| |
Time with the Dean
One-on-One with Dean Barbara Couture
| ask. |
What do you list as an accomplishment this year that the College of Liberal Arts should point to with pride? |
| BC |
I think that a major accomplishment this year was completing the digital recording studio in Kimbrough Hall. This is a project that had been a dream of our music faculty for a number of years. The project has both artistic and practical aspects to it. Recently the program added a music and business option, and now we can add some very practical training related to that option. The gift to purchase the equipment came from the Allen Foundation for Music, and they were absolutely impressed with the quality of the faculty in this program and their unswerving attention to outreach in the state. |
| |
|
| ask. |
I think our readers would be interested to know about the College of Liberal Arts’ budget, specifi cally the process by which schools, departments, and programs in the college become prioritized and what that means in terms of support. |
| BC |
This is an area where I feel some personal pride. Prior to my coming to Washington State University, our college did not have a way of balancing our priorities that really worked effectively to get the best input from our faculty and departments and to weigh that input against the sometimes-challenging resources that we have. Now, each year, our departments prepare an updated five-year plan and an updated assessment of their productivity, which measures grant funding, scholarly activity, student credit-hour production, contributions to general education, and other factors. Not only do all of our department chairs and our dean’s administrative staff read every plan produced by our units, but these plans are also assessed by a nine-member Dean’s Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. These faculty members represent disciplines from across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. This committee assists us in ranking our departments into three groups: those that are ready to go forward with new plans, therefore, we should do our best to give them the resources to move ahead; those whose momentum is great, but we need to make certain they maintain the momentum, even if we can’t, at this time, give them new resources; and those that are in a period of transition or have identifi ed program areas that need to be redeveloped. These may be areas that we cut in order to move forward in other areas of the college. It’s a fair system, involves a lot of participation across the college, and has really enabled us to move forward, even in times when our budget has been reduced. |
| |
|
| ask. |
What would you say to liberal arts donors and supporters in recognition of their importance to the success of liberal arts at Washington State University? |
| BC |
It is becoming increasingly important that we have their support in order for us to offer the programs we offer our students. Right now, our state budget only covers 51 percent of the college’s operating expenses. The rest of the resources comes from external revenues that we generate from our summer program, grants, and donated funds. Our ability to attract the best students is absolutely dependent on donor support. Most of our College of Liberal Arts scholarships are funded by donors. And our ability to attract the best faculty is increasingly becoming dependent on donor support. One of the great needs at Washington State University, not only in our college but also across the University, is for endowed chairs. These are positions that are fully funded by an endowment, which allows us to attract the best faculty in a particular discipline to Washington State University. Endowed faculty salaries will help us remain competitive in the future. |
| |
|
| ask. |
I marvel at the ability of our faculty to continually perform at the highest academic level and to continue to be passionate about their research and teaching, despite the fact they’ve been passed over again by the state legislature for pay increases. What are your thoughts about that? |
| BC |
I think one of the reasons our faculty have remained so steadfast is that this is a great place to work. We have good leadership here, great faculty and great students, and the desire to offer the very best higher education can offer.* |
| |
|
| ask. |
The dream of creating the Plateau Center for American Indian Studies took a step forward in 2003. |
| BC |
We are very pleased to announce that the federal government, thanks to our Washington representatives in Congress, pledged $100,000 toward the program so that we can continue planning the Plateau Center for American Indian Studies. This project has two aspects to it. First, we are hoping to create a local center and to eventually have university support to hire a center director. Second, we plan to collaborate with three other universities to extend American Indian education throughout these universities and to offer increased enrollment opportunities for Native American students, particularly at Washington State University. |
| |
|
| ask. |
In this issue of ask. magazine, our range of topics spans gender, race, digital diversity, student research, entrepreneurship, poetry… |
| BC |
There is a wonderful range of research and scholarship in the college, which provides marvelous opportunities for students. It may interest our readers to know that many of the most creative entrepreneurs in our society have a liberal arts education and later developed business acumen to begin their own businesses. We hope to play an integral part in the Washington State University entrepreneurship program, linking it to several areas of our curriculum. |
| |
|
| ask. |
Any personal achievement or enjoyable time away worth mentioning? |
| BC |
I think some of the more enjoyable time I spent last year was getting to know the Northwest a little more. My husband and I stayed at Wallowa Lake Lodge in Oregon last summer and got to see that beautiful part of the country. We also visited Winthrop and saw the Methow Valley. We had the chance to see the Grand Coulee Dam. What an incredible feat of engineering that is! I’ve also taken on a new hobby—painting. I’ve never painted before, but we live in a beautiful setting with a gorgeous view of the Palouse as inspiration. What a beautiful picture I imagine that I could paint! So far, it hasn’t been realized on the canvas. |
*Editor’s note—Although the state legislature did not pass a salary increase for state workers, the WSU Board of Regents approved the University’s 2003-2005 budget, which includes a general salary increase of 2 percent for faculty, administrative and professional staff, and graduate assistants. The increase went into effect Jan. 1, 2004. This is the first general salary increase for faculty and professional staff in more than two years. |
|
|
