for the Faculty and Staff of Washington State
University
from Robert C. Bates, Provost and Executive Vice
President
Number 10
August 2006
Welcome to the new academic year. As you read this, new faculty, staff and students across the WSU system are taking part in orientation activities and getting ready for the start of classes on Monday, August 21.
New at WSU Vancouver is its first class of freshmen, an important step for the campus, for higher education in southwest Washington and for individual students. Many of them are participating in the new Registration, Orientation, Advising and Resources (ROAR) program to facilitate a successful transition to college life.
New on the Pullman campus is a convocation with full academic regalia to welcome new students, faculty and staff to the WSU community. This event provides us a chance to emphasize the University's learning goals and the special opportunities that a top-tier research university like WSU provides.
Two special speakers among the several of us making remarks at convocation are:
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Ken Alhadeff, current Chair of the Board of Regents, business executive and a 1970 WSU alumnus.
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Thomas Dickinson, Regents Professor of Physics, a distinguished researcher and recipient of the 2005-06 Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Instruction.
You are encouraged to attend at 10 a.m. Friday, August 18, at Beasley Coliseum to help greet our new students, faculty and staff. The all-campus picnic, starting at 11 a.m., has been moved to Mooberry Track, conveniently located across the bridge from Beasley.
Research Experience for Undergraduates
The Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) continues to make great progress implementing our strategic plan and addressing recommendations presented last spring by independent consultant Robert Shoenberg. He suggested that WSU -- a top-tier research university aiming to expose undergraduates to hands-on research and independent scholarly activity -- should appoint a part-time director of undergraduate research.
I am pleased to announce that this position has been created and will be filled this year by David F. Bahr, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He is uniquely qualified for this role, given his involvement for the past eight years in the "Research Experience for Undergrads" summer program in engineering. Thanks to more than $600,000 in National Science Foundation funding, 89 students from WSU and other leading universities have conducted research and achieved 30 publications in academic journals and proceedings.
Professor Bahr will form an interdisciplinary committee to:
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define "undergraduate research" in such a way as to address rights and responsibilities for students, faculty mentors, and any involved outside entities, such as companies providing financial support;
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identify and begin to pursue fundraising opportunities; and
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set up a computer-based matchmaking system where any student interested in research can connect with a faculty member on projects of interest.
International Developments
An exciting development in our continuing efforts to internationalize the university and expand WSU's global reach is the creation this past summer of a new Global Studies Office in International Programs. This will be the new home of the Global Studies minor, an interdisciplinary minor with tracks in Language and Civilization, Global Communities, and Technology and Global Society.
In addition, Global Studies will assist and support WSU's academic units in their efforts to internationalize the curriculum. This includes encouraging faculty to add international content and perspectives to their courses, developing new courses, and elaborating standards of global competence for specific degree programs. Global Studies will also help identify and mentor potential student applicants for Fulbright fellowships and other prestigious grant programs for research and study abroad.
Andrew Appleton, Associate Professor of Political Science, has been named Director of Global Studies. He will be working with Lance LeLoup, Associate Vice Provost for International Programs, to emphasize the development of global competencies among WSU students and faculty.
Sexual Harassment and Consensual Relationships Policies
Last Spring, the Faculty Senate leadership and I appointed a committee to revise our "Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy and Complaint Procedures." The appointment of this committee was inspired by Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan that called for an "environment of trust and respect in all that we do."
Significant progress has been made. The committee, chaired by Barry Swanson, Executive Secretary of the Faculty Senate, divided our previous policy into two policies: one on consensual relationships and one on discrimination and sexual harassment. The drafts of these policies are available at http://www.facsen.wsu.edu/whats_new/Whats_New.html.
I am now asking for your help in making Washington State University a place that is free of the discrimination and harassment that destroy trust and respect, two essential components of our ability to accomplish our mission of teaching, research, and service. Please review the draft policies and send comments and suggested revisions. Comments should be sent to cofield@wsu.edu or Donna Jean Cofield, Provost's Office, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-1046.
The comments will be reviewed by the committee and incorporated into the policies as appropriate. Our goal is to have the policies approved and implemented this semester.
Student Conduct Policy
The process for revising the Standards of Conduct for Students is entering its final phase. Following considerable discussion during spring, we delayed presentation to the Board of Regents for approval in order to ensure full and comprehensive input and discussion by the campus community. The revisions have focused primarily on two issues:
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Creating a code to reflect our desire and need to make the university welcoming, inclusive, and free of discrimination while we concomitantly honor and protect the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech; and
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Enforcing the student conduct code in ways that help educate students about their responsibilities as members of an academic community while ensuring all students' rights are protected through fair and equitable due process.
A draft of the proposed code, timelines for the process, and contact information can be found on the Office of Student Conduct website at http://www.conduct.wsu.edu/. I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to contribute to the process and submit your comments for consideration to vosse@wsu.edu. The informal comment period extends through August 28 followed by a formal discussion period culminating in a public hearing the week of October 16.
Strategic Plan Report due in WSU Today September 1
Please watch for a special section on strategic plan activities and progress in the September 1 issue of WSU Today. This edition will include feature articles that emphasize research, scholarship, arts, graduate education and engagement, plus aspects of our underpinning goals of excellence, trust and respect. Another report will be published in the spring, this time emphasizing the undergraduate experience, as well as related aspects of our underpinning goals.
We have used our strategic plan well as a compass to guide our directions and decision making. I encourage you to take time to review these reports as they become available.
Robert C. Bates
Online resources:
Office of the Provost
Archive of Past Provost's Dialogues
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Robert C. Bates is Provost and Academic Vice President at WSU. |