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Inside Iowa State
March 17, 2000

Senate endorses four-week semester break

by Linda Charles
The Faculty Senate endorsed a four-week winter break and resolved to review the calendar committee that has recommended a three-week break for 2003 through 2005.

The senate took the actions during a March 7 meeting, approximately two weeks after the University Calendar Committee reconsidered, then reaffirmed its earlier recommendation for a three-week break between fall and spring semesters.

In a straw poll taken during the February senate meeting, the majority of senators indicated their constituents favor a four-week break. (The current calendar has a three-week break.)

Some senators questioned why some representatives on the calendar committee have a say in the academic calendar. The calendar committee has representatives from the undergraduate and graduate governing bodies, organized labor; faculty and staff governing bodies, lectures and public events, athletics, colleges, provost, student affairs, Iowa State Center, orientation and registrar.

A senate committee will review the structure and function of the calendar committee and relay its recommendations to the administration.

Salary policy revisited
In other business, the senate reversed its decision on a salary policy after debating whether senators should be more concerned with pay hikes for faculty doing satisfactory work or those who are considered "superstars."

Under the policy approved at the meeting, faculty evaluated as doing satisfactory work would receive a pay hike that is at least one-third of the percentage the university receives for salary increases. For example, if the university receives 3 percent more in salary funds, faculty rated satisfactory would receive at least a 1 percent pay hike. Funds beyond the 1 percent level would be used to reward faculty or address market and equity issues.

At its February meeting, the senate had decided that the pay hikes should be based on the percentage increase received by departments.

Grace Kunz, textiles and clothing, noted that departmental percentage increases often are not as large as the general increase because the provost and deans each take some funds off the top to address certain salary issues. In addition, deans may give some departments more salary dollars than others.

Those favoring the departmental base noted that figuring the 1 percent on the general fund likely would result in larger raises for more faculty, leaving DEOs with less money to reward faculty "superstars." They also worried that, in some cases, a DEO might not receive enough money to cover the 1 percent increase based on the university fund.

The senate will meet Tuesday, April 11, in 260 Scheman. That meeting will begin at 7:45 p.m. to allow time before the meeting for caucus chairs and college representatives to be elected and to determine committee representatives.

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