In February, members of the Professional and Scientific Council will vote on proposed changes to their representation areas. Despite the organizational change, the number of council representatives will remain the same.
The representation committee introduced a pair of options at the council's Jan. 3 meeting, featuring four or six organizational areas. Currently, the council members represent the following six areas:
- Academic and research
- Business and finance
- Extension
- Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT) and U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory
- President's office
- Student affairs
Both proposed options more closely mirror the university's current administrative chart, but the four-area plan (that folds ISU Extension and Outreach and Ames Lab into academic affairs) came out the winner after lengthy discussion. It would group council representatives into the following organizational areas:
- Academic affairs
- Business and finance
- President's office
- Student affairs
An amendment passed to add a requirement for one designated representative from each of the 14 organizational areas that fall under the academic affairs umbrella. If there is not a candidate from one of the designated areas, the position would be filled with an at-large representative. Committee chair Dick Pfarrer said the Division of Academic Affairs currently has 1,900 P&S staff members, giving the area 26 of the council's 36 total representatives, including the 14 designated posts.
Other business
- Three candidates will be on the ballot for the president-elect office at next month's meeting, including David Meisinger (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), Dick Pfarrer (residence department) and Amy Tehan (Ames Lab).
- President Steven Leath will present the 2012 CYtation Awards at the council's Feb. 26 open forum (noon-1 p.m., MU Campanile Room).
