Some select faculty members are receiving university recognition for their talents and hard work.

More than 60 members have been approved for promotion and tenure for the 2001-2002 academic year.

“Expertise is recognized in a field of discipline by accomplishments in teaching, research and service,” said Brenda Behling, administrative specialist in the provost’s office.

Faye Whitaker, associate provost, said all recommendations for faculty promotion and tenure begin in the academic department.

“There’s a peer review at the department level, and then a peer review at the college level,” Behling said. “A dossier, a packet of information used to evaluate the candidate at the department and college committees, is also used so the peers can make recommendations.”

The packet includes teaching and research recommendations made by researchers and experts outside the university, Whitaker said.

“The dossier has some qualitative measures, which not only measures what all is done, but also how well the job is done,” she said. “It involves assessment of [the] merit of one’s work.”

Then the college dean makes recommendations to the provost, who then has his staff read portfolios and provide advice on merits of case, Whitaker said. The provost then provides recommendations to the president, who makes the final decisions and recommendations to the state Board of Regents.

After an enormous amount of discussion and evaluation, the final decisions are made about promotion and tenure of faculty.

Gregory Courtney, assistant professor of entomology, was promoted to associate professor with tenure and said it was a relief to be done with the process.

“It’s a really nice balance of teaching and research here [at Iowa State],” he said. “A very good group of faculty [in the department] is supportive of research, teaching and extensive outreach.”

Nancy Evans, associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies, has been promoted to full professor status.

“It is something I am very pleased about,” she said. “It shows the validation of the work I’ve been doing throughout my whole career.”

Evans said she will continue working with master and doctoral students, and she will advise students engaged in scholarly endeavors in addition to her own research.

“I think we have a program well positioned nationally, and I see it only getting better,” she said.

A reception honoring the faculty approved for promotion and tenure will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Reiman Gardens.

“It’s wonderful to see all the great things faculty do,” Whitaker said. “It acknowledges the daily working achievements of professors.”