The Iowa Board of Regents will meet Thursday to discuss the tenure denial appeal of Guillermo Gonzalez, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Iowa State, at its regional meeting on the ISU campus.

The meeting is at 8:30 a.m., with a one-hour closed session dedicated to discussing the appeal beginning at 8:35 a.m. The regents will emerge with either a decision on the case or a decision to postpone it.

“The board does not have to decide within the hour time slot given for the meeting, and discussion may take place over the following days,” said Iowa Board of Regents President David Miles.

Miles discussed the process of the Gonzalez appeal that will be discussed Thursday.

“No documents will be seen until the board representatives meet in a closed session Thursday morning,” he said.

Thomas Evans, Board of Regents general counsel, was responsible for gathering the documents. At the meeting, the board will review these documents to make the decision, he said.

Miles made clear that the Board of Regents would consider Gonzalez’s appeal according to proper legal jurisdiction.

Gonzalez brought forth his appeal for tenure to the Board of Regents in 2007. Last May, ISU President Gregory Geoffroy denied Gonzalez tenure at Iowa State.

Gonzalez and his supporters claim he was denied tenure because he is a proponent of intelligent design. Gonzalez has published a book, “The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery,” which asserts his belief in the possibility of intelligent design.

Geoffroy has said he denied the professor’s appeal based on his belief that Gonzalez was not showing the excellence necessary to have his tenure request accepted.

After the closed session concludes, the meeting will continue with 35 additional agenda items. Among those items, the board plans to discuss a new center for carbon-capturing crops. The annual report on student retention and graduation rates will also be discussed.