Inside Iowa State

Dec. 7, 2007

Policy revision could ease six-year limit

by Erin Rosacker

Although the attention of the Faculty Senate recently has been focused on a proposed policy to create non-tenure eligible research professor positions, another non-tenure-track faculty issue percolating at the council level could make the senate docket next week.

In the fall of 2002, a senate policy was implemented that designates four non-tenure-track faculty positions (lecturer, clinician, senior lecturer and senior clinician). The policy helped give non-tenure-track faculty more job security and opportunity for advancement. However, a six-year limit at the lecturer/clinician rank is one of the issues getting a second look as that deadline draws near.

Lecturers and clinicians were given renewable terms, but the policy set a maximum of six years in those positions for both full-time and part-time faculty. Without advancement to the senior level after six years, the individuals would have to leave their positions.

While some lecturers and clinicians already are at the senior level (56 of 311), a large number of six-year veterans now are facing mandated advancement reviews. That got the discussions about easing the time restriction going in earnest. Senate leaders scheduled a "listening" session with department chairs and another with lecturers and clinicians.

"We really hate to have a policy that may not be flexible enough, creating difficulties either for individuals or for the department," said associate provost Susan Carlson.

The job of tweaking the policy was sent to the senate's faculty development and administrative relations council. Chair Ann Marie VanDerZanden said the listening sessions helped clarify the issues.

"The listening sessions brought to light some of the concerns for the lecturers, clinicians and administrators who are dealing with the current situation," VanDerZanden said. "We used these concerns as our starting point when we began crafting new language for the policy."

Proposed revisions to the policy include:

• Elimination of the six-year time limit for lecturers and clinicians
• A minimum of six years service as a lecturer/clinician and 12 semesters of full-time employment for advancement to senior level
• Annual departmental reviews, and review by a faculty committee at least every three years

The council hammered out the new language in time to send it to the senate's executive council for its December meeting. The policy revisions could be introduced to the entire senate body Dec. 11.

"In my mind, if we could make these changes, it would really strengthen the policy," Carlson said. "It would make it more flexible, without eroding all of the good that came out of creating these positions."

"In my mind, if we could make these changes, it would really strengthen the policy. It would make it more flexible, without eroding all of the good that came out of creating these positions."

Susan Carlson, associate provost