Greetings,
It has been my great honor to serve as CWU's thirteenth president, and I wanted to use this column this one last time to thank all of you who have been instrumental in the university's successes during my tenure. As you have so graciously honored my service during the last two months, I have been very aware that the work we've accomplished has been a community effort. The list is too long to describe in one column, but I'd like to point out some highlights of your good work during the past eight years. I hope each of you finds yourself somewhere in this list.
You've shown the strength of collaborative efforts through interdivisional conversation and integrated planning. You've responded to the needs of citizens through the development of new degree options and programs, including many interdisciplinary offerings that address regional needs. You've built some of the finest first-year experiences and residential life programs in the country. You've built nine new buildings, remodeled three, and earned recognition for energy conservation. You've maintained a beautiful residential campus. You've been outstanding public servants to students, faculty, staff, and the communities surrounding our campuses. You've extended access and opportunity for students in Ellensburg and at the university centers. You've embraced diversity and made the campus one of a diversity of ideas and people. You've achieved a recognizable brand for the university and successfully completed the first comprehensive gifts campaign. You've tripled the university's income from grants and contracts and established the CWU Research Foundation. You've turned technology to greater advantage on the campus and developed a more thoroughgoing recruitment and retention plan for the university. You've improved university publications and become more productive scholars. You've mentored our students and increased their opportunities for involvement. And so much more.
Thank you to all of you for the work you have done and continue to do each day for the citizens of Washington State and for our students. The university is strong and resilient because of your dedication and energy. It is with great appreciation for all you have accomplished and great anticipation for what lies ahead for CWU that I turn the keys to the president's office over to Dr. Jim Gaudino, who brings his own ideas and enthusiasm to a new era of leadership. I know he will benefit, as I have, from your welcoming spirit, creativity, and devotion to our mission.
Sincerely,
Jerilyn S. McIntyre
President
Greetings,
I am honored to be joining you as Central Washington University's fourteenth president. I'm aware that I have very big shoes to fill—everyone I have spoken to attests to President McIntyre's extraordinary abilities as a leader and I see evidence of her leadership everywhere I look. I am grateful that she leaves such a wonderful legacy, and I can only hope to advance the university as far and as well during my tenure as she did during hers.
I plan to arrive in Ellensburg on January 3 in preparation for beginning my official duties on Monday, January 5. My wife Katie will join me later in the month. We'll be staying in the Kamola Suite for the first month or so to allow time for Facilities Management to complete some routine maintenance at the President's residence and renovate a bathroom to make it accessible from the reception center for those with disabilities. Our adult sons will remain in the eastern United States, but we hope you get to meet them sometime in the near future.
University life is always full of challenges, and I join you at a particularly challenging time. The governor's budget that was released earlier this month responds to a very pessimistic economic revenue forecast for the state and, by extension, for CWU. I am grateful that President McIntyre has already set in motion the planning that will be necessary to respond to the very significant budget cut this year and additional cuts for the next biennium, and I look forward to holding in-depth conversations with faculty, staff, administrators, and students about the budget scenarios the division heads currently are preparing.
These conversations will allow all of us to understand more fully the situation with the operating budget, to improve our understandings about the multiple budgets of the university, to look for creative ways to leverage resources, and to choose budget options that best maintain the integrity of academic and student life programs. I anticipate that these will be energetic and impassioned conversations reflecting the investment each of you has in the institution. I look forward to them as much or more for what we'll learn about each other as for what we learn about budgets. As we do this work, I also look forward to hearing your individual aspirations for the university, learning about each of your special contributions to the university community, and finding ways to allow all of us to excel in ways that will surprise and gratify us.
I am especially eager to get to know our students. They are, of course, the lifeblood of any university and our greatest responsibility is to mentor them toward, as your mission states, "responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth, and enlightened and productive lives." I was so impressed with those I met during the interview process and will welcome the opportunity to meet and talk with more of them about their hopes and dreams and about how the university can support students in achieving their educational goals.
Again, I want to thank the Board of Trustees, the search committee, and all of you for trusting me to steer the university into the future and toward the vision, which you have articulated.
Sincerely,
Jim Gaudino
President
CWU TOP STORIES
COST-SAVING SUGGESTIONS SOUGHT
As university and state officials continue to look for ways to reduce expenditures, the CWU administration is interested in hearing ideas from all members of the campus community. Cost-saving suggestions can be shared with a supervisor, manager, vice president, or through a newly established e-mail account, costsavingsideas@cwu.edu. Human Resources will gather the information and provide it to the President and Cabinet for their review and consideration.
VERTREES NAMED INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
President McIntyre has appointed Bill Vertrees as interim vice president for business and financial affairs. He replaces Rich Corona, who retired in December after twenty-four years of service to CWU.
Before coming to Central, Vertrees served as the Wenatchee Valley Community College director of facilities and operations for eleven years. He has been CWU's assistant vice president for facilities for the past twelve years.
In his new position, Vertrees will oversee human resources, financial affairs, facilities management, information technology, business auxiliaries, and public safety.
At Central, Vertrees has overseen the completion of more than $500 million in total capital projects, served as chair of the Campus Site and Development Committee and the University Communication Team, and partnered with various academic departments to create a sustainability coordinator/instructor position and a Carbon Reduction Taskforce.
AMES NAMED OCTOBER EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
The university's civil service employee council named Elaine Ames, operations and marketing manager for University Housing and New Student Programs, as the Civil Service Employee of the Month for October. At a recent surprise ceremony, she received a certificate and $125 from the president's discretionary fund, through the CWU civil service employee recognition program. Those nominating Ames said:
- "For [more than] four months Elaine has lead a team of staff from cross-divisional offices, departments, and staff to create what was the most successful opening we have had at CWU. Coordinating over 3,100 students moving into their dorms or campus apartments over a three-day period is a challenge. Elaine is level headed, extremely organized, has a 'can do' spirit, creates synergy . . . between offices, and motivated an entire body of staff in and outside of the department to work together."
- "A number of Elaine's marketing pieces for the University have won national and regional awards. Elaine is the person that develops and publishes the Acceptance Books sent out to all first year and transfer students, Residence Life Magazine, and all the reapplication materials."
- "Elaine Ames is one of the best supervisors I have ever had. Elaine is tough, but fair, honest and straightforward. Elaine includes her staff in policy-making and keeps us informed on all issues that she is able to share. There are no hidden agendas with Elaine."
University students, faculty, and staff, as well as Ellensburg community members are encouraged to nominate civil service employees who are doing exceptional work for Employee of the Month recognition. A nomination form is available online at www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms/eotmnominate.html.
PAPSS SHOWCASES FACULTY TALENT
On Sunday, January 11, CWU's 2008-09 Performing Arts and Presidential Speaker Series (PAPSS) will feature a performance by the CWU Faculty Ensemble. The concert will include the works of Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Stravinsky, Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla, and new pieces by CWU's Elaine Ross and Mark Goodenberger.
CWU's resident chamber groups, the Kairos Quartet and the Central Wind Quintet will perform, along with Goodenberger, Ross, and fellow university music instructors Gayla Blaisdell, Nikolas Caoile, Denise Dillenbeck, John Harbaugh, Maria Roditeleva Wibe, and Mia Spencer.
The performance begins at 4 p.m. in the Music Building Concert Hall. General admission tickets are $7. Students will be admitted free. For more information, visit www.cwu.edu/president/series/.
STUDENT RADIO STATION INVITES YOU TO SHARE WHAT YOU BELIEVE
The 2008-09 One Book, One Campus committee selected This I Believe, an anthology of personal accounts by a wide variety of personalities on issues ranging from the meaning of life, religion and God, life and death, relations with others, one's place in the greater scheme of things, and love and happiness.
As part of the One Book, One Campus project, CWU's student radio station, KCWU 88.1 'The Burg,' invites members of the campus community to record personal "This I Believe"statements, which will be aired during the coming months. Those interested can get more information by calling ext. 3344.
BOBBI FREDERICK 1945-2008
Barbara "Bobbi" Kathleen Frederick, wife of Dr. Gary Frederick, CWU head softball coach and former athletic director, passed away on December 8.
A celebration of her life was held at the Student Union and Recreation Center Theatre on Saturday, December 13. According to her family, "Bobbi didn't want her goodbye to be somber," and guests were asked to "bring your smiles and wear her favorite color, yellow." To honor her memory, donations may be made to the ALS Association, 310 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 630, Portland, Ore., 97204.
ALS is the acronym for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly called "Lou Gehrig's Disease." It is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
NEW BOOK HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI ART
"Crossroads and Connections: Central Washington University Art Alumni Exhibition," by the CWU Art Department, has been published by Washington State University Press. The book, which details the inaugural Central art alumni exhibition, includes selections from fifty-five acclaimed artists who graduated between 1954 and 1979. The 128-page book features full color photographs, biographies, and quotes about artistic endeavors that showcase the former students' stunning creations in paint, sculpture, photography, ceramics, jewelry, and fiber arts. The book, which retails for $29.95, is available at the Wildcat Shop or may be ordered online at wsupress.wsu.edu/shop/shopdisplayproducts.asp.
PLANNING 2 PIRATE? YOU ARE SO BUSTED!
Downloading copyrighted software, music, games, and other material is illegal and is a concern for colleges and universities across the nation. Intellectual property owners and their representatives have focused their enforcement efforts on university students nationwide.
Jason Gerdes, Information Technology Services information technology specialist, has developed a new script to identify peer to peer (P2P) abusers on the CWU residential network (ResNet) and restrict their network access by placing them in "cyber-jail." Data is gathered regularly from CWU's Audible Magic CopySense appliance and is analyzed for information related to P2P connection attempts. Confirmed P2P activity triggers a search for the registration information for the computer in question. The information is then used to terminate the student's Internet access under the ResNet Acceptable Use Policy. This is part of ResNet's ongoing efforts to educate students about intellectual property issues and reduce the amount of illegal file sharing on campus.
For more information about legal and illegal intellectual property sharing, visit www.cwu.edu/~its/property.html. For information on what CWU is doing as a leader in addressing P2P issues, review CWU's winning submission for the 2008 Northwest Academic Computing Consortium Excellence Award "Managing P2P File Sharing on a Residential Campus" at www.cwu.edu/~its/hugip2p.pdf.
GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP SLATED FOR FEBRUARY 5
CWU's Graduate Studies and Research (GSR) will co-sponsor an Ellensburg grant-writing workshop with Washington State University on Thursday, February 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seating is limited and will be open to other colleges, universities, and non-profit organizations. Early registration is encouraged. The cost is $75, payable to WSU by purchase order. Use the link on the GSR Web site, www.cwu.edu/~masters/events.html, to register. The Graduate Studies office will pay the registration fee for CWU faculty members. For more information, call Julie Guggino at ext. 2640, or e-mail gugginoj@cwu.edu.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DVD AVAILABLE
The DVD from the November 14 "Emergency Preparedness and Responding to a Hostile Intruder" class is now available for checkout from the Human Resources Department. Call ext. 2196 for more information.
CLASS ACT: CENTRAL EMPLOYEES AND TUITION WAIVERS
Did you know you might be eligible to take up to eight credits here at the university, almost for free? One of the better benefits of working at Central is the tuition waiver, which is available to all qualified permanent faculty and exempt and classified staff. In fact, all state employees, members of the Washington National Guard, and certain veterans are eligible for educational benefits as well.
All employees wanting to take a course will need to complete the required application form, "Tuition Exemption Request for CWU." The form then lists the guidelines and includes the fees section. A non-refundable fee of $15 will be charged to each CWU staff member quarterly to cover the costs of administering the program. For state employees, National Guard members and veterans who are not CWU staff members, the non-refundable fee will be $30.00 per quarter. In addition, participants will be charged for special course fees, add/drop fees and other fees when applicable.
Employees registering for more than their credit limit will pay per-credit tuition rates for all credits in excess of the limit. All of the information is on the quarterly application form and in the current catalog on page 26-27 are the full explanations.
This is a great way to pursue a degree to advance your career, achieve personal educational goals, or explore new worlds of wonder. Better yet, by taking classes at CWU, you can help your employer by increasing its enrollment figures. Funding for the university is dependent on student enrollment -- the higher the head count, the better the bottom line. For more information, contact the Registrar's Office at ext. 3001.
Mike JACKSON, physics, performed a kaleidoscope outreach program for 290 third grade students and teachers from Lincoln Elementary School, Mt. Stuart Elementary School, Valley View Elementary School, and Kittitas Elementary School. With assistance from the Central physics club, eleven shows were performed during the month of December. Several organizations also provided support for the program including the Washington Space Grant Consortium and the university chapter of the Society of Physics Students.
Andrew JENKINS, health education professor emeritus, recently had an article, titled "Teaching Plyometric Training to Children," published in Strategies, a national journal for physical and sport educators. Jenkins collaborated with Dr. Ferman Konukman, former CWU physical education professor, who is now on the faculty at the College at Brockport (State University of New York).
Cynthia MITCHELL, journalism, recently had two magazine articles published about First Amendment education. The national quarterly journal of the Journalism Education Association, Communication: Journalism Education Today published "How to Walk Your First Amendment Talk" in its Fall 2008 issue. And Quill, the national monthly magazine of the Society of Professional Journalists, published "Educating the Educators" in its December 2008 edition. Mitchell has also been invited to serve as a founding national board member of The Liberty Tree Initiative, a coalition of educators, journalists, librarians, artists, and authors with a shared interest in building awareness of the First Amendment through education and information.
Joseph POWELL, English, received the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature Fellowship for Poetry. The $25,000 literature grant was one of just forty-two awarded nationwide from among nearly 1,000 applicants. Powell, who is a CWU alumnus, has been teaching at Central since the early 1980s. He is currently working on his fourth full-length book of poems. Other books Powell has published are Counting the Change, Winter Insomnia, and Getting Here. He's also published Fish Grooming & Other Stories, a book of short stories, and co-wrote a book about meter in poetry called Accent on Meter: A Handbook for the Readers of Poetry in 2004 with Mark Halperin, CWU English professor emeritus.
CWU EMPLOYEES
Shared Leave Requests
Connie Bennett and Mark Walker, Facilities Management; Troy Brenner, Center for Disability Services; Gini Silva, University Housing and New Student Programs; and Davida Stafford, Academic Advising, are in need of shared leave.
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 at www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms/shared_leave_donation_form.doc or requested from the HR office by calling ext. 1202. Requests to donate leave must be approved by your supervisor before forwarding to Human Resources and are subject to approval by your department head and Human Resources.
Civil Service New Hires
Nicole Burk, Program Assistant, International Studies and Programs; Diana Fishel-Hall, Communications Consultant 2, Registrar Services; Joshua Kopczynski, Custodian 1, Facilities Management.
Exempt New Hires
Lawren Lutrin, Academic Advising - West Side Centers, Academic Advisor.
To view current job openings at CWU, go to www.cwu.edu/~hr/jobs/index.html.