The University of Iowa
FACULTY COUNCIL
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Penn State Room, #337 Iowa Memorial Union
Members Present: Judith Aikin, Michael Cohen, Paul Heidger, Ronald Herman, Sheldon Kurtz, Philip Lutgendorf, Teresa Mangum, Frank Mitros, James Nepola, Catherine Ringen, Linda Snetselaar, Karin Southard, Shelton Stromquist, Steve Thunder-McGuire, Paul Weller, Jerold Woodhead
Members Excused: Edwin Dove, Sue Moorhead
Faculty Senate Officers in Attendance: Katherine Tachau, President; Claibourne Dungy, Secretary; Margaret Raymond, Past President
Officers Excused: Richard LeBlond, Vice President
Guests: Bruce Wheaton (UI Research Foundation), Charlie Drum (University Relations), Linda Noble (Parking and Transportation), Kathryn Wynes (Office of the Provost), Jim Andrews (AAUP), Jessica Swanner (UISG), Grainne Martin (Office of General Counsel), Ray Haas (Parking and Transportation), Marion Johnson (EFC), Tom Rocklin (Office of the Provost), J.K. Perry (Daily Iowan), Dave Ricketts (Parking and Transportation), Lee Anna Clark (Office of the Provost), Julie Thatcher (Faculty Senate Office)
I. Call to Order
Faculty Senate President Katherine Tachau called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m.
II. Approvals
A. Meeting Agenda
Professor Herman moved, second by Professor Ringen, to approve the meeting agenda. Motion passed by voice vote.
B. Faculty Council minutes of October 5, 2004
Professor Cohen moved, second by Professor Thunder-McGuire, to approve as updated with corrections from the Council. Motion approved by voice vote.
C. Recommended Committee Replacements
Professor Heidger moved, second by Dr. Woodhead, approval of Committee replacements. Motion passed by voice vote.
III. Report: Faculty Senate President, Katherine Tachau
Professor Tachau informed the Council that during President Skorton’s recent keynote address to the University of Iowa, he reported a reduction in the number of faculty and staff contributing to the United Appeal. Professor Tachau encouraged Council members who had not pledged to consider doing so and to encourage others to do so. In response, Professor Raymond indicated that one reason for the declining contributions to United Appeal may be that individuals are giving to other entities, such as Iowa Shares.
A. Proposed Policy on Intellectual Property
Prior to the presentation of the intellectual property policy, Professor Tachau provided the Council with a brief history of the ad hoc intellectual property policy drafting committee that was constituted by the Office of University Counsel and the then Vice President for Research, David Skorton. She also discussed the content areas covered by the policy as copyrights and patents. She stated that the proposed policy does not deal with the area of trademarks. Professor Tachau then introduced Grainne Martin and Bruce Wheaton. Mr. Wheaton explained that the current University of Iowa patent policy dates from 1975 and the de facto copyright policy was approved in 1982. Since that time there have been changes in federal laws and significant increase in digital material. The committee reviewed approximately 30 other documents from other universities, information from the AAUP and other organizations, and reviewed the University of Iowa policies. Mr. Wheaton stated some of the differences in the current policy from the previous policy are that the revenue to individual faculty has increased, there is increased input from faculty and staff, the traditional principle of individual ownership is retained, and a portion of the proceeds from royalties will be available to the Colleges and the University. He stated inventors may perceive some differences in the new document, while authors may not perceive differences. Professor Kurtz asked if the Carver College of Medicine faculty representatives had seen the document. Mr. Wheaton responded the Medical Council has seen the document and their comments have been honored. Professor Ringen expressed concern about the amount of money available to the Research Enrichment Fund, which provides many internal grants for faculty in the arts and humanities. She expressed concern that, because of the decreasing amount of state funds going to the enrichment fund, more dollars will need to be channeled in that direction.
In response to a question by Professor Raymond, Mr. Wheaton indicated that, for faculty whose work are patented under the new policy, more individuals will receive money at a lower level and that all royalties up to $100,000 will go to the inventor. Over 70% of all patents that earn money make less than $100,000. Returning to the issue raised by Professor Ringen, several Council members were concerned about maintaining the integrity of Arts and Humanities Initiative (AHI) and similar funds, which are both a tremendous recruiting tool and an important source of funding for faculty members who do not have access to larger funding streams.
Professor Kurtz moved, with a second by Professor Cohen for the intellectual property policy to be forwarded to the Faculty Senate with the recommendation that it be adopted. Motion was passed by voice vote.
B. Proposed Increase in Parking Rates
Dave Ricketts, Director of Parking and Transportation, and Ray Haas, chair of the Parking and Transportation Charter Committee, came to solicit the Council’s input into the committee’s consideration of proposed parking rate increases. The Council was informed that the amount of money needed to be raised to support the parking program is still to be determined. Of particular concern is the shrinking reserve fund. This will need to be addressed to prevent reserves from being depleted. Several factors have influenced the growth in parking demand. There has been a growth in demand for parking by faculty and staff while students have had a limited increase in demand. Visitor parking is locale-dependent. There is a projected need for 400-500 space growth over existing spaces. New space for surface lots is approximately $3,000 per space while a ramp costs approximately $15,000-$17,000 per space. Currently, about 2,000 of the 17,000 university employees participate in the parking program. There has been no net growth in surface lots in the last 20 years. It was mentioned the current lot costs approximately $65 per month versus the $57 per month paid. Potential sources of new revenue include physician parking ramp revenue, such as increasing the permit to $175 per month. Preferential rates of public versus faculty/staff and students were also mentioned. There were several comments by members of the Council related to football and event parking, in particular the use of the main library parking lot as a tailgating site, thus limiting or eliminating parking for those wishing to access the library or adjacent faculty offices. The Council having provided its wisdom, it took up the next item on the agenda.
C. Instructional Technology Fee Parity
Student Jessica Swaner requested Faculty Council support of a UISG resolution to support instructional technology fee parity across Colleges. Professor Nepola moved, Professor Thunder-McGuire second, that the Council forward the proposal to the Senate. Motion passed by acclamation.
IV. From the Floor
Associate Provost Clark discussed changes to the promotion and tenure policy recommended by Provost Hogan. The proposed changes include paragraph three [6] of the General Principles section be changed to read “Each faculty member participating in the promotion decision-making process may do so at only one level of the process: departmental, collegiate, or provostial.” Motion by Professor Herman and second by Professor Nepola to approve the change. Passed by voice vote.
V. Announcements – as listed
VI. Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 5:18pm
Respectfully submitted,
______________________________________
Claibourne I. Dungy, MD, MPH
Secretary, Faculty Council