Operations Committee Minutes

January 26, 2000

Present:
Gustafson, Bradley, Bare, Anderson, Thorud, Catlett, Hinckley,Waldron, Cohen, Trudeau

Agenda"
Board of Deans report
Space/research faculty
Futures Committee report
Developing UW themes for 2001-2003 legislative session
Other items

Board of Deans report

• In Olympia
  --additional funding to fill out medical insurance for
• RAs/TAs is getting favorable reception.
  --a collective bargaining bill has been introduced (authorizingbill only). There was little or no prior consultation with faculty senatesacross the state.*Units are directed to start planning merit reviews; activity should beseriously under way by early April.*Due to funding concerns the UW is reconsidering its ability to take its"fair share" (~7,000) of the student "bulge" coming by 2010.*With a huge increase in federal research dollars likely, are there somelarge cross-campus initiatives to consider developing?

Space

• It was recommended that BLD 203 (office space) be offered to Sally Brownon a temporary basis.

Futures Committee Report

• Not all committee members had seen. It is on the web athttp://www.cfr.washington.edu/committees/futures/ or available in hardcopy from Sally Morgan.
• There is much to discuss. The CSP should take the lead in organizingdiscussion opportunities. A suggestion is informal brown bags, perhapsdealing with one section at a time.
• Jim Agee will present the report at the Winter Quarter college meeting.
• Consideration of the Futures Committee report will inform on-goingdiscussions about faculty positions.
• Some of the risk in radically changing curricula could be covered inadvance by discussions with UW administration. There is a risk in doingnothing as well.
• Perhaps some concerns about curriculum revision would be assuaged bytaking the next step and crafting what it would actually look like.
• An appealing feature of the combined curriculum is its movement AWAY fromthe brown and green divide.
• There was disagreement regarding whether or not administrative changeswould have to occur in conjunction with curricular changes, having to dowith merit and promotion issues and also linkages between undergraduateand graduate programs.
• Developing UW themes for 2001-2003 legislative session

As a strategy, the UW is developing budget-building themes for the2001-2003 legislative session since funding for targeted issues may beeasier to gain than more generalized funding. These themes will no doubtplay a role in our own budget hearings with the UW administration. Fourthemes have emerged to date:

• Health
• Environment
• Community
• Economy

The first two have already been presented to the Regents. Palka andWallace authored the proposal on the environment, with no knownconsultation with affiliated units. It would be useful for CFR members toread the proposal to assess whether or not it is a fair statement. As anaside, there have been complaints that the core schools and colleges havebeen increasingly uninvolved in UW initiatives.

Other items

• Today's Career Fair went well. Future fairs will probably be organizedaround natural resources and involve other units, to the benefit ofstudents, staff, and employers.
• Student Services is working on setting up FIGs (freshman interestgroups). These must be carefully planned since sections must be filled.
• Faculty are needed to offer Freshman Seminars, one element of the FIGconcept. Freshman Seminars can be offered any quarter of the academic year. Interested facultyshould discuss with their chair.

December 22, 1999

Topics discussed at the December 22, 1999 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of the related documents):

Update on Demonstration Garden I695 implementation; I601 complications Rural Technology Institute 2001 - 2003 budget process Review of upcoming events CUH signage ONRC damage Pack Forest fund-raising

Attending:
Anderson, Bradley, Catlett, Gustafson, Lippke, Morgan, Schiess, Thorud. Guests: Maile Lono, Chuck Henry.

UPDATE ON DEMONSTRATION GARDEN:
Maile Lono and Chuck Henry presented an update on plans for a demonstration garden to showcase beneficial uses of sustainable resources. The plan has been reviewed and approved by the Campus Landscape Committee and Physical Plant. The garden will be at the southeast corner of Bloedel Hall (around the corner from the loading dock). Triangular in shape, it will measure 14'x15'x20' (across the hypotenuse). Physical Plant has promised to replace sidewalks, as needed (those in the area are buckling badly), out of their funds. Maintenance will be the responsibility of Check Henry.

I-695 IMPLEMENTATION & I-601 COMPLICATIONS:
A press release detailing an opinion being released by the Attorney General's office on the impact of I-695 on fees charged by State agencies was distributed and discussed. In general, where the amount charged is a fee for services, rather than a charge for governance, the I-695 limitation does not apply. This would include such things as fees for labs and field trips. However, increases in such fees are limited to 3.1% because of I-601. This is creating some difficulties for the course charges. These charges vary from quarter to quarter because of differences in destinations, and increases which must be passed on to students (such as the increase in charges for Motor Pool vehicles).

RURAL TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE:
Bruce Lippke reported that he is working on a list of projects. These projects will be short so that results can be demonstrated at the next round of appropriations. Beverly Anderson is working on financial issues related to setting up and administering the funds.

2001 - 2003 BUDGET PROCESS:
Correspondence from the university administration concerning how the budget requests for the next biennium will be processed was distributed. The process is being designed to focus the attention of the legislature on the service aspects of the University.

REVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS:
There was a brief discussion of upcoming events, including the All-College meeting, Faculty Showcase, etc., in an attempt to identify events that would be appropriate and productive for Jerry Grinstein, the Regent who has been assigned to the College. It was also suggested that it would be good to have him visit the College to speak with students, faculty, etc.

CUH SIGNAGE:
It was noted that the signage at CUH appropriately and prominently acknowledges the relationship with the College and the University.

ONRC DAMAGE:
Because of the heavy rain in Forks (10" over a 4-hour period on December 15), the access road has partially washed-out. The extent of the damage and the cost of repairs are still unknown.

PACK FOREST FUND-RAISING:
A new account has been established for a fund-raising effort to benefit Pack Forest. It will be featured in the next Annual Fund Campaign.

December 15, 1999

Topics discussed at the December 15, 1999 Operations Committee includedthe following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if youwish to see any referenced documents):

Rural Technology Institute
Approval of Summer Quarter Budget
Unit UIF Report
CINTRAFOR Director Search
Precision Forestry

Attending:
Anderson, Bare, Bradley, Catlett, Gustafson, Hinckley, Lippke,Morgan, Schiess, Thorud

RURAL TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE:
In response to successful lobbying bypotential beneficiaries in the forestry industry, part of the ForestService's congressional budget allocation has been earmarked for theestablishment of a Rural Technology Institute. This is defined as a"pilot regional network and service system to increase technology transferto rural forestry communities." It is intended as a cooperative projectfocussed on applied projects, outreach, and extension services forimplementation in rural areas (Olympic Peninsula, Lewis, Okanogan, andYakima Counties, for example). The funding will be distributed directlyto the University, with some of the money then routed to WSU for theirpart of the projects. It is still unknown whether the indirect costs willbe charged at the outreach rate; this decision will impact how additionalstaff and other expenses will be paid and how much will be available. Theallocation is $900,000, which will be shared by the University of Washington and Washington State University.

APPROVAL OF SUMMER QUARTER BUDGET:
We have gotten approval of our full budget request for courses for Summer, 2000.

UNIT UIF REPORT:
Dean Thorud and Arthur Nowell met Provost Huntsman regarding the proposed UIF on GIS. The Provost agreed, in principal, with the proposal and has relaxed the time schedule to allow the specifics of the proposal to be completed. Miles Logsdon and Phil Hurvitz are working on the details; it is possible that additional funds will be available from Tools for Transformation as well.

CINTRAFOR DIRECTOR SEARCH:
The ad has been drafted, approved by the Equal Opportunity Office, and is being distributed. The closing date isn't until March, so there will not be much to report until more time has passed.

PRECISION FORESTRY:
A meeting is scheduled for December 16 with the three Advanced Technology Initiative awardees. Dean Thorud has discussed some of the details with the administration and it appears they will be supportive of naming Prof. Fridley as the acting director and calling it the Precision Forestry Cooperative.

December 1, 1999

Topics discussed included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of the referenced documents):

Board of Deans meeting highlights
Student Behavior at Pack Forest
Sabbatical Leave Requests
Enrollment update
Committee on Strategic Planning agenda

Attending:
Anderson, Bare, Bradley, Catlett, Gustafson, Hinckley, Lippke, Morgan, Thorud, Trudeau

BOARD OF DEANS MEETING HIGHLIGHTS:
Dean Thorud discussed an anticipated change in the budget process for the next biennium. The process will begin with meetings between the units and the administration to review the prospects before preparing the initial request. Initiative 601 limitations will continue to hamper funding from the State's General Fund, leading the University to continue to seek private funds and pu rsue other potential financial sources. There will continue to be pressure on tuition and we may see an increase in differential tuition (such as that charged by the Law School and for the MBA program). The differential between non-resident and resident tuition may lead to an increase in out-of-state admissions. Other items in connection with the fiscal state of the university are that the expectation is that there will not be substantial capital investment for one or more biennia and that there is increasing suggestion that university services may be privatized for efficiency and/or units may be allowed to contract outside the institution for services.

STUDENT BEHAVIOR AT PACK FOREST:
Comments received by the Office of Student Services from students who were at Pack Forest last Spring quarter were reviewed and discussed. Suggestions included sensitivity/diversity, and incorporating clear statements of personal responsibility and accountability in the materials distributed to the students prior to going, in addition to the current practice of charging a deposit.

SABBATICAL LEAVE REQUESTS:
Sabbatical requests are due this month. To date, requests have been received from Linda Brubaker and Bill McKean. In response to a hypothetical question, Dean Thorud reminded that the sabbatical is a privilege, not a right, and if a chair receives a request that would seriously disrupt the teaching efforts of their division, the chair can deny the request.

ENROLLMENT UPDATE:
Michelle announced that 17 new students have enrolled as CFR majors. This is the same figure as last year, but is encouraging because it is a higher percentage.

COMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC PLANNING AGENDA:
The Committee on Strategic Planning will meet next week in place of the Operations Committee. The agenda includes the CUH review, a discussion of centers in the College, the equipment request, and a review of the faculty portfolio submissions.

November 24, 1999

Attending:
Thorud, Catlett, Bare, Trudeau, Anderson, Hinckley, Bradley, Lippke

Agenda (see details below)

SUMMER QUARTER 2000
PHYSICAL PLANT PROJECTS UPDATE
PROPOSED DEMONSTRATION GARDEN
"FACULTY PORTFOLIO" PROPOSALS / SUMMARY
CUH
--STAFF CHANGE
--REVIEW
"ENTITY" FOR FACULTY OUTSIDE CONSULTING
STUDENT BEHAVIOR AT PACK FOREST
BUDGETARY OUTLOOK

SUMMER QUARTER 2000
More requests for Summer Quarter 2000 have emerged, putting us approximately $14K over budget. It was decided to submit the entire list at this time, requesting additional budget on the basis of expanding our summer program and offering students greater opportunity to complete their studies faster. This will need to be revisited if the Summer Quarter Office does not approve the budget at the expanded level. Following is the revised proposed roster of courses and faculty to be covered by our allocation:

PHYSICAL PLANT PROJECTS UPDATE
The first of what will be regular reporting (prepared by Carl Harrington) on Physical Plant projects in process was reviewed.

PROPOSED DEMONSTRATION GARDEN
On-going maintenance for this project is a concern, but the project will be taken to UW Grounds to get their reaction and ideas about how to solve potential maintenance issues.

"FACULTY PORTFOLIO" PROPOSALS / SUMMARY
Nine proposals have been received, with one additional coming on Monday. They will be reviewed at the next CSP meeting, December 8.

CUH
--STAFF CHANGE. A two-phased approach is being used to address the Dave Stockdale vacancy. 1) A committee is preparing a draft position description, which will have wide review upon completion. 2) The position will be filled on a temporary basis in the very near future. It is expected that it will take 6-9 months to complete the search for a permanent replacement.

--REVIEW. The CUH review committee has met with a number of individuals and groups within CUH and in the UW at large. They will continue their activities, as outlined in their charge letter. The chair will be invited to an upcoming meeting of the Cmte on Strategic Planning.

"ENTITY" FOR FACULTY OUTSIDE CONSULTING
The recent survey from the Senate Faculty Council on Research was briefly discussed.

STUDENT BEHAVIOR AT PACK FOREST
Concerns were raised about student behavior at Pack Forest. Additional steps should be taken to instill a greater sense of responsibility on the part of students, something that will serve them well in the job market. Targets of opportunity include orientations, course content, student clubs, and faculty leadership. Student Services will follow up.

BUDGETARY OUTLOOK
It is not good. Between 601 limitations and 695 reductions, it appears there will be financial difficulties ahead. Although it is not yet time to panic, we could be asked as early as year 2 of this biennium to provide preliminary responses to a request for a 5-10% reduction. Ironically the state continues with record surpluses.

November 17, 1999

Attending:
Thorud, Catlett, Bare, Trudeau, Gustafson, Waldron, Anderson, Hinckley

Agenda (see details below)

SPACE
PROPOSED SUMMER QUARTER 2000 COURSE LISTINGS
SHORELINE MANAGEMENT
FACULTY STATUS FOR ONRC STAFF MEMBER
SRS DEMONSTRATION GARDEN NEAR BLOEDEL LOADING DOCK
REWARDS FOR STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES

SPACE

Near- and longer-term space needs were discussed. General agreement was reached on the following recommendations:

1. M&E (Gustafson) can offer BLD 203 to research faculty on a temporary basis only, with caveat that can be displaced if needed for future tenure-track faculty.
2. BLD 178A will be retained by computing support staff (Norton; Baldwin) since server room is too noisy and will be too cold to work in.
3. If AND 303 is vacated, marketing/economics students currently in BLD 160 on a temporary basis will move to AND 303 instead of BLD 178A.
4. ES (Hinckley) will pursue consolidation of soils analytical lab spaces with hope of capturing a suitable office for research faculty.
5. Anderson, Trudeau et al. will pursue alternative layouts for Student Services that include using AND 115 (now copier/mail room) in order to consolidate staff and provide a better focal point for building entry.
6. Anderson, Sukumaran et al. will pursue alternative layouts for Financial Services on the second floor of Anderson in order to consolidate staff.
7. Team space for 15 for the Urban Ecology group will be assigned to AND 14 when/if Commons function is moved. (Tools funding being sought for Urban Ecology group.)
8. Anderson et al. will pursue alternatives for co-locating (nonfacility) centers, initiatives, outreach, etc. so that resources and information can be more readily shared.

PROPOSED SUMMER QUARTER 2000 COURSE LISTINGS

A document was distributed showing the results of Dave Manuwal's poll of faculty interested in teaching during Summer Quarter 2000. All who expressed interest were able to be accommodated by CFR's Summer Quarter 2000 allocation. Following is the proposed roster of courses and faculty:

SHORELINE MANAGEMENT

A document was distributed outlining the historical background of the Union Bay and associated shoreline site, the evolution of the current management plan, recent problems and how they have been addressed, and larger issues associated with the management of this area. The long-term care of the area is an issue, with many campus groups working in or using it. Some discussions and progress have occurred, but it is felt that a stronger message needs to get out. Thorud and Hinckley will follow up with discussions with Hedges, Morris, and Ihrig.

FACULTY STATUS FOR ONRC STAFF MEMBER

Clarification is being sought regarding the role of this requested appointment. It is hoped that a meeting, including Restoration Ecology Network (REN) members, can be scheduled in December to discuss further.

SRS DEMONSTRATION GARDEN NEAR BLOEDEL LOADING DOCK

A document was distributed outlining a proposal for a permanent display of shade tolerant plants growing in compost, biosolids, etc. to be located near the Bloedel loading dock. This display could be incorporated into Arbor Day, along with the mini-composter. Committee members (Catlett and Gustafson) will view the location, and the topic will be revisited in two weeks. Should this receive College approval, the next step will involve UW Grounds.

REWARDS FOR STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES

It was agreed that University Book Store gift certificates would be appropriate for students assisting Student Services in recruitment activities.

June 2, 1999

Topics discussed at the June 2, 1999 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of the referenced documents):

News from the Board of Deans
Space Issue
Pulp and Paper cost center
Targets for 1999 - 2000
All-College Meeting agenda
Summary of Student Credit Hours (comparison with University as a whole) Curriculum issues

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Lynn Catlett, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Sally Morgan, David Thorud.

NEWS FROM THE BOARD OF DEANS
Dean Thorud reported on subjects discussed at the Board of Deans meeting concerning the budget for the 1999-2001 biennium. He noted that increases are tied to enrollment increases and that CFR is not getting all that had been requested. However, money for TAs will come from the Office of Undergraduate Education and money for additional teaching will come to us through the Program on the Environment (the College would receive the credit for Student Credit Hours generated through use of these funds). Increased support of the Office of Student Services will be less than requested, but there will be some increase, in an amount still to be determined.

SPACE ISSUE
There was a discussion of what spaces would be available for short-term use by a visiting scholar here for the summer, including a space in the basement of Bloedel already designated for visiting scholars or the office vacated by Ivan Eastin.

PULP AND PAPER COST CENTER
Chair Gustafson reviewed a request from Professor McKean to establish a Pulp and Paper lab cost center designed to take advantage of the demand for Mark Lewis's expertise. Revenues generated would cover all teaching and lab costs for students. The request was approved with the understanding that if revenue doesn't cover student/teaching costs or if use impedes student access, the center would be disbanded. The Operations Committee will review again in one year.

TARGETS FOR 1999 - 2000
There was a discussion of ways to incorporate discussion of the targets for the upcoming year into the All-College Meeting, with the goal being involvement of members of the College community in establishing and prioritizing the targets.

ALL-COLLEGE MEETING AGENDA
To be included in the meeting: An interactive session on the targets for 1999-2000, a "teaching moment" featuring John Marzluff and Jim Marra, a review of the results from the curriculum retreat and introductions of new people.

SUMMARY OF STUDENT CREDIT HOURS (comparison with University as a whole)
Charts summarizing the student credit hours for each college were distributed and discussed. It was agreed that a target of an average of 400 student credit hours per faculty member per year is an attainable goal and can serve as a useful accountability measure, especially with the University administration's linking rewards and teaching.

CURRICULUM ISSUES
There was a discussion of outcomes from the retreat.

May 19, 1999

Topics discussed at the May 19, 1999 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of the referenced documents):

Retreat
Work Plan meeting
All-College meeting agenda
UIF progress
Changes in Graduate Faculty appointments

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Lynn Catlett Tom Hinckley, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan.

RETREAT
Plans for the retreat (scheduled for May 21 & 22) were reviewed.

WORK PLAN MEETING
Plans for the meeting on May 26 to work on the work plan and targets for the next academic year were reviewed. Attendees will include the members of the Committee on Strategic Planning, division chairs, and center directors; each unit will present their accomplishments of the past year, including those on the current year's work plan and any additional accomplishments. Additionally, they will discuss the goals and targets that have been identified through consultations with the members of each unit for the coming year. Through discussion, possible areas of overlap and opportunities for cooperation will be identified and a draft of the goals and targets for the CFR as a whole will be completed.

ALL-COLLEGE MEETING AGENDA
Important items to include are a review of the outcomes from the retreat and presentation of the draft '99-'00 work plan. The Dean will present the "State of the College," based in large part on the outcomes from the review of the '98-'99 work plan. Attendees will participate in a break-out session focussed on fine-tuning and finalizing the'99-'00 work plan. Other agenda items will be introduction of new people, and a presentation by Jim Marra and John Marzluff on their experiences with distance learning classes using video conferencing equipment. Following the All-College meeting, the reception (the 2nd Annual End-of-Year Ice Cream Social) will serve as the forum for recognition of achievements of members of the community during the past year.

UIF PROGRESS
Bruce Lippke reported that the Incubator Team is waiting for further direction and information on the process before proceeding. Dean Thorud will meet with the IncTeam at their next meeting to review the status and possibilities.

CHANGES IN GRADUATE FACULTY APPOINTMENTS
A copy of the newly-revised Graduate School memorandum #12, outlining the appointment process for graduate faculty was distributed. (http://www.grad.washington.edu/Acad/gsmemos/gsmemoindex.htm)

May 5, 1999

Topics discussed at the April 21, 1999 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of the referenced documents):

News from the Board of Deans:

• Salary increases
• Tuition increase
• New Graduate programs

Work Plan meeting

Attendees: Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Jim Fridley, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan, David Thorud.

NEWS FROM THE BOARD OF DEANS
Dean Thorud distributed an analysis of the projected salary increase for faculty, librarians and professional staff. 3% was passed by the legislature; there is also the option of using tuition increases for salaries. The President's goal is to increase faculty salaries by 5% but that would eliminate any reserves for programmatic issues. Final decisions have not yet been made; the Administration will be having further discussions on amounts and procedures.

A draft proposal for tuition increases was also distributed. Increases of 4.6% are expected across the board, with the exception of graduate students, who will be assessed only a 3% increase, to keep the tuition comparable to that charged by peer institutions.

The HEC Board has to approve all new academic programs offered by state institutions. Accordingly, each unit is required to submit advance notice of any proposals. A list showing new programs and offerings and proposals that are currently under review was distributed. Chairs were asked to be certain that proper notice is given on any new initiatives.

WORK PLAN MEETING

There was a brief discussion of the Work Plan meeting scheduled for May 26, confirming that the meeting will be from 12:00 - 5:00 (lunch to be provided by the Dean's office) and that chairs and directors will be asked to participate in the entire planning meeting.

April 28, 1999

Topics discussed at the April 28, 1999 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of the referenced documents):

Presentation on University Strategic Analysis Group (USAG) database
News from the Board of Deans:

• Funding bills passed by the Legislature, including faculty raises and Advanced Technology Initiatives
• Internal UIF competition
• Tools for Transformation

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Lynn Catlett, Jim Fridley, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Chuck Henry, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan, David Thorud.

UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC ANALYSIS GROUP (USAG)
Debra Friedman, Assoc. Provost for Academic Planning, Phil Hoffman, Director of Institution Studies, and Eric Donohue, Analyst, Office of Institutional Studies, met with the Operations committee to discuss the status of the USAG database. This database has been created as a means to integrate and correlate data about the University from a variety of pre-existing data sets that previously were separate. The goal is to have full accessibility of data to facilitate decision-making processes.

For example, a single report could be created combining data from personnel, registration, and the Graduate School to produce a single document that sets forth the student credit hours of any faculty who have graduate faculty status. While the information has always been available, until now, it hasn't been possible to correlate the data without an extraordinary outlay of effort. The database is still evolving; members were asked to review the sample reports provided and provide comments to the USAG.

BOARD OF DEANS
Dean Thorud reviewed news from the Board of Deans meeting, including that relating to the budget passed by the State Legislature. Highlights of the budget include Tuition increases of up to 4.6% in 99-00 and up to 3.6% in 00-01, with flexible language on how the tuition dollars can be used.

The legislature voted a 3% salary increase in each year of the biennium for all employee classes, but flexible language will allow the University to go above that amount for faculty salaries. Details are still being worked out, but the administration goal is to provide a 10% increase over the biennium.

The legislature also authorized increasing enrollment by 1,304 FTEs (total for Seattle/Bothell/Tacoma campuses) and will provide funding for Internet 2 activities. A very important allocation is 2.5 million for the Advanced Technology Initiatives. Of this amount, there is a possibility that CFR will receive .5 million to establish a "Precision Forestry" initiative.

This would be a joint effort with WSU, which also received .5 million targeted toward their "Precision Agriculture" initiative.

Internal UIF competition:
Units are to submit proposals that will equal 1/3 of what has been contributed. The proposals must relate to the strategic goals of the unit and would return permanent funding to each unit, proportional to their contribution to the UIF.

Tools for Transformation:
5 million will be put in the pool. Proposals could be linked to the internal UIF to provide start-up costs.

Additional documents distributed from the Board of Deans meeting include a draft of an executive order dealing with faculty salary policy, a copy of the policy on financial aid to promote student diversity (approved by the Board of Regents 4/16/99) and a table comparing the benefits offered by different units for new faculty hires.

April 21, 1999

Topics discussed at the April 21, 1999 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of the referenced documents):

Office space request
Work plan and targets for 1999 - 2000
Faculty merit reviews
CREES reporting requirement
Events/Activities for the Balance of the Academic/Fiscal year
Distinguished speakers series

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Lynn Catlett, Jim Fridley, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan, Wyatt Oswald, David Thorud.

SPACE REQUEST
Rick Gustafson presented a request from Ivan Eastin for the office that is being vacated by Stewart Pickford (258 Bloedel). After discussion, it was agreed that the Operations Committee should recommend to the Dean that the request be approved. Discussion of the disposition of Eastin's current office (203 Bloedel) will be deferred until the best use can be determined.

WORK PLAN AND TARGETS FOR 1999 - 2000
In order that the Work Plan and Targets for 1999 - 2000 can be prepared before the next All-College Meeting (June 4), the Divisions, center directors, Incubator Team and outreach will be asked to present their plans/goals to the Operations Committee on May 26. After discussion, it was agreed that it is important that each of those responsible for presenting their unit's plan should hear the plans of the other units.

Accordingly, each will be asked to allocate the afternoon of May 26, or to designate a representative to fill in for them, if they will be unable to attend for the entire time. To simplify preparation of the College-wide plan, each unit will be asked to submit their targets using a standardized format, which will be available for review by the Committee on Strategic Planning at the May 12 meeting, and distributed to the unit director as soon as possible thereafter.

CREES REPORTING REQUIREMENT
USDA is now requiring reports on all formula funds, documenting consultation with stakeholders. Penalties for failure to do so could include revocation of allocation and reassignment of the funds to other school. The initial report will be due 10/1/99; the rules have not yet been developed, but we are beginning to consider possible mechanisms to meet this new requirement.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE BALANCE OF THE 1998 - 1999 ACADEMIC AND FISCAL YEAR
May 15 Garb Day
May 21, 22 Teaching/Learning Retreat
May 26 Work Plan review meeting
June 4 All-College meeting
June 9 Faculty merit review (including EFC review)
June 12 Graduation ceremony & University Commencement
June 30 Close of the biennium

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS SERIES
Dean Thorud discussed his intention to move ahead with the idea for a distinguished speakers' series, to begin during the coming year. The vision is to have a leader of national reputation spend a number of days at the College, giving both a lecture of interest to the general public and one that would be of greater interest to students and scientists. Ideally, the invited speaker would have broad appeal to other areas of the University. The visit would involve time spend with students and would be linked to a graduate credit course. Obviously, this is an undertaking that could be relatively costly; Dean Thorud's intention is to seek corporate or foundation funding for the program. The Operations Committee expressed enthusiasm and recommended that he proceed with the fund-raising.

April 7, 1999

Attending:
Thorud, Hinckley, Gustafson, Bradley, Anderson, Lippke, Fridley

Excused:
Catlett, Morgan

*BOARD OF DEANS UPDATE*

--UIF internal guidelines
The 7/23/98 "Unit-Specific UIF Proposal Guidelines" were distributed once again. Hopefully something more useful will emerge in the coming months. It seems clear that resubmitting previous proposals will not have a high probability of success. A problem noted with the UIF process is the lack of a "program manager," with whom one might discuss approaches and clarify objectives in order to enhance the success rate.

--Emerging salary language in Faculty Code
Key points in the on-going discussion regarding faculty salaries are merit-based system, new approaches, some funds available each year, and retention pool. --UW 99-01 budget status
The House budget is out. Capital budget is lowest in recent memory. --Merit review
Faculty merit review must begin now in spite of lack of final guidelines.

--USER equipment requirements
USER equipment requirements were distributed. The essential message is that anyone using these systems will need to have modern equipment.

--Intellectual property
Recommendations from the Intellectual Property Management Advisory Committee regarding equity management were distributed. The new policy is that faculty can share in equity. Royalties were left alone. Chairs were asked to share this information with interested faculty.

--Seattle campus plan
The complete document outlining the Seattle campus plan is available in divisional and dean's offices. There is a campus-wide meeting to discuss on 4/27/99.

--RCEP document
The complete RCEP document resides in the Dean's Office Reference Station (107C Anderson Hall).

*WINTER 1999 CLASS ENROLLMENTS/SCH*

Winter 1999 class enrollments & SCH were distributed. A missing piece of information is how we rate with respect to the University standard, the question being are we vulnerable on this point or not? This answer should emerge through our performance standards and benchmarking process.

*CURRICULUM RETREAT*

--Panel selection
The two-panel structure for the first day of the the retreat was outlined. Several suggestions for panelists have been received. Invitations to panelists will go out very soon. It was suggested that panel moderators would be useful to keep the session moving quickly; moderators might map questions to specific panelists to get the best information out in the shortest time.

March 3, 1999

Attending: Thorud, Catlett, Hinckley, Gustafson, Bradley, Schiess, Anderson, Lippke, Waldron

*UIF PREPROPOSAL OUTCOMES*
Of the 40 preproposals submitted, 10 were invited to submit full proposals. The three which we led were not among them, but we should not necessarily view the UIF as the only source of their funding. One in which we have involvement was successful: Program for Educational Transformation Through Technology. See the web [http://www.washington.edu/uif/uif2w.html] for more detailed information.

*OLYMPIA GOINGS-ON*
Local tuition setting may be constrained. Salary increases may be constrained due to insufficient funds. To be continued...

*DRAFT FACULTY SALARY POLICY*
There is a strong commitment on the part of the UW administration to ensure, regardless of legislative action, regular salary increases throughout the course of a career for meritorious faculty members, including substantial (3-step) recognition of promotions. The potential red flag here is the source of this funding, which could be vacant positions that units use either for operations or for funding their own initiatives. Salary needs for new hires and retention issues will continue. Any remaining funding could be directed to across-the-board adjustments in salary scales. There could be fewer reviews for senior faculty. Differential salary allocations to units are likely.

*UPCOMING CURRICULUM WORKSHOP*
Planning with CIDR continues. A letter and surveys will be distributed soon, followed by short readings. All members of the CFR community (faculty, staff, and students) will be invited. Non-member invitees will include "our" regent, a distribution of employers, and selected members of the Visiting Committee and graduates of our programs. It is important that most if not all faculty attend this workshop.

*UPCOMING GSA MEETING*
K. Waldron announced that the GSA will be meeting on March 12th. Anyone with specific needs for graduate student input should get those issues to her [kwaldron@u.washington.edu] prior to that date.

*VISITING COMMITTEE DRAFT AGENDA*
A draft agenda for the March 18th meeting was distributed. This will be the first meeting of the newly reconstituted Visiting Committee, chaired by Bill Corbin.

January 6, 1999

Topics discussed at the January 6 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of the referenced documents):

Summer Quarter
Monday Morning Legislative Briefings
Sabbaticals
Visiting Committee
Request to initiate research faculty search
College work plan '98-'99
Development Coordinator hired
Alumni news: Discretionary endowment, newsletter

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Amy Howells, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan, Doug Sprugel, David Thorud, Kim Waldron, Don Whitney.

SUMMER QUARTER
A copy of the list sent to Summer Quarter of offerings during the summer of 1999 was distributed. An opportunity exists to enlarge the offering, if faculty interest is engaged.

MONDAY MORNING LEGISLATIVE BREIFINGS
The Office of Government Relations has briefings each week during the legislative session, to which units are invited to send representatives. Jim Fridley has volunteered to serve as the CFR representative. Dean Thorud noted that the University's priorities for the coming legislative session had been discussed at the Board of Deans meeting. The list includes raising the salary increases requested by the Governor above his proposed 2% level, perhaps by funding through tuition increases. Advanced technology issues will also be emphasized, including one from the College entitled "Precision Technology."

SABBATICALS
Requests have been submitted by two members of the faculty for sabbatical leaves during the coming academic year: Jerry Franklin for Winter and Spring Quarters and Darlene Zabowski during Autumn and Winter.

VISITING COMMITTEE
The annual University-wide Visiting Committee day will be January 29, however, due to proposed changes in the structure of CFR's visiting committee, the winter meeting will not be until February 16. The proposed Visiting Committee will be much more task-oriented, with sub-committees to address specific needs: development, outreach, public relations, academic or research issues, etc. It was noted that these activities would be structured in such a way that there would not be redundancies with exisiting advisory groups.

REQUEST TO INITIATE SEARCH FOR RESEARCH FACULTY
A request to initiate a search for a research faculty member in Ecosystem Science was presented. This would be a position in the area of soil remediation. A post doc, Sally Brown, was hired about 8 months ago, to determine whether or not the needs could be filled in that way. It appears now that there is sufficient demand to hire a research professor and to have a post doc as well. Current space arrangements for the biosolids group will accommodate the new person. Salary would be generated through grant funding. After discussion, it was agreed to recommend going ahead with the search.

COLLEGE WORK PLAN
Workbooks were distributed containing copies of the targets and work plan for this year. Over the next few weeks, the Operations Committee will review the work plan so a status report can be presented at the next All-College meeting on February 19. It was noted that, as the plan is reviewed, we should be thinking about what should be included for next year's work plan.

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Dean Thorud announced the successful completion of the search for a part-time development coordinator. Andy Gary will be starting on January 19. She will be working particularly with alumni and current students.

ALUMNI NEWS
Mort Lauridsen (class of '38) has established an endowment, the proceeds of which can be used by the Dean as he sees needs. The Alumni Association is very interested in the Quarterly Newsletter that Cecilia Paul has been producing for the College and will be combining their newletter with it for distribution to Alumni.

December 2, 1998

Topics discussed at the December 2 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any of referenced documents):

• President's Goals
• Budget reductions to fund UIF
• Local fund allocation; Research Support Allocation
• Academic Committee
• Update on benchmarking/RCEP planning

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Lynn Catlett, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Amy Howells, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan, Doug Sprugel, David Thorud, Don Whitney.

PRESIDENT McCORMICK'S GOALS
A copy of the goals distributed at the Board of Deans meeting was handed out.

BUDGET REDUCTIONS TO FUND UIF
Handouts summarizing the 1% biennium operating budget reductions for each college in the university were distributed, as was a breakdown on the budgets within CFR that would be subject to the reduction. Decisions on how the reduction, which is the second of what will be a total of five, must be made by February, with the reductions taking effect on July 1, 1999. There is a need to formulate a policy on how the cuts will be made; the Committee on Strategic Planning has a task force addressing this issue.

LOCAL FUND ALLOCATION, RESEARCH SUPPORT ALLOCATION
A copy of a policy statement from the Provost's office was distributed, detailing the new policy on Research Cost Recovery (RCR), which replaces the former Local Fund Allocation and Research Support Allocation (74- and 75- budgets). RCR will provide funding for the costs of department and college administration of grant and contract activities and is designed to more closely link administrative and overhead costs with funds received from grants and contracts. It is also structured to encourage researchers to seek funding from agencies and entities that permit full indirect cost recovery. Over time, it will reward those units that increase such funding by increasing the funds received from RCR.

Although there may be some changes in future funding levels because they will be more closely linked with actual amounts received by the University through indirect cost recovery, central administration has provided assurance that initial (1998 - 99) funding through RCR will not drop below the levels currently enjoyed by the units. However, since the funds will be distributed differently, Dean Thorud has requested temporary funding to cover the transition period.

Since funding for computing support for research will be from these funds, it is important to start working on a description for the backup position. The chairs will discuss their priorities and concerns and forward comments to Beverly Anderson.

ACADEMIC COMMITTEE
A number of views were presented on how to structure a productive oversight group that could foster the academic goals identified through the strategic planning process over the past several years. Considerable support was expressed for a focussed mini-retreat. Analysis of core courses could move the process of integration forward, as could a re-examination of recommendations made by FASAC. It will be important to have a clear statement and understanding of what the problems and goals are; this issue will be re-addressed at the next meeting.

UPDATE ON BENCHMARKING/RCEP PLANNING
Doug Sprugel said that the criteria as discussed at the Committee on Strategic Planning would be the starting point for any discussions in connection with future Reorganization, Consolidation or Elimination of Programs. Other benchmarks and information would also be taken into consideration

November 2, 1998

Topics discussed at the November 24 Operations Committee include the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any referenced documents):

Proposal(s) for the Student Tech Fee
Sabbatical requests?
Summer Quarter plans?
Faculty Showcase
Academic Committee

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Lynn Catlett, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Amy Howells, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan, Doug Sprugel, David Thorud, Kim Waldron, Don Whitney. Also attending: David Norton

PROPOSALS FOR THE STUDENT TECHNOLOGY FEE
David Norton attended to discuss the guidelines and some proposals that have been suggested for the Student Technology Fee competition. Because these are to be available to students from the University at large, some items are not appropriate. In addition, David felt that the maintenance on some items would make them less feasible (for example, laptops). Two things that are needed and could be widely used are CD stations and scanners for the computer lab. Student Services will send an email to students asking for their input.

SABBATICAL REQUESTS
The College has 6 quarters of sabbatical leave available (although that figure might have some flexibility). The deadline for requesting the leave time is December 11.

SUMMER QUARTER PLANS
The chairs reviewed their expectations of what courses will be offered for next summer.

FACULTY SHOWCASE
Several suggestions were made regarding the focus of the next Faculty Showcase which will be held Winter Quarter. These include restoration, bioremediation, or some aspect of the international trade program. If you have other suggestions, please contact Gordon Bradley

ACADEMIC COMMITTEE
There was an extensive discussion of the role and function and membership of the Academic Committee, which discussion is to be continued at the next meeting. Some of the questions in connection with this topic include possible reformation of it, having it not be chaired by the Division Chairs, should more students be involved, is it appropriate to have this committee address curriculum transformation, etc.

September 2, 1998

Topics discussed at the September 2 Operations Committee include the following (please see below for details; contact Sally Morgan if you wish to see any referenced documents):

• Computing staffing needs - a proposal for discussion
• Discussion of Board of Deans meeting
• ONRC science advisor and faculty liaiso
• Capstone course for undergraduate curricula
• Annual report to the Board of Regents
• Proposal to change declaration of undergraduate majors
• Policy regarding part-time/full-time status
• Graduate program brochures - to have or not?
• 1999 graduation
• Videoconferencing facility
• Funding for a 9-month position for poplar molecular integration and function

______________________________________________________________________________

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Becky Johnson, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan, Doug Sprugel, David Thorud, Don Whitney.

COMPUTING STAFFING NEEDS
The need for technical support for computing is overtaxing current staffing levels. In addition, there is an ever-present risk that existing personnel might be lost to private industry, given the present employment climate. Noting that the RSA funding is being phased out in favor of funds that more directly support research infrastructure, Dean Thorud proposed committing a portion of those funds to hire additional technical staff, who would serve as "understudy" to David Norton on the network and other college-wide issues. The proposal will be on the agenda again after division chairs have discussed with faculty.

DISCUSSION OF BOARD OF DEANS MEETING
UIF-related budget reduction proposals will probably be due in December. It will be the responsibility of a task force from the Strategic Planning Committee to recommend cuts to the Dean.

The University's budget request for 1999 - 2001 is available on the Web. However, it is always possible that the funding level will fall short of the request. For this reason, it is vital that the schools and college identify the procedures that would be used in the event it becomes necessary to downsize. Although many units have submitted RCEP procedures (Reorganization, Consolidation or Elimination of Programs), CFR has not. Last year, the EFC declined to address the issue (Doug Sprugel noted that the problem was that the Faculty Code terms didn't apply well to what was being asked.) Since the Strategic Planning committee is working on some similar issues, Bruce Bare, Doug Sprugel and Gordon Bradley will draft an initial plan for review by the EFC, Operations Committee and the Dean.

ONRC SCIENCE ADVISOR AND FACULTY LIAISON
John Calhoun is interested in having someone serve as science advisor and faculty liaison. There was some discussion about who would be most appropriate and whether it might be better to have a group of faculty, which would be more feasible now that we have the videoconferencing capacability.

CAPSTONE COURSE FOR UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULA
Offering a senior capstone course as an alternative option to the senior thesis was discussed, with the discussion centering on a cross-disciplinary case study model. Both divisions will discuss the question as part of the curriculum discussions at the divisional retreats.

ANNUAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS
A draft of the President's annual report to the Board of Regents was distributed. It was noted that there are strong congruences between our activities in the College and items targeted in the president's report.

PROPOSAL TO CHANGE DECLARATION OF UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS
Don Whitney provided a summary of a proposal to change the process for declaration of undergraduate major for incoming students (both freshman and transfer students). This would enable students to declare a major at the time they apply and would eliminate a layer of processing for the students and for student services. The change was approved.

POLICY REGARDING PART-TIME/FULL-TIME STATUS
Don Whitney provided a summary of the existing part-time/full-time policy for graduate students in the College. The reasoning behind the change is to make CFR policy consistent with that of the Graduate School and to emphasize the importance of full-time study. It was agreed that this is an important step to pursue; Gordon Bradley and Don Whitney will present the issues to division faculty meetings for their review.

GRADUATE PROGRAM BROCHURES - TO HAVE OR NOT?
The question has been raised whether or not it is necessary to have informational brochures for handout now that the web site is being used so extensively. There was general agreement that it is useful and necessary to have something in a hard copy form. However, it would be better if the paper handout could simply be a printout of what is on the web, so that everyone receives the same information and maintenance and updating doesn't have to be duplicated. Don will look into designing the web pages with that in mind. The chairs will check with faculty to see what they think.

1999 GRADUATION
Hogness Auditorium is not available, but Meany Hall is. However, it would be an expensive alternative. Kane hall was suggested; Don will check to see if it is available.

VIDEOCONFERENCING FACILITY
Videoconferencing equipment has been installed in Room 30, Anderson Hall, and is ready for use here, as well as at ONRC and at the Bothell and Tacoma campuses.

FUNDING FOR A 9-MONTH POSITION FOR POPLAR MOLECULAR INTEGRATION AND FUNCTION
Discussion of this item was postponed until the next meeting.

August 19, 1998

Topics discussed at the August 19 Operations Committee include the following (please see below for details):

98-99 Work Plan - status report from the Implementation Committee
Tools for Transformation
Faculty promotion procedures
Term of Research Associate appointments - 2 year limit?
Undergraduate Degree Efficiency Index Report
Degrees awarded by level and type and time to degree
Graduate School Memorandum #14
1999 Commencement Exercise

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Gordon Bradley, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Becky Johnson, Sally Morgan, David Thorud, Don Whitney.

98-99 WORK PLAN - REPORT FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE
The Committee (Bradley, Bare, Anderson, Gustafson, Hinckley) has incorporated the targets articulated by the Dean last spring and the reports to the Strategic Planning Committee. Additional information is needed from center directors, but the document is in the final stages of preparation and will be distributed to faculty at the division retreats in September. It was noted that this is a continuation of the open process begun several years ago and that it will be an excellent tool to help keep the college on track.

TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION
The provost has approved both the Renewable Resource Sciences proposal and the project to provide graduate student assistants for putting course materials on the internet. The curriculum project will provide an internal mechanism to view curriculum coordination, as well as provide access and assistance to students. A working group that includes people from Uwired, as well as people from the College, has been formed to begin implementing the process. Dean Thorud noted that although the College had contributed some resources to each of the proposals, it was clear that the Strategic Planning undertaken by the College had been a major impetus to the Provost's office funding two proposals.

FACULTY PROMOTION PROCEDURES
A handout was distributed summarizing the procedures for promotion review and detailing the promotion status of faculty.

TERM OF RESEARCH ASSOCIATE APPOINTMENTS - 2 YEAR LIMIT?
The official policy of the College restricts the term of appointment for a Research Associate to 2 years. However, practice has not conformed with the policy. The chairs will take this question to their respective faculties for discussion; it will then be addressed by the Operations Committee again.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE EFFICIENCY INDEX REPORT DEGREES AWARDED BY LEVEL AND TYPE AND TIME TO DEGREE
Copies of these reports were distributed and discussed. Based on the statistics of the past 5 years, most of the degree programs in the College are significantly below the target levels set by the University for time to degree and the degree efficiency index. In order to understand what is causing this discrepancy, Don Whitney will analyze a number of transcripts and report his findings back to the Operations Committee.

GRADUATE SCHOOL MEMORANDUM #14
Graduate School Memorandum #14 states that all T.A.s must be evaluated by their faculty supervisor. Sample reporting forms were distributed to be provided to faculty members supervising T.A.s.

1999 COMMENCEMENT EXERCISE
A letter has been received from University Relations stating that competing ceremonies will not be allowed to take place on the same day the the University-wide commencement exercise is held. This should not apply to the College, since our graduation is complementary. It was agreed that a larger space would enhance the CFR graduation; Don Whitney will look into getting Hogness Auditorium in the Medical School for the 1999 ceremony.

July 1, 1998

Agenda items for the July 1 Operations Committee included the following (please see below for details):

Schedule change/July 8
DePuit proposal
Special guests from UW Office of Government Relations

Attendees: Beverly Anderson, Bruce Bare, Linda Brubaker (representing both Tom Hinckley and Doug Sprugel), Rick Gustafson, Bruce Lippke, David Thorud, Don Whitney. Plus Chad Oliver and John Perez-Garcia for the Government Relations presentation.

SCHEDULE CHANGE/JULY 8
Due to the interview schedule for candidates for the position of Director of Outreach, next week's Operations Committee meeting will begin at 4:00 rather than 3:30. (LATER NOTE: meeting canceled.)

DEPUIT PROPOSAL
Ed DePuit, via email message, shared a list of natural resources courses that WSU currently has available via distance delivery, courses currently in development or planned within the next 3 years, and several relevant courses being developed by other WSU units. This was in response to a recent discussion between him and David Thorud, with a view of coordinating and sharing distance-delivered courses in the future as need and opportunity arise. As an example, Range Management is not offered here and not likely to be, but it may have value to some of our students, who, after the removal of some administrative barriers, could access it and receive UW credit for it.

This led to a discussion of proposals we have submitted to the Tools for Transformation fund, which relate to technology and curricula. We appear to be close to receiving "tools" funding for the ARS and M&E proposals. The next step is a document to Debra Friedman that presents a comprehensive view of our curriculum transformation plans, including contributions of CFR money (Division of Ecosystem Sciences and the Dean's Office), in-kind contributions by such groups as UWired, potential contributions from the UW FIPSE proposal, and expected outcomes. Some transformation outcomes could easily be tailored for distance learning, including outreach audiences. Various benefits of a Web approach were mentioned: as a tool, the Web can help integrate subject matter and bring to the surface overlaps in course content; and it can document and accumulate experience around a specific physical site that transcends the unit of the class. It was further noted that the planned involvement of students in the transformation will provide fresh sets of eyes to recognize linkages and overlaps.

UW OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Director Sheral Burkey and Kevin Evanto shared the UW legislative agenda for the next session and their observations of the current Olympia scene. Key messages included: *Because of the current legislative atmosphere with respect to Seattle and the UW, it is increasingly important to get others to speak for us.

• Governor Locke has a history of supporting higher education.
• While neither party is particularly good or bad for us, a mixed leadership has proven to be best.
• A new program ("Huskies for Higher Education") will be launched soon to organize alums in all 49 districts in order to make higher ed a subject in the election process.
• Legislators want to hear from faculty first-hand, as evidenced by the recent bus tour.
• Unit relationships with their Visiting Committees and industry may also be an effective tool to raise the UW presence in Olympia.
• There is no political will at the moment to "fix" the 601 problem, which effectively prevents reinvestment in higher ed in good economic times.
• Increased efforts at improving media relations are in the UW Government Relations Work Plan, as are increased collaborations with other state educational institutions.
• As opposed to other state agencies, we are in a competitive national market.
• Private matching dollars are increasingly important, including on the capital side.
• UW Government Relations will be calling on CFR members to help with the UW message in Olympia. Rural audiences and industry connections are examples of potential areas of CFR contributions.
• UW controls tuition but not tuition-setting, and at current levels tuition is a huge bargain in this state.
• UW needs to get credit for what it's already doing, which translates into such simple acts as always taking care to include the UW imprint on printed materials.

Wednesday, June 24, 1998

Topics discussed at the June 24 Operations Committee include the following (please see below for details):

ES Division/Research appointment
Information Technology
"Portfolio" of faculty positions
Internal UIF

Attendees: Beverly Anderson, Gordon Bradley, Rick Gustafson, David Thorud, Don Whitney

ES DIVISION/RESEARCH APPOINTMENT
The Division of Ecosystem Sciences' proposed research faculty appointment in phytoremediation was discussed and approved in principle. However, associated space issues need further assessment. These space needs will be incorporated with a number of others, pending this summer's comprehensive space review.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The framework for a future Board of Deans meeting relating to information technology includes the following points:

1. What are the best practices in information systems in your field?
2. How well does the UW measure up to these best practices in hardware, software, organizational systems and support, and resources? What works? What doesn't?
3. What should we do? What are the next steps?

In the committee's discussion of these several points, GIS and other relational databases were put forward as candidates for "best practices." Corporate support in the form of in-kind donations was mentioned as something that works in some areas. It was also mentioned that the downside of the decentralized academic model of computing, in contrast to a centralized corporate model, is a lack of easily available standardized measures for academic units to use to compare themselves with their UW peers. Further input from the College at large would be appreciated; responses can be directed to Dean Thorud at thorud@u.washington.edu.

On a related point, it was reported that even though our recently submitted proposal to the Murdock Foundation was not accepted by the foundation, it did appeal to Alvin Kwiram, who is willing to provide matching funds on the order of $100,000. Gordon Bradley will take next steps with Miles Logsdon and Arthur Nowell.

"PORTFOLIO" OF FACULTY POSITIONS
In view of recent discussions involving potential opportunities for additional faculty positions and in view of an increasingly opportunistic world in general, the formerly rejected concept of an active "portfolio" of desired faculty positions in the College of Forest Resources was reconsidered. A task force of the Committee on Strategic Planning developed a process for such a portfolio last year but may not have submitted a final report. It was decided that Bruce Bare, as chair of that committee, should take necessary steps to finalize the report and then start the process.

INTERNAL UIF
A subset of the Board of Deans has made the following recommendations relative to the internal UIF process:

• There should be an application deadline, and it should be November 1.
• These proposals should be submitted and considered in the "off" year relative to the external competition, i.e., first one in 1999.
• A pre-proposal stage should not be required.
• Each dean/vice president should be limited to one proposal per cycle.
• The proposals should be reviewed by the Provost.
• The proposals should represent significant transformational efforts, proposing either a new program or a new way of doing business. Requests for base-level support or for add-ons to existing programs should be discouraged. Proposals should indicate both what the unit will contribute in support of the new activity and what the unit will stop doing in order to undertake this new activity. Efforts should be made to align the unit-specific proposal with broader institutional goals.

Wednesday, June 17, 1998

Topics discussed at the June 17 Operations Committee include the following (please see below for details):

Development funding proposal
Outreach program
Research faculty appointments
Academic minors

Attendees: Beverly Anderson, Gordon Bradley, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Bruce Lippke, Sally Morgan.

DEVELOPMENT FUNDING PROPOSAL
Dean Thorud discussed the recommendations of the Committee on Development Funding. These recommendations are undergoing review, but it appears likely that they will be approved. In order to expand the funding base for the university, additional support needs to be provided for the Office of Development. Typically, each dollar spent on development returns $10 to the institution. At present, the UoW is significantly underfunded compared to other institutions. The charge of the committee was to identify mechanisms that would allow for the expansion of development activities.

Several areas have been identified that will provide increased support without the necessity to seek money from the Legislature. The most significant revenue source will be allocation of interest on current-use gift accounts to Development. At present, the interest earned on such accounts goes to the respective accounts. In addition, management fees can be charged against endowment accounts. Currently, the Treasurer's office charges for management; the Treasurer is prepared to give up a portion of this management fee to redirect to Development. In addition, the Development office would charge a small (.2%) management fee.

New funding would allow additional gift officers for units, provide legal staff to process endowments, and permit the Office of Development to pay for the annual fund drives (rather than charging these expenses to the units, as is presently the case). The College can expect a half-time position (in addition to the services of Laurie Houck, who would continue as a major gift officer, with a focus in CFR, COFS, and the University-wide environmental program).

OUTREACH PROGRAM Dean Thorud expressed concern with the level of commitment to outreach activities on the part of individual faculty members. There was discussion of various aspects of outreach and it was agreed that the key to success will be hiring the right individual in the position of Director of Outreach.

RESEARCH FACULTY APPOINTMENTS
A handout was distributed outlining College policy on Research/WOT appointments in the College. The discussion recognized that many research faculty hires are opportunistic in nature. Nonetheless, it is essential that the protocols be followed and documented any time a research faculty is appointed. Tom Hinckley will provide documentation for a phytoremediation position at the next Operations Committee meeting.

ACADEMIC MINORS
Gordon Bradley suggested that minors need to be well integrated into the programs of the College. As such, they should be reviewed to ensure curriculum coordination and avoid overlap and reduce conflicts. There was unanimous agreement that the Academic Committee should review any proposals for academic minors. Any faculty member who is interested in proposing a minor is to discuss it with his or her chair, who can then bring it before the Academic Committee.

Wednesday, June 10

Topics:
Graduation exercise
DOF/RSA
Review All-College meeting
Establish target implementation working group
GRE requirements
Part-time Graduate Study
Course syllabi requested
Update on changes in Biology curriculum
Appointment of students to committees

Attendees:
Beverly Anderson, Gordon Bradley, Rick Gustafson, Tom Hinckley, Becky Johnson, Sally Morgan, Don Whitney
In Dean Thorud's absence, the meeting was chaired by Gordon Bradley.

GRADUATION EXERCISE
The College graduation exercise will begin at 9:00 Saturday, June 13, in Architecture 147. The program will last until 10:30, followed by pictures of the graduates and a buffet lunch in the Forest Club Room.

DOF/RSA
A handout was distributed outlining the current proposal. This almost certainly will be implemented, but probably not for another year. There would be little or no change for CFR unless research levels fall. If that happens, there may be a problem with staff salaries. B. Anderson will develop a history of the RSA funding to determine recent patterns.

REVIEW ALL-COLLEGE MEETING
There was approximately 80 attendees, which is slightly higher attendance compared to past meetings, and there was a reasonable level of participation in the discussion. However, some cynicism has been expressed concerning whether or not the targets elucidated are reasonable and/or will be accomplished. Dean Thorud has asked that a working group be established to prepare an implementation plan.

TARGET IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP
Over the summer, a working group comprised of Gordon Bradley, Tom Hinckley, Rick Gustafson, and Beverly Anderson will meet to facilitate implementation of the targets announced at the All-College meeting. The working group's efforts will include fleshing out the targets and assigning tasks, clarifying dates, establishing deadlines for curriculum, etc.

GRE REQUIREMENTS
Contrary to rumor, the Graduate School has not changed their GRE requirement for applicants.

PART-TIME GRADUATE STUDY
Gordon Bradley asked that the chairs remind their faculty that endorsement of petitions for part-time status by graduate students can have the effect of penalizing those faculty and the college through reduced SCH if registration levels are lower than appropriate for faculty time spent.

COURSE SYLLABI REQUESTED
Debra Friedman and Gary Gilmore have requested syllabi for each course offered during the past several years. A copy of the email will be sent to division chairs to bring to the attention of their faculty members.

UPDATE ON CHANGES IN BIOLOGY CURRICULUM
Any changes in the Biology instruction program will not be implemented until 2000. If there are changes in 101 and 102, other programs will be given advance notice.

APPOINTMENT OF STUDENTS TO COMMITTEES
Nominations for students to serve on college committees will be requested in the fall.

cfr.washington.edu