A proposal to give paid leave to non-tenured faculty members for job training is up for discussion at Tuesday’s Faculty Senate meeting.

The proposal, the Faculty Professional Development Assignment, has been greeted with a cool reception from some ISU faculty.

The proposal deals with paid leave for professional development, said Sanjeev Agarwal, Faculty Senate president.

He said the argument is about whether a faculty member who has not been tenured should receive paid leave for professional development. Agarwal said he disagrees with giving paid leave to non-tenured faculty.

“I just feel that the need for professional development is greatest after a few years,” he said.

When a faculty member joins the university, he or she comes with up-to-date training and skills to do his or her job; after being at a job for several years, there is a greater justification for retooling that person’s skills, Agarwal said.

Faculty Senate President-Elect Claudia Baldwin said she also thinks paid leave for professional development is something tenured faculty deserve.

“Once someone has been tenured, they should be awarded with a leave so they can build their program,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin said she is not opposed to non-tenured faculty getting paid leave for research under certain circumstances.

Campus technology is also scheduled for discussion at the meeting. James Davis, chief information officer, plans to discuss three major issues of technology — teaching, research and administration, Agarwal said.

Davis is expected to give recommendations for changes that should take place on campus and how the university can make information technology more efficient and effective, Agarwal said.

Other issues being presented are changing the grade requirements for a biology minor and restructuring the graduate degree in nutrition.

The Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.