TCAC

Full Report Index

TCAC August 1999 Report
Full Report

Section I: Introduction

The Tri-Campus Advisory Committee (hereafter TCAC) held its first meeting on February 25, 1999. Over the course of this and thirteen subsequent meetings, the TCAC came to agreement that the four ideas and principles cited below are essential to the continuing successful development of the Three Campus University of Washington:

1. The interests of students of all the campuses must be a paramount consideration in this continuing development.

2. In the planning and development of new academic programs within the entire UW, the principle of strategic complementarity should be applied whenever possible. The typical application of this principle, however, does not preclude offering similar programs at more than one campus if a significant student demand exists.

3. Having an environment at the UW which fosters professional development of all faculty and staff over time is, and will be, a crucial factor in sustaining the university's quality and thereby, in maximizing the university's benefits for students. In particular, the effective professional development of faculty at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma will determine, in significant measure, UW Bothell's and UW Tacoma's contribution to the quality of the three campus university over time.

4. Effective Communication within the Three Campus University of Washington (and often beyond) also will be critical to sustaining successful development over time.

At its first meeting the TCAC selected student-related issues as the next agenda to be addressed. Nevertheless, in subsequent discussion, which did begin with student issues as planned, the committee returned repeatedly to matters involving faculty. The reason is straightforward: the quality of the students' educational experiences is determined in significant measure by their faculty. Thus, the quality of faculty searches determines the quality of faculty hired, who determine the quality of curricula planned and offered throughout the three campus university, which shapes educational opportunities arising from three campus connections, etc. For this committee, whose charge is to "provide advocacy and vision for the three campus university", the last item, shaping educational opportunities arising from three campus connections, quickly became the paramount point of departure. Accordingly, the committee moved to a series of discussions, which focused largely on faculty matters related to the first bullet in the Provost's charge letter to the TCAC:

"Encouraging collaboration and linkages between and among the campuses"

Focusing on this bullet led the committee sequentially through the following closely related topics: (a) considering the benefits of faculty collaborations and linkages, (b) exploring the underlying premises required to support effective cross-campus faculty collaborations and linkages, (c) exploring the barriers which currently limit effective collaborations and linkages, (d) providing advice about extending current collaborations and linkages deemed to be particularly effective and (e) providing advice about policies favorable to establishing new collaborations and linkages designed to improve the Three Campus University of Washington.

In the course of these conversations, the committee identified two existing conditions at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, which directly or indirectly limit effective cross-campus collaborations and/or professional development, particularly for untenured faculty. These two limiting conditions, the demands of institution building and the distribution of faculty by rank, also constitute two of the major differences between both new campuses and many units at UW Seattle. Consideration of these two limitations led, in part, to formulating advice from the committee to the Provost (vide infra).

The remainder of this report, including the sections devoted to advice, is best understood in the context of the historical and quantitative information contained in Appendices 4-8.

• Appendix 4 -- Memo to Planning and Budgeting Staff Regarding Funding Metric"

• Appendix 5 - Workload Issues Associated with UW Bothell and UW Tacoma Not Having a Lower Division Undergraduate Component.

• Appendix 6 -- The Implications at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma of Being "Student FTE Driven

• Appendix 7 -- Faculty Workload Connected to Continuous, Substantial Growth and to Related Capital Projects.

• Appendix 8 -- The Development of the New University of Washington Campuses from the Perspective of a Faculty Member, UW Tacoma Associate Professor, David C. Morris.

TCAC Full Report Index

Tri-Campus Advisory Committee
tcacadmi@u.washington.edu
Modified: February 22, 2000