Greetings,
I'm now beginning my fourth month as your president, and the time has passed quickly. As I've listened and observed during that time, I've identified a number of areas where I believe we have difficult-to-follow structures and unrealized potential. One of those areas is diversity. As you all are aware, "A diversity of ideas and people" is one of the core values articulated in CWU's strategic plan, and I've seen evidence that many people at this university hold this as a personal value as well. Still, conversations I've had with students, employees, and structural units lead me to believe we can make improvements in the way we realize this value.
That's why I was pleased when Emily Washines, chair of the Diversity Council, and Keith James, ASCWU Vice President for Equity and Community Affairs, suggested that we hold a diversity summit. The idea for the summit emerged from a broad discussion at a November 2008 Diversity Council meeting in which members were discussing the council's mission and its relationship to other institutional bodies. This summit, which will replace the annual President's State of Diversity Address, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the SURC Ballroom.
The summit is intended to address several goals.
- First, it will inform us all about the range of diversity initiatives at CWU.
- Second, it will provide a forum for discussing what we are doing right and where we could improve our understanding of diversity at CWU.
- Third, it will provide an opportunity to hear about progress on the cultural audit that is planned for fall quarter and to sign up for focus groups scheduled in spring quarter to inform the audit survey.
- Fourth, it will begin a discussion of how we might restructure our diversity initiatives to assure better integration and to reduce the possibility that important components of a full-scale diversity program fall through the cracks.
- Last, it will help me understand better the ways the President's External Diversity Council, which meets next on April 14, can assist us in our pursuit of a truly diverse university.
It is important that we do this work well and that we are all involved in realizing this important core value. To that end, I am asking each division of the university to ensure that it is well and appropriately represented at the summit. I especially encourage those who have a clearly articulated diversity responsibility, including staff or members of the Office for Equal Opportunity, the Diversity Education Center, and the Diversity Council to attend. Last, but certainly not least, I encourage our student leaders and other interested students to support this work. I look forward to seeing you on April 8.
Sincerely,
Jim Gaudino
President
The state Senate and House this week unveiled their budget plans designed to bridge the state's $9 billion budget gap for the 2009-11 biennium. The Senate plan cuts Central's budget by 21 percent and the House plan calls for a 28-percent reduction-breathtaking by any measure. For each of the next two years, tuition would go up by 7 percent under the Senate plan and 10 percent under the House plan. The Senate plan reduces enrollment from 9,322 to 8,507; the House holds enrollment targets at 9,322 FTE, but fails to provide funds necessary to serve that number of students.
Both budgets direct the colleges of education to develop a plan to increase the number of math and science teacher endorsements and certificates granted by each institution. The plans may include everything from student advising practices to outreach and recruitment efforts, and "implementation of redesigned, innovative endorsement and certification programs."
The Senate and House also direct each of the state's public four-year institutions to develop performance agreements ranging from September 1, 2009 to June 30, 2015. These agreements are intended to reconcile state expectations with universities needs. The agreements will include factors that define the relationship between each university and the state, such as state funding, tuition, enrollment, degree production, retention rates, and many other areas.
The governor, Senate, and House have each unveiled unique biennial budget proposals. Now the three will negotiate differences among the plans to craft a final budget. The last day of the 2009 legislative session is scheduled for April 26.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
President Gaudino will host the next budget forum in the Music Building Concert Hall on Thursday, April 9, from 9 to 11 a.m. In addition, it will be streamed live via the campus Novell computer network, broadcast live on television channel 59, and made available to the University Centers in their distance education classrooms. The forum will later be available for viewing by clicking on the Administration tab of the CWU at iTunes University Web site at Wildcat Connection.
CWU TOP STORIES
KURTZ NAMED HIGHER EDUCATION SCIENCE TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Dr. Martha Kurtz, science education department chair, was recently awarded the 2009 Washington State Higher Education Science Teacher of the Year Award. Kurtz has taught at CWU for fourteen years, focusing on chemistry and science education. She was named chair of the department in June of 2001. She is also the director for CWU's Center of Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education. Kurtz was named CWU's Distinguished Professor for Service in 2008.
"I believe teaching is the noblest of occupations. Central Washington University's motto, Docendo Discimus, (by teaching we learn), and its mission encapsulate my philosophy and I strive to uphold it," Kurtz says. "I believe that science literacy fundamentally prepares students for responsible citizenship and stewardship of the earth."
PR STUDENTS NOMINATED FOR DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION AWARD
The collaborative effort between members of Central's Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter and the Ellensburg Downtown Association (EDA) has been nominated for the State of Washington Community, Trade and Economic Development Award for Outstanding Public Partnership. The award is part of the State Downtown Revitalization/Main Street Program, which has been helping communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown commercial districts since 1984. Winners will be announced at the twenty-third annual Downtown Revitalization Training Institute in late April in Vancouver.
Since the CWU group began collaborating with the EDA last fall, they have helped promote downtown Ellensburg with stories about historic preservation projects, diversity on Main Street, the many entrepreneurial opportunities Ellensburg provides for women and minorities, and how art is driving the revitalization of the Ellensburg community. These stories have been published in local newspapers and travel publications, as well as in a recent issue of Northwest Travel.
For more information about the Downtown Revitalization Training Institute and the Excellence in Downtown Revitalization Awards, visit www.downtown.wa.gov.
CWU HONORS BRIDGE BUILDERS ON APRIL 19
Aaron Christophersen, '92, financial analyst for Microsoft Corporation, will receive the Bridge Builders award at the annual Building Bridges reception on April 19. The Bridge Builder award recognizes those who have positively impacted CWU scholarships through their leadership, example, and generosity.
Christophersen, with fellow College of Business (CB) alumni Bill Sammer, Jeff Stedman, and Rob Downing, established the Christophersen, Downing, Sammer, and Stedman Scholarship. It's for students of at least junior standing in the CWU College of Business who have maintained a grade point average of 2.5 or better and hold leadership positions within a CB student club, such as Alpha Kappa Psi. Christophersen manages and directs the fund.
"Scholastics are important, but developing leadership potential is just as important," Christophersen says. "That's why we decided to add that component to our scholarship."
Sponsored by the CWU Foundation, Christophersen's award will be presented during the Building Bridges scholarship reception in the Sue Lombard Dining Room, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event recognizes scholarship recipients, acknowledges donors, and provides recipients and their families with opportunities to meet individuals who made the scholarships possible. For information on the Building Bridges reception, call ext. 2762.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT TEAM PLACES SECOND IN NATIONALS
The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) announced that Central's team placed second at the National Student Championships at AGC's ninetieth Annual Convention and Expo, which was held in San Diego, Calif., this past week. CWU is the only school from Washington State to place at the national level.
The Commercial Team is made up of David Kortekaas, Marysville; Michael Crook, Spanaway; Garrett Gibson, Gig Harbor; Jake Wells, Pendleton, Oregon; Michael Yellam, Burien; David Igelmund, Medina; and alternate Ian Knowles, Graham. CWU construction management professor Bill Bender coaches the team with support from industry coaches Sellen Construction, Ali Montgomery and Lanie Heikel; Ferguson, Ian McDonald; PCL, Dan Lapenski; Stacey Bankston and A.J. Silvers. Central's construction management team earned a trip to nationals after receiving first place at last month's regional competition.
PROFESSOR EMERITA WINS NATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION
Carolyn Schactler, CWU professor emerita, took top honors at "Little Black Dress-On the Red Carpet," a national design competition held at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art on the campus of Kansas State University in February. The competition was judged by a panel of industry professionals, including American designer and curator Charles Kleibacker; Jeigh Singleton, head of the fashion-design program at Washington University in St. Louis; and Linda Lee, owner of the Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection. The competition was organized by the Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design Department at Kansas State.
Schactler, who led CWU's Apparel Design Program for twenty-eight years, was a top designer at last fall's International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) annual design competition, where she received the "Award for Effective Use of an Historical Inspiration." Her designs also earned top honors at the ITAA competition in seven previous years. Schactler was named the 2008 Distinguished Alumna for the College of Education and Professional Studies. In 1996, CWU recognized Schactler as a Distinguished Professor for Research/Artistic Accomplishment and Invention.
PAPSS PRESENTS AN EVENING WITH DR. BOB ARNOT
Traveling medical television journalist Dr. Bob Arnot spent nearly ten years working as a health correspondent for CBS and NBC news programs, including CBS Evening News, CBS Morning News, CBS This Morning, and NBC's Dateline and Today.
Arnot focused the past seven years of his reporting career in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Somalia, Kosovo, and the Sudan. Presently he is the host of the television series, Dr. Danger. In Dr. Danger, Arnot travels to some of the world's most dangerous areas, exposing viewers to the world's frontlines of major foreign conflicts and developments.
A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Arnot received a bachelor of Medical Science degree from Dartmouth College in 1972, and a medical degree from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1974. Arnot has published several books on diet, cancer prevention, sports fitness, and other medical topics. Arnot will make his presentation on Thursday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Building Concert Hall. Reserved tickets are $25, general admission is $15, and admission is free for students.
CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEYS ARE AVAILABLE
Service units within the President's Division have developed online surveys to receive feedback about the level and quality of their service to the university. If you have worked with any of the following units, you are invited to participate in the survey.
- Budget
- Equal Opportunity
- Government Relations
- Internal Audit
- Institutional Research
- Ombuds
- President's Office
The survey is available at www.cwu.edu/president/survey/index.html and will remain available through the end of April. You are provided the opportunity to sign your response or submit it anonymously. Either way, your feedback will be included in a summary report to the unit heads and to their supervisors. Thank you for taking time to let us know how we can serve you better.
2009 HOMECOMING FEATURES COMEDIAN BILL COSBY
Actor and comedian Bill Cosby will be the featured entertainment for CWU's 2009 homecoming celebration. Cosby will perform on Saturday, October 24 at Nicholson Pavilion. Tickets for Cosby's performance are $45 for premium reserved seats, $35 for general admission, and $25 for CWU students; and will go on sale Friday, April 10. Tickets may be purchased online at www.cwu.edu/~wildcattickets. For more information, call ext. 1301.
WIN/WIN PROGRAM TAKES BREAK
The very popular and successful WIN/WIN program is going on hiatus for the remainder of 2009 fiscal year to help the university save approximately $150,000 between now and June 30. There will be one final order of fifty computers that will be available through this program over the next few months. The goal of the WIN/WIN program is to replace the older computers on campus with new ones that adhere to, or exceed, the campus standard hardware and software configuration. The program has made it possible to keep campus computers at an average age of about two years old, down from an average of five to six years old in 2004.
SPORT BUSINESS CENTER HOSTS THIRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Northwest Center for Sport Business will conduct their third annual conference at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum on Friday, May 8. The theme of the event will be "Leveraging Brands in Sport Business," and will feature speakers from Tourism British Columbia regarding the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders, and Seattle University. For more information, visit the Web site www.cwu.edu/~cob/NWCSB/conference_home.html.
ROLE OF GRADUATE STUDENTS DEFINED
Ten years ago, the last accreditation visit highlighted the need to define the role of graduate education at Central Washington University. Dr. Roger Fouts, interim dean, graduate studies and research, announced the release of two documents that address this issue. "The Role, Mission, Vision, and Goals of Graduate Education at Central Washington University" and "Current Status of Graduate Education at Central Washington University" can be found in the left sidebar under "Graduate Studies" on the Graduate Studies and Research Web site: www.cwu.edu/~masters/.
SARAH SPURGEON GALLERY OPENS ILLUSTRATORS EXHIBIT
During the month of April, the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery will present "An Historical Look at Visual Communication." The traveling exhibit includes fifty original masterworks from the Society of Illustrators' Museum of American Illustration. The artworks span the twentieth century and demonstrate the changing role of the illustrator. Fifty different artists are represented in the exhibition and original works in watercolors, pastels, pen and ink drawings, oil paintings, and prints are featured.
An opening reception will be held Friday, April 3, from 5-8 p.m., and the show will be on view from April 4-26. The Sarah Spurgeon Gallery is located in Randall Hall, room 141.
ANNUAL RETIREES' RECEPTION TO BE HELD MAY 11
The President's Annual Retirees' Reception will be held on May 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. in Barge 412. For more information, call Ashlie Crawford at ext. 2160.
CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES HONORED APRIL 7
The Civil Service Employee Appreciation Ceremony will be held April 7, 1:30 p.m., in the SURC Ballroom. All employees receiving service awards are encouraged to attend. The 2008 Team of Distinction Award winner and the Employee of the Year will be announced at the ceremony. A beautiful new exhibit of the 2008 Employees of the Month, created by the talented Laura Anderson, merchandise and operations manager, and Cari Callahan, clothing and gifts supervisor, both from the Wildcat Shop, is now on display on the first floor of Bouillon Hall.
PRESIDENT, HOLTER TO ADDRESS CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES
The President's Address to Civil Service is scheduled for April 13 in the SURC Ballroom at 10:30 a.m.-noon and again from 2:30-4 p.m. President James Gaudino and Sherer Holter, assistant vice president for human resources, will be the speakers.
CWU SUPPORT FOR OLDER VERSIONS OF MICROSOFT OFFICE TO BE DISCONTINUED
Support for Microsoft Office 2003 (for Windows) and Microsoft Office 2004 (for Macintosh) computers at CWU will be discontinued as of June 30. Classrooms and labs have already upgraded to the newest versions of Microsoft Office, and all new computers deployed over the past twelve months have had Office 2007/2008 installed. Users who haven't yet upgraded from the older versions are encouraged to update to the newest versions of Office (2007 for Windows and 2008 for Macintosh) before support ends. Users can request a free upgrade to the new versions by accessing the following links: www.cwu.edu/~css/office2007.php (for upgrade from Office 2003 to 2007 - PC only) or www.cwu.edu/~css/office2008.php (for upgrade from Office 2004 to Office 2008 - Macintosh only).
Since the versions have a different "look," users may also want to take advantage of training provided through ITS Training personnel. Users are encouraged to upgrade their version of Office as soon as possible to avoid delays that may happen as the deadline for discontinuing support of the older versions approaches this summer. After June 30, ITS will contact users still running the older versions to schedule the mandatory upgrade.
CWU JOURNAL ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS
The CWU Undergraduate Research Journal, a peer-reviewed publication co-sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and the McNair Scholars Program, welcomes the submission of manuscripts from all academic disciplines. The Journal is dedicated to the publication of outstanding scholarship by undergraduates and their mentors. The Journal will be published online and in print on a limited basis in the spring quarter. The deadline for submissions is April 24. For more information, including submission guidelines, visit www.cwu.edu/~our/journal.html. There will be a proposal writing workshop on April 3, at noon in SURC 135.
WINTER QUARTER CWU ALERT! TEST SUCCESSFUL
The winter quarter test of the emergency notification system was conducted on February 19 at 12:30 p.m.
The results were:
- 18,205 unique phone deliveries were made for the 11,430 contacts.
- 16,247 deliveries (89.2 percent) were successful.
- 1,958 deliveries (10.8 percent) were unsuccessful due to bad phone numbers, line busy, no answer, or network busy. The majority of these were "no answer."
- 21,134 e-mail messages were sent.
- 206 text messages were sent, an additional ninety-two text messages from the previous alert.
- The Desktop Alert! System sent 2,242 messages to computers on the campus network (offices, classrooms, checkout laptops, etc.), and more than 500 on ResNet.
APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED
The application deadline for Folklore and Fieldwork on Mexico's Gulf Coast has been extended to Monday, April 6. The purpose of this program is to provide students an opportunity to conduct field research on the Afromestizo population of Mexico. The program will also explore the history of Veracruz, Mexico with respect to race, ethnicity, and regional development. There will be an information session for this program on Thursday, April 2 at 2 p.m. in the International Center, room 101. For more information, contact Dr. Raymond Hall, faculty coordinator, ext. 2491, hallray@cwu.edu or Rebecca Garate, study abroad advisor, ext. 3620, garater@cwu.edu.
"Using Computational Intelligence as Predictive Tool for Biological Activities of Drug Candidates Targeted Towards Therapeutically Important Enzymes for Rapid Screening," a poster created by C. BADI' ABDUL-WAHID, Grant I. BARKER Catharine J. COLLAR, Levente FABRY-ASZTALOS and Nicholas SALIM, chemistry; and Sarah ABDUL-WAHID, Razvan ANDONIE, and Lukas MAGILL, computer science, was accepted to the 2009 Posters on the Hill event that will take place in Washington, D.C. on May 5. Only a small number of posters are selected from across the nation to this event. The posters are presented to the members of Congress.
Scott CARLTON, director of academic advising, was awarded the 2009 National Academic Advising Association Region 8 Advising Administrator Certificate of Merit. The award is given to individuals who have exhibited excellence in their primary role as an administrator or director of an academic advising program. Carlton has been with CWU for more than eighteen years.
Dr. Anne JOHANSEN, chemistry, was invited to serve as an expert scientist in a workshop on iron solubility in marine aerosols and surface oceans. The workshop took place on March 23 and 24, at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom. Johansen is on sabbatical leave in Germany.
Dr. Bruce PALMQUIST, physics and science education, attended an invitation-only physics symposium on undergraduate physics sponsored by McGraw-Hill Publishers from February 26 to March 1 in Austin, Texas. Palmquist and professors from other universities provided information and feedback on the latest physics teaching curricular materials and strategies.
CWU recruitment materials produced by PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING for UNIVERSITY HOUSING, NEW STUDENT PROGRAMS, and the OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS received a merit award for its Total Recruitment Package from the Admissions Marketing Report's Annual Admissions Advertising Awards competition. Staff members from each of the three departments worked closely together to create the award winning design. The competition is the largest educational advertising awards competition in the country and received more than 2,000 entries from 1,000 colleges, universities, and secondary schools in all fifty states.
Dr. Carin THOMAS, chemistry, gave an invited seminar, "Mitochondrial Metabolism of Environmental Contaminants," to the chemistry department at Whitworth University on March 18.
The Washington Industrial Technology Education Association gave Chris WHITEMAN, industrial and engineering technology alumnus, the "rookie of the year award" last week at their annual awards banquet. CWU now has the only industrial technology education program in the state that graduates certified teachers.
CWU EMPLOYEES
Shared Leave Requests
The following individuals are in need of shared leave: Gini Silva, University Housing and New Student Programs; Kerrie Overland, Facilities Management; and Melissa Anderson, Student Health and Counseling.
CWU employees may donate leave to a fellow employee: 1) who is suffering from or has a relative or household member who is suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition; or, 2) who has been called to service in the uniformed services; and, where the fact of either 1) or 2) has caused or is likely to cause the employee to take leave without pay or terminate his or her employment.
You may donate annual (vacation) and sick leave in eight-hour blocks. A minimum balance of eighty hours of annual leave must be maintained. Excess annual leave (that over 240 hours) that will otherwise be lost may not be donated. A minimum balance of 176 hours of sick leave must be maintained. All or a portion of your personal holiday may also be donated.
The shared leave donation form can be downloaded from the HR forms section of the Human Resources home page www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms/shared_leave_donation_form.doc or requested from the HR office by calling extension 1202. Requests to donate leave must be approved by your supervisor before forwarding to HR and are subject to approval by your department head and Human Resources.
Civil Service New Hires
Diana Haglund, Program Manager A, CWU-Wenatchee Center; Sheri Kinnan, Conference Facilitator, Conference Center
To view current job openings at CWU, go to www.cwu.edu/~hr/jobs/index.html.