Annual College Goal Assessment Report
2008/2009 Academic Year
College of the Sciences, Central Washington University
Goal I: Provide for an outstanding academic and student experience in the
College of the Sciences (CWU Goals 1, 5; AA Goals 1-9)
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Ensure the viability, currency, and quality of instructional programs.
o Maintain and strengthen the contribution of COTS disciplines to the university's general
education program.
At least 164 course sections were offered at the centers in 2008/09
o Maintain and strengthen the integrity of disciplinary major programs, including graduate
programs.
Gerontology, Law and Justice, and Psychology Departments completed program review this
year. Due to personnel concerns Geology shifted its evaluation to next year.
o Promote development and sustenance of interdisciplinary courses and programs to meet
academic need and new direction.
At least 47 interdisciplinary course sections were offered in 2008/09
Optimize efficiency to meet instructional needs in light of available resources.
Extensive planning has taken place in COTS to generate course and program efficiencies in
response to budgetary constraints in the 2009-2011 biennial cycle.
Maintain and strengthen faculty roles in mentoring student research experiences.
Students enrolled in 1,990 SCH independent study and research, 250 SCH thesis, 575 SCH
cooperative field placement. COTS again sponsored the majority of student posters and
presentations occurring at SOURCE in Spring 2009.
Strengthen the role of faculty in academic advising.
Based on the recommendation of the department chair a small number of faculty continued to be
granted additional service wlus as compensation for above average department advising loads.
Recruit and sustain highly qualified faculty and staff to support enrollment goals, academic program
quality, a dynamic curriculum, and the personal attention to students for which Central is recognized.
COTS hired 17 new tenure-track faculty for the 2008/09 academic year and completed searches
which will bring an additional 8 new TT faculty to the college in 2009/10.
Support faculty as scholars who engage in the lifelong creation and application of knowledge.
COTS provides all full-time faculty with the opportunity to receive up to $350 in faculty
development funds each year. Unused allocations may be carried into one additional year. Of the
168 TT and NTT faculty eligible for COTS Faculty Development funds in 2008/09, 74 requested
support. A total of $25,900 was distributed.
Optimize instructional program effectiveness and the professional development of faculty and staff
through assessment and evaluation.
o Maintain and strengthen routine evaluation of all faculty at the department and college levels,
including further refinement of performance criteria and processes.
Departments were given the opportunity to update existing Retention, Tenure and Promotion
Policies to reflect the changing nature of disciplinary standards and extant faculty expertise.
o Link faculty accomplishments to a reward system; link performance evaluation to
professional development plans.
Department and college level criteria were applied to those undergoing annual
reappointment, tenure and/or promotion consideration, and post-tenure review; 20 COTS
faculty were granted salary increases (effective Fall 2009) based on performance review
evaluations which took place in Spring 2009.
o Support student assessment within academic programs upon entry to and exit from major.
Departments continued to implement assessment plans and to submit the required annual
update.
o Implement the results of program review in curriculum development, staffing, and resource
allocation.
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Program Review findings continue to be incorporated in department budget requests and in
decision making regarding the allocation of faculty positions and other resources.
o Maintain, strengthen, and report on college programs in support of accreditation and
certification review.
The mental health and counseling program received Council for Accreditation of Counseling and
Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in 2008/09. This makes it one of only three CACREP
accredited mental health counseling training programs at a public university in the state of
Washington The clinical psychology program submitted its formal documentation for a similar
accrediting review which will take place in 2009/10. All COTS departments were actively
engaged in supplying essential data and reports in preparation for the university level
NWCCU accreditation review which will occur in 2009/10.
Enrich student experiences in college programs.
o Encourage student involvement in research, field experiences, cooperative education, and
community service.
Many programs require research, field experiences, cooperative education/community
engagement in order to graduate, similarly a number of courses have embedded research
and community engagement components. COTS funded 7 Undergraduate Student
Research Grants in Spring 2009.9 (in 2008 only one student research project was funded).
o Maintain and infuse programs that give honors and awards for student achievement and
research.
One of the new TT faculty members beginning Fall 2008 was expressly hired to be the
Science Honors Program director (position includes a half time reassignment from instruction
for this purpose) in order to increase participation in this program. A number of departments
have active department level honors programs which include specialized classes and degree
requirements.
Provide appropriate and up-to-date facilities, technologies, laboratories, and technical staff to inspire
science instruction and scholarly work.
Dean Hall opened Winter 2009 after a substantial remodel. This facility houses the
Anthropology and Museum Studies Department and the Geography Department. It has state of
the art instructional and laboratory facilities. Dean Hall also includes the Museum of Culture and
Environment. Essential display equipment will be in place during Summer 2009 (partially funded
by the college) and is scheduled to have its grand opening and first exhibit (The River of
Memory—funded exclusively by COTS) Fall 2009.
o Develop revenue to support maintenance, replacement, and purchase of new equipment for
department and faculty needs.
Summer revenue, grant overhead, and equipment grants continue to be the main source of
equipment purchase, repair, maintenance and replacement.
o Enhance instructional technology in the classroom.
In order to offer 200+ student sections of PSY 101 COTS has agreed to supply up to
$10,000 to upgrade electronic technology in Hertz Hall Auditorium. This will allow video
capture of the lecture portions of the class and other computer technology in the classroom.
o Provide for new and replacement computer hardware and software.
Departments have widely participated in the WIN WIN program to replace computers.
Faculty start-up includes funding for a computer. The Dean’s Office supported software
upgrades for one faculty member and one department in 2008/08, and assisted three
departments in contracting for photocopy services.
Establish proximity among programs in order to foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
The opening of Dean Hall brought the anthropology and geography faculty together in one building
strengthening interaction between students and faculty in the resource management (graduate)
program. Geography’s move from Lind Hall will soon allow geology to move all of its faculty into
the same building (Lind). Anthropology’s move to Dean Hall has already allowed law and justice
to move to Ferrell Hall facilitating interaction between law and justice and sociology which share
substantial numbers of dual majors and minors. Law and justice’s departure from the Psychology
Building will ultimately free up needed space in the psychology and political science departments.
Goal II: Provide for an outstanding academic and student life in college programs
and courses at the university centers (CWU Goals 2, 5; AA Goals 1-7, 9)
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Foster center programs.
The college currently supports degree programs in law and justice, mathematics-secondary
education, psychology, and IDS social science. Supporting course work or minor programs in
science education, mathematics education, psychology, sociology and selected other disciplines
is also offered at several centers. We continue to consider additional options. Beginning Fall
2009 the Social Services major will be available at Pierce, and the college is reviewing the
possibility of adding the general science education major in Lynnwood and the sociology major in
Des Moines.
Establish clear linkages between center students and the university community.
Faculty on the main campus in Ellensburg are increasing reaching out to the centers through
online course offerings, and a tenure-track sociology line will be added at Des Moines in Fall
2009.
Meet specialized student scheduling needs by location.
Traditional and televised classes continue to be offered primarily in the evening to meet student
needs. COTS has also been at the forefront of meeting the demand for online classes by center
students who typically have family and work obligations which prohibit attendance during the
daytime hours.
Establish the seamless integration of community college to four-year degree programs.
Departments have been advised to update community college DTAs/articulation agreements and
course equivalencies.
Regularize expectations for instruction, faculty research, service, mentoring of students, and
evaluation independent of location.
All TT faculty are evaluated according to the same college and university standards for RTP/PTR
and department policies must be approved at the dean’s and provost’s levels. In addition, all
(center and main campus) NTT faculty (fulltime or part-time) continued to be evaluated by their
respective home department during the spring quarter of each academic year. Departments
typically opt not to renew contracts when NTT fail to meet the same instructional expectations
applied to their TT faculty.
Goal III: Provide for outstanding graduate programs that meet focused regional
needs and achieve academic excellence (CWU Goals 1, 2, 5; AA Goals 1-7, 9)
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Maintain and enhance professional graduate programs that meet regional and national work force
needs.
Foster graduate programs that contribute to basic research and to defining the university’s regional
intellectual niche.
o Offer competitive remuneration for graduate assistantships in research-focused programs,
including adequate stipends and full tuition waivers, in order to attract the strongest
applicants.
In response to feedback from those having declined admission offers, the Graduate
School increased the stipend for new graduate students in chemistry beginning Fall 2009.
The objective is to increase enrollment in that master’s program.
o Allocate and compensate faculty time for graduate program and thesis advisement.
Per CBA Appendix A, the COTS dean allows faculty serving as chairs or members of
graduate thesis committees to adjust their workloads to reflect this activity.
Support clusters or communities of faculty with special expertise within or across disciplines through
focused and interdisciplinary graduate programs.
Resource Management continues to serve as Central’s best example of an interdisciplinary
graduate program.
Optimize integration of graduate students into undergraduate academic experiences and the
scholarly life of faculty.
Faculty led teams of graduate and undergraduate students from the biology department received
funding from the Washington State Department of Transportation I-90 Project to conduct research
on endangered fish habitat, pika, and salamanders. Chemistry, biology, and geology graduate
students continue to be an integral part of delivery of undergraduate laboratory sections. The
WATERS NSF also integrates undergraduate and graduate research.
Goal IV: Develop a diversified funding base to support curriculum and academic
facilities, student and faculty research and scholarships, as well as faculty
development, service and applied research in college disciplines (CWU Goal 4; AA
Goals 1-6, 8, 9)
 Maintain and enhance the college’s high levels of success in attracting external grants and contracts
in support of academic programs and research.
COTS faculty were again quite successful in competing for external grants and contracts this past
fiscal year. During the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 COTS faculty were awarded
35 grants and contracts. The total funding was $2,464,313. This represents a slight downturn
from the previous fiscal year when economic conditions were more robust (in that year 47
proposals were funded in the amount of $2,762,026).
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Support and reward faculty who diversify the resource base through grants and contracts that support
the academic mission of the college.
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Establish release time for faculty who gain grants that support students, fund faculty
research effort, and generate indirect costs.
Establish release time for faculty who publish.
Due to budgetary realities COTS has made more progress on the former; faculty are
routinely allowed to adjust upwards scholarship wlus when supported by a grant and in a
few instances wlus have been credited for those with above average publication records.
COTS continued to allow the department and PI to retain the majority of grant overhead
coming back to the college level (the college only retains 12.5% of the 40% that is
returned to the college level (or 5% of the total overhead on grants). One faculty
member has been granted reassigned time by the college in 2009/10 to pursue a grant,
and two faculty members received summer research stipends to pursue grant funding.
Initiate a development program for private fund raising and alumni relations.
Establish a dean’s advisory or development council.
At the close of spring 2009, the COTS Development Council had been in existence for three
years. This body is both a potential fund-raising organ of the college and a public relations
vehicle.
Expand the COTS summer research program through larger numbers of grants and larger awards.
In spring 2009 five faculty were awarded COTS Summer Research Grants. Although we were
unable to expand the amount of each award, this did constitute a numerical high point for the
college (in prior years the number was held at 4).
Goal V: Build partnerships that support academic program quality and student
experiences in the college of the sciences, including those with private,
professional, academic, government, and community-based organizations (CWU
Goals 4, 5; AA Goals 1-3, 5, 6, 9)
 Provide academic expertise of faculty in service and applied research for public and private
constituencies.
CWAS (anthropology), the I-90 project (biology), and the Gladmar Park project (geography) stand
as examples of faculty providing direct expertise to community and government agencies.
Similarly, organized service learning projects in gerontology, sociology, law and justice, and
political science benefit the community at large.
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Promote student opportunities for internships, service learning, and partnerships with schools.
Science Education, CESME, the graduate programs in psychology and mathematics, and the
WATERS project/grant continue the long line of association between the schools and the College
of the Sciences.
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Support faculty in service to their professions.
Faculty in the College of the Sciences are credited with service as part of their annual workload.
Faculty are encouraged to report time spent on professional service responsibilities in this
component of their workload, and may use COTS development funds to
support professional
service responsibilities.
Goal VI: Strengthen the college’s contributions to the field of education (CWU Goals
1, 2; AA Goals 1-4, 9)
 Strengthen the relationships between departments and professional education programs.
o Secure and stabilize staffing for teacher education course work.
Science Education hired an additional tenure-track faculty member with expertise in the
biological sciences who will begin working at the university in January 2010.
o Strengthen the relationship between COTS and CTL; coordinate the COTS role in teacher
preparation.
Science Education was elevated to department status and COTS commitment to the
success of CESME (SOD) 2008/09 serve to underscore the value COTS places on
education.
 Support science and mathematics education faculty in their role of enhancing regional teacher content
knowledge and pedagogical practice in support of state math and science education standards.
Mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, and geology actively participate in SCED and produce
both discipline specific research outputs along with scholarship based on instruction.
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Integrate earth science into the Science Education program.
Unfortunately the 2008/09 position search cancelled due to state and university budgetary
contraction.
Become a leader in pedagogical research that informs teacher training, professional development and
content area instruction.
Mathematics faculty applied for grants which (if funded) have the aim more closely aligning
secondary school mathematics courses with the expectations for success in entry level collegiate
mathematics courses.
Goal VII: Create and sustain productive, civil, and pleasant learning environments
(CWU Goal 6; AA Goals 1, 4, 6, 9)
 Recognize and support diversity of background, experience, belief, and perspective as the
centerpiece of the intellectual life of the college.
Darwin Day, Natural Science symposia, SOURCE, sponsorship of student clubs clubs continued
in 2008/09.
 Strengthen department and college culture by enabling mutual understanding of differing faculty roles
and responsibilities.
Department policies for RTP/PTR were updated in 2008/09 to reflect changing disciplinary
standards and expertise of extant department staff.