours of scheduled training in areas specifically related to their jobs. These included training in firearms, defensive tactics, active shooter joint-training, night mock scenes, lethal force, and Draeger BAC Transition for impaired driving violations. A priority this year was Diversity training and Professional Development training for supervisors and police officers. 3 State and Federal Reporting The Jeanne Clery Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act, passed by Congress in 1990, and constantly modified, is in response to concerns about crime and security at postsecondary education institutions. This Act requires institutions to disclose information about campus safety policies and procedures, and to provide statistics concerning whether certain crimes took place on campus. The program is a mandatory nationwide reporting effort that tracks statistical information of the seven most serious criminal offenses within geographical areas and reporting districts. The University Police Department and Enrollment and Student Services compile the on-going annual crime statistics for publication and ensure compliance with Federal Register guidelines. Updated information is provided annually for new and returning students, staff, and faculty. Police agencies also report monthly activity through the National Incident Based Reporting (NIBRS) segment of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. UCR information is included in the Clery Act (Student Right-to-Know) reporting, along with information about alcohol and drug law violations, weapons possession, and incidents of student misconduct. 2015 Activity NIBRS is the current standard for law enforcement agencies to report summary data to state and federal authorities. It is used for comparison purposes, and for local and national trend analysis. Agencies report data on major crimes. NIBRS reflects the most serious of offenses; however, those incidents represent a very small portion of the overall activity of the University Police Department. Arrests also reflect a very small percentage of our officers’ interactions. Officers made 80 arrests in 2015. University Police Department NIBRS data compares 2015 data with 2014 and 2013. NIBRS Group A offenses (which are serious in nature and include crimes against people and property): 2015: 291 2014: 294 2013: 311 A comparison of the total calls-for-service (calls that necessitate an action by an officer or employee) shows a very consistent call average of 6,551 for 2015. This is slightly higher than the average of 6,262 for this and the last three years. 4 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard by Provost Brent Carbajal DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Annual Western Sustainability Report PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: Seth Vidaña, Campus Sustainability Manager, is providing members of the Board of Trustees with the following annual report on Western Washington University’s sustainability programs, initiatives, and activities. 2015 Report Table of Contents Preface & Executive Summary Academics Operations Engagement Planning & Administration Next Steps pg. 1 pgs. 2-4 pgs. 5-6 pgs. 7-10 pg. 10 pg. 10 Office of Sustainability From top to bottom: The Smart Solar Window team tests their prototype in Haskell Plaza; Western Libraries staff participate in the annual Sweater Days Conservation campaign; students vote for bus service changes at “The Fair” sustainability expo. 0 Western Sustainability Report 2015 Preface The annual Western Sustainability Report for 2015 contains highlights of the initiatives, projects, and developments from departments and organizations across campus over the last calendar year. This annual compilation describes many, but not all, of the curriculum and research developments, operational strategies, administrative activities, and outreach efforts that contribute to the character of Western’s sustainability efforts. The Report outlines Western’s progress in four broad areas: (1) Academics, (2) Operations, (3) Engagement, and (4) Planning & Administration. These categories follow the model set forth by the Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS), a campus sustainability assessment tool created by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. These categories are permeable as many academic undertakings include strong connections to campus operations and operational programs by necessity need to reach out to the student sphere for success. Executive Summary Academics • New degree programs are being offered including a Bachelor of Arts in Energy Policy and Management, a minor in Energy Science, and a minor in Sustainability Studies. (pg. 3) • The Institute for Energy Studies was gifted $1M for as part of the Western Stands for Washington campaign. (pg. 3) Operations • Western was recognized by Puget Sound Energy for garnering over $750,000 in incentive funding since 2013. (pg. 5). • Carbon emissions continue an overall downward trend. FY 2015 emissions are 6% lower than in 2007, but increased conservation activity will be necessary to achieve state requirements and Western’s Climate Action Plan goals by 2020 (pg. 6). Engagement • Eight new offices received recognition under the Sustainable Office Certification program, bringing the total to 18% of all offices. (pg. 7). • Western’s Green Energy Fee Grant Program was reauthorized by students and renamed as the Sustainable Action Fund to reflect its broad sustainability goals. (pg. 9). Planning & Administration • Per President Shepard’s charge to the Sustainability Advisory Committee, the Committee created stakeholder teams for each of nine subject areas under the umbrella of “sustainability”. Each team produced a draft chapter for Western’s first Sustainability Action Plan and engaged in a large-scale public input event. (pg. 10). 1 Academics Sustainability activities in curriculum and research are a part of every college on Western’s campus. Often, these disparate programs are working toward complementary goals. Over 100 Western faculty self-identify as engaged in sustainability teaching, research, or community service. Academic highlights include: • Western Professor Leads Research Team to Develop Potential Jet Fuel Made From Algae - January 2015 Common algae commercially grown to make fish food holds promise as a source for both biodiesel and jet fuel, according to new research by Western Washington University Associate Professor of Chemistry Greg O'Neil and Chris Reddy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, recently published in the journal “Energy & Fuels.” The researchers exploited an unusual and untapped class of chemical compounds in the algae to synthesize two different fuel products, in parallel, from a single alga. Two current Western students, undergraduate Garrett Gilbert of Olympia and graduate student John Williams II of Battle Ground, assisted O’Neil in his research and were named in the study. O’Neil completed his research both at Western and at Woods Hole on Cape Cod. The project was supported by O’Neil’s $430,000 Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation. • WWU Geologist Pete Stelling Researching Geothermal Power Sources in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands - February 2015 Western Washington University assistant professor of Geology Pete Stelling is researching how to turn the island’s volcanic core into a geothermal power source that could not only reduce the needed amount of imported fuel to a fraction of its current level but transform the quality of life for island inhabitants. Stelling is working on two parallel projects. The first is to continue working with an exploration team to harness the resource for the benefit of the island’s population in a way that is far more economically viable and far less environmentally damaging than the current diesel-based methods. The second is to understand just how efficient these secondary geothermal sources are and apply these lessons worldwide. Stelling is planning future next research locations in similarly volcanic locations such as Chile and Colombia. The Aleutian Island research has been funded by the City of Akutan, the Alaska Energy Authority, the U.S. Dept. of Energy and Western Washington University. • Students Win $75K for Solar Window – April 2015 A team of chemistry, engineering, design and business students at Western Washington University and University of Washington were awarded $75,000 from the US Environmental Protection Agency for their prototype Smart Solar Window. The team presented their Smart Solar Window at the People, Prosperity and the Planet competition in Washington, D.C., a sustainable design competition sponsored by the EPA, between over 30 U.S. universities... The Smart Solar Window is the world’s first completely transparent window to capture Smart Solar Window Team at the EPA's P3 event in energy from the sun, and convert it to electricity, Washington DC 2 enabling reduction of a building’s HVAC costs by 10 to 30 percent. The window is capable of wireless operation, from a phone, computer or a building’s ventilation system, and automatically opens and closes to provide cooling and ventilation. The EPA awarded the team $15,000 to initially develop the prototype and bring it to Washington, D.C. for the P3 competition for a chance to win the $75,000 grant. The grant money will be used to further develop the prototype. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell visited the campus in May 1 to meet with the student Smart Solar Window team for a demonstration of their window project. • Western Creates Ocean Acidification Research Endowment – July 2015 Through a gift from Dr. Greg Rau (’71), Western has established the Ocean Acidification Research endowment for faculty, staff and student-focused activities at Western’s Anacortes-based Shannon Point Marine Center. Dr. Rau intends the endowment to address the critical issue of ocean acidification. The funds will help faculty, staff, and students to complete creative and innovative research in ocean acidification in order to conserve marine ecosystems in Washington, the Pacific Northwest and the world. • $1M Gift from Longtime Entrepreneurial Business Partners Goes to Institute for Energy Studies – July 2015 Alpha Group’s Grace Borsari and Fred Kaiser, as long-standing business partners, have been establishing and supporting a wealth of Western scholarships – in athletics, engineering and diversity as well as ones specifically for women in materials and computer sciences – since 1997, impacting 116 students. Their cumulative giving stands at nearly $2 million thus far, and, as one of the world’s largest networks of energy backup systems’ creation, protection, manufacturing and power generation, they are frequent employers of Western graduates as well. In Western’s Institute for Energy Studies, Borsari and Kaiser envision a promising opportunity that will offer students the kind of experiential education critical to success in today’s global economy, and one that will provide the energy industry with the skilled leaders it requires. In recognition of their ongoing generosity, the Institute’s new electrical engineering lab will be named the Alpha Technologies Electrical Engineering Laboratory. • New Degree Programs Offered – September 2015 Western began accepting application to three new sustainability-related degree offerings beginning fall 2015. A Bachelor of Arts in Energy Policy and Management was developed to give students knowledge and analytic skills in the policy and management aspects of today's diverse energy business, with broad exposure to the science, environmental, business and policy aspects of the energy system, which drive the formation and analysis of energy-related policies. A Minor in Energy Science was created to give students broad exposure to the scientific, environmental, business and policy aspects of the energy system while ensuring core competency in energy science. A Minor in Sustainability Studies was developed as an interdisciplinary program to provide students with knowledge of the social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability. 3 • New Classes Offered – September 2015 Western offered many new course offerings with social, environmental, and economic good as core components. Three highlights include: o Smart and Renewable Power (EE 378 & ENRG 378): Topics covered include basics of power system operation, smart grid objectives and main features, alternative energy technologies and interface to utility grid, storage systems technology, Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicle technology, demand response and demand side management and smart grid monitoring. o The Business of Energy (ENRG 284): This course will examines private and governmentowned energy resource and service providers and will include a brief history of the energy business and differences in characteristics across a variety of energy markets: fossil fuels, nuclear, renewables, and efficiency measures. o Community Solutions to Climate Change (ENVS 344): This course examines the ways that North American communities are adapting to climatic change. • Educational Lectures – Throughout 2015 Over 30 educational lectures were held across main campus and at Western Center at Olympic College, Poulsbo. Guest speakers were invited through the Huxley Speaker Series, Fairhaven’s World Issues Forum, and the Huxley on the Peninsula Speaker Series. For 2014-15, the speaker series theme was energy and climate change: sustainability, habitat recovery, solar energy and other forms of renewable energy. o "Planting Trees -- Protecting the Environment in Guatemala," by Jorge Armando Lopez, community activist with the Chico Mendes Reforestation Project in Guatemala. o “The Thin Green Line” by Eric de Place, policy director, researcher, writer, speaker, and policy analyst known as an expert on strategies to reduce carbon pollution. o Cascadia Wildlands Executive Director Bob Ferris and environmental journalist Todd Wilkinson on "The Two Talking Wolves Tour." o Robert K. Johnston, a 1981 Huxley alumnus and a senior scientist with the U.S. Navy, on "Monitoring and Modeling Pollution Runoff in Puget Sound Inlets." o “Community Wellbeing: What Is It and How Can Research Help Produce More of It?” by Thomas S. Weisner, emeritus professor of Anthropology at the University of California at Los Angeles. o "Fueling the Fire Inside -- Bridging the rich diversity of the world's indigenous cultures through art," by Anna Hoover, Unangan, artist and community builder. o "Are we off the Climate Precipice?" by Dahr Jamail, independent, award winning journalist. o "The Role of Information Technology in a Clean Energy Future" by David Kaplan, CEO and founder of 1Energy Systems. o "Salmon Restoration and Energy Planning in the Columbia River Basin," by Steve Wright, general manager of Chelan County Public Utility District No. 1. o "The Critical Role of Science in Environmental Law and Policy Making," by Chance Asher, Sediment Program policy lead in the Toxics Cleanup Program at the Washington State Department of Ecology. o The Role of Organic Farming in Veteran’s Recovery,” by Chris Brown, Western Washington University alumnus and founder/director of the non-profit organization Growing Veterans. 4 Operations Western’s physical throughput includes energy and water use, CO2 and solid waste production, transportation, green building, and other aspects that contribute to the university’s physical “footprint.” Operational highlights include: • Western Ranks 20th on EPA Green Power Purchasers – February 2015 Since 2006, Western has made the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Top 30 College and University” green power purchasers list, ranking 20th in 2015 nationally. Western annually offsets 100% of its electrical consumption from renewable energy sources via purchases of renewable energy credits. • Western recognized by Puget Sound Energy for Conservation Programs – April 2015 Western Washington University was recognized by PSE for energy savings projects and behavior change campaigns which have resulted in significant energy savings and rebates. Since July 2013, Western has partnered with PSE on 21 projects, resulting in over 5.2 million kWh saved and $750,000 in incentive funding. These projects included lighting Facilities Management recognized during Sustainability Awards event upgrades, HVAC control system upgrades, HVAC retrofits, and the ongoing implementation of a Resource Conservation Management program. The total electric savings is enough to power over 400 homes per year and has led to substantial savings to the university’s power bill. University behavior change campaigns, which include Sweater Days, Power Down, and Go for the Green also contributed to the final goal. • Electric Bike Share Program Demonstration at Western – May 2015 Western alumna Katherine Frankhauser, a 2003 graduate of Huxley College of the Environment visited Western Washington University's Bellingham campus Thursday, May 21. Frankhauser demonstrated the electric bicycles and bike-sharing program, developed by Frankhauser's company, Spark Mobility. The company's mission is to address urban mobility challenges through the resourceful use of technological innovations in sustainable and economically viable solutions. 5 • Electric Vehicles Purchased by Facilities Management – August 2015 Facilities Management has purchased four electric-only utility vehicles as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the carbon footprint and fuel use of the campus fleet. These small utility vehicles are being used by Grounds Maintenance and other areas within Facilities Management for transport of staff, tools, and cargo. Performance data and user feedback is being collected and will be used in the evaluation of vehicles, and to identify One of several electric vehicles purchased by Facilities Management further opportunities for utilization of EVs in Facilities Management operations. • Carbon Emissions Continue Downward Trend – Throughout 2015 Data for FY 2015 shows an overall downward trend since 2009 and Western’s lowest carbon emissions since 2007. In order to meet state emissions requirements in 2020, 2035, and 2050, the pace of emissions reduction will need to be increased. Electricity use and natural gas combustion are the largest single contributors to Western’s emissions. Western's Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2007 - 2015 44000 Tons eCO2 42000 40000 38000 36000 34000 32000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 6 Engagement Operational and academic sustainability endeavors are initiated and developed through goal setting, working with administration, and reaching out to students, staff, and faculty across campus. Highlights in this area include: • Environmental Racism Event Examines Problems Plaguing Marginalized Communities – Feb 2015 A local panel on environmental problems affecting marginalized communities discussed the ways in which marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by noise, water, air and other pollution. The panel discussion included Western political science professor Debra Salazar, rural justice leader Rosalinda Guillen and Northwest Indian College academic and career adviser Patrick Freeland. • Huxley Holds Environmental Career Fair- February 2015 This annual event is co-sponsored by the Career Services Center and Huxley College of the Environment. Students were given the opportunity to explore internships, summer jobs, and careers that address the challenges of creating a sustainable society. Representatives from over 30 government agencies, nonprofit organizations and industries were in attendance. Participants include Puget Sound Energy, NOAA, North Cascades Institute, Peace Corps, Seattle Aquarium, Trident Seafoods, Washington State Department of Ecology, Taylor Shellfish Farms and more. • New Offices Receive Sustainable Office Certification - February 2015 Eight new offices at Western Washington University have achieved sustainable office certification from the Office of Sustainability, bringing the total to 25 offices out of 137 university-wide, or 18 percent of all campus administrative, clerical, services and operations offices. Departments recognized included Public Safety, Map Collection, Tutoring Center, Environmental Sciences, WWU Everett University Center, Biology Stockroom, Human Resources, Huxley College Office of the Dean and Woodring College Office of the Dean. The program supports actions and provides a simple way of measuring efforts that happen at the office level. Participating Offices are recognized for their level of achievement, as a way of showing recognition and appreciation for measurement of work well done. Offices recognized during a Sustainable Office Certification event • Go for the Green Event Celebrates Campus Residents' Sustainability – April 2015 The Residents' Resource Awareness Program held the seventh annual Go For the Green Celebration to recognize the work of Western's on-campus residents' efforts to foster more sustainable practices during winter quarter's competition highlighting waste, water, natural gas and electricity consumption. Residents, resident advisors, resident directors and University Residences administrators were in attendance to recognize student work and converse about the future of sustainability at Western through on-campus living. 7 • Earth Week – April 2015 As part of Western Washington University's celebration of Earth Week, a number of took place on campus and in the community including a state-wide campus sustainability showcase, a public input event for the in-progress Sustainability Action Plan, a community bike ride, an event focusing on voices of women in agriculture, and a community celebration in Fairhaven College. • The Fair – October 2015 The Fair, a significant part of Vikings for Change Month at Western Washington University, attracted roughly 500 people who played games, shared ideas and networked with local sustainable groups. The event, which was free and open to the public, featured free local food samples, over 20 carnival games, a model residence for low-impact living, booths from local sustainable groups, and a scavenger hunt with $900 in prizes. • ClimateFest – October 2015 Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment, along with the WWU Office of Sustainability and community sponsors, hosted the first October ClimateFest conference at the Performing Arts Center’s Mainstage Theatre. The conference theme, “Celebrating Local-to-Global Climate Action,” brought together a variety of speakers to detail actions already under way to lower carbon emissions locally to globally, along with interactive audience activities throughout the day. Speakers included Climate Solutions Policy Director and 350.org Chair, KC Golden, and Tamo Campos, the grandson of Canadian’s environmental hero and author, David Suzuki. Special video messages for the audience were presented from 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben and former Vice President Al Gore. • Green Energy Fee Program becomes Sustainable Action Fund Grant Program – May 2015 The student-funded Green Energy Fee Grant Program has been rebranded as the “Sustainable Action Fund Grant Program”. The change, proposed and approved by students during the 2015 Associated Students Elections, continues the innovative legacy of the Green Energy Fee and supports a broad definition of sustainability and student development. The Sustainable Action Fund is managed by the Office of Sustainability with oversight by the Associated Students and a committee of students, faculty, and staff. The program was originally established by students as the Green Energy Fee in 2005 to purchase 100-percent renewable energy for Western. In 2010, the program was restructured to add a $300,000 grant program that funds innovative student-led sustainability projects in addition to buying 100-percent renewable energy. Since 2010, more than 20 student-led projects have been funded, contributing to Western’s overall sustainability and providing student team members with valuable professional experience. The program was reapproved by 86% of voting students, with the efforts reauthorization led by Students for Renewable Energy Vice-President Emily Blessington and former AS Vice President for Student Life Zach Dugovich. • Graduation Sustainability Pledge – June 2015 Nearly 400 Western seniors chose to be part of Western’s third Sustainability Graduation Pledge. The pledge was available to any spring 2015 graduate. Students pledged to actively work toward social and environmental responsibility beyond college and received a pledge card for their wallet, a green ribbon to wear on their cap or gown, and optional recognition on the Office of Sustainability website. 8 • Move-Out Madness Event Reduced Furniture Abandoned in Neighborhoods – June 2015 Western Washington University and the City of Bellingham once again partnered to assist students in proper sorting and disposal of unwanted materials generated during annual spring move-out. Bins for reusable household items, clothing, non-perishable food, recyclable materials, and landfill waste were available at three staffed sorting stations in neighborhoods near the university. Previous years' events have reduced the number of abandoned items left in neighborhoods and diverted many pounds of recyclable and reusable items from the landfill. Over 60 yards of landfill material was collected that may have otherwise ended up on the street. Two moving Western students deposit a broken couch into a dumpster during the trucks of reusable items were annual Moveout Madness event donated to local non-profit organizations. • Western included in Princeton Review’s "Guide to 332 Green Colleges" – July 2015 The Princeton Review's “Guide to 332 Green Colleges” profiles schools in the U.S. and Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation. The Princeton Review chose schools for the guide based on a survey it conducted in 2014 at hundreds of four-year colleges. Analysis of data from the survey included course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation to measure commitment to the environment and to sustainability. • Sustainability Awards Winners Announced – October 2015 The Office of Sustainability, Western’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, the Associated Students Environmental & Sustainability Programs, Western Reads, and Western’s Administration hosted the third Western Sustainability Awards on Thursday, Oct. 22.This year’s keynote speaker was Courtney Martin, author of the Western Reads Book of the Year, “Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists”. The awards recognized the efforts of individuals and groups that make important contributions to sustainability efforts on and off campus. This year’s winners include: o Western Gallery & Paul Bower: Received an Award in Academics for innovative work in replacing halogen lamps with energy-efficient LED lamps. o Facilities Management & the Puget Sound Energy Rebate Team: Received an Award in Operations for their work to save energy resulted in $246,000 in utility rebates, as well as $30,000 of net annual utility savings per year. o ClimateFest & Jill Macintyre Witt: Received an Award in Student Life for the planning and execution of Western’s first climate change conference, ClimateFest. Speakers included a personal video message from former Vice President Al Gore. o Soap for Hope & Kim Masser: Received an Award in Community Partnership for her program, “Soap for Hope”, that consolidates partially used containers of laundry soap and personal care items to redistribute to nonprofit organizations. 9 o The Northwest Indian College Foodscaping Team: Received an Award in Local Initiatives for creating a campus organic garden that produces traditional foods for the Lummi Nation. • Sustainable Action Fund Grant Program – Throughout 2015 During 2015, the Sustainable Action Fund Grant Program allocated fund to on-campus sustainability projects which increase student involvement and education, reduce Western’s environmental impact, and create an aware and engaged campus community. “Large Grant” (>$5,000) projects in progress or completed included: o The Fair: An event to connected students with local businesses and organizations that uphold sustainable practices. Project Status: Completed. o Outback Bike Shelter: A proposal to build and design a bike shelter for the Outback Farm. Project Status: In progress. o Lyn Okse: Campus Electric Utility Vehicle: A proposal to build an electric utility-grade vehicle for use by campus vehicles. Project Status: In progress. o RECycling Your Power: A proposal to implement four power-producing bicycles in the Wade King Student Recreation Center. Project Status: In progress. o Electric Bike Pilot: A proposal to explore and demonstrate the efficacy of electric bicycles in advancing university goals associated with reduced environmental impact, reduced parking demand, and other factors. Project Status: In progress. “Small Grant” proposals (< $5000) included: o Project RENT: A proposal for a pilot program that utilizes peer-to-peer education to teach off-campus students about energy efficiency in their homes. Project Status: In progress. o Bringing Knowledge to Plastics: A proposal to increase awareness of the effects plastics can have on people and the environment, while also educating students and staff in ways to minimize their impact when using plastics. Project Status: In Moveable placard designating areas with compost from the "Campus to progress. Compost" Sustainable Action Fund grant o Campus to Compost: A proposal to build two large composting bins near Facilities Management. These bins will receive all the compostable organic debris accumulated from campus. Project Status: In progress. o Aquaponics: A proposal to build an aquaponic system on the 4th floor of the ES building using a 150 gallon tank, with several rainbow trout and lettuce plants in separate containers. Project Status: In progress. 10 Planning & Administration • Sustainability Action Plan – Throughout 2015 Following President Shepard’s authorization of a new charter for the Sustainability Advisory Committee in January of 2014, the Committee has made significant progress on the creation of Western’s first comprehensive Sustainability Action Plan. Milestones include: A public input event which collected over 1400 comments, creation of subject area chapter teams, the hiring of a Research Analyst to coordinate teams developing the draft chapters for each of twelve topic areas, and writing of the plan. Teams currently developing topic area chapters include: Curriculum and Research, Student Life, Dining Services, Transportation, Purchasing, Waste, Campus and Community Engagement, Built Environment, Grounds, Diversity, Affordability & Human Resources, and Coordination and Planning. Next Steps Western Sustainability goals for 2016 include: Completion of Western’s Sustainability Action Plan and further integration of academic, operational, engagement, and planning aspects of campus sustainability. The Western Sustainability Action Plan will produce a set of objectives and metrics for campus efforts and act as a guiding document for sustainability staff and university administration. 11 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITEM SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO: Members of the Board of Trustees FROM: President Bruce Shepard on behalf of Vice President Eileen V. Coughlin DATE: February 12, 2016 SUBJECT: Mid-Year Housing and Dining Report PURPOSE: Information Item Purpose of Submittal: To provide a programmatic and fiscal report to the Board on the University’s Housing and Dining System. Supporting Information: See attached. WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT & STUDENT SERVICES Mid-Year Housing and Dining Report February 2016 University Residences Staff EXECUTIVE SUMMARY APPENDIX I: Occupancy APPENDIX II: Housing and Dining System Financials (through December 2015) APPENDIX III: Residential Facilities APPENDIX IV: University Dining Services APPENDIX V: Residential Education EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Western’s Residential Communities — Active Minds Changing Lives: On campus housing is an auxiliary enterprise that is fiscally managed to provide competitive costs in an academically grounded environment. Campus residential communities are intentionally designed to actively engage new first year, transfer, returning and international students in their learning and success, making friends and personal connections; to become more responsible adults in diverse and inclusive communities, fostering leadership, sustainability, social responsibility, and civic engagement. To this end we have included a summary of progress to support students in their academic and personal growth. OCCUPANCY (Appendix I) • Fall 2015 Peak Report occupancy was 3,980 and on track to meet or exceed the Housing and Dining Fiscal Principle of 90% average annual occupancy. • Students living on campus were composed of 90% of all first year freshmen, 34% of all transfers, and 32% of all students-of-color. • Fall 2015 Peak occupancy to Winter 2016 Peak occupancy attrition was 3.4% compared to 4.3% for the previous year. HOUSING & DINING SYSTEM FINANCIALS (Appendix II) Year-to-Date Revenues • Total system revenue to date (including student fees, conference and one-time revenues) was 1.9% greater than the prior year. • Room and resident meal plan revenue through December 2015 was 1.7% higher than the prior year influenced by a 3.0% rate increase and a Fall Qtr. occupancy decrease of 1.3% Year-to-Date Operating Expenses • Total system operating expenditures to date increased by 3.9%. Net Operating Revenues • Net operating revenues for the full fiscal year are projected at budgeted levels. Non-Operating Expenses • Year-to-date non-operating expenses as include the impact of two large planned sprinkler & renovation public works projects occurring simultaneously in Nash and Kappa, and an increase in non-capital projects, the total of which is typical of annual averages. RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES (Appendix III) • Launched comprehensive University Residences Facility Condition Assessment which will inform operating/capital budget development processes. • Completed Nash Phase 2 renovation (Floors 4 thru 7) and Ridgeway Kappa renovation • Completed various building initiatives in multiple buildings to enhance the student living/learning environment (e.g. painting, student room furnishings, media room upgrades, ergonomic furniture upgrades, hydration stations) UNIVERSITY DINING SERVICES (Appendix IV) • Social Media platform fans and followers have increased from 1,006 to1,458 • Total “Sustainable” Purchases (Total Real Food and Western’s Definitions: Non-Real Food Local Food) has reached 32.34% level ($1,322,021). This represents a 1.58% increase over prior reporting year RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION (Appendix V) • Sponsored 56 students and 3 professional staff to attend the Ethnic Student Center conference. • • Increased academic outreach and support efforts for residential students. An example is Math 112 tutor-led study groups established in Fairhaven and Ridgeway, averaging 27 students weekly. In the realm of student conduct, drug and alcohol violations decreased to a five-year low; second violations dropped significantly. APPENDIX I: OCCUPANCY Fall 2015 Peak Fall 2014 Peak Winter 2016 Peak Winter 2015 Peak Operating Beds 4,032 4,043 Heads 3,980 4,023 Beds Rented 3,991 4,032 % of Beds Filled 98.9 99.7 4,032 3,811 3,851 95.5 4,045 3,851 3,859 95.4 All data is from University Residences Peak Reports (3rd Wednesday) Note: The “Beds Rented” count includes double room beds rented at a higher rate as a “super single.” APPENDIX II: HOUSING AND DINING SYSTEM FINANCIALS (THROUGH DECEMBER 2015) Summary Change from Previous Year (Adjusted #’s) +Revenues -Less Operating Expenses =Net Operating Revenues -Less Non-Operating Expenses =System Net Revenues Up $ Up $ Down $ 405,211 476,655 71,444 1.9% Increase 3.9% Increase 0.8% Decrease Up $ 2,874,156 Down $ 2,945,600 44.8% Increase 119% Decrease Year-to-Date Revenues • Total system revenue to date (including student fees, conference and one-time revenues) was 1.9% greater than the prior year. • Room and resident meal plan revenue through December 2015 was 1.7% higher than the prior year influenced by a 3.0% rate increase and a Fall Qtr. occupancy decrease of 1.3% Year-to-Date Operating Expenses • Total system operating expenditures to date increased by 3.9% • Food expenditures are 3% higher • Salary and Benefit expenditures increased 11.2% due to filling a vacant position in combination with State cost of living increases and State wage market adjustments. • Total utility expenditures increased 3.5% • Operating maintenance expenditures decreased 5.6% Net Operating Revenues • Net operating revenues for the full fiscal year are projected at budgeted levels. Non-Operating Expenses • Year-to-date non-operating expenses as compared to FY2015 increased due to the impact of two large planned sprinkler & renovation public works projects occurring simultaneously in Nash and Kappa, and an increase in non-capital projects, the total of which is typical of annual averages. APPENDIX III: RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES • Launched comprehensive University Residences Facility Condition Assessment which will inform operating/capital budget development processes. • Completed Nash Phase 2 renovation (Floors 4 thru 7) and Ridgeway Kappa renovation • Completed various building initiatives in multiple buildings to enhance the student living/learning environment ranging from student room / public area painting, student room furniture replacement (mattress & desk chairs), complete Ridgeway Kappa public area lounge furniture replacement & media room upgrades to main/lower core lounges, ergonometric furniture upgrades, planned dining equipment replacement throughout campus, hydration station installation at Mathes/Nash/Ridgeway Kappa. • Began design work on the following projects: o Nash mechanical system upgrade (mechanical room equipment replacement, student room radiator / valve replacement & student room thermostat installation) o Buchanan Towers roof replacement and “pilot” stack plumbing replacement/suite upgrade o Ridgeway Gamma renovation and Ridgeway Gamma/Beta fire sprinkler riser room safety upgrade o Fairhaven generator replacement & site drainage upgrade o Commissary fire alarm & mass notification system upgrade o Birnam Wood Phase 2 (Stacks 6 & 7) drainage upgrade. APPENDIX IV: UNIVERSITY DINING SERVICES Programs & Initiatives • Partnership with American Heart Association to promote healthy dietary habits. • 35 Western Students nominated for 2016 S2L (Step up to Leadership) summer intern program. • 4 Western Students accepted into the 2016 A2L program (Accelerate to Leadership, a one year management training program for recent graduates.) • 61,545 hours worked by student dining employees from July – December 2015, which is 56.6% of all employee hours. • Social Media o Facebook 550 fans to 808 fans o Twitter 376 to 476 followers o Instagram 80 followers to 174 • Partnership with Bellingham Food Bank and Lighthouse mission to provide food donations. 1,269 lbs. of food donated September – December 2015. • All Coffee cups, lids, straws on campus are now compostable. WWU is one of only two school in the nation to utilize the Starbucks compostable cup and lid program. • Total Real Food = 18.44 % A 1.44 % increase over prior reporting year ($754,273) o Local / Community Based = 9.67% (395,349) o Ecologically Sound = 8.46% ($345,400) o Fair = 3.53% ($144,614) o Humane = 1.91% ($78,235) Note: Some food products count for two or more of the Real Food Categories, Local/Community Based, Ecologically Sound, Fair and Humane. This means the above numbers will add up to more than the Total Real Food percentage. • Western’s Definitions: Non - Real Food Local Food = 13.89% ($567,739) o Community-based food is defined as any purchase from any privately held or cooperatively run business, based in Whatcom County. o = 9.47% ($386,984) o Regional food is defined as any food grown or raised in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or British Columbia. o = 4.42% ($180,753) • Total “Sustainable” Purchases (Total Real Food and Western’s Definitions: Non-Real Food Local Food)18.45% ($754,273) + 13.89% ($567,739) = 32.34% ($1,322,021) APPENDIX V: RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION Academic support:    • Math 112 Tutor-led study groups established in Fairhaven and Ridgeway. o Weekly participation ranged from 17 to 40 students (avg. 27) Trained Resident Directors to use Student Success Collaborative (SSC) tool for academic support meetings Added 2 hours per week Resident Advisors devoted to academic support (took RAs off hall desk hours, replaced with more Desk Attendant (DA) hours). This increased: o Checking-in with residents about academic progress o Providing academic resources on campus (such as StudentLingo, a collection of online student success workshops) o Holding study hours with residents o Addressing effective study skills, time management, forming connections with faculty, and personal wellness. o Fostering an academic culture through visual cues: motivational posters, studying tips signs, study buddy sign- up posters, residents listing academic classes/goals, etc. o Academic Goal Setting floor meetings o Study incentives Added “Academic Engagement Self-Assessment” rubric to Academic & Personal Transition one-on-one conversations facilitated by RAs o RAs/RDs reported rubric furthered conversations and revealed individual & community needs o Also added registration instruction and general academic advising information o 91% (3533 of the 3863 residential students) participated. o Students reflected on why they chose to go to college and how they define academic success. Diverse and Inclusive • Sponsored 56 students (including 7 RAs and 1 RHA VP) and 3 professional staff to attend the Ethnic Student Center conference. • 2 staff serve as advisors to ESC clubs  Resident Directors held listening sessions in every residence hall the week following the cancelled classes.  Collaborated with Center for International Studies on resources for students and programming initiatives/International Week  Collaborated with EOO, QRC, and Human Services Program for guidance to Gender Inclusive Housing  Sponsored a student leader and an RD to participate in NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program designed to increase the number of historically disenfranchised and underrepresented professionals in student affairs and/or higher education. Creating a Healthy Residential Environment • • Collaborated with these offices to provide education, health and safety programs for students. o CASAS, ADCAS, Best Self, Men Against Violence, Suicide Prevention, EOO, Dietitian, Wade King Rec Center, Intramural Sports Program, Academic Advising, Student Health Center, Counseling Center, Career Services, Tutoring Center. o Student staff and hall councils provided “late-night programming” every weekend in an effort to reduce behaviors involving alcohol and other drugs. o Professional staff respond quickly to every potential policy violation. Students typically receive  Notification of conduct meeting the following business day  Notification of decision within 1 week. o Both drug or alcohol violations decreased to a five-year low. Second violations dropped significantly. Alcohol Drug 2nd violation Fall ‘11 177 97 Fall ‘12 135 85 Fall ‘13 175 107 Fall ‘14 193 162 44 13 19 34 Alcohol 200 150 100 50 0 Fall ‘11 Fall ‘12 Drug Fall ‘13 Fall ‘15 114 78 8 2nd violation Fall ‘14 Fall ‘15 17. DATE FOR NEXT REGULAR MEETING • April 7 & 8, 2016 18. Adjournment