APPROVED Minutes April 20, 2017
Western Washington University
Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, April 20, 2017

1. CALL TO ORDER
Board Vice Chair Chase Franklin called the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Western
Washington University to order at 3:02 p.m., at Olympic College, Room 221, in Poulsbo, WA.
Board of Trustees
Sue Sharpe, Chair - Absent
Chase Franklin, Vice-Chair
John Meyer, Secretary
Karen Lee
Betti Fujikado
Mo West
Earl Overstreet
Abigaíl Ramos
Western Washington University
Sabah Randhawa, 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
Earl Gibbons, Vice Provost for Extended Education
Stephanie Cheng, Associated Students President
Kerena Higgins, Assistant Attorney General
Paul Cocke, Director of University Communications
Barbara Sandoval, Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees
Rayne Rambo, Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
There were no changes to the draft minutes as distributed.
MOTION 04-01-2017:

Trustee Ramos moved that the Board of Trustees of
Western Washington University, upon the recommendation of
the President, approve the following Minutes:
• Board of Trustees Meeting February 10, 2017

The motion passed.
3. UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
President Randhawa highlighted faculty achievements to the board including; faculty marine
scientist, Susan Strom, from the Shannon Point Marine Center. Strom was part of a group of
scientist that was awarded six million dollars from the National Science Foundation. The work of
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the group focused on establishing long term ecological research site, one of which will be in the
northern Gulf of Alaska. The group also studied the impact of climate change and human change
on ecological systems. President Randhawa noted that Joseph Trimble, Professor of
Psychology, was recently awarded by the American Psychological Foundation with the 2017 Gold
Medal Award of Life Time Achievement in Psychology. His work has been focused promoting
psychological and social culture research with indigenous population especially American Indians
and Alaska native.
President Randhawa mentioned that Western hosted the 2017 Energy Symposium that was led
by the Institute for Energy Studies. The focus of the symposium was envisioning a new future for
transportation energy. Partners of the event were Governor Jay Inslee, Boeing, Alaska Airlines,
City of Seattle, and David Roberts of Vox Media as the keynote speaker.
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Accreditation Commission seven year
comprehensive site visit occurred at the end of March. President Randhawa stated that the draft
report from the visiting team is expected soon, and noted it was a successful visit. The chair of
the visiting team recognized in the participation of the Board of Trustees. There were a few
recommendations from the visiting team. President Randhawa said he will appear before the
commission in late June with Western representation for the final decision. Trustee Meyer added
that the process was efficient and they were prepared in gathering information.
President Randhawa provided updates regarding students: work continues with undocumented
students given the uncertainty that still exists. The Bluegroup suggested that Western provide
training for many of the individuals that work with undocumented students. A lending library has
been created in response to the cost incurred by students who are working with these issues. He
noted that concerns have been raised regarding Resident Advisors. These issues were brought
forward by the Associated Students and a team was established to create an open forum for
students to express concerns. President Randhawa believes that many of the issues are able to
be resolved by the start of Fall 2017.

4. ASSOCIATED STUDENTS
Associated Students (AS) President Stephanie Cheng reported to the board that the Residence
Advisor (RA) issue was a main focus for the AS Board. The open public forum was very helpful
in opening the lines of communication. Cheng reported that the AS Board wrote a letter of
support in the form of a resolution and the Washington Student Association also wrote a letter
supporting the RAs. Cheng said that the Associated Students elections are currently underway
and a proposed restructure and new constitution is on the ballot for a vote. AS Vice President for
Government Affairs will be presenting updated information at the June 2017 Board of Trustees
meeting.

5. WESTERN’S EXTENDED EDUCATION: TODAY AND TOMORROW
Provost Carbajal introduced the discussion regarding defining the role of Extended Education at
Western in Bellingham and on the peninsula. Provost Carbajal introduced the panel; Earl Gibbons
Vice Provost of Extended Education, Steve Hollenhorst, Dean Huxley College of the
Environment, David Mitchell, President of Olympic College, and Rovy Branon, Vice Provost for
Educational Outreach at the University of Washington.
Vice Provost Gibbons explained that Western’s Extended Education activities and presence has
been growing substantially over the last few years. In terms of numbers of people involved,
breathe of programming, numbers of colleges and academic departments that involved in various
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programs which led to a reorganization of Extended Education into five practice areas which
includes Western on the Peninsulas, Satellite Locations along I-5 Corridor, Central Services,
Communications, and International. Gibbons introduced Ed Stern, Poulsbo City Councilman, who
was in attendance for the meeting to represent the City of Poulsbo. Gibbons noted Kitsap and
the Olympic Peninsulas includes a population of 350,000 people and is underserved by public
four year higher education. Western’s presence is highly regarded as it is providing opportunities
for local communities.
Dean Hollenhorst, explained that the idea of serving non-traditional students is at the heart of
Western on the Peninsula, adding that the student population is the most diverse and oldest of all
of the Western campuses. He said that the goal is to have more traditional students be part of
Western on the Peninsula’s and complete their four year degree while staying in their
communities. In the past, these courses have mainly been taught by non-tenure tract faculty.
Vice Provost Gibbons has helped facilitate these positions and they are now starting to be filled
with tenure track faculty using self-sustaining funds. The faculty are able to connect and teach
students in all of Western’s satellite campuses with Interactive Television technology, (ITV), and
rotate from campus to campus to be present with the students on a rotating basis.
David Mitchell, President of Olympic College welcomed the board to Olympic College in Poulsbo.
Mitchell stated that the Bremerton campus was his initial vision of Olympic College. Washington
State partnered with Olympic College after receiving special funding through the legislature to
start a mechanical engineering program in Bremerton. This program continues to grow with
electrical engineering being added in the fall. Students receiving these baccalaureate degrees
would not have had access without this partnership and bringing the four year university to their
region. Enrollment has increased since students see the pathway to Western and realize they will
have a baccalaureate degree upon completion. President Mitchell said that it is important to tell
the story, to high school students, military personnel and the community and to ramp up the
programs that are currently offered. Mitchell stated there is great potential to continue to build
pathways for the non-traditional student. The partnership between Western and Olympic College
is strong and it shows in the growth of the programs and student population.
Rovy Branon, Vice Provost for Continuum College, University of Washington, highlighted the
similarities between the Continuum College and Western on the Peninsula’s. Continuum College
serves about 50,000 students out of University of Washington office. Branon stated that the
challenges are also similar with Olympic College when looking at the hyper-global and applying it
to the hyper-local.
Trustee Franklin inquired about the population of the potential higher education students that
have the desire to further their education but have limited access versus the population that
doesn’t consider themselves to be students or are unaware that higher education opportunities
exists. President Mitchell stated that 40% of the high school graduates in Kitsap county which is
close to the state average, do not go on to college after graduation. He explained that there is
not sufficient research to explain why, but stressed that there is a lack of information about
opportunity and programs such as Olympic College’s partnership with Western. Vice Provost
Gibbons added that there is a difference between the two demographics with the distinctive
difference in what keeps them from pursuing higher education. He said that one of the largest
obstacles for the adult students is psychological. They are acutely aware of their obstacles such
as, financial, family, work, and they juggle all of these responsibilities. Gibbons explained that a
majority of these students have credits from multiple institutions and that the Multidisciplinary
Studies program offered at Western on the Peninsulas helps to personalize the approach to
completing their degree, this is especially important to adults.
Trustee Overstreet requested that the panel share what they perceive to be the most challenging
obstacle to moving faster in terms of improving and what they would suggest to overcome that
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obstacle. Rovy Branon responded by emphasizing that resources are always a challenge.
Resources become a continual process, creating self-sustaining programs creates flexibility in the
approaches and alternative revenue flows. President Mitchell added that access and degree
completion is an obstacle. College students in dramatic percentages deal with food security
issues, housing security issues and homelessness which makes degree completion challenging.
It was stated that the uniqueness of the partnership between Olympic College and Western offers
the peninsula community many benefits. It is the community driven partnership that has led to
programs that support the needs of the community. This partnership is allowing Western to expand
and is creating excitement with programs like the Cyber-Security program. The general consensus
was that Western on the Peninsula’s is on the cusp of really taking off and growing in a community
that is greatly benefiting from its presence on the peninsula.

The meeting adjourned at 5:02 p.m.

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