Inside Iowa State
January 21, 2000
Provost, senators dispute role of teaching in P&T decisions
by Linda Charles
Some senators challenged provost
Rollin Richmond's views on how teaching should be considered
in promotion and tenure decisions during the Jan. 11 Faculty
Senate meeting.
Jack Girton, zoology and genetics, raised the issue, citing recent quotes from ISU administrators. If teaching is a "valued function" at the university, Girton said, should some faculty be promoted for excellence in research without excellence in teaching, but others not promoted for excellence in teaching without research?
"I believe that faculty contribution to the vision of the university needs to be a balanced approach," Richmond said.
The provost said those who do an excellent job of teaching (which he calls scholarship in teaching) should be recognized for their efforts but that to receive promotion and tenure, they also must show a "scholarship of teaching" (conducting research about teaching).
"I do not believe you or this institution should promote an individual simply because he or she demonstrates scholarship in teaching but not scholarship the other way," he said.
"I think that's a very bad statement, a very bad statement," said John Robyt, biochemistry and biophysics. "If we have an individual who's a good teacher and we turn them out or we lose them because they didn't get a grant for scholarship, learning or whatever, I think that is a great loss for the university. I think this is an abominable position for you to take."
Richmond responded that at community colleges, scholarship in teaching is expected but not scholarship of teaching.
"At research institutions, we expect the faculty to be scholars of a discipline or a study, and that discipline or study can be one of pedagogy," Richmond said.
Girton pointed out that faculty at ISU teach courses at the 400 and 500 level, which those at community colleges do not. Those level classes require a great deal of expertise and research, he said. "That is the area where we are expected to be head and shoulders above the others."
Peter Sherman, aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics, also indicated that teaching should be considered for promotion and tenure. He said most who teach received little training in how to teach while in college and have had to learn it on their own. He also pointed out the promotion and tenure document does allow for someone who was hired primarily to teach to be promoted on his or her teaching abilities.
In other business, the senate:
- Agreed to relay comments to the University Calendar
Committee indicating that faculty prefer a four-week break
over the winter holidays. In a straw poll taken at the
meeting, the majority of senators indicated their
constituents favor the four-week break. Currently, there is a
three-week break. The calendar committee has nearly finished
its work on the calendar for 2003-2005 and has recommended a
three-week break for that period. Uncertain about whether
it's too late to change the 2003-2005 calendar, the senate
will relay comments from senators to the calendar committee.
- Elected Christine Pope, history, as president-elect. She will serve in that position during the next academic year and then serve as senate president the following year.
The next senate meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, in 260 Scheman.
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