APPROVED April 8, 2016 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Karen Lee called the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University to order at 8:03 a.m., in the Johnson Lobby Lounge at the Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave, in Seattle, WA. Board of Trustees Karen Lee, Chair Sue Sharpe, Vice Chair Earl Overstreet, Secretary Betti Fujikado Chase Franklin John M. Meyer – by phone Mo West - by phone 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 Richard Van Den Hul, 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 Belina Seare, Associated Students President Roger Leishman, Assistant Attorney General Paul Cocke, Director of University Communications Paul Dunn, Special Executive Assistant to the President Barbara Sandoval, Assistant to the President and Secretary to the BOT Elissa Hicks, Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees 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. APPROVAL OF MINUTES There were no changes to the draft minutes as distributed. MOTION 02-01-2016: Trustee Brickey moved that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, upon the recommendation of the President, approve the following minutes: • December 10 & 11, 2015 The motion passed, Trustee Meyer voted by phone, Trustee West was absent. APPROVED April 8, 2016 4. BOARD CHAIR Board Chair Trustee Karen Lee said that the Thursday panel regarding the K-12 education system helped Trustees see the important role Western’s interaction with the K-12 system, and the role that Western plays within the entire state with Woodring and other educational outreach programs. She acknowledged the role that Western plays in alleviating income inequality and injustices within the state education system. Chair Lee thanked the panel participants for the great conversation and hopes the Trustees can continue to lead the university in a way that will help those that need it the most. 5. UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT President Shepard reported to the Board about students’ participation in Viking Lobby day in Olympia and the compliments he heard from legislators about our student representatives. He said that Western was again honored by the Peace Corps for being the third volunteer producing medium sized school in the country with 41 Western alumni currently serving worldwide with the organization. Shepard outlined that with the fall application deadline recently passed there was a record number of applications which shows that Western truly is meeting the needs of Washington State by offering the education that students are looking for. He also informed the Board that former trustee Ralph Munro has been selected to receive an Honorary Doctorate from Western at the March 19, 2016 Commencement ceremony. 6. ASSOCIATED STUDENTS Belina Seare, Associated Students President reported that the AS has been busy and there has been a lot of great movement. She also said that there are some things that need to be addressed with regards to the threats that occurred last quarter. She then said that she could speak on how they directly impacted her as a student and her disappointment with how it was discussed by administration and university officials but she wanted to give the other students in attendance an opportunity to share their views. Seare then turned the rest of her report time over to a group of students in attendance who then made the following statement to the Board. “First, we need to acknowledge that we are on Duwamish land, and the campus of Western Washington University is built upon and occupying Nooksack and Lummi land. As we work, we think about this legacy of colonialism upon which we stand. As a group of concerned students who have been consistently forced to respond to the events of last quarter, especially in defending and supporting specific students after they experienced rape and death threats at the hands of their peers at this institution, we continue to be worried about our own safety and that of our fellow students, especially Black students and students of color. We are here today because we have already followed the chain of command by going to the University President and university officials in regards to the threats and immediate safety needs of students. But Western’s University president and officials, who indeed represent the institution as a whole, did not take accountability or responsibility. They did not prioritize the needs and safety of students on this campus. So, we come to you after the structures set up by the university to protect us have failed. This failure of the institution shows that our discussion today needs to shift away from individual people to the collective responsibility of the people in positions of power in this room, especially our board of trustees, university president, the vice presidents, and other members of administration. As people with institutional power, it’s your responsibility on APPROVED April 8, 2016 this campus to prioritize the safety of ALL students, especially those who experience violence at disproportional rates. We need you to recognize that safety doesn’t look the same for all students, nor does violence. For example not being regarded as a part of the “general” safety is violent. Continuously undercutting students via email and in the media is violent. Co-opting the narratives of students of marginalized backgrounds to justify your inaction is violent. Your “teachable moments” that depend on the intellectual and emotional currencies of marginalized students are violent. The denial of basic student needs, is violent. Claiming constantly that you acknowledge the importance of space for marginalized students and for an education that reflects our experiences while denying us any material resources to realize that space and education—that is violent. Denying our humanity and belittling our pain is violent. Creating divisions amongst students is violent. Having to choose between our education and our safety is violent. Your complacency is violent. Your neutrality is violent. The silencing of our voices is violent. The university claims that it does not make political stances. However, your complacency is a continuously conscious and political decision that has resulted in a lack of safety for certain students and reoccurring trauma. Our actions today are a political response to the institution’s political stance. Our presence in this space will not suffice as addressing the violence that is on our campus. This is the beginning of confronting the systemic powers that perpetuate these violence’s. For these processes to begin on the most basic level, we demand an open apology. We ask you to meet on February 26th at 5pm in the Miller Hall Collaborative Space to further discuss our needs and demands on this campus. In 1968, Black students at Western were openly fighting and resisting the same systems of white supremacy, colonialism, and imperialism that we resist now—systems that this institution was founded upon and continues to manifest. We honor their words, their spirits, and their strength by leaving you with this quote: “When Western begins to make phony excuses and resist needed changes, we will be forced to look at Western as an enemy to Black and non-white people and, act accordingly. In short, there will be political consequences for political mistakes.” Closing with that quote, we are the Student Assembly for Power and Liberation.” Seare and the student group then stood and chanted the following to the Board of Trustees: “It is our duty to fight for our freedoms. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” Chair Lee thanked the group and asked if they were open to discussion of an alternative date if Trustees couldn’t make the proposed date. The student group said that they couldn’t imagine anywhere else the Trustees would rather be and proceeded to leave the meeting room with no further discussion. 7. FACULTY SENATE Faculty Senate President Molly Ware thanked the students for attending the meeting and expressing their concerns. She reported about the way the senate is engaging students in classroom climate work with a pilot feedback system that gives students an anonymous space for giving feedback on classroom climate. Ware noted that a team is working to develop a plan outside of the current mentoring structures to help the campus build a community with faculty and students from all identities. APPROVED April 8, 2016 There were questions from Trustees regarding the faculty’s perspective on addressing diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. Ware said that things feel really polarized right now with the students, there are those that are working cooperatively with the senate and the system to improve things step by step and there are those that are not cooperating and fighting against the institution. The senate is trying to engage students at their level in order to get meaningful feedback and helping students find their voice so that change can be effective. 8. CONSENT ITEMS Chair Lee introduced the consent items. There were no questions. MOTION 02-02-2016 Trustee Brickey 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 The motion passed, Trustee Meyer and West yes by phone. 9. APPROVAL OF 2016 SUMMER SESSION TUITION AND FEES Brent Carbajal, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs and Earl Gibbons, Vice Provost for Extended Education discussed the proposed summer tuition fees. Carbajal said that all state institutions will be looking at an increase for summer session next year given the tuition reductions passed by the state legislature. He also reminded Trustees that the summer quarter is a selfsustaining program with rising costs which will continue to pose a problem in the coming years. Gibbons said that the proposed increases are necessary to cover increasing summer session operational costs, including salaries, benefits, and other expenses. Proposed fees include no increase for resident undergraduates, a 3.2% raise for resident graduates and a 2.8% raise for nonresident undergraduates and graduates. Even with the increases, Gibbons said that Western would remain one of the lowest cost public university options in Washington for non-resident students for summer session. Trustees had a question about how summer session looks in the future. Gibbons said that summer session will be difficult in the future because it is self-sustaining, there is no state money used to supplement summer costs which makes it not sustainable cost-wise in the future. Because of the state reductions, there will need to be a reduction in summer costs to keep it as close to normal tuition as possible, but it won’t be enough to cover costs, so services will have to be reduced and continued efficiencies will need to be implemented. Trustees asked who is affected the most by summer sessions. Gibbons said that upper classmen are the typical students taking summer classes in order to stay on track for graduation. President Shepard made the case for summer tuition to be linked to market rate versus academic year tuition, because it is a self-sustaining system and should be priced to effectively cover the costs. All agreed that this topic will need further discussion before next year’s decision in order to move forward with a sustainable summer program. APPROVED April 8, 2016 Motion 02-03-2016 Trustee Sharpe 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. The motion passed, Trustee Meyer and West yes by phone. 10. ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING FOR ON CAMPUS STUDENT HOUSING Eileen Coughlin, Senior VP & Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services reported that the University has continued working on its assessment and plans for adding apartment-style suites on campus. Coughlin said that Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc. performed a student housing demand and market study to confirm on-campus demand for specific private bedroom suite-style apartments. The study confirmed demand is strong for on-campus private bedroom apartment suite style units and the University’s planned addition of 150-200 private beds is well within the total demand, and would complement its current housing stock, and serve a growing target market without undue risk to the system. She said that results from the survey indicated 45% of on-campus residents have definitively decided to move off, 28% remain undecided and 21% will stay. The factors that would draw them to live in WWU housing (stay or move back on campus) were lower costs, pet-friendly environment and their own bedroom. Coughlin also added that 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, upper class students have a strong preference for more privacy with single bedroom options and living space/study areas. Coughlin said 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. While both sites have advantages, they are fairly equivalent in constructability/site building costs and that the decision will likely be based more on programmatic advantages. University Residences will continue to work with the University’s Financial Advisor to review the current bond market, existing Housing System debt and potential structures for additional debt with a goal to maintain a solid fiscal position while keeping room and board rates competitive (e.g. in the 4% - 5% range). Fiscal scenarios are being run and will be based on rate assumptions that tie to the price points indicated in the consultant’s study. Coughlin said that assuming the system fiscal projections confirm feasibility, the intent is to plan for a Fall 2018 opening and presenting a details fiscal plan and permission to proceed to the Board at the April meeting. There were no questions from Trustees. 11. CHANGE AT THE CORE (C-CORE) Edward Geary, Director, SMATE & Geology Professor introduced the program of C-Core to the Trustees by starting with a learning exercise. He then provided background of the program saying that the Change at the Core: A Collaborative Model for Undergraduate STEM Education Reform (CCore) is an NSF-funded institutional transformation project. Currently, three institutions, Western, APPROVED April 8, 2016 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-centered to student-centered learning environments. On Western’s campus there are 60 STEM faculty who 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. Geary said that some of the challenges of this system include student resistance to change, classroom and laboratory spaces that are not designed to support student-centered learning, assessments poorly aligned with student-centered learning practices, and faculty uncertainty about how to address the needs of diverse students. Geary said that 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. Trustees were pleased to hear this information and encouraged the effort to continue and thanked Geary for his efforts and presentation. Chair Lee announced a 15 minute break at 9:26 a.m. The board returned and reconvened the meeting at 9:45 a.m. 12. SEATTLE OFFICE ACTIVITIES UPDATE Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement, President and CEO WWU Foundation introduced Christa Countryman, Manager for Corporate Partnerships with in the Foundation’s Seattle office. Bowers introduced Craig Dunn, Dean, College of Business and Economics and Aric Mayer, Instructor, College of Fine and Performing Arts who will be embarking on a study of Western in Seattle activities in the coming months. Dunn and Mayer asked Trustees what they want for Western in Seattle and what success would look like for the office. Trustees responded with the following feedback: • want to see value in, and the strengthening of, ongoing relationships. • A way for Western to get tangible involvement in lower income areas with mentorship opportunities and engagement. • To leverage things that Western stands for in the Seattle communities. • A physical store or a visual reminder of graduates and alumni’s time at Western to keep them engaged with our community. • Create a network around the country so that we aren’t such a place based university, • spread the good words, programs and opportunities around. Bowers said that once the report was finished she would share the results with the Board. 13. PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH UPDATE Sue Sharpe, Chair, Presidential Search Advisory Committee said that the committee is currently going through a slow phase while applications are coming in, but that another busy time will be coming soon when the committee starts the interviewing process. She read the Board’s charge to the Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) to remind the Trustees what the committee has been asked to do and gave brief progress updates for each point that had been completed. APPROVED April 8, 2016 Paul Dunn provided a brief rundown of the position advertising process that was completed to highlight the diversity focus and wide net that was cast for recruitment. Sharpe and Dunn also discussed the online Harvard Implicit Biases test that members of the PSAC were offered to take to understand their own individual views on various diversity issues before going into the interviews. She said there was full participation from the committee who are incredibly dedicated to this process and doing their jobs with integrity. She thanked them for all of their hard work. Sharpe said that the committee received 70 applications so far, which was beyond expectations and that the PSAC reviewed all of them and have selected 18 candidates for first round interviews later in the month. She said that the overwhelming theme in the applications is that Western has a wonderful reputation throughout the country and that everything that people have been saying about Western is truly remarkable. She is excited about the exceptional candidates that they will have to choose from. Sharpe said that after the first round interviews the PSAC will narrow down their recommendations and as their final responsibility will present those recommendations to the Board of Trustees at a meeting in the near future for the Board’s final consideration and selection. 14. CAMPAIGN UPDATE Stephanie Bowers, Vice President for University Advancement, President and CEO WWU Foundation reported that as of January 31, 2016 the campaign was just $14,000 shy of a $62 million total, which is $2 million above our stated goal for the campaign. With the official end of the campaign coming at the end of the fiscal year on June 30th there is still the possibility for more. She said that celebration events are being planned for February 24th and March 8th with more details to come. With this campaign, Bowers said that it will give Western a total of an $85 million dollar total endowment for scholarships and academic programmatic support for the students and the university. 15. OLYMPIA UPDATE Becca Kenna-Schenk, Government Relations Director said that this year’s legislative session is half way done and that the house of origin cut-off is next Wednesday, February 17, 2016. She said that the session is expected to adjourn on time on March 10, 2016. Most of the bills that the office had been tracking have not made it past cut-off said Kenna-Schenk, but could resurface in a different form next year. She said that the next revenue forecast is due to be out Wednesday, February 17, 2016 and expected to have no real significant change. Kenna-Schenk said that there is a teacher shortage proposal circulating in Olympia that is expected to see some funding in the House budget bill next week. She mentioned that her office is working on getting an alumni group organized in the Olympia area. 16. BOARD GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REPORT Sue Sharpe, Chair, Board Governance Committee reported that the Governance Committee discussed trustees attendance at the upcoming Association of Governing Boards 2016 National Conference on Trusteeship meeting saying that it is a critical professional development opportunity for Trustees. APPROVED April 8, 2016 17. INFORMATION ITEMS a. 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 October 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015. b. Admissions and Enrollment Report Vice President Coughlin provided a written report regarding the university’s general enrollment and admissions. c. University Advancement Report Vice President Bowers provided a written report on the University’s Alumni Relations and Western Foundation activities. d. Capital Program Report Vice President Van Den Hul provided a written report on the University’s capital projects. e. University Relations and Community Development Report Vice President Swan provided a written report documenting recent activities of University Relations and Community Development. f. Annual University Police Report Vice President Van Den Hul provided a written report on the University’s police report. g. Annual Western Sustainability Report Provost Carbajal provided a written report on the university’s sustainability efforts. h. Mid-year Housing and Dining Report Vice President Coughlin provided a written report regarding the University’s housing and dining system. 18. DATE FOR NEXT REGULAR MEETING: April 7, 8, 2016 in Bellingham. 19. The meeting adjourned at 11:04 a.m.