University of Iowa Faculty Senate

Minutes

Tuesday, November 16, 1999

Senate Chamber, Old Capitol 

Members Present: J. Berg, D. Bills, F. Boos, J. Carlson, P. Chang, M. Clark, S. Collins, C. Colvin, J. Cox, R. Curto, J. Desmond, G. El-Khoury, K. Ephgrave, L. Geist, J. Hoballah, R. Hohl, L. Hunsicker, J. Jew, S. Larsen, B. Levy, C. Lynch, D. Manderscheid, T. Mangum, K. Marra, L. Marshall, A.M. McCarthy, J. Menninger, P. Muhly, G. Parkin, P. Pomrehn, C. Ringen, J. Ringen, M. Rizzo, D. Rosenthal, H. Seaba, J. Soloski, C. Sponsler, C. Stanford, A. Steinberg, J. Tomkovicz, L.Troyer, E. Wasserman, B.Wiley, R. Zbiek 

Members Absent: H. Adams, S. Aquilino, N.Bauman, J. Bertolatus, R. Bork, M. David, H. Dettmer, V. Grassian, R. Hurtig, T. Judge, J. Kline, S. Lawrence, G. Milavetz, J. Moyers, I. Nygaard, M. E. Rivera, C. Roy, R. Slayton, B. Thompson, M. Vargas, S. Vincent 

Members Absent (excused): C. Berman, A. Bhattacharjee, C. Carney Doebbeling, B. Doebbeling, D. Liddell, E. Link, W. Nixon, M. Pincus, W. Stanford, M. Stone 

Guests: J. Folkins, J. Whitmore (Office of the Provost); C. Drum (Univ. Relations); L. Reinstein (Daily Iowan); C. Tebockhorst (Senate Staff Secretary) 

I.          The meeting was called to order at 3:38 PM by President Carlson. 

II.                 President Carlson introduced University of Iowa President Mary Sue Coleman, who delivered her annual address to the Senate. 

President Coleman indicated that her remarks would be limited to a few issues and began with an explanation of the increase in tuition and fees recently approved by the regents.  Tuition will be increased 4.3%: 2.3% is based on projected inflation indices, and 2% was added as a “quality” factor (e.g., meeting the needs of enrollment growth, opening new buildings, aiming for smaller class sizes, recruitment of next generation scientists, etc.). In addition to the tuition increase, there will be a 2.6% increase for student fees. 

Plans for upgrading the libraries are underway. The review of the University libraries has been submitted to the Provost, and the recommendations are in line with how plans have been made for spending the money. 

Another source of budget revenues is the State. President Coleman has prepared laminated cards that will be distributed to legislators to use as a handy reference when considering the University of Iowa’s budget requests. Copies of these laminated cards were handed out to senators. 

President Coleman commented that outreach efforts for the capital campaign are very positive, and that she is optimistic that the fund-raising campaign will go well. 

The University’s Annual Report will be presented to the regents tomorrow. This report will use the current indicators; next year’s report will use the new set of indicators. One of the challenges the University still faces is the need to improve the graduation rates for students. 

President Coleman will be attending a regents outreach event with officials from other regents institutions, with whom the University of Iowa enjoys a good and cooperative relationship.

 In response to questions from Professor Collins, President Coleman acknowledged that faculty salaries at the University of Iowa are slipping in comparison to similarly- placed institutions and stated that Iowa is facing some unique problems, e.g., the farm economy.

Professor Cox expressed appreciation for President Coleman’s position that University security personnel should not carry firearms. 

III.               Approvals

Professor Collins moved that the Faculty Senate minutes of September 21, 1999 and October 26, 1999 be approved as distributed. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. President Carlson noted that approved Council minutes of September 7, October 12, and October 19 had also been sent to senators and that a correction had been made in Council minutes of October 12, 1999. 

IV.              Old Business 

President Carlson referred senators to agenda attachment 2 and described the background of the Council recommendation as well as his proposed addition to the following: proposed resolution regarding promotion and tenure standards to be applied when standards were changed after the faculty member’s initial appointment or promotion to current rank. 

MOTION: Professor Curto moved, Professor Wiley seconded that the proposed resolution recommended by Faculty Council be approved. 

MOTION: Professor Wiley moved, Professor Parkin seconded that the resolution be amended to include the additional language proposed by President Carlson (hereafter referred to as the “other standards clause”): “If other standards by which the faculty member would be judged were stated in a written communication made to the faculty member by the departmental executive officer, collegiate dean or provost at the time of the initial appointment or most recent promotion, then those standards shall govern the case.” 

Discussion followed about permitting the faculty member to choose whether or not to be governed by the other standards clause. 

MOTION: Professor Ephgrave moved, Professor Boos seconded that the other standards clause be amended to read at the end: “…then those standards shall govern the case if the faculty member so chooses.”  The amended motion passed. 

            There was further discussion about different promotion and tenure scenarios and a need to discourage agreements between administrators and individual faculty members to set other standards without appropriate consultation with, and agreement by, the other faculty members in the affected academic unit (s).           

MOTION: Professor Mangum moved, Professor Manderscheid seconded that the other standards amendment be reconsidered. The motion passed.

            After discussion, the question was called on the other standards amendment. The amendment failed. 

            The question was called on the resolution as recommended by Faculty Council. The motion passed and reads as follows: 

Resolved that: Operations Manual Sections III-10.1a (4)(b); III-10.1 a (4)(c); III-10.2; III-29.5f (2)(b) should be amended to conform to the following policy:

            “A candidate for tenure and/or promotion may elect to be evaluated under the relevant, clearly defined standards of the faculty member’s academic unit(s) that were in effect at the time of the faculty member’s initial appointment or promotion to the rank currently held, any such standards in effect since that time, or any such standards currently in effect, whichever the faculty member elects. However, no standards may be applied if they were superceded more years ago than the time specified as normal time at rank (adjusted to account for any extension, family leave or illness leave granted to the faculty member). For assistant professors, the normal time in rank is six years and for associate professors, seven years (see Operations Manual, III-10.5). The faculty member shall make an election by the end of the academic year prior to the academic year in which the faculty member is considered for promotion.” 

V.                 Announcements and Reports

The International Writing Program will be continued under the domain of the Office of the Vice President for Research. Funding will be provided for a director and clerical and office staff, and space needs will be determined. Appointment of a search committee for the Director is in progress.

The review of the Office of the Provost is underway. The Provost has been asked to begin the self-study.

In presenting their Annual Report to the Council, the ombudpersons noted recurring problems regarding faculty members on developmental leave and obligations to their students. These policies have been clarified, and DEOs must specifically address how teaching and student responsibilities will be met if the faculty member is granted developmental leave.

The Ombuds Report also noted that some academic units have not met the requirement that they must provide their faculty with a written statement of expectations for promotion and tenure. The Provost has requested each collegiate dean to send him copies of their written standards and expectations for promotion and tenure by February 1, 2000. 

Emeritus faculty members were inadvertently left out of this year’s Student/Staff/Faculty Directory. A supplement including these faculty names will be distributed.

An event held in Hubbard Park earlier this semester caused disruption to classes because of excessive noise. A task force has been created to advise regarding the use of Hubbard Park.

VI.              Any Other Business

Professor Rizzo raised the question of whether there was a need for Faculty Senate to assess University policies for monitoring activities of individual faculty, e.g., e-mail, internet usage, infrared monitors, etc. Although it was noted that some of these issues may have been addressed previously, faculty are encouraged to bring concerns about them to Faculty Council/Senate.

VII.      The meeting adjourned at 5:05 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Jean Jew, Secretary