[Vision2020] WSU faculty senate election

Fri, 09 Apr 2004 14:15:11 -0700

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As this story from WSU Today (April 9 issue) notes, the Faculty Senate 
will likely be a very different institution at WSU during the term of 
the next  chair.   Chuck Pezeshki won election as chair in a surprise 
upset.  BL

----------------------------------------

Surprise vote stirs faculty senate
Election upends tradition
By Robert Frank

Washington State University's annual Faculty Senate election took a 
surprise turn April 1, when a self-nominated candidate captured the 
chairmanship, upending an unwritten but unbroken tradition in which the 
sitting vice chair was routinely voted in as the next chair.

Chuck Pezeshki, an associate professor in mechanical engineering 
completing his second three-year term as a faculty senator, defeated 
Cindy Kaag, the lead librarian at Owens Science and Engineering Library 
and the Faculty Senate vice chair, by a vote of 29-26.

Later the same day, the Faculty Senate ended any chance the same thing 
would happen again by approving an amendment to its constitution. Ron 
Brosemer, the 2003-04 Faculty Senate chair, said the amendment will 
eliminate the "vice chair" title in spring 2005 and replace it with a 
title of "chair elect." From that point on, the person filling that 
position will advance into the chairmanship uncontested.

"There are all sorts of traditions associated with this chair position 
and I kind of broke some by running, then I broke some more by actively 
campaigning, then I broke even more by winning," said Pezeshki. "But, 
I'm used to stirring the pot.

"I ran a real campaign and called about 55 (out of 82) senators," he 
said. "And these people wanted to talk. But it was really helpful and 
gave me a good feel for what they care about. And they elected me."

Pezeshki says he has received quite a number of congratulatory messages 
from other senators, but also knows there are some ruffled feathers. 
Despite his unorthodox entry, he said he is hopeful that "people can 
move beyond this and work together."The change does not end with 
Pezeshki, however. The Faculty Senate also elected a new vice chair, Ken 
Struckmeyer, an ombudsman from Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, 
and a new executive secretary, Barry Swanson, a professor in Food 
Science and Human Nutrition and the 2002-03 senate chair.

Swanson will take over the reins from Tom Brigham, who has been the 
executive secretary for the past 6 1/2 years. Brigham will continue his 
work in 2004-05 as a half-time executive assistant to the president and 
begin a half-time leave of absence to work on a book.

All three elected Faculty Senate positions are half-time, paid posts. 
The chair and vice chair are one-year positions, the executive secretary 
is a three-year position.

Based on his phone conversations, Pezeshki said the things faculty are 
concerned about most are:

. academic integrity
. faculty communication with administration
. urban campus program spin-offs
. communication to faculty about decisions made by the upper-level 
administration.
"It's not like the faculty thinks things are in crisis. They're not," 
said Pezeshki. "Overall, everybody has a good feeling about the current 
administration and how things are being handled, but they want to make 
sure there are no surprises. They want to know that things being are 
carried out and their voices are being heard." Pezeshki said he hopes to:

. change the image of the Faculty Senate so it is seen as proactive and 
effective for change
. establish an online bulletin board with updates on what the Faculty 
Senate is working on
. create a blog(s) through which he and possibly others can report on 
meetings attended
. make Faculty Senate/administration communications more clear in all 
directions
. elevate key philosophical issues for real debate

"As chair, I am the chief faculty advocate to the administration, and I 
will advocate," Pezeshki said. "The biggest thing I will be working on, 
I believe, is facilitating and managing change and ensuring academic 
integrity."

Pezeshki said that under his leadership the Faculty Senate will address 
some large philosophical debates which are important to the faculty and 
university, including the continuing relationship with urban campuses; 
the emergence and adaptation of new technology that advances students' 
skills while reinforcing core knowledge; advancing the relationship 
between faculty and the Center for Teaching and Learning Technology; 
championing the cause of academic integrity; and reining in the 
rocketing cost of private journals, which is sinking the libraries 
financially.

"We are the academic backstop to make sure programs are viable, valid 
and strong, and we take that role very seriously," Pezeshki said. "At 
the same time we need to be responsive and agile to manage the change."

Pezeshki earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering in 1987 from 
Duke University, where he taught for one year before coming to WSU. In 
his off hours he is an environmental advocate, authoring a WSU Press 
book titled "Wild to the Last: Environmental Conflict in the Clearwater 
Country."

At WSU he founded and directed the Industrial Design Clinic, which works 
with business and industry on projects and provides engineering students 
with experience and paying jobs.

"I'm a little different." says Pezeshki, describing himself as a 
"classically educated, traditional academic and intellectual who 
believes strongly in the role of the university.

"I also feel a strong sense of obligation to give back to society and to 
do what's best for society. I was raised to believe that to those whom 
much is given, much is expected.

"If you're talking about changing and improving the institution, it 
isn't enough to just sit around and talk about it and complain. Someone 
has to be the first to jump. It was an opportunity to run for chair (of 
the Faculty Senate). It gives me the bully pulpit, and I plan to use it.

"It's going to be an interesting year. We're going to do some really 
positive things with the Faculty Senate, and we're going to have fun 
doing it."

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As this story from WSU Today (April 9 issue) notes,
the Faculty Senate will likely be a very different institution at WSU
during the term of the next&nbsp; chair.&nbsp;&nbsp; Chuck Pezeshki won election as
chair in a surprise upset.&nbsp; BL 

 

---------------------------------------- 

Surprise vote stirs faculty senate 
Election upends
tradition 
By Robert Frank
<img
 src="cid:part1.05070304.05040208@moscow.com" align="left" border="1"> Washington
State University&#8217;s annual Faculty Senate election took a surprise turn
April 1, when a self-nominated candidate captured the chairmanship,
upending an unwritten but unbroken tradition in which the sitting vice
chair was routinely voted in as the next chair. 
 
Chuck Pezeshki, an associate professor in mechanical engineering
completing his second three-year term as a faculty senator, defeated Cindy
Kaag, the lead librarian at Owens Science and Engineering Library
and the Faculty Senate vice chair, by a vote of 29-26. 
 
Later the same day, the Faculty Senate ended any chance the same thing
would happen again by approving an amendment to its constitution. Ron
Brosemer, the 2003-04 Faculty Senate chair, said the amendment will
eliminate the &#8220;vice chair&#8221; title in spring 2005 and replace it with a
title of &#8220;chair elect.&#8221; From that point on, the person filling that
position will advance into the chairmanship uncontested. 
 
&#8220;There are all sorts of traditions associated with this chair position
and I kind of broke some by running, then I broke some more by actively
campaigning, then I broke even more by winning,&#8221; said Pezeshki. &#8220;But,
I&#8217;m used to stirring the pot. 
 
&#8220;I ran a real campaign and called about 55 (out of 82) senators,&#8221; he
said. &#8220;And these people wanted to talk. But it was really helpful and
gave me a good feel for what they care about. And they elected me.&#8221; 
 
Pezeshki says he has received quite a number of congratulatory messages
from other senators, but also knows there are some ruffled feathers.
Despite his unorthodox entry, he said he is hopeful that &#8220;people can
move beyond this and work together.&#8221;The change does not end with
Pezeshki, however. The Faculty Senate also elected a new vice chair, Ken
Struckmeyer, an ombudsman from Horticulture and Landscape
Architecture, and a new executive secretary, Barry Swanson, a
professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition and the 2002-03 senate
chair. 
 
Swanson will take over the reins from Tom Brigham, who has been
the executive secretary for the past 6 1/2 years. Brigham will continue
his work in 2004-05 as a half-time executive assistant to the president
and begin a half-time leave of absence to work on a book. 
 
All three elected Faculty Senate positions are half-time, paid posts.
The chair and vice chair are one-year positions, the executive
secretary is a three-year position. 
 
Based on his phone conversations, Pezeshki said the things faculty are
concerned about most are: 
 
&#8226; academic integrity 
&#8226; faculty communication with administration 
&#8226; urban campus program spin-offs 
&#8226; communication to faculty about decisions made by the upper-level
administration. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s not like the faculty thinks things are in crisis. They&#8217;re not,&#8221;
said Pezeshki. &#8220;Overall, everybody has a good feeling about the current
administration and how things are being handled, but they want to make
sure there are no surprises. They want to know that things being are
carried out and their voices are being heard.&#8221; Pezeshki said he hopes
to: 
 
&#8226; change the image of the Faculty Senate so it is seen as proactive and
effective for change 
&#8226; establish an online bulletin board with updates on what the Faculty
Senate is working on 
&#8226; create a blog(s) through which he and possibly others can report on
meetings attended 
&#8226; make Faculty Senate/administration communications more clear in all
directions 
&#8226; elevate key philosophical issues for real debate 
 
&#8220;As chair, I am the chief faculty advocate to the administration, and I
will advocate,&#8221; Pezeshki said. &#8220;The biggest thing I will be working on,
I believe, is facilitating and managing change and ensuring academic
integrity.&#8221; 
 
Pezeshki said that under his leadership the Faculty Senate will address
some large philosophical debates which are important to the faculty and
university, including the continuing relationship with urban campuses;
the emergence and adaptation of new technology that advances students&#8217;
skills while reinforcing core knowledge; advancing the relationship
between faculty and the Center for Teaching and Learning Technology;
championing the cause of academic integrity; and reining in the
rocketing cost of private journals, which is sinking the libraries
financially. 
 
&#8220;We are the academic backstop to make sure programs are viable, valid
and strong, and we take that role very seriously,&#8221; Pezeshki said. &#8220;At
the same time we need to be responsive and agile to manage the change.&#8221;
 
 
Pezeshki earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering in 1987 from
Duke University, where he taught for one year before coming to WSU. In
his off hours he is an environmental advocate, authoring a WSU Press
book titled &#8220;Wild to the Last: Environmental Conflict in the Clearwater
Country.&#8221; 
 
At WSU he founded and directed the Industrial Design Clinic, which
works with business and industry on projects and provides engineering
students with experience and paying jobs. 
 
&#8220;I&#8217;m a little different.&#8221; says Pezeshki, describing himself as a
&#8220;classically educated, traditional academic and intellectual who
believes strongly in the role of the university. 
 
&#8220;I also feel a strong sense of obligation to give back to society and
to do what&#8217;s best for society. I was raised to believe that to those
whom much is given, much is expected. 
 
&#8220;If you&#8217;re talking about changing and improving the institution, it
isn&#8217;t enough to just sit around and talk about it and complain. Someone
has to be the first to jump. It was an opportunity to run for chair (of
the Faculty Senate). It gives me the bully pulpit, and I plan to use
it. 
 
&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be an interesting year. We&#8217;re going to do some really
positive things with the Faculty Senate, and we&#8217;re going to have fun
doing it.&#8221; 
 

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