Administrative Snapshot: September 2005
Names of key participants appear in brackets at the end of most items.

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First-year student data

Sharon Fought is working with Jane Decker and Mary McGuire from UWB and staff at UWS to collect a subset of demographic data and survey responses from incoming UWS freshmen who live off-campus and come from the region served by UWT. The work group anticipates that this information will help inform us about the type of student who might be interested in attending UWT as a freshman. Data won’t be available for some time; updates will be provided through this newsletter. [Sharon Fought]

Community college initiatives

Committees of faculty and staff from UWT, Tacoma Community College and Pierce College are working to improve the two-plus-two pathway. More than a dozen faculty from UWT, TCC and Pierce participated in a four-day retreat this month to improve coordination of curriculum between the schools. Another group of faculty are working to identify lectures they can give in each others' classes. Several quarter long faculty exchanges are also in the works. TCC and UWT are splitting the cost of hiring a new adviser to focus on transfer advising while developing a pilot program that would allow students to be enrolled in both schools at once. Other projects focus on further enhancing advising for students and helping community college freshmen and sophomores get connected to the UWT campus early in their academic careers. [Marcily Brown]

Library staff retreat

The UWT Library will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 14, for its annual staff retreat. This year, the retreat will focus on upcoming changes at UWT and their impact on library services and facilities. Staff members will also discuss the needs of new students. Chancellor Spakes is expected to attend. [Anna Salyer]

New library Web page

The UWT Library has developed a new Web page to help make searching collections and accessing services easier. See it at www.tacoma.washington.edu/library. [Anna Salyer]

Children’s literature collection

In keeping with changing circulation policies throughout the UW Libraries, the UWT Library's Children's Literature collection will be available for four-week loan periods and through the Summit catalog, a library catalog that combines information from a number of Northwest academic libraries into a single database. Due to space constraints, the collection has been split between the Snoqualmie Room and the small reading room near the elevator. [Anna Salyer]

Small-projects consultant selection

A selection process is underway to choose an architectural consultant to assist in the development and construction of a number of small projects on the UWT campus during the next two to three years. Many of these projects will focus on providing amenities that will help make UWT a complete four-year campus. Additional projects may include campus beautification, building improvement and preservation and safety projects. [Milt Tremblay]

Traffic impact study

UWT, collaborating with the City of Tacoma, has selected Mirai Transportation Planning & Engineering to study the impact of campus growth and street closures proposed by the UWT campus master plan on traffic circulation in the surrounding area. The selection committee included Fred King and Steve Smith from UWT, Brad Spencer and Peter Dewey of UW Seattle, Kurtis Kingsolver of the City of Tacoma Traffic Department and Marty Campbell, owner of Buzzard Records. This study, which should take six to eight months, is expected to report on current and forecasted conditions and should include options for mitigating any adverse impacts of the closure. An oversight committee of local citizens, UWT students, faculty, and staff and City of Tacoma staff will provide guidance to Mirai throughout the study. [Milt Tremblay]

Applied bachelor’s degrees

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is expected to host a second event regarding the initiation of applied bachelor’s degrees by community and technical colleges in late September. Sharon Fought participated in an interactive teleconference on this subject July 29. The second event will likely focus on specific criteria for evaluation of proposals. Contact Sharon Fought if you’d like additional information. [Sharon Fought]

Bachelor of arts in CSS and minor in applied computing

A proposed BA in CSS is in final approval stages, currently in the hands of external reviewers. The minor in applied computing has been approved. Steve Hanks is providing leadership in crafting the proposal, with input from George Mobus and Josh Tenenberg and the support of new director Orlando Baiocchi. [Sharon Fought]

Assembly Hall

Architect selection continues for the new Assembly Hall/Commons project, which is to be located on the site of the existing Dawg Shed. The top four firms selected by the review committee have been forwarded to the UW Architectural Review Committee for final selection and presentation to the UW Board of Regents. Architectural selection should be complete by Oct. 1. This project will be funded by $7.5 million from the state Legislature and an additional $2.5 to 5 million in private funds to be raised by UWT. The combined multipurpose hall and student commons area will provide much-needed presentation and gathering spaces for UWT faculty, staff and students. Its 500-seat capacity and flexible format will provide a forum for a wide variety of academic functions, job fairs, lectures and banquets as well as collaborative meeting areas and informal gathering spaces. [Milt Tremblay]

Student health resources

UWT administrators are collaborating with 2005 graduates Karen Furuya and Stan Betts, student leaders and Student Life staff to make additional health resources available for students in Autumn quarter. Initial resources will include Web-based and printed health information, first-aid supplies and a vending machine containing selected over-the-counter medications. Work has also begun to provide additional or improved insurance options and services for students in the future. [Sharon Fought]

Self-defense classes

Campus Safety staff Laura Delval and Ron Welk recently taught self-defense on campus, with staff volunteers as participants. An additional session may be planned; contact Campus Safety for more information. [Sharon Fought]

Space inventory

Sharon Fought and Noreen Slease are continuing to meet with unit directors to verify specific office assignments for emerging office space needs, including incoming faculty this fall and expected new faculty in Autumn 06. The inventory of office and instructional space on campus has been completed. [Sharon Fought]

UWT data reports on SIS

Reports in the electronic fact book on the Student Information System (SIS), available for internal use, have recently been updated. A standard report on headcount by major should be available shortly. FERPA training is required to use the database, and use is currently restricted to UWT staff and faculty advisers. Some of the information is confidential. More information is available on the DataPlus Web site. If you have questions about the SIS application, contact the Director of Information Technology at ppow@u.washington.edu. [Sharon Fought]

Housing/parking

Phase 1 of the Court 17 parking garage/apartment complex is about 50 percent complete and the 309-stall parking garage portion of this project is anticipated to be operational in early 2006. The 129-unit apartment complex, which will be privately managed, should be ready for occupancy by Fall of 2006. Court C will remain closed during construction. [Milt Tremblay]

• View a PDF of the 2003 campus master plan (CAUTION: Very large file)

Support for grants and contracts

Electronic approval of grant and contract applications is being used on campus, and the transition to this part of the system was successful. Carol Hert is offering training opportunities on locating funding sources and submitting applications this summer. These will be announced on uwtline and on the Research Web site which includes information about the need to complete online training designed to improve the Faculty Effort Certification (FEC) process for anyone whose work is being supported by grant or contract funds. Carol Hert and Leo Aguiling have met with program administrators to discuss the faculty effort certification and other grant-related accountability processes. [Sharon Fought]

• Visit the Grants and Contracts Web site

Storage on campus: Tacoma Paper and Stationery Building and Snoqualmie Room

The Snoqualmie Room, in the basement of the library, is being made ready for improvements to provide additional stacks for Library collections. For now, no new requests will be processed for storage in the Tacoma Paper and Stationery Building (Spaghetti Factory) as a review of the space is undertaken. [Sharon Fought]

Tuition and Fee Policy Committee

The Tuition and Fee Policy Advisory Committee completed its work on draft principles to provide the basis for tuition policy at UW; the report of the committee has been forwarded to the provost. It's anticipated that a broad audience will review the principles across the three campuses in Autumn 2005. [Sharon Fought]

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