The University of Iowa
FACULTY SENATE
Tuesday, September 7, 2004
3:30 pm – 5:15 pm
Lucas-Dodge Room, 256 Iowa Memorial Union

Members Present: Judith Aikin, David Asprey, Susan Birrell, Linda Boyle, Gloria Bulechek, Micheline Chalhoub-Deville, Steve Collins, Edwin Dove, David Drake, Sonya Franklin, Jennifer Glass, Frederick Goodman, Thomas Grabowski, Carin Green, Ronald Herman, Michael Kelly, Sheldon Kurtz, Philip Lutgendorf, Usha Mallik, Teresa Magnum, Frank Mitros, Sue Moorhead, Andrew Nugent, Lisa Oakes, Christine Pawley, Todd Pettys, Bradley Phillips, Daniel Quinn, Richard Randell, Catherine Ringen, Victoria Sharp, Linda Snetselaar, Karin Southard, Janet Specht, Shelton Stromquist, Downing Thomas, Geb Thomas, Steve Thunder-McGuire, Tuong Ton-That, Steve Vincent, Carolyn Wanat, Marcia Ward, Paul Weller, John Westefeld

Members Absent: Garry Buettner, Jay Christensen-Szalanski, Corey Creekmur, Jane Desmond, Michael Flanigan, Richard Fumerton, Paul Heidger, Julie Hochstrasser, William Johnson, Mark Karwal, Donald MacFarlane, Mazen Maktabi, James Nepola, Thomas O’Dorisio, Stephen Rayhill, Gary Russell, William Sharp, Duane Whitaker

Members Excused: Michael Cohen, Thomas Loew, Jose Morcuende, Harry Paarsch, Craig Porter, Mary Hall Reno, Thomas Schmidt, Jerold Woodhead, Catherine Woodman

Faculty Senate Officers in Attendance: Katherine Tachau, President; Claibourne Dungy, Secretary; Margaret Raymond, Past President

Faculty Senate Officers Excused: Richard LeBlond, Vice President

Guests: Ann Rhodes (AP for Health Sciences), Gigi Wood (Press-Citizen), Richard Saunders (Benefits), Kathryn Wynes (Office of the Provost), Lee Anna Clark (Office of the Provost), Kristina Yows (Office of the Provost), Tom Rocklin (Office of the Provost), Nancy Williams (Office of the Provost), Michael Hogan (Provost), Lola Lopes (Office of the Provost), Pat Cain (Office of the Provost), Marcella David (Office of the Provost), Bill Reisinger (Office of the Provost), David Johnsen (Dentistry), Julie Thatcher (Faculty Senate Office)

I.  Call to Order

Faculty Senate President, Katherine Tachau, called the meeting to order.

II.  Approvals

   A.   Faculty Senate Minutes, April 27, 2004: The minutes were approved by voice vote.

   B.   Recommended Replacements

Recommended replacements Julie Hochstrasser (Art and Art History) to replace Michael Kelleher (Pediatrics) on the Parking and Transportation Committee, 2004-2005 and Ed Wasserman (Psychology) to replace Paul Perry (Pharmacy) on the President’s Committee on Athletics, 2004-2009 were approved by voice vote.

III.  Reports

   A.    Provost’s annual address to Faculty Senate, Michael J. Hogan

Provost Hogan thanked the Senate for this opportunity to provide his personal view and to introduce himself to the Faculty Senate.  He stated his goal was to leave the Senate with three things:

  1. A sense of who I am,
  2. Knowledge of what kind of Provost I intend to be, and
  3. An understanding of where I think this University should go and, if we work together, what it will take to get there.

He stated that he was guided by his personal values and his fundamental belief of the critical role of the public university in research and teaching.  He stated that public universities serve as an engine for the entire world.  They have created a democratic revolution in the American society.  They have provided a commitment to access that the democratic ideal can go hand-in-hand with a commitment to excellence and academic performance.  Provost Hogan is strongly committed to excellence in undergraduate education and the undergraduate experience.  During his academic career, he has revived major and minor programs in his discipline, built honors and scholarships programs and created a teaching center for excellence.  He stated Iowa must re-dedicate itself to the undergraduate experience and must be accountable to undergraduate programs.  Diversity must be embedded into all we do to prepare students for society.  The University of Iowa must uphold the responsibility to excellence and scholarship and creative production in graduate and professional education.  Provost Hogan has graduated nearly 30 Ph.D’s.  He has a personal commitment to excellence in scholarship and creative work.  He stressed that the Provost office would adhere to the highest standards for appointment to tenure and promotion, not just for today but for the institution we aspire to be.  He underscored the need to build diversity into the recruitment and retention process.  Provost Hogan stated that he fully honors the University’s commitment to shared governance.  He will be responsive to concerns he heard during the recruitment process of strengthening the role of the Provost.

Provost Hogan concluded his presentation by addressing five initiatives to be undertaken by the office of the Provost during this academic year:

  1. To prepare appropriation requests to move faculty salaries to the upper third of our peer group.
  2. Appointment of a committee to update the university strategic plan
  3. Appointment of a task force on the undergraduate experience
  4. Appointment of a diversity task force to develop an action plan for faculty, staff and students.
  5. To begin discussion on human resources, which have been depleted by recent budget cut backs and decreased in-state support.

A brief discussion followed, in which Provost Hogan responded to a query about the role of the Provost in relationship to the health sciences.  Provost Hogan stated the Provost is provost of all academic programs.  All colleges have unique issues which need to be addressed and the role of the Provost is to make sure academic standards are adhered to by all academic units.

   B.    Faculty Senate President, Katherine Tachau

Faculty Senate President, Katherine Tachau informed the Senate that efforts are in process to establish an ad hoc committee to develop principles and procedures regarding whether to establish a faculty research and salary decrement or bonus policies.  Professor Tachau reported that discussion with the deans following this spring’s Faculty Council retreat indicated a desire on the part of the deans to have horizontal meetings with faculty.  The Deans would like to improve the lines of communication with faculty and expressed a desire to meet more regularly with the Faculty Senate and its constituent committees.  Professor Tachau next discussed the issue of suggested changes to the operations manual.  She stated that when such items are brought to the attention of the Faculty Senate Officers, either during discussions at Senate meetings or in other forums, these issues would be referred to the appropriate standing committee to be reviewed.  After review, the items would be returned to the Senate for recommendation concerning adoption, re-wording or revising the operations manual.  This will free Senate meeting time for discussion of other matters and allow the committees to direct their expertise to these issues.  Professor Tachau requested participation from the Senate membership to recommend issues for discussion at Faculty Senate meetings.  She would like the agenda to include items generated by the membership as well as items generated from the Faculty Senate Officers.  Professor Tachau also discussed the establishment of an Awards Committee to review University-wide awards.  The wording of the charge is in process.  A review of charter and standing committees is in process.  President Tachau and the presidents of Staff Council and Student Government will collaborate in reviewing the charter committees.  In closing, Professor Tachau informed the Senate that Myles Brand, President of the NCAA, will visit the University of Iowa campus October 13-14th.  She encouraged faculty participation in the scheduled events.

   C.   University Advocacy Task Force, Ed Dove

Professor Dove discussed outreach programs currently in place at the University of Iowa which includes non-advocacy initiatives, community relations in the Iowa City area and advocacy initiatives.  He stressed the importance of determining the cost to higher education of the decreasing state support.  He stressed the need to coordinate activates with colleagues at Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.

IV.  Unfinished Business: Revision of Promotion and Tenure Procedures. 

Associate Provost Lee Anna Clark reviewed the history associated with the revision of promotion and tenure procedures.  She informed the membership that the Faculty Senate approved the revision of promotion and procedures for the clinical track in April 2002.  Two committees were responsible for revising the tenure track guidelines.  A committee chaired by Professor Altmaier recommended revisions and one chaired by Associate Provost Clark revised the guidelines accordingly.  The Faculty Senate approved this revision in April 2004.  The two sets of documents (clinical track and tenure track) need to be reconciled with the Faculty Senate recommendation that the clinical track guidelines be more in-line with the tenure track guidelines.  Provost Clark stated that the clinical track and tenure track guidelines attached to the meeting materials were a compilation of changes recommended by the Faculty Council and her review of the documents for consistency.

Provost Clark indicated that on page 7 of the tenure track guidelines (IB (3)c iii) and page 8 of the clinical track guidelines (IB (c) iv) residents were not included among the list of graduate students, fellows or other postdoctoral students supervised because in many instances it could be large numbers of residents with whom the faculty have only transient contact.  However, other faculty indicated that they have more intense contact with a small number of residents and it would be appropriate for them to be included. 

MOTION: Professor Herman moved, second by Professor Kurtz, that residents with whom faculty had a significant time involvement be added to the list.  Motion passed by voice vote with no discussion.

MOTION: Professor Kurtz moved, a second by Professor Glass, that outcomes be deleted and changed to first postgraduate position.  Motion passed by voice vote.

Provost Clark indicated that the present documents are silent in regards to the role of the Associate Provost and deans in the promotion process.  Provost Hogan has requested that subsequent revisions include a section indicating the role of the Associate Provost and deans.  Although no vote was taken, there was consensus of the Senate to include such wording in the next revision.

Professor Collins questioned the wording on page 13 of the tenure track guidelines (H (5)) and page 15 of the clinical guidelines (H (6)) that states “The summary report of discussion will be transmitted to the DEO as part of the candidate’s promotion record and also provided to the candidate, redacted as needed by those who prepared the report to protect the confidentiality of any individual’s contribution.”  Provost Clark indicated this wording was part of the original 1997 tenure track guidelines.

MOTION: Professor Kurtz moved for approval of the remainder of the document, a second by Professor Dove passed on voice vote with no discussion. 

Professor Collins recommended that page 3 (viii c Vt – Other Materials related to the Candidate) as teaching as specified in Roman numeral I.B. (3) (c): no vote was taken. 

MOTION: Professor Collins moved, a second by Professor Malik that title of the documents be changed from “Guidelines for…” to “Procedures for…” tenure track/clinical track promotion decision making at the University of Iowa, with changes in document as needed, approved by voice vote.

Professor Aikin thanked Provost Clark for the inclusion of the flow charts.  Professor Herman noted errors on page 17 of the tenure track guidelines and page 19 of the clinical track.  These changes were approved by voice vote.

V.  New Business: GEF Task Force, Benefits, Recommendations.

Richard Saunders presented the GEF Task Force Benefit Recommendations since Ms. Buckley was unable to attend.  Three items were discussed:

  1. TIAA/CREF investment:  The Task Force recommends a three-year vesting period before UI funds accrue to the employee (currently there is no vesting period).
  2. Vacation banking:  Proposal is to limit the banking of vacation hours to 200 hours rather than the current 400 hours.  The proposal is to cap vacation accrual at one year instead of the current two years.  Currently at termination the average faculty member has 207 hours of accrued vacation.  This item most impacts 12-month faculty and non-organized P & T staff.
  3. Allocation of flex dollars:  The proposal is to revise flex credits for married couples and domestic partners when both are employed by the University of Iowa.  Currently, both individuals receive “married” flex credits:  The proposal recommends that only one would receive “married” flex credits and the other would receive “single” flex credits.  Flex credits of singles and employees with children would not be changed.  This would affect approximately 1,000 UI faculty or 500 couples, representing approximately $141 per month for each person equaling a loss of approximately $700 per year, which could be used for other benefits.  This recommendation only effects those employees where both members of the couple are faculty or P & S members.  This issue needs to be decided on within the next few weeks.

President Tachau asked Professor Kurtz, president of the FRIC committee if he would like to share with the Senate his committee’s perspective on the flex dollars.  Professor Kurtz noted that his committee was given information not available to the GEF committee when it made its recommendations and based on its review of the information provided, voted 7-2 to reject the changes in the flex credit.  The FRIC committee felt the $175 savings target was optimistic, that the savings from faculty and P & S staff could create a morale problem.  He also mentioned that not all the money was from the state and thus it would be difficult to implement the changes universally.  Professor Lutgendorf spoke to endorse the FRIC committee’s opposition to the GEF recommendations while Professor Goodman spoke in support of the GEF recommendation.  After a spirited discussion, a straw vote was taken, which indicated 9 in support of the GEF recommendation and 19 opposed to the GEF recommendation.  However, as Professor Thunder-McCloud and others indicated the voice vote did not reflect the complexity of the issue.

VI.  From the Floor:  None

VII.  Announcements

  1. University convocation, October 5th, 7:30pm, McBride Hall auditorium
  2. NCAA President, Myles Brand, October 12th, PM, Terrace Room, IMU
  3. Faculty Senate, October 19th, 3:30-5:15pm, Lucas Dodge Room, 256 IMU

VIII.  Meeting was adjourned at 5:26pm

Respectfully submitted,

______________________________________
Claibourne I. Dungy, MD, MPH
Secretary, Faculty Senate