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Faculty Senate Archives 2024-2025

Agendas, Minutes, and Supplemental Documents, 2024 – 2025

President: Stephen Scheck, Biology

JUNE 10, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for May 27, 2025 (DOCX) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report see June 2025 BOT report (Jesse Peters)
University Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
ASWOU/Student Senate Report … Resolution (TBA)
IFS Senators’ Report (Tad Shannon, Ricardo Pelegrin Taboada)

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

No old business

New Business — ongoing discussion items

No new business

Announcements – Informational Presentations

1 Academic Sustainability Committee (standing update)

2. Continued discussion about Faulty Senate governance structure – division suggestions. Nominating Committee May 13, 2025 report

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

3. Future, regularly-scheduled meetings of the Faculty Senate will now be held on Thursdays.

MAY 27, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for May 13, 2025 (DOCX) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Vision for the Future Report (Jesse Peters)
University Provost’s Report to BOT Academic, Student and Athletic Affairs Committee (Jose Coll)
ASWOU/Student Senate Report (TBA)
IFS Senators’ Report (Tad Shannon, Ricardo Pelegrin Taboada)
IFS Legislative support letter

Also see new IFS business

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

1. Faculty Senate Nominating Committee presents the following slate of candidates for executive positions for the 25-26 AY:

Vice President

Patricia Giménez-Eguíbar

At-large-member (two seats open; 2-yr terms)

Melissa Cannon

Xiaopeng Gong

Michael R. Freeman

New Business — ongoing discussion items

1. (2024.002) IFS May 16, 2025 Resolution on Oregon public university missions

2. (2024.003) IFS May 16, 2025 Resolution on sanctuary and public universities in Oregon

Announcements – Informational Presentations

1 Academic Sustainability Committee (standing update)

2. Informational update on program revisions occurring in the Education & Leadership Division (Alicia Wenzel, Greg “GZ” Zobel)

3. Check-in on curricular portal process

4. Continued discussion about Faulty Senate governance structure – division suggestions. Nominating Committee May 13, 2025 report

5. The Academic Excellence Showcase is May 29

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

MAY 13, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for April 22, 2025 (DOCX) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
ASWOU/Student Senate Report (Senate President Maggie Bartosovsky)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Tad Shannon, Ricardo Pelegrin Taboada)

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

No old business

New Business — ongoing discussion items

1. Faculty Senate Nominating Committee presents the following slate of candidates for executive positions for the 25-26 AY:

President

Mike Baltzley

Vice President

Camila Gabaldón

Patricia Giménez-Eguíbar

Secretary

Tim Cowart

At-large-member (two seats open; 2-yr terms)

Melissa Cannon

Xiaopeng Gong

Michael R. Freeman

A motion will be made for senators to temporarily suspend the Senate Bylaws and hold an immediate vote for the positions of President and Secretary.

Voting for Vice President and for two At-large members will occur at the May 27, 2025 meeting.

2. As per Faculty Senate Bylaws the Executive Committee enlisted Human Resources to conduct a 24-25 census of faculty members in the Senate’s recognized academic divisions and has set the allocation for senate seats as follows:

DIVISION
Behavioral Sciences + OT: 3
Business & Economics: 2
Computer Science: 1
Creative Arts: 3
Criminal Justice Sciences: 2
Deaf Studies & Professional Studies: 2
Education & Leadership: 4
Health & Exercise Science 2
Humanities: 3
Library: 1
Natural Sciences & Mathematics: 3
Social Science: 2

Announcements – Informational Presentations

7.1 Academic Sustainability Committee update

7.2 Update on admissions/retention (Paige Jackson, Assistant Provost, Enrollment Management & Student Success and Joy Brown, Director of Undergraduate Admissions)

7.4 The Nomination Committee will launch a general discussion about Faulty Senate governance structure

Report from the Nomination Committee

7.5 University Pastega Awards for 2025

Pastega Award for Excellence in Research: Dr. Jaime Marroquin, Associate Professor of Modern Languages

Pastega Award for Excellence in Service: Camila Gabaldón, Collection Development Librarian/Professor

Pastega Award for Excellence in Teaching: Dr. Mike LeMaster, Professor of Biology and Dr. Amy Dawson, NTT Assistant Professor of Biology

Pastega Award for Staff Excellence: Cara Groshong, Business Operations & Finance Manager WOU Foundation

7.6 The Academic Excellence Showcase is May 29

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

APRIL 22, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX ) (PDF )

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for March 11, 2025 (DOCX) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters) — at BOT meeting
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
ASWOU/Student Senate Report (TBD)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Tad Shannon, Ricardo Pelegrin Taboada)
Board of Trustees docket: https://wou.edu/board/meeting-materials/

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

1. (from March 11 FS meeting) (2024.001) Continued discussion and motion for passage of Faculty Senate Resolution (2024/5-01): “Affirmation of the Rights of Students to Peaceful Protest and Free Speech” Updated version for consideration. (Stewart Baker)

New Business — ongoing discussion items

No new business items submitted

Informational Presentations

1. Emeritus policy was formally adopted by the President’s Cabinet on April 9. Language will be modified to accommodate new faculty terminology in the latest CBA. Language/process is essentially identical to that endorsed by the Faculty Senate on Feb 13, 2024. (Changes: some acronyms are spelled out; notation that candidate must be fully retired to be considered; “emeritus” term used rather than “emerit.”)

2. Academic Sustainability Committee organizational meeting was held on Friday, April 1; Bojan Ilievski and Steve Scheck will serve as co-chairs.

3. Dean Chelle Batchelor and the Undergraduate Course Modalities Working Group will return to continue discussion with Senators about the group’s work. Report slide deck. April 15, 2025 report to the Provost.

4. Campus visits – Dean of the College of Education

Presentation Schedule:

Thursday, April 24th: Dr. Anne Gregory
Monday April 28th: Dr. Terry Hickey
Thursday May 1st: Dr. John Dayton
Monday May 5th: Dr. Tina Peterman

Event Details:

Presentation Time: 3:00PM – 4:00PM
Presentation Location: Hamersly Library, HL 107
Webinar link: https://wou-edu.zoom.us/j/83547285843
ASL interpreting: provided in-person in HL 107, and live captioning will be available on the zoom webinar.
Meet-and-Greet Location: Hamersly Library, 2nd Floor Gallery
Meet-and-Greet Time: 4:00PM-4:30PM (immediately following each presentation)

Day 1

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Presentation to Campus
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Meet & Greet with Campus Community

Day 2

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Meet with Faculty

See April 18 campus-wide email from Chelle Batchelor for candidate resumes.

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Faculty interest/ability to serve in a Faculty Senate leadership position

2. Call for future business items

3. Closing discussion items from the floor

APRIL 8, 2025

Special Budget Town Hall

This special meeting of the Faculty Senate will be in co-sponsorship with the Staff Senate.

Budget Town Hall in the Pacific Room in the Werner University Center.

The next regularly-scheduled meeting of the Faculty Senate will be on April 22. This will be a Zoom-only meeting.

Carry-over business for next regular Faculty Senate meeting: Resolution on “Affirmation of the Rights of Students to Peaceful Protest and Free Speech”

March 11, 2025 version … Updated version (March 20)

Student Health Advisory Committee for the Student Health and Counseling Center has a faculty vacancy due to sabbatical leave. Interested? Please contact Beth Scroggins, LPC, Director – Student Health and Counseling Center

MARCH 11, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF )

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for February 25, 2025 (DOCX) (PDF )

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
ASWOU/Student Senate Report (TBD)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Tad Shannon, Ricardo Pelegrin Taboada)

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

1. Updates on roll-out of submission/review process for modifications to current academic catalog (program actions limited to WOU campus review)

2. Update on reactivation of Academic Sustainability Committee; What level of committee status should the ASC be assigned? Members of the committee.

New Business — ongoing discussion items

1. Upcoming FS executive position elections

2. Consideration of altering the composition of the Executive Committee (a bylaws issue)

3. (2024.001) Late addition of resolution to support students’ rights to free speech. (Will come back as old business on April 8.)

Informational Presentations

7.1. Dean Chelle Batchelor will update FS on work of the Undergraduate Course Modalities Working Group. Report.

7.2 Associate Provost Judy Sylva will update FS on the upcoming NWCCU visit in April. Feb 25, 2025 ad hoc report submitted to NWCCU. NWCC focus of April 4 visit.

LAS College Dean’s Search Finalist On-Campus Interviews (all in RWEC 101):

Wed., March 12: 1:30 – 3:00 PM Tena Helton;

Thu., March 13: 1:30 – 3:00 PM Randi Storch;

Fri., March 14: 1:30 – 3:00 PM Barry Laga;

Thu., March 20: 1:30 – 3:00 PM Orlando Perez

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for February 11, 2025 (DOCX) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report* (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report* (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Tad Shannon, Ricardo Pelegrin Taboada)
*See WOU Board of Trustees Feb 25-26, 2025 docket for reports.

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

1. Updates on roll-out of submission/review process for modifications to current academic catalog (program actions limited to WOU campus review).

2. Follow-up discussion on Provost Coll’s recent Instructional Faculty Directive.

Discussion about configuration, scope of work, types of data necessary for a reactivated Faculty Senate Academic Sustainability Committee to serve in an advisory capacity to the Provost.

Most recent “charter” of previous Academic Sustainability Committee.

Provost’s 2-10-2025 memo on Academic Affairs budget pause update.

New Business — ongoing discussion items

1. TBA

Informational Presentations

1. TBA

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for January 28, 2025 (DOCX) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Tad Shannon)

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

1. Updates on roll-out of submission/review process for modifications to current academic catalog (program actions limited to WOU campus review)

New Business — ongoing discussion items

1. Follow-up discussion on Provost Coll’s recent Instructional Faculty directive.

Provost’s 2-10-2025 memo on Academic Affairs budget update.

Informational Presentations

1. TBA

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

JANUARY 28, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for January 14, 2025 (DOCX) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Tad Shannon)

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

1. Updates on roll-out of submission/review process for modifications to current academic catalog (program actions limited to WOU campus review)

2. Executive Committee has received several responses to the call for self-nominations for serving in the capacity of a WOU Senator on the Inter-Institutional Faculty Senate (IFS) for a 3-yr term. The committee will close the period for expressing interest in serving in this capacity at 5pm on Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025.

New Business — ongoing discussion items

1. No new business is scheduled

Informational Presentations

1. Functionality of course prerequisites (Michael Baltzley)

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for nominations for 2nd IFS Senator (3-yr term) Brief description of IFS activities.

2. Call for future business items

3. Closing discussion items from the floor

JANUARY 14, 2025

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for December 10, 2024 (DOCX) (PDF )

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Tad Shannon)

Consideration of Old Business – Discussion items

1. Update and continuing discussion about Bachelors of Applied Science

2. Updates on roll-out of submission/review process for modifications to current academic catalog (program actions limited to WOU campus review)

New Business — ongoing discussion items

1. Faculty Senate extended discussion of President Peter’s January 5, 2025 campus-wide email communication.

Informational Presentations

1. General education committee approved three community college transfer degrees as meeting WOU’s general education core requirements.

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for nominations for 2nd IFS Senator (3-yr term)

2. Call for future business items

3. Closing discussion items from the floor

Supplemental documents

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for November 26, 2024 (DOCX) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Cheryl Beaver/Tad Shannon)

Old Business

No old business

New Business — ongoing discussion items

1. The Executive Committee puts forth Elisa Maroney for membership on the Executive Committee to serve in the position of Past President.

2. Update discussion about Bachelors of Applied Science

3. Updates on roll-out of submission/review process for modifications to current academic catalog (program actions limited to WOU campus review) Activities to take place in Dec – Jan – Feb.

4. Planning for new program proposal submission/review process and its compliance with university strategic planning and university academic program portfolio.

In response to Associate Provost Judith Sylva’s October 31 request, the Executive Committee has established an ad hoc committee (“curriculum task force”) to address the need for a “new program” proposal process. This ad hoc committee will consist of the Executive Committee; chairs of the curriculum, graduate studies and general education committees; and Associate Provost Sylva and University Registrar Amy Clark.

5. Continuing discussion with university administration about announced policies regarding online and hybrid courses: suitability for freshmen, program need, student need, criteria for exceptions, quality of such coursework, need for faculty representation on task force assigned to examine online/hybrid programming at WOU, other.

Informational Presentations

1. TBA

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

3. See Senate President’s report for a list of faculty vacancies on committees

Supplemental documents

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF )

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for November 12, 2024 (DOCX) (PDF )

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Cheryl Beaver/Tad Shannon)

Old Business

No old business

New Business — discussion items

1. Continuing discussion about Bachelors of Applied Science

2. Continuing discussion on roll-out of submission/review process for modifications to current academic catalog (program actions limited to WOU campus review) Activities to take place in Dec – Jan – Feb.

3. Planning for new program proposal submission/review process and its compliance with university strategic planning.

Informational Presentations

1. TBA

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

Supplemental documents

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF )

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for October 22, 2024 (DOCX ) (PDF )

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Cheryl Beaver/Tad Shannon)

Old Business

No old business

New Business

1. Request from the General Education Committee for Faculty Senate involvement in consideration of possible discontinuing the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) Degrees

2. Request from Associate Provost Sylva for Faculty Senate to increase involvement in the Curriculum Taskforce task of designing the procedural steps for new program proposals.

Reminder: The curriculum process will fall into two major pathways: 1) routine course and program modifications – currently anticipating January 2025 rollout; 2) A more robust curriculum development/review/adoption process for new programs (BA/BS, MS, Certificates, Minors)

Informational Presentations

1. TBA

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

Supplemental documents

OCTOBER 22, 2024

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX ) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for October 8, 2024 (DOCX ) (PDF)

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports

Faculty Senate President’s Report (PDF-commentary) (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (Oral report) (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (Oral report – Campus announcement re. Acad Affairs strategic plan) (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Cheryl Beaver/Tad Shannon)

Old Business

1. Executive Committee puts forth the following individual(s) for the position of Vice President of the Faculty Senate:

Dr. Melanie Landon-Hays, PhD (Division of Education and Leadership)

5.2. Additional discussion from Senators on a new curricular portal process – using Curriculog – for oversight of existing courses/programs.

The curriculum process will fall into two major pathways: 1) routine course and program modifications – currently anticipating January 2025 rollout; 2) A more robust curriculum development/review/adoption process for new programs (BA/BS, MS, Certificates, Minors)

New Business

No new business has been submitted

Informational Presentations

1. Conversation about flexibility in accommodations in faculty courses. (Rian Gayle, Director of Disability Access Services)

Disability Access Services presentation slide deck

2. Update presentation on “General Education Program Review.” (Leanne Merrill, Faculty Director of General Education and Student Transitions )

The Self Study
The External Reviewer’s Report
The Executive Summary
Gen Ed slide deck

Open Discussion-Call for Future Business

1. Call for future business items

2. Closing discussion items from the floor

Supplemental documents

OCTOBER 8, 2024

Agenda

Meeting Agenda (DOCX) (PDF)

Draft Minutes

Draft Minutes for June 11, 2024 (DOCX) (PDF )

MATERIALS

Institutional Reports (written only, today)

Faculty Senate President’s Report (PDF ) (Steve Scheck)
University President’s Report (PDF) (Jesse Peters)
Provost’s Report (PDF) (Jose Coll)
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Report (Cheryl Beaver/Tad Shannon)

Old Business

1. No faculty member has stepped forward to serve as president of the Faculty Senate for the 2024 – 2025 AY.

Therefore, on October 4, 2024, the Executive Committee met to discuss this situation and voted, unanimously, to put forward the following motion to the Faculty Senate:

The Executive Committee moves for Senators to vote to temporarily suspend the By-Laws of the Faculty Senate and nominate Immediate Past President Stephen Scheck for reappointment for one additional year as Senate President.

Adjourn

Celebration of life service for Ana Karaman (4:00 pm, Pacific Room)

In order for Senators and guests to be able to attend the celebration of life service recognizing WOU’s late colleague, Ana Karaman, this meeting of the Faculty Senate will be adjourned.

Seeking faculty to serve on: