UW Tacoma Faculty Assembly

June 14, 2024

Faculty Assembly Newsletter June 2024

Chair’s Message

Dear colleagues,

Wishing you a fantastic summer break ahead!

We’re releasing the 2nd and last issue of Faculty Assembly (FA) Newsletter of AY 2023-2024 to report the work progress the FA and EC have made this year. Sorry about this overdue project—in the best scenario, or in another parallel universe ;),  an issue of this newsletter should have been released at the beginning of the Spring Quarter.

All our work is accomplished through teamwork and platform building. As the FA chair this year, I am grateful to the tremendous support from the Vice Chair Anne and Program Coordinator Andrew. I’m thankful for our passionate and devoted faculty who step up and build this platform, faculty who serve on Executive Council (EC), standing committees, ad-hoc committees, and task forces of the Faculty Assembly, and faculty who serve on tri-campus faculty councils and faculty senate.  Please see the section of Appreciations and Recognitions in this newsletter.

Huatong Sun

 

Commencement Ceremony

We had another successful commencement ceremony a week ago! Thanks to all the faculty who participated to cheer for and celebrate with our Class of 2024, the newest University of Washington Tacoma alumni who are hard-working and determined by overcoming tons of the barriers through the pandemic! Thanks to all the devoted faculty who mentored and held students’ hands through this challenging journey!

SET Associate Dean Dr. Yan Bai was presenting a diploma to a fresh graduate.

End-of-Year Review

Priority Projects 2023-2024

We worked on the following priority projects this year. As some of these projects are long-term projects, we took a divide-n-conquer approach to wrap up the milestones for this year.

 

Faculty Voices

Multiple surveys, feedback and listening sessions were conducted to incorporate faculty’s voices in shared governance work, including the following:

  • Academic plan survey: Thanks to FA Vice Chair Anne Taufen and APCC Chair Julie Masura!
  • Faculty feedback to P&T process survey in collaboration with the Faculty Council of Tri-Campus Policy (see survey results)
  • Equitable workload survey: Thanks to FAC Chair Sharon Laing and Director of Academic HR Sarah Davies Breen!
  • APT taskforce deliverable surveys conducted by both EC and Non-tenure track faculty forum (NTTFF): Thanks to NTTFF co-chair Andrea Hill!
  • Feedback sessions to anti-retaliation guide: Thanks to SIAS EC Reps!
  • Listening sessions with EVCAA (2 sessions): Thanks to the collaboration from the Office of Academic Affairs!
  • Listening sessions with the APT Task Force (3 sessions, see slides): Thanks to the APT Task Force Members!
  • Campus safety listening session in collaboration with the Faculty Senate leadership: Thanks to EC Campus Safety Ad-Hoc Committee!

The following reports and policy documents were released by the FA:

Community-Building Events

We held the following events:

  • Three FA quarterly meetings (Spring meeting blog)
  • Two listening sessions with EVCAA (Autumn & Winter)
  • International faculty welcome lunch
  • 2023 Distinguished Faculty Awards Ceremony (blog)
  • Faculty code and faculty rights 101 workshop (see Speech Notes)
  • International faculty leadership forum (blog)
  • Three listening sessions for APT task force deliverables (see slides)

Service Opportunities for Faculty Governance

We’re recruiting a new group of faculty governance leaders. Please consider joining us.

In addition, if you are interested in serving for tri-campus level faculty governance, please fill out this 2024 Faculty Council & Committee Interest Survey: https://forms.office.com/r/22dCcSFqa0.

Nowadays most of the tri-campus committee meetings are conducted over Zoom.

 

Appreciations and Recognitions

Thanks so much to the following amazing colleagues who stepped up for engaging in important service work and institutional building for the campus and for the faculty!

Standing Committee Chairs & Co-Chairs:

  • Julie Masura (Academic Policy & Curriculum Committee): SIAS
  • Sharon Laing (Faculty Affairs Committee): SN&HL
  • Christine Stevens (Appointment Promotion & Tenure Committee): SN&HL
  • Matthew Weinstein (Appointment Promotion & Tenure Committee): SOE
  • Peter Selkin (Research Advisory Committee): SIAS
  • Andrea Hill (Non-Tenure Track Faculty Forum): SSW&CJ
  • Moniquetra Slater (Non-Tenure Track Faculty Forum): SSW&CJ

Completing 6 years of service (two terms):

  • Rupinder Jindal (EC): MSB
  • Sharon Laing (FAC): SN&HL

Completing 3 years of service (one term):

  • Joan Bleecker (APCC): SIAS
  • Ken Cruz (FAC): SSW&CJ
  • Julia Eaton (EC): SIAS
  • Ehsan Feroz (FAC): MSB
  • Andrea Hill (EC): SSW&CJ
  • Susan Johnson (APCC): SN&HL
  • Christopher Knaus (FAC): SOE
  • Zhiquan (Andy) Shu (EC): SET
  • Shahrokh Saudagaran (APCC): MSB
  • Christine Stevens (APT): SN&HL
  • Matthew Weinstein (APT): SOE
  • Tanya Velasquez (APCC): SIAS

Completing 1 or 2 years with term ending:

  • Alison Cardinal (RAC): SIAS
  • Ruben Casas (EC) :SIAS
  • Sonia De La Cruz (RAC): SIAS
  • Mary Hanneman (APT): SIAS
  • Lisa Hoffman (APT): SUS
  • Peter Selkin (RAC): SIAS
  • Claudia Sellmaier (APCC): SSW&CJ
  • Gim Seow (APT): MSB
  • Davon Woodard (EC): SUS

EC Campus Safety Ad-Hoc Committee 

  • Robin Evans-Agnew (Co-Chair): SN&HL
  • Jim West (Co-Chair): SET
  • Gary Viers: MSB
  • Barb Toews:  SSW&CJ
  • Julia Eaton: SIAS

APT Taskforce 

  • Huatong Sun, Chair
  • Nicole Blair: SIAS
  • Michelle Garner: SSW&CJ
  • Ariana Ochoa Camacho: SIAS
  • Jenny Sheng: SET

Faculty Senate 

  • Huatong Sun, as Faculty Assembly Chair, 2023-2024
  • Andrea Hill, SSW&CJ, 2023-2025
  • Tom Capaul, SET, 2023-2025
  • Ruben Casas, SIAS, 2019-2025
  • Davon Woodard, SUS, 2023-2025
  • Mohammed Jasim, SET, 2023-2025
  • Gregory Lund, SUS, 2021-2025
  • Joanne Clarke Dillman, SIAS 2023-2025

EC Rep of the Month