OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Richard L. McCormick, President

March 6, 1996

Members of the Task Force on University Public Service and Outreach

Dean Margaret Gordon, Graduate School of Public Affairs, Chair

Mr. Ralph Bayard, Senior Associate Director, Compliance and Academics, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics

Professor O. Ross Beirne, Chair, Faculty Council on Continuing Education

Ms. Betty Bengtson, Director, University Libraries

Ms. Mary Hammond Bernson, Associate Director, East Asia Center, Jackson School of International Studies

Professor William B. Beyers, Department of Geography

Dr. Andrea Copping, Assistant Director, Washington Sea Grant Program, School of Marine Affairs

Ms. Cynthia Curreri, Lecturer, Department of Health Services

Associate Professor Peter K. Domoto, Chair, Department of Pediatric Dentistry

Professor William Dowling, Chair, Department of Health Services

Vice President Robert G. Edie, University Relations

Associate Professor, Kelly Egan, Chair, Council of Faculty Representatives

Dean Jerry Finrow, College of Architecture and Urban Planning

Dean Nancy Hooyman, School of Social Work

Dr. Kim Johnson­Bogart, Director, Edward E. Carlson Leadership and Public Service Office

Professor Marcia G. Killien, Chair, Department of Family and Child Nursing

Ms. Christine Knowles, Director, Office of Community Affairs

Mr. John Linder, ASUW, Student Body President

Vice Provost Richard Lorenzen, Educational Outreach

Mr. Paul Lowenberg, Manager, News and Information Services

Ms. Patricia MacGowan, MESA Statewide Director, College of Engineering

Ms. Betty Jane Narver, Director, Institute for Public Policy and Management

Ms. Amy F. Philipson, Director, Business and Finance, Computing and Communications

Ms. Margot Ray, Director, Personnel Services

Associate Professor Jo Ann Taricani, Chair, Faculty Council on Community Service and University Relations

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased by your willingness to serve on the Presidential Task Force on University Public Service and Outreach.

I am establishing this Task Force in order to focus more effectively the many ways the University serves the public throughout the State. Many individual faculty and staff already conscientiously contribute to the public good in a variety of ways - from participation in state and local commissions and public forums to teaching in local schools about the Human Genome Project, and to reporting weather and seismic activity. Students and faculty serve in medical clinics and hospitals, and many faculty, students, and staff volunteer their time and effort to non­profit and service agencies. I will encourage the entire University to continue making significant contributions in these areas and to take a visible, active part in nourishing our larger community.

Because it is unlikely, however, that the University or individual faculty members can meet every public service need, I am charging the Task Force with the responsibility of identifying those areas and issues on which faculty, staff and student expertise allows the University to make special, unique contributions.

As a precursor to this effort, a committee of the President's Council has completed some preliminary work. Chaired by Dean Margaret Gordon of the Graduate School of Public Affairs, the Committee was asked to take a look at how the University was fulfilling its public service mission and to identify questions to pursue to enhance its efforts.

Based on the Committee's report, the Task Force should consider the following issues and questions:

What is the nature and extent of public service and outreach currently provided by the University to the community? This will require the Task Force to work with faculty groups to clarify definitions of public service and outreach as they relate to scholarly and professional expertise and activity, teaching, research, direct service, continuing education, internships, payment and fees, and use of University facilities.

What are the specific substantive areas in which the University has special expertise to make unique, focused contributions consistent with its mission? Please suggest a process for determining priorities for the University's investment in public services and outreach.

How can the University better and more strategically support public service and outreach activities? Please make suggestions for specific mechanisms with regard to faculty, students, staff and unit activities. Special attention should be given to assessing and rewarding public service and outreach in the context of faculty merit reviews, tenure, and promotion. In addition, the Task Force should consider mechanisms for strategic support of specific service requests and opportunities when they arise.

How can the University improve public access to faculty, students, staff, and facilities without promising more than it can reasonably expect to deliver? What is the appropriate commitment of the University to public service and outreach to the community?

How can the University strategically communicate to its relevant constituents its public service and outreach commitment and accomplishments, and their integration into research and teaching in the University?

Develop a strategy for 1) reviewing approaches of peer institutions to public service and outreach, 2) monitoring progress toward integrated service and outreach activities supportive of the University's mission and goals, 3) monitoring public perceptions and understanding of the University's public service and outreach goals and activities, and 4) seeking the advice of other public institutions, such as the City of Seattle and King County, in defining critical civic issues and problems to which the University's resources might be most productively applied.

The Task Force should consult broadly, inside and outside the University and across the state, before reaching its conclusions. It is also important that the work of this Task Force not be done in isolation from the other Task Forces on international studies and environmental education, or from the work being done to follow up the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Vancouver Leadership Conference. To that end, I plan to appoint liaison representat*es from those groups to participate in this Task Force's deliberations.

Please submit your final report to me as soon as possible, but no later than August 15, 1996.

I am confident that the Task Force's work and the actions that follow will demonstrate that the University views itself as a full partner - working shoulder to shoulder, sleeves rolled up - with all the involved public, non­profit, and corporate good citizens of the State. Thank you again for agreeing to participate in this important work.

Sincerely yours,

Richard L. McCormick

President

cc: Board of Regents

President's Council

Professor John M. Junker

Mr. Garrick Hileman

Mr. Kerry Woolsey

Current Activities

O. Ross Beirne, Co­Chair

Nancy Hooyman, Co­Chair

Kelly Egan

Marcia Killien

Christine Knowles

Jo Ann Taricani

External Consultation

Mary Hammond Bernson, Co­Chair

Jerry Finrow, Co­Chair

Ralph Bayard

William B. Beyers

Cynthia Curreri

Peter Domoto

Robert Edie

Richard Lorenzen

Paul Lowenberg

Patricia MacGowan

Betty Jane Narver

Amy Philipson

Internal Consultation

Kim Johnson­Bogart, Co­Chair

Andrea Copping, Co­Chair

Betty Bengtson

William Dowling

Margot Ray

Executive Committee

Margo Gordon, Chair

O. Ross Beirne

Betty Bengtson

Mary Hammond Bernson

Kim Johnson­Bogart

Andrea Copping

Robert Edie

Jerry Finrow

Nancy Hooyman

Paul Lowenberg

Betty Jane Narver

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