Appendix 1

February 5, 1998

ad hoc Committee on Faculty Responsibilities and Rewards

Professor Mike Wallace, Department of Atmospheric Science, Box 351640, Chair
Associate Professor Gaetano Borriello, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Box 352350
Professor Wayne Crill, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Box 357290
Dr. James Green, Senior Lecturer, Department of Anthropology, Box 353100
Professor Charles Johnson, Department of English, Box 354330
Professor Robin McCabe, School of Music, Box 353450
Professor Rheba de Tornyay, Department of Psychosocial and Community Health, 4540 8th N.E., #1001, Seattle, WA 98105
Professor Ted Kaltsounis, College of Education, Vice Chair, Faculty Senate, Box 351271
Mr. Cordell Carter, Student Representative, ASUW, Box 352238
Ms. Cindy Zehnder, Vice President, Board of Regents, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Employment Security, P.O. Box 9046, Olympia, WA 98507-9046
Associate Professor Kathie Friedman-Kasaba, Liberal Studies, UW Tacoma, Box 358436

Dear Colleagues:

The UW's excellence depends on the work of its faculty in research, teaching and service. Growing competition in securing external funding and publishing, greater expectations for more and better teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and pressures to find new ways to contribute to the larger community place extraordinary demands on faculty. The "triple threat" career--exceptional contributions in research, teaching and service--is more difficult than ever to achieve.

At the same time, external pressures for accountability are mounting. In this context, certain sectors of the community are skeptical of the faculty's work. Some question the priority placed on research, relative to undergraduate and graduate teaching. Others ask about the value of what is produced in both research and teaching. The University's autonomy depends to some extent on being able to answer these questions convincingly.

A discussion of faculty responsibilities and rewards is therefore timely. Such discussions are taking place at our peer institutions across the country. Moving forward on strategic thinking about teaching and research depends on a University-wide reconsideration of responsibilities and rewards. The Committee on Faculty Responsibilities and Rewards is charged with conducting this conversation across the University community.

I am asking you, a group of distinguished faculty, to organize and moderate a University-wide conversation on responsibilities and rewards. Assistant, associate and full professors, instructional and research faculty, Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma faculty, and those with and without tenure-track appointments all should be invited to share their views. The Committee will be responsible for synthesizing the various views of faculty and making recommendations, as appropriate.

Certain key issues must be part of that conversation, including tenure and post-tenure review (or its equivalent); rewards and incentives to faculty for meritorious performance spanning an entire career at the UW; differential responsibilities and contributions of faculty and the units within which they are housed; and metrics for evaluating performance individually and collectively. A proposal for post-tenure review or its equivalent is expected as one outcome, though by no means the only one.

Many thanks for your willingness to serve on this most important committee. there is no single issue more fundamental to the well-being and future of the University. I request that a preliminary report, summarizing the issues, various suggestions and proposals, and the Committee's best judgment of the alternatives, be available at the end of May.

Sincerely,

Lee L. Huntsman
Provost

LLH:df:hs

Committe on Faculty Responsibilities and Rewards
provost@u.washington.edu
June 1998