Non-Tenure Research Track Faculty Appointments

The Carver College of Medicine held two forums on the creation of a proposed non-tenure research track for faculty on October 24 and November 1, 2006 (see CCOM proposal and PowerPoint presentation). CCOM faculty voted unofficially in November to express interest in pursuing a research track.

The issue is being considered by other colleges. Our chapter’s Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure wrote a position paper expressing serious concerns about the research track when it was first proposed in 2002. On February 24, 2007, the Faculty Assembly of the College of Liberal Arts heard comments from Dean Linda Maxson in opposition of a research track.

At its February 5, 2008 meeting, after long and difficult debate, the Faculty Senate approved the research track by an extremely close vote, 29-27.  The Carver College of Medicine’s research track proposal was subsequently approved by the Faculty Senate on September 2, 2008.  The minutes for both of these meetings, which document the serious concerns many members of the Senate have about the research track, can be found at http://www.uiowa.edu/~facsen/archive/index.html.