Feb. 28 Town Hall Meeting

The four value statements that have been formulated to date are:

  • dynamic educational opportunities
  • inter-professional collaboration;
  • innovation and scholarly engagement; and
  • excellence in teaching and public service.

Question 3: What would make it hard to live out these value statements in a uniform way across the university?

  • Resources and politics.
  • Current structures.
  • "This is the way we've always done it."
  • Administration needs to buy into these values.
  • Traditional structures and Victorian language.
  • How do we make critical thinkers?
  • Lack of finances.
  • Cultural resistance to change -- silos.
  • Lack of clearly defined and measurable goals.
  • Aversion to risk.
  • Lack of uniformity.
  • We've already done that attitude.
  • Trying to do all things, too many and none well.
  • Inability to communicate.
  • Lack of a common goal.
  • Duplication of courses.
  • Duplication of resources.
  • Bureaucratic system.
  • No reward for being dynamic.
  • No thinking out of the box.
  • Departments competing for resources -- not collaborating.
  • Community voices that see WSU as a drain to the area (funds).
  • Funding.
  • Recruiting the right students/faculty.
  • Lack of publication.
  • Lack of buy-in from faculty, students, and community.
  • Recruiting to a changing university.
  • To recognize the performance of faculty and students.
  • Clarity of the values.
  • Mixed agendas.
  • Exclusionist.
  • Lack of overarching common goal.
  • Bureaucracy -- has gotten out of hand.
  • The liberal arts person -- we are a place to learn something.
  • Global issues course has been taught by 26 different persons who donate their time to teach the class. A class that should be integrated into the general education program on campus.
  • Duplication of resources -- better processes that are adaptable.
  • Lack of adaptability.
  • Lack of finances at the top.
  • Resistance to change.
  • Budgets reflect values!
  • Employers need someone who can critically think. We are losing our way.
  • If these values were really in place our students will be successful and the student body would grow.
  • These are not valued across the university and not uniformly present now.
  • We must reward these values -- tenure and promotion, performance evaluations. Pay is not always the answer. (A participant suggested, for example, that a WSU “red” parking tag be awarded to employees instead of money for demonstrating these values.)
  • Biggest obstacle -- must be "owned" by everyone, not "me" but "we." We can do this together and have an outstanding university.

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