UW News

October 16, 2008

Introducing the new Secretary of the Faculty, Marcia Killien

UW News

For Marcia Killien, taking on the job of Secretary of the Faculty seems an appropriate and challenging next chapter to a long career of academic and University service.


Her selection is notable in two other respects as well. Killien is the first Secretary of the Faculty ever elected by the faculty alone. Previously the president chose from among three candidates put forward by the faculty. Also, Killien is the first faculty secretary to come from the Health Sciences part of the UW.

Killien is a professor in the Department of Family & Child Nursing who has been at the UW since she started her master’s degree here in 1972. She joined the School of Nursing faculty and then was the first recpient of a doctorate in nursing, in  1982.


Her own research, she said, focuses on work and family health, specifically employment-related health outcomes for women. She is affiliated with the Center for Women’s Health and Gender Research in the School of Nursing.


But her interests were not just on the academic side. “Gradually over time I’ve become more involved in faculty governance and shared governance, both in the department and school,” Killien said. That included serving on the Faculty Senate as well as “a variety of different committees and councils and things dealing not only with (the Seattle) campus but also with the other two campuses as well.”


She has also served on committees relating to child care, leave and family issues, and chaired the universitywide Faculty Council on Tricampus Policy. Last year, she also chaired the campuswide President’s Advisory Committee on Women.


Killien said when the Secretary of the Faculty position came open she was asked if she’d like to be considered, and the job seemed a good match for her skills and background. “I was at the stage of my career where that seemed like it might be an interesting change,” she said.


How does she describe the duties of the Secretary of the Faculty? After all, it’s not a senate position and does not administer the senate. “I’ve been working on a concise job description since I got into this,” Killien said with a smile. “The primary responsibility is to be the official keeper of the Faculty Code.


“The Faculty Senate is responsible for doing legislation that changes the code, but when it comes to dealing with matters at the University level that are based on the code, the Secretary of the Faculty serves as one of the interpreters of the code.”


The job, she said, is to “make sure that faculty rights are guaranteed in the Faculty Code are respected, and that the faculty know their rights.” She added, “One of the pieces of my job is to meet with faculty who are considering entering into some sort of dispute resolution (process), if they believe there’s been a violation of the Faculty Code.” Killien described the job as almost judicial in nature, with the Secretary of the Faculty acting as advocate for the code.


The office of the Secretary of the Faculty also provides support and meeting spaces for the senate and its committees, develops candidates for Faculty Councils and supports the 18 faculty councils in the various UW schools and colleges, and at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma.

The job is a 75 percent position, which Killien said will enable her to maintain her contacts with the School of Nursing and continue to teach and participate in research. She will serve for a term of five years.

One upcoming University issue that will involve her, Killien said, is the formation of the new College of the Environment. “The Faculty Code specifies the role of the Secretary of the Faculty in assuring faculty involvement in the process of reorganization, consolidation and elimination of programs,” she noted.

Killien also will be involved in a possible reorganization of the Faculty Senate that could bring greater connection with faculty councils across the three campuses. “The proposal is that the chairs of the individual councils will become members of the Faculty Senate,” she said. The senate has not yet taken up the matter.

For her part, Killien supports the reorganization. “I think it will be very good to connect the faculty governance in the schools and colleges more closely to the Faculty Senate,” she said. “And we need to hear the concerns that are happening in schools and colleges from those elected officials.”

Being the first Secretary of the Faculty from south campus gives her “a slightly different perspectice,” Killien said. “It’s interesting to me, because I do think we have different cultures, and I’ve been amazed at how different practices are across the different schools and colleges.”

But she added, “Diversity is wonderful and it also means there are opportunities to learn best practices from around the campus — and hopefully that’s something I can bring to the conversation.”

Killien said she’s glad to be in contact with others who have held the same job in the past. “One of the really nice things is that there are a number of former secretaries of the faculty still active on campus, and they have been very supportive,” she said. “There are issues that come up that you just want another sounding board” or to know what precedent dictates.

Gerry Philpsen, professor of communication and Killien’s predecessor in the secretary’s office, called her a “superb” choice for the job. Asked what advice he provided Killien, Philipsen wrote in an e-mail, “The Faculty Code, which has the force of law in the State of Washington, establishes that there are two officers of the University Faculty: The president and the secretary. My advice was that in most of the difficult matters the secretary has to handle, the Faculty Code is the best resource available.”


Clearly for Killien, the job is more than just another campus challenge. “For me, at this stage of my career, it was an issue of, how can I give some things back to the University that I’ve been a part of for my whole career? And you know, it sounds sappy but (you think about) the legacy you’ll leave and how you can make an impact on the University.


“So I’m hoping that over time in this office I might be able to contribute to improving some of the quality of faculty life and their contributions to the governance of the University.”