Washington State University Faculty Executive Committee Records, 1934-1971

The records of the Faculty Executive Committee consist of minutes, correspondence, reports, memoranda, clippings, working drafts and notes, and financial and other records used by the committee in its efforts on campus. While the material has been separated into five distinct series they are not mutually exclusive, That is to say, some correspondence exists in the Minutes files and, conversely, copies of the minutes occur in both the correspondence and subject files. The completed survey questionnaires of the last series have been retained because of the many illuminating comments by members of the faculty on the educational process, an expression of a wide sample of the faculty. The Minutes series contains some duplication because the nature of the committee, and especially its rotation of officers, did not encourage a central "official" file of committee records, although it is apparent that certain officers did attempt this at different times. For the early years, and for some of the later years as well, the "Minutes" file was considered the file of records and all correspondence and reports were added to it. In some years the correspondence and reports were so extensive that they were relegated to separate files in other series. Basically, however, the "Minutes" series is the main record of the committee's activities; the other series merely supplement it.

The Correspondence series is less complete than it might be if all of the correspondence, reports, and memoranda were removed from the Minutes series.

Following the Correspondence series is the Confidential Personnel Case File series. This series may be restricted as it deals with individual personnel matters rather than generalized policy statements. Few of the personnel matters brought before the committee have produced any extensive documentation. The major cases have been separated into this series.

The Subject File series contains an assortment of copies of minutes, correspondence, memoranda, working notes, drafts and other papers on a variety of subjects of interest to the committee. Many of these papers have been separately filed only for convenience. The more recent files also illustrate a common problem of duplication wherein several members of the committee have, through the process of becoming the recording officer, added their one file of miscellaneous material to the common pool. This is the case with several individual folders. Where possible the compiler of the individual file has been identified. Again, subject gaps in these files can often be filled through reference to the Minutes and Correspondence series.

The fifth series consists of the completed questionnaires of two surveys of the faculty on the question of faculty evaluation.

The final series contains materials added at a later, unknown, period.