April 7, 2011

Post-tenure review revisions clear the senate

by Erin Rosacker

The Faculty Senate was able to clear a long-standing item from its docket, finishing work on proposed revisions to the post-tenure review policy at its April 5 meeting.

Introduced in January, the policy changes (Faculty Handbook section 5.3.5) clarify the steps for post-tenure review. Guidelines were established for peer review timelines, outcomes (superior, meeting expectations or below expectations) and administrative roles in the process. Senators worked through another batch of proposed amendments Tuesday -- accepting four -- before giving the policy final approval.

Two items of old business were postponed until the April 19 senate meeting, including proposed changes to the faculty conduct policy (section 7.2). The revisions, which have been extensively debated since December, add procedures for handling cases in which faculty are not fulfilling their responsibilities (unacceptable performance of duty). Changes to the academic program approval process (section 10.8.1) also will be called up for a vote.

Other business

Three other docket items earned senate approval at the meeting, including:

  • A request to change the name of the women's studies program (to women's and gender studies)
  • A proposal to create a university outcomes assessment committee charged with reviewing undergraduate education
  • A draft of the new conflicts of interest and commitment policy available in the policy library

Senators will vote on three motions introduced by the academic affairs committee at the April 19 meeting, including:

  • A sustainability minor, administered by a cross-disciplinary committee with members from the colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Design, Engineering, and Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • A bachelor of design in the College of Design
  • A name change for kinesiology's sport and culture minor, to sport and recreation

On the ballot

Elections were held to fill some open council positions. The winners were:

  • Veronica Dark (psychology), athletics council representative
  • Dan Robinson (educational and leadership policy studies), athletics council representative
  • John Jackman (industrial and manufacturing systems engineering), resource policies and allocations council chair
  • Michael Martin (landscape architecture), judiciary and appeals council chair