The Faculty Senate generated feedback on the 2005-2010 strategic plan at its first meeting of the year Tuesday, challenging whether Iowa State is truly a comprehensive university or one focused solely on science and technology studies.

“There are problems buried in the small print, but they are huge strategically,” said Gregory Palermo, professor of architecture.

Palermo said that Iowa State’s specialized teachings are a strength for the university, and they are also an aspect that can enhance the state of Iowa. He said the text of the strategic plan recasts the university as strictly a science and technology university.

“I don’t see the voice representing the arts, culture,” Palermo said.

Carolyn Heising, professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, said the first draft gives the wrong impression to freshmen coming into Iowa State who don’t know what they want to study. It tells them that the university is only for students who study science and technology.

Jack Girton, former president of the Faculty Senate and associate professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, said in writing the first draft the committee may have assumed everyone already knew Iowa State was a comprehensive university, so they didn’t feel the need to reassert it.

He said being a land-grant university has the essence that anyone who attends can pursue anything they want.

Kevin Schilling, associate professor of music, spoke out about the concern that this issue could be a fundamental one rather than simply with text of the strategic plan.

The strategic plan also includes goals to strengthen undergraduate challenges and to provide a seamless transfer of students from community colleges.

Iowa State seems to be very generous in accepting undergraduate credits from community college transfer students and he hopes it will become a concern or focus for the strategic plan, Palermo said.

The strategic plan committees will take the feedback and create a second draft of the 2005-2010 plan to be released Oct. 11.