ISU President Gregory Geoffroy has referred football coach Gene Chizik’s proposal to hire a full-time chaplain for the ISU football team to the ISU Athletics Council.

Geoffroy said he referred the chaplain proposal to the council because that’s what it is there for.

“It’s the group that Athletic Director [Jamie] Pollard and I agreed would be the best to look into the issues that have been raised and generate a set of recommendations,” he said.

Geoffroy said the main issue about having a team chaplain depends on what the chaplain will do, such as what responsibilities would be appropriate and inappropriate.

“None of those things have been designed or specified, and they need to be,” he said.

Geoffroy said he expects a report from the council by Aug. 1.

Chizik was out of town Wednesday, and could not be reached for comment.

Pollard could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Steve Malchow, senior associate director of athletics, said at this point, there was nothing further to comment on.

Claudia Baldwin, member of the ISU Athletics Council and associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences, said the council is trying to set up meetings after being asked to review the petition signed by 126 ISU faculty and staff opposing the hiring of a full-time chaplain.

“What we will do is look carefully at the petition,” she said.

The council will also look at any other things pertaining to the issue, Baldwin said.

“I think we do serve a very important function,” she said.

William David, co-author of the petition and university professor of music, said he and others involved with the petition are “mildly pleased” with Geoffroy’s decision, because Pollard had originally indicated it was a “done deal.”

However, they will continue to collect signatures.

“We are going to continue to monitor the situation,” David said.

He also said “litigation is not out of the question,” if the decision to have a chaplain were to be approved. Even if most of the football team were to want a chaplain, he doesn’t think that should be allowed.

“I don’t think this is a situation where majority rules,” he said.

Chizik reportedly told a crowd April 29 at the central and western Iowa Fellowship of Christian Athletes annual banquet that he wants to hire a privately funded full-time chaplain for the football team.

Hector Avalos, professor of religious studies, Warren Blumenfeld, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, Ellen Fairchild, lecturer of curriculum and instruction and David started the petition, which voices opposition to the chaplaincy position, because the chaplaincy would violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment.