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III. Summary Recommendations


Phase I: Enhanced self-sustaining Summer Quarter
Phase II: Regular Summer Quarter

The committee endorses the conversion of the present tuition-based Summer Quarter to a full and equal state-funded Summer Quarter. There are a number of critical and important issues that should be addressed to enhance and transform the present Summer Quarter. Specific recommendations for the modification of the present tuition-based Summer Quarter (Phase I) to a full and equal Summer Quarter (Phase II) are enumerated here. Issues of concern for faculty, students, the curriculum, and administration and budget are discussed in detail in later sections of this report.

There are several possible mechanisms for increasing student access, the primary issue driving the question of creating a full quarter during the summer. Capital expansion likely will be required. The committee understands that the present physical plant limits capacity primarily by availability of specialized instructional facilities and of faculty offices and research facilities, rather than by availability of general purpose classrooms. This is suggested by the relatively lighter use now of general classroom facilities in the afternoon, evening, or weekends, and during the summer. If more students are to be accommodated at the University, it will be necessary to increase the size of the physical plant if daily and yearly times of instruction, dictated by student interest and availability and by faculty preference, remain as they are now. This will be primarily in increased faculty research facilities, office space, and specialized instructional facilities. This may also require increased general assignment classrooms if instructional times remain as they are now.

A second method of increasing student access within the constraints of the present physical plant would be to increase the teaching loads of the current faculty. As an example, the faculty in the social sciences presently teach four courses per academic year. If the number of courses were increased to five or more, then more student access would be provided with a faculty of the same size. New faculty offices and research facilities would not be required, although increases in the number of specialized instructional facilities would parallel an increased number of students. The committee does not favor this solution, however, for the simple reason that the quality of instruction would markedly decrease. This loss of quality would occur first because of the increased commitment of each faculty member to instruction rather than other activities, principally research. The loss of quality would also occur because the University of Washington would lose faculty of quality because of the heavy teaching load relative to peer institutions. Increasing the teaching requirements of faculty here would be tantamount to the University of Washington leading the way in removal of tenure; it would result in a substantial exodus of the best faculty to other institutions with what is now the disciplinary-normal teaching responsibilities.

Phase I: Enhanced self-sustaining Summer Quarter

The first phase of transformation of the Summer Quarter will continue the tuition-based model that has worked successfully at the University of Washington. The program will remain administered by the Vice Provost for Educational Outreach, in collaboration with the deans. A variety of enhancements will be employed as a means of making the Summer Quarter more like one of the other three traditional quarters. It is anticipated that these changes will increase the participation of matriculated University undergraduates as well as a broader participation by the professorial faculty. Graduate programs are also expected to expand during the Summer Quarter.

Faculty

Curriculum

Students

Administration

Funding

Phase II: Regular Summer Quarter

The transition from the self-sustaining, enhanced Summer Quarter, described above as Phase I, to a state-supported fourth quarter, termed Phase II in this report, will occur when political, budgetary, and enrollment demands combine to push this outcome. At present it is difficult to envision a rapid, wholesale conversion to a full fourth quarter during the Summer. Rather, a gradual transition from the present self-sustaining model of Summer Quarter to a full fourth quarter is considered to be a better approach. The conditions that will push this transition may increase in future biennia, but there is not at present sufficient impetus to achieve the full transition. The time required until this transition is effected will be determined by the necessity of increasing the capacity of the University's instructional programs, particularly at the undergraduate level.

Faculty

Curriculum

Students

Administration

Funding

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