APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017
Western Washington University
Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes
Friday, August 18, 2017

1. CALL TO ORDER
Board Chair Sue Sharpe called the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Western
Washington University to order at 8:07 am in the Board Room, Old Main 340, in Bellingham,
WA.

Board of Trustees
Sue Sharpe, Chair
Earl Overstreet, Vice Chair
John Meyer, Secretary
Betti Fujikado
Chase Franklin
Karen Lee
Trista Truemper
Mo West - absent

Western Washington University
Sabah Randhawa, President
Brent Carbajal, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Melynda Huskey, 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
Allison Giffin, Faculty Senate President
Kerena Higgins, Assistant Attorney General
Paul Cocke, Director of University Communications
Paul Dunn, Senior Executive Assistant to the President
Barbara Sandoval, Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees
Rayne Rambo, Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees

1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
There were no changes to the draft minutes as distributed.

MOTION 07-01-2017:

Trustee Franklin moved that the Board of Trustees of
Western Washington University, upon the recommendation
of the President, approve the following Minutes:

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017
•
•

Board of Trustees Meeting June 8, 2017
Board of Trustees Meeting June 9, 2017

The motion passed.

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. RECOGNITIONS AND INTRODUCTIONS
President Randhawa introduced Melynda Huskey, Vice President for Enrollment and Student
Services who will be leading the team that supports the co-curricular and out-of-the classroom
success of all Western Washington University students. Huskey has spent her career serving
students in a variety of higher education positions: and is committed to access, inclusion, and
student success. She holds a Ph.D. in English from The Ohio State University.
Brent Carbajal, Provost, Academic Affairs introduced Horacio Walker, Dean Woodring College
of Education. Walker joined Western from Universidad Diego Portales in Chile where he served
as the founding Dean of the College of Education. He holds a Ph.D. from Ontario Institute for
Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto.
Brent Carbajal, Provost, Academic Affairs introduced Chuck Lanham, Chief Information Officer.
Prior to joining Western, Lanham served in various positions at different Northwest Academic
Computing Consortium (NWACC) institutions; he holds a MBA from the University of Idaho and
an undergraduate degree in Financial and Management from Augustana University, Sioux Falls,
South Dakota
4. BOARD CHAIR REPORT
Chair Sharpe welcomed new student Trustee Trista Truemper and asked her to introduce
herself. Trustee Truemper said a few words and thanked the trustees for the opportunity to
work with everyone and added that she is excited for the upcoming year.

RESOLUTION NO. 2017-09
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017
WELCOMING TRUSTEE
TRISTA TRUEMPER
WHEREAS, on July 1, 2017, Governor Jay Inslee appointed TRISTA TRUEMPER of
Bellingham, Washington to serve a one-year term ending on June 30, 2018 on the Western
Washington University Board of Trustees; and
WHEREAS, TRISTA TRUEMPER is a graduate student in good standing at Western
Washington University pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree, after having
already earned a bachelor’s degree from Western in Sociology; and

WHEREAS, TRISTA TRUEMPER brings to her appointment as a trustee dedication to the
campus community through her work with Western’s Graduate School to help launch the
Graduate Student Advisory Council; as the Community Outreach and Engagement intern with
Western’s Extended Education Programs; and as a member of the Faculty Senate Extended
Education Committee; and
WHEREAS, TRISTA TRUEMPER brings to her appointment as a trustee dedication to her
community though participation with organizations such as Brigid Collins House, Birchwood
Christian School, and the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center; and
WHEREAS, TRISTA TRUEMPER was nominated by an Associated Students committee to
serve as a student member of the Western Washington University’s Board of Trustees; and

WHEREAS, TRISTA TRUEMPER has declared her commitment to serve as a member of the
Western Washington University Board of Trustees;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of Western Washington
University officially extends a warm welcome to TRISTA TRUEMPER as she begins her term on
the Board.

PASSED AND APPROVED by the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University at its
meeting on August 18, 2017.

MOTION 08-01-2017:

The motion passed.

Trustee Sharpe moved that the Board of Trustees approve
Resolution 2017-09 Welcoming the Service of Board Member
Trista Truemper.

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017
5. UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
President Randhawa thanked the board for his first year of service at Western and said that it
has been an honor working with the board and the university community. He expressed
excitement about the future of Western. Randhawa noted that a statement was provided to the
campus community regarding the campus shooting in Charlottesville, Virginia. Randhawa
expressed concerns regarding racism and hatred and how they work against the values of
Western, our nation and civilized society. He added that as we think about the future of
Western, that it is imperative to define the fine line of freedom of speech. He also highlighted the
importance of preparedness for thinking through these types of situations and the policies
Western has in place to be proactive in supporting of students and each other in difficult
situations.
Chair Sharpe thanked President Randhawa for his moral leadership in difficult situations.

6. ASSOCIATED STUDENTS
Simrun Chhabra, Associated Students President, provided a written report on the recent work
and activities of the Associated Student Board of Directors.
7. FACULTY SENATE
Allison Giffen, Faculty Senate President, thanked President Randhawa for his comments and the
campus statement regarding the tragic events that occurred in Charlottesville, VA. Giffen added
that events in Virginia highlight how urgent and important our educational mission is for the
future and future generations. Giffen reported that the Faculty Senate is looking forward to
working closely with the Associated Student Board of Directors as they move towards a new
senate model and working towards shared governance across campus with faculty. Giffen noted
her excitement regarding the additional legislative funding to increase tenure line faculty at
Western and is looking forward to working with the administration to grow Westerns faculty.

8. OVERVIEW OF PROPOSED FINANCING PLAN FOR VIKING UNION EXPANSION AND
HOUSING
Richard Van Den Hul, Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs introduced Brian
Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs, Linda Beckman, Director,
Budget & Administration, and Susan Musselman, Director, PFM Financial Advisors LLC/Public
Financial Management Inc. who presented to the board the proposed financing plan for the
Viking Union expansion.
Van Den Hul explained that the plan includes issuing a bond in early 2018 to fund the addition to
the Viking Union for the Ethnic Student Center Expansion and Multicultural Space, as well as the
first two years of identified renovation projects within University Residences as identified in the
recent Facilities Condition Assessment. Van Den Hul added that future bond issues are planned
to be requested approximately every two years to fund continued renovations to the Housing
System.

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017
Brian Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs explained that today’s
presentation will focus on FY-2018 and FY-2019, of the renovation and the bonding capital
expenditure that will be needed for the project. Susan Musselman, explained the financing of the
first two years of the funding process. Musselman explained the first step is to work with the
university in vetting projections and cash flows, because ultimately the university’s ability to
borrow depends on the availability of revenue to repay. Musselman also explained that a bond
rating is requested from a national ranking agency and Western currently has an A-1 rating
which is consistent with other regional institutions in the state of Washington. She also added
that a disclosure document or an official statement, is requested, that allows investors to see
when they can expect repayment, but also examines enrollment trends, financial trends and
university debt capacity.
Linda Beckman provided a financial plan timeline overview for the Viking Union Expansion
Project. Beckman stated that they would present to the board again in October with a bond
resolution asking for authority to select bonds based on when the projects are far enough along
in their design to have accurate costs of the projects. Beckman added that the expansion of the
Viking Union Ethnic Student Center and Multicultural Center project and the Buchanan Towers
housing renovation project are coinciding in January. This allows for potentially one bond to be
issued and helps reduce costs. Beckman stated that in late December, 90% of the construction
drawings for the Viking Union expansion project will be completed. This will allow for
presentation to sub-contractors for bids at which point the university will confirm guaranteed
maximum pricing on projects.
Dawson Construction has joined the process early to work with architects to ensure it is a
buildable project and the estimates are presolved. Beckman also reported that the contract for
the projects would be presented to the Board of Trustees in February 2018. Demolition and
construction for the Viking Union project will begin in mid-February and the expected completion
is scheduled for fall 2019. Beckman also added that students have been involved in the
planning of the Viking Union project and they are playing a leadership role when working with
architects over the past year. Students have identified the end goal of a safe resource center for
all cultural identities and a place of freedom to be one’s self for all students. Beckman explained
that the project there will be approximately 11,000 sq feet of additional space on the upper level,
of which approximately 8,000 sq ft will be dedicated to the Ethnic Student Center. The newly
constructed upper floor will include several AS Resource and Outreach program spaces as well
as offices for staff who will provide multicultural services for all faculty, staff and students. The
expansion project will combine the bookstore, the Viking Union and Multipurpose Room together
creating more cohesion.
Trustee Sharpe thanked the presenters adding that the explanation on public financing and how
Western works to fund projects was very helpful. She also said that from a trustee perspective,
she is proud of the fact that Western takes pride in the process as well as the outcome. Sharpe
also thanked Beckman for the Ethnic Student Center and Multicultural Center update and said
the trustees are looking forward to a comprehensive presentation in October.
9. CONSENT ITEMS
Chair Sharpe introduced the consent item of Approval of Summer Quarter degrees. Chair Sharpe
inquired about the lesser number of master’s degree students from 2016 to 2017. Provost Carbajal
responded by informing the board that during the course of 2016 graduate students who had been

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017
dormant in the master’s program were encouraged to finish their courses and complete the
program, this created the largest cohort of students graduating for the Master’s program.

MOTION 08-02-2017:

Trustee Truemper moved that the Board of Trustees of Western
Washington University, upon the recommendation of the
president, approve the following consent items:
•

Approval of Summer Quarter Degrees

The motion passed.

10. APPROVAL OF 2018 SUPPLEMENT OPERATING BUDGET REQUEST
President Randhawa introduced the request for approval of the 2018 Supplemental Operating
Budget. Randhawa added that the 2017-2019 budget requests are items that were previously
reviewed and approved by the board, however, were not approved in that particular legislative
cycle, but continue to be a priority for Western.
Richard Van Den Hul, Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs, stated that this is
another opportunity for Western to request that these requests be funded by the legislature. Van
Den Hul added that there is legislative interest in these budget requests.
MOTION 07-04-2017:

Trustee Franklin MOVED, that the Board of Trustees of Western
Washington University, upon the recommendation of the
President, approves a $1,472,615 decision package to Increase
STEM Capacity, a $1,443,405 decision package to create an
Undergraduate Program in Marine, Coastal, and Watershed
Sciences, and a maintenance level decision package for the
Poulsbo Marine Science Center in the amount of $164,182.

The motion passed.

11. APPROVAL OF 2018 SUPPLEMENTAL CAPITAL BUDGET
President Randhawa reported that the legislature has not yet passed the 2017-2019 Capital
Budget and it is unclear at the moment when the budget will be passed. Randhawa added that
the Washington State Office of Financial Management recommended that all state agencies resubmit their request for the biennium. Western is proposing to submit the same set of projects
that the board has previously reviewed and approved in the last academic year. He also
requested that the board delegate approval authority to modify the supplemental capital budget
request to the president or the president designee, to make minor changes to the supplemental
capital budget. He added that if there were major changes to be made it would come before the
board again for approval.

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017
Richard Van Den Hul, Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs reported that it is
uncertain when the budget will be approved, and this can cause problems in the operating
budget. He stated that the legislature uses $3.6 million of capital funds to fund maintenance
activities in the operating budget. The maintenance operations are critical to keeping the
campus open and operational. Van Den Hul said that the revenue will continue to generate and
be held in a local building account but cannot be accessed without a final capital budget. He
reported that while nothing is completely certain until the Legislature acts, the Legislature has
always funded this item and there is confidence the funds will be available once the capital
budget is approved. Van Den Hul stated that until then University reserves will serve as a backup until the capital budget is passed.
Trustee Meyer requested clarity on the delegation of approval authority and what would be
considered a minor and/or major change criteria regarding supplemental budget request.
President Randhawa stated that it would come before board as a major change if there were
additions to the budget rather than dollar amounts or revisions to the current requests.
MOTION -8-03-2017

Trustee Fujikado MOVED, that the Board of Trustees of Western
Washington University, upon the recommendation of the
President, approves a 2018 Supplemental Capital Budget
Request for $130,830,000 from State-appropriated funding
sources ($127,216,000 in capital projects and $3,614,000 in
preventative facility maintenance and repairs). The Board of
Trustees of Western Washington University shall also delegate
authority to the President, or President’s designee, to modify the
2018 Supplemental Capital Budget Request.

The motion passed.

12. APPROVAL OF THE FY-2018 INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN
Trustee Overstreet provided an update regarding the revisions to the FY-2018 Internal Audit
Plan. Overstreet reported that changes have been made to the format and the content of the
plan and the reasoning behind the changes. The Audit Committee agreed that more
engagement with the Director of Internal Audit in the preparation of the plan and that the plan be
a stand-alone document
Antonia Allen, Director, Office of the Internal Auditor who provided the board with an overview of
the FY-2018 Internal Audit Plan which included the service areas in which the Office of Internal
Audit would report to the Audit Committee throughout the academic year. (ATTACHMENT A)
MOTION 08-04-2017:

The motion passed.

Trustee Overstreet MOVED, that the Board of Trustees of
Western Washington University, upon the recommendation of the
Board of Trustees Audit Committee and President Randhawa,
approve the FY2018 Annual Internal Audit Plan for the Office of
the Internal Auditor.

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017

13. AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
Trustee Overstreet reported that the Audit Committee received an Internal Audit update report
from Antonia Allen, Director, Office of the Internal Auditor. The Audit Committee also reviewed
and approved to recommend the FY-2018 Internal Audit Plan to the full Board of Trustees for
approval. Trustee Overstreet thanked the board for their approval of the FY18 Internal Audit
Plan. Trustee Overstreet reported that the Audit Committee also discussed the Audit Committee
Charter, Work Plan and Assessment Tool. The Audit Committee agreed that next steps would be
to keep information related to the Audit Committee Charter concise, that meeting the state
requirements is a mandatory, and that there would be a continued conversation on how best to
incorporate Finance and Risk Management to Audit Committee responsibilities. He also said
that Director Allen will use the discussion points from the meeting to collect charter samples for
the Audit Committee to consider. Trustee Overstreet will coordinate with the Governance
Committee Chair and the Board of Trustee Chair for the best way forward. The Enterprise Risk
Management Committee Charter and plans were also discussed with Rich Van Den Hul, Vice
President for Business and Financial Affairs and Paul Mueller, Director, Risk, Compliance and
Policy Services provided information on best practices regarding trustee engagement,
responsibilities and communication with the Audit Committee. Overstreet explained that the
Audit Committee discussed the External Auditor Request for Information (RFI) results and the
Audit Committee agreed with Business and Financial Affairs recommendation that the FY 18
should look strictly the Financial Statement Audit and that the State Auditor’s Office makes the
most sense for that Audit. The external audit results will be brought forward at a future Board
Meeting.
14. GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
Trustee Franklin reported the Governance Committee continued to review the Rules of
Operations for necessary updates to align with the contemporary state of the Revised Code of
Washington (RCW). Franklin reported that the Governance Committee hopes to bring the
revised Rules of Operation to the full board at the October meeting. Trustee Franklin said that
the agenda for the September Board Work Session would focus on the Strategic Planning
process for Western, the board governance structure and President Randhawa’s annual mini
review with his full review to take place in 2018.
15. INFORMATION ITEMS
a. Academic Reports
Provost Carbajal provided a written report with to provide a general enrollment
management update.
b. Admissions and Enrollment Report
Vice President Huskey provided a written report regarding the university’s general
enrollment and admissions.
c. University Advancement Report

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017
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.

Chair Sharpe announced a break at 9:46 a.m. The board returned and reconvened the meeting at
9:55 a.m.

16. EXECUTIVE SESSION
At 9:55 a.m. Chair Sharpe announced that the Board would convene in Executive Session for
approximately 10 minutes to discuss a personnel matter as authorized in RCW 42.30.110
(1)(g)&(i).
17. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AT WESTERN
Provost Carbajal introduced Brad Johnson, Dean, College of Science and Engineering to provide
the board with an update on the Engineering Accreditation process. Johnson reported that
following the FY 13-14 biennium, when Western received the funding from the Legislature for the
conversion of the Engineering program the first order of business was to create the curriculum.
Johnson explained that the accreditation process began after the first cohort graduated from the
program which includes; Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Plastics and
Composites Engineering. Johnson noted that there has been a rapid increase in enrollment for
the Electrical Engineering Program, with two concentrations that include Electronics and the
Energy Concentration which a program that collaborates with The Institute for Energy Studies.
Manufacturing Engineering and Plastics and Composites Engineering have seen slower growth
due to the accreditation process. Johnson stated they expect to see those programs grow after
the accreditation process is completed.
Dean Johnson reported that the accreditation process is near completed noting that the final
meeting with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) occurred on
campus in July, was a success and all of the preliminary reporting material was positive. He said
that the letter of accreditation should be received in the near future.
Dean Johnson discussed the future growth of the Engineering programs, explaining that a six
year planning process has been established to diversify the programs and begin resourcing the
partnerships that will help build the engineering programs. Johnson added that the Electrical
Engineering & Energy concentrations provide fertile ground for corporate partners that will help
build research and development partnerships which encourages investment into the programs.
Johnson noted that the Engineering Department will be hiring an Electrical Engineering faculty
member that will allow the cohort to increase to thirty-six students and permit the Electrical

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Engineering and Computer Engineering programs to expand to their fullest potential. This is also
leading to a partnership with Paccar Technical Center, Inc. This partnership will encourage a
Master’s program that will place graduates in the work place at Paccar Technical Center
immediately after graduation. Johnson indicated that the Plastics and Composites Engineering
program is currently building a partnership with Zodiac Aerospace which includes research and
development on new type of composite material. Moving forward the goal is to establish a new
focus on sustainable plastics and composites. Johnson explained that these programs can help
establish new corporate partnerships with companies like Boeing who are interested in reducing
their waste and becoming more sustainable.
Trustee Sharpe inquired about the relationship with Bellingham Technical College (BTC) and
Western’s Engineering program. Johnson explained BTC currently has a Plastics Technology
program which is housed at the Technology Development Center (TDC) and allows for Western
students to use the labs and equipment. Johnson explained that the TDC is a collaboration
between Western, The Port of Bellingham, and BTC. Western’s Engineering Department is
currently seeking additional outside partners, like Zodiac Aerospace, to further collaboration and
allow for real life industrial experience for both Western students and students from BTC.
Trustee Sharpe inquired if capacity was the largest barrier to expansion. Dean Johnson
responded by confirming it is a one of the larger issues. The College of Science and
Engineering has seen rapid growth and interest from students over the course of the past five
years and the main barriers include the number of faculty available for courses and available
space.
18. DATE FOR NEXT REGULAR MEETING
October 12 & 13, 2017
19. ADJOURNMENT

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017

Attachment A

Western Washington University
Office of the Internal Auditor (OIA)
FY18 Annual Internal Audit Plan
Service Area

Topic

Primary Selection Criteria

Assurance

Registrar’s Audit – FY17

Carryover from FY17. Time spent on
unscheduled Residency and Financial
Aid Investigation delayed completion of
scheduled Registrars Audit.
Industry trends for audit topics,
management input on desired audit
topic/risk area.
Opportunity to assist new Vice Provost,
management input on desired audit
topic/risk area, industry trends for audit
topics.
Opportunity to assist new Vice
President, management input desired
audit topic/risk area, industry trends for
audit topics.
Opportunity to assist new Vice Provost,
management input desired audit
topic/risk area, industry trends for audit
topics.
Requested by Board of Trustees Audit
Committee
Required by Internal Audit Charter
Required by Internal Audit Charter
Required by Internal Audit Charter and
Internal Audit Standards

Clery Act

Research-related topic to be determined
(TBD) with new Vice Provost Research

Enrollment and Student Services (ESS) topic
TBD with new Vice President for ESS

Information Technology Risk Assessment
collaboration with new Vice Provost for
Information Technology and Chief Information
Officer
Quarterly Review of President’s Expenses
Consulting
Investigations
Follow Up

Office of
Internal
Auditor
Management

Consulting projects as requested
Investigation projects as requested
Follow up on management’s response to past
OIA recommendations. OIA will review and
summarize management’s self-assessment
of response status.
Risk Assessment and FY19 Annual Plan
Quality Assurance and Improvement Program
(QAIP) OIA Governance
Quality Assurance and Improvement Program
(QAIP) OIA Management & Staff
Quality Assurance and Improvement Program
(QAIP) Audit Process

Required by Internal Audit Charter and
Internal Audit Standards.
QAIP required by State Administrative &
Accounting Manual (SAAM) Chapter 22
and Internal Audit Standards

APPROVED Minutes August 18, 2017