Faculty Senate Minutes
Monday, January 24, 2000
Present: Kris Bartanen, Michele Birnbaum, Terry Cooney, Connie Hale, Bill Haltom, Kathie
Hummel-Berry, Doug Edwards, Suzanne Holland, Elma Nahm, Hans Ostrom, David Sousa, Keith
Ward
Visitors: Bill Barry, Martin Jackson, Grace Kirchner, Stephen Neshyba, Matt Pickard, Mike
Rothman, Bryan Smith, Carrie Washburn
Meeting Called to Order: 4:06 p.m.
The minutes of the Senate meeting of December 6, 1999 were approved.
Announcements: Haltom reminded senators of the first full faculty meeting of the year Monday,
January 31, at 4pm.
Items of Business: Terry Cooney introduced the Budget Task Force, and Mike Rothman handed
out copies of the most recent BTF Report, accessible also at www.ups.edu/financeadmin.
Cooney briefly reviewed the composition and function of the BTF, and explained that the period of
commentary on the Report by members of the campus community extended up to Friday,
th
February 4 . He noted that this Report paid particular attention to staff concerns. Members of the
BTF (Kirchner and Jackson) and of the Faculty Salary Committee (Smith, Pickard, and Rothman)
were present to highlight aspects of the Report and to answer senators’ questions.
Jackson explained that President Pierce, in an early meeting with the BTF, had emphasized
her desire to hold the line on tuition increases. Responsive to this concern, the BTF recommends
keeping within a 4% range in tuition and fees increases.
Kirchner drew senators’ attention to the Report’s recommendation of a 3.0% increase in salary
pools for faculty and staff. The BTF also recommends an additional $102,000 for some of the
lower paid staff positions (generally, for those making on average $26K) in order to remain
competitive with the local market, as well as an increase to $205.00 in the monthly employment
benefits allowance “in recognition of higher underlying medical premium rates.”
Sousa asked whether the BTF used a local or national consumer price index to inform their
decisions, pointing out that the local always “outstripped” the national CPI. Rothman said the
BTF has always used the national CPI.
Kirchner pointed out the BTF’s recommendation of a $200,000 allocation for new costs such as
cleaning, maintenance, equipment placement, and media/technology support associated with the
Lowry Wyatt Hall (opening in Spring 2000). She also noted that the Report included
recommendations for increases in planned major maintenance of the campus, and for steady
increases in major maintenance funding over the next five years. Keith Ward asked about the
problem of deferred maintenance costs—a concern also expressed by the Board of Trustees.
Rothman said we have $27 million in deferred maintenance costs. Cooney said we have a
$600,000 a year maintenance budget, but we have deferred three decades of maintenance costs.
Kirchner also said that the BTF is supporting a move to hire professional staff instead of
student workers, particularly in the hiring of security staff and athletic trainers.
Jackson pointed out, that in order to keep pace with rising service expectations and the
demands of improved technology, the BTF recommends an additional computer technician
position and accountant/analyst position.
Rothman moved to the Fiscal Year 2000-01 Budget Summary, noting there was a two million
dollar increase in additional revenue in tuition, as well as an increase in financial aid made
available students. The largest increases were related to room and board fees
and in auxilary revenue associated with housing, dining, and the bookstore. Rothman also noted
that in tuition and fee comparisons of both Northwest and national peer groups, we figure on the
lower end of the price range, but that many on these lists discount their tuition. Thus applicants
may, in fact, place Puget Sound more in the mid-range when comparing peer institutions.
Hans Ostrom asked what the BTF was recommending with regard to the subsidizing of the
dental health plan. Kirchner said it was not within the purview of the Committee. Cooney and
Rothman told senators that the dental plan had been operating at a loss for a couple years, so
the President had convened a Dental Task Force which had recommended that the university
continue the plan but at a higher rate per participant, with increases for two years until the
program was no longer operating at a loss.
Haltom thanked the representatives of the Budget Task Force and the Faculty Salary
Committee. The Senate then revisited the Curriculum Committee proposal changing the semester
schedule, presented at the December 1999 meeting. Bartanen asked if the Senate was
deliberating on the substance of the proposal or on procedure—specifically, whether or not to
forward the proposal to faculty without comment. Haltom responded that if the Senate does
nothing, the proposal passes. Cooney said that Senate need not act other than to recommend
putting the proposal on the agenda for the next faculty meeting, and that the Curriculum
Committee cannot endorse a plan it has been charged by the Senate to create. Haltom told
Suzanne Holland that the proposal could be put on the agenda for the faculty meeting after next,
unless the President chose otherwise.
Cooney told Doug Edwards that the changes proposed by the Curriculum Committee, if
approved, would take effect the year after next. Edwards asked if the Senate planned on voting to
recommend the proposal or was just going to present it to faculty. Haltom said the Senate could
just distribute materials to faculty, though he was happy to take a Senate vote at this meeting.
Edwards and Holland discussed the religion department’s survey, suggesting some dissent about
changing the length of the semester. Edwards asked if comparison with other schools would be
useful. The survey collected data from schools both “like us” and from those we “aspire to be
like”; those institutions in the next tier “up” have on average fewer teaching days (including
contact hours) and longer breaks. Cooney responded that these schools have almost no transfer
students and thus do not have to argue the “worth” of their credits in comparison with other
institutions.
Haltom suggested the Senate look at the data collected by the religion department and invite
John Finney to another Senate meeting. Discussion ensued between Holland, Bartanen, Sousa,
Barry and Cooney about the wisdom of inviting Finney to present material he has already
presented and explained to the Curriculum Committee. Edwards asked for a clearer rationale
from Finney for the specific number of teaching days. Barry said that comparing data did not
matter so much in this case as did the perceived need by faculty that we must maintain a certain
number of days to fulfill our educational mission. Cooney reiterated that transfer equivalencies
are standardized by state and national agencies, and so the number of days is not arbitrary.
M/S/F to forward the Curriculum Committee’s proposal to the faculty without endorsement.
Haltom said we would look at the religion department’s information and invite Finney to the
Senate’s next meeting (to be held in the Misner Room) to further discuss the proposal.
Cooney passed around a list of those nominated for honorary degrees to the senators. Haltom
moved to accept. M/S/P.
New Business: None
Senate meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted,
Michele Birnbaum