Long-serving nontenure-eligible (NTE) faculty now can be honored with emeritus status after Faculty Handbook changes unanimously were approved at the April 18 Faculty Senate meeting. The policy requires at least 10 years of service at Iowa State and uses the same criteria for the nomination and review of tenured faculty.
The policy change stemmed from a set of recommendations in a report compiled by a Faculty Senate task force charged with studying the status of NTE faculty.
Student-athletes in the classroom
Tim Day, professor of biomedical sciences and ISU's NCAA-mandated faculty athletics representative, gave his annual report on the academic performance of Cyclone student-athletes. As in past years, their overall grade point average closely mirrored the student body GPA. In the 2016 spring (3.04) and fall (2.99) semesters, the student-athlete GPA was slightly higher than the overall student body (2.99 and 2.97, respectively).
The six-year graduation rate for student-athletes (75 percent) also slightly outperformed the overall student body (71 percent) in 2016. When looking at underrepresented students, 77 percent of student-athletes and 58 percent of all students in that cohort graduated.
Each team's projected numbers in the NCAA academic performance rates (APR) also showed continued compliance. Teams must maintain a four-year minimum average APR -- which measures retention and academic eligibility -- to avoid penalties.
"This year, football will post its best number ever, which is really remarkable in light of the fact that there was a coaching change," Day said.
Other business
- Two undergraduate programs in data science were approved, including a certificate (PDF) and a minor (PDF). Departments across six colleges will collaborate on the programs, which will be administered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and available to students in any discipline.
- Changes for the Faculty Handbook were introduced, intended to clarify and correct procedures for administrative appeals (PDF). The changes will be voted on at the May 2 meeting.
- Senators also will vote May 2 on the discontinuation of a minor in sport and recreation (PDF) and a minor in athletic coaching (PDF), both currently offered by the kinesiology department. Department curriculum changes (a focus on health, rather than sport) and course availability were among the reasons cited for discontinuation of the minor programs.
