FPPC Meeting Minutes April 26, 2000

 

PRESENT: Wilson, Laquer, Campbell, Beard, Horiuchi, Montgomery, Sato, Jacobson, Hatzenbuehler, Sieber, Lawson            EXCUSED:  Nunn

I.   Minutes of April 5 were approved 8-0-0 (y/n/a). (Hatzenbuehler, Sieber and Lawson arrived after the minutes were approved)

II.  Reports

       A. Wilson reported that the agenda for the final FPPC meeting this year (May 3, 2000) would include selection of a Chair and of a meeting time and day for next year.

       B. Wilson reported on the new FPPC members selected to start next fall as elected by Faculty Senate.

III. Business

         A. Members of the AAHE Mini-Grant Committee were introduced.

         B. The remainder of the meeting focused on discussions of the Post-tenure Review (PTR).

  1. The following are ideas/concerns raised during the discussion that FPPC can use for next year

1.     The Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NASC) requires that faculty be 'subject to a subtantive performance evaluation and review' on a 3-year rotation. This is more frequent than the State Board of Education (SBOE) requirement of a five-year frequency (as our current ISU policy states). Having a 3-yr cycle should satisfy both organizations.

2.     ISU will be re-evaluated by NASC in 2005, so ideally a PTR policy should be created within the next two years to have time for implementation and outcomes prior to the next evaluation.

3.     The current ISU policy does not require "substantive peer review", an apparent deficiency that will need to be addressed to satisfy NASC.

4.     There was extensive discussion regarding the current "substantive" annual reviews that most units require and the role of such reviews in the PTR process.

a.     Annual review policy and procedures for each unit on campus can be provided by the AAHE Mini-Grant Committee but the FPPC may wish to re-solicit (through the AAHE Mini-Grant Committee membership) for current policies.

b.     There has been no specific distinction between annual review for tenure-track faculty vs. tenured faculty. This may be an issue if annual reviews can be used toward fulfilling a PTR.

5.     There was discussion regarding the need to include (invoke) positive aspects or results from the PTR. Having a reward system, identifying the rewards, defining the reward system and where/whom to burden with providing the rewards.

6.     The need for identifying and describing 'remediation' was discussed. If the PTR purpose is to identify deficiencies, then a PTR should include suggestion for a course of action and provision of resources to accomplish remediation. It appears that NASC intends that PTR include provision of assistance to alleviate deficiencies.

7.     If current PTR policies include a 'ballot-peer review' the results of which 'trigger' a substantive review- does this fulfill (at least in part) the requirements? {Again, 'substantive' and 'peer' will need to be defined}.

8.     It was also discussed that the FPPC must create a policy (either new or modification of the current one) that is not restrictive to any unit or individual. Therefore, the policy may also need wording to guide each unit toward creating a more detailed policy specific to that unit's function (similar to the policies defining the tenure and promotion process).

9.     The PTR should address faculty development rather than progression (the promotion and tenure policies cover the aspects of progression), and so should be distinct and non-restrictive in this purpose.

Meeting Adjourned: 2:10 pm