Faculty Meeting

Faculty meeting
Body

The regular meeting for the faculty of the Department of Statistics was held in a hybrid format via Zoom and in Padelford Hall, room C-301 at 12:30pm, September 29, 2025. Abel Rodriguez, Department Chair, presided at the meeting. Kristine Chan was recording secretary. 

New Business 

  • Land Acknowledgement: The Chair recited the Land Acknowledgement.
  • Ice Breaker: All participants shared updates on personal news and achievements over the summer to allow the faculty, staff and graduate student representatives to get acquainted/reacquainted.  
  • Summer Updates: 
  • Enrollment Numbers: 6 PhD students, 24 full-time MS students (4 more deferred), 2 concurrent MS students, and 33 Direct Admits freshmen BS and the 44 sophomore BS (out of 119 applicants/63 offers).
  • AY 2025-2026 PhD Support: We are able to secure funding for the current PhD students within their first five years, but challenges remain for students beyond that period. 
  • Challenges invoicing NSA grant and extension are in progress.
  • Staff Changes: IT reorganization effective Oct 1; fiscal and HR restructuring planned for Autumn 2026. Advising changes are still unclear.
  • Budget Pressures: College planning up to 20% TIF cuts, reducing TA funding and pressuring departments to cut PhD programs or suspend admissions.
  • MS/PhD handbooks: Updated to limit pre-general PhD leave to three quarters
  • Outside UW: Given the ongoing reorganizations and financial challenges at other institutions, some universities are considering eliminating their statistics departments.
  • Academic Years 2025-2026 Work:  
  • Implications for this year: Funding beyond the 5th year for PhD students is very unlikely next year. Total size of the PhD program will need to be reduced. Likely cap of 5 PhD students for Autumn 2026 cohort.
  • The Year Ahead: Curriculum changes will need to happen, particularly in the MS and PhD program to navigate through the budget cuts.
  • Renewal of Department Policies: The discussion has been deferred to the next faculty meeting due to time constraints.
  • Subcommittee for Lecturer Part-Time appointments: The discussion has been deferred to the next faculty meeting due to time constraints.  

Adjournment 

There being no other items to discuss, the meeting was later adjourned at 1:56pm.