Inside Iowa State

January 14, 2005

Senate endorses proposed strategic plan

by Linda Charles

Without comment, the Faculty Senate Jan. 11 unanimously endorsed the university's proposed strategic plan for 2005-2010.

President Gregory Geoffroy will submit the plan in February to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. If approved, it will go into effect in July.

The proposed plan is available online at http://www.iastate.edu/~newplan/proposed/111704.shtml.

In other business, several senators took issue with a motion to allow some departments to use the title "adjunct instructor" for post-M.S. students who have business, industry or government experience and are teaching while pursuing their Ph.D.s.

Currently, the title is allowed in the College of Veterinary Medicine only and is used for licensed practitioners who enroll to work on their Ph.D.s and teach. The motion to extend the use of the title came from the senate's Faculty Development and Administrative Relations Council following a request from construction engineering department officials.

Proponents of the title said it would help recruit top-notch Ph.D. students who could share their experiences in classrooms. They also said it would ensure that the students are paid well and receive benefits.

Opponents asked why the title of "lecturer," set forth in the policy for non-tenure-eligible faculty, was not sufficient. But others said doctoral students are not allowed to be lecturers in their departments, although they can be hired as lecturers in other departments.

A few senators pointed out that one of the goals of the non-tenure-eligible faculty policy is to prevent the proliferation of titles.

Other senators said allowing the new title would create two classes of doctoral students.

The senate voted to send the motion back to the council for further consideration.

The senate also elected Gregory Palermo, architecture, as president-elect. He will serve in that position for a year and assume the presidency in May 2006. Current president-elect Claudia Baldwin, veterinary clinical sciences, will begin her term as senate president this May.

The next senate meeting begins at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The meetings are open to the public.

Both the Faculty Senate and the Professional and Scientific Council have endorsed the proposed university strategic plan for 2005-2010. The plan will be sent to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, for final approval in February.

See P&S Council story.