Due to inflation and lower enrollments, a housing and dining rate increase is included in the action agenda on Friday. In addition, a summer session rate increase consistent with the academic year rate increases will be proposed on Friday as well. The November State Revenue Forecast indicated a $681M revenue increase for the 2023-2025 biennium ($66B), so the Washington economy continues to expand, but inflation remains high, and housing has weakened. The next quarterly revenue forecast comes out later in February and informs the legislature in March for the biennial budget. The Governor’s proposed operating and capital budgets look positive for CWU. Research Presentation Provost DenBeste introduced faculty members Lisa Ely and Carey Gazis, who led a presentation titled, “Preserving the water resources of the Yakima River basin for future generations.” Dr. Gazis gave some background on the research project and a brief history of the Yakima River basin. She explained that due to over allocating of water, competing demands and climate change, the need for an integrated, long-term plan for the Yakima Basin is very important.
Dr. Ely then introduced the students and each student talked briefly about their research:
• Emily Polizzi – graduate student, Groundwater Storage; what the sediment layers tell us about their ability to store and move groundwater? • Edward Vlasenko – graduate student, Water Budget; how much water is lost at Taneum Creek in the summer by evaporation and transpiration? • Brice Liedtke – undergraduate student, summer field assistant received hands-on field experience. • Lindsay Henning – graduate student, Groundwater Modeling; Can we use a groundwater model to predict the interaction between the surface water and groundwater at a site on the Teanaway River? • Rhiannon Whitehead – undergraduate student, Keck Summer Scholar, worked with the Mid- Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group. • Silas Sleeper – alumnus, Groundwater Geochemistry; Can we identify potential underground reservoirs using chemistry? Dr. Ely summarized that 80 students participate in the field each year. Their class projects address current water resources questions in the Yakima River basin. Students collect and analyze data. They present findings and solutions and work with stakeholder organizations, which assists them gaining employment in environmental geology in our region.
Meeting adjourned at 11:40 a.m.
Trustees had lunch with students in Sue Dining. No business was conducted.
Ms. Black reconvened the board work session in Wellington Event Center at 1:18 p.m.
3 Board of Trustees Minutes February 16-17, 2023
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