Although the University Calendar Committee recently approved a three-week break until the year 2003, the issue is being revisited by the Faculty Senate.

The Faculty Senate again pushed for a four-week winter break at its Tuesday meeting, asking for a review of the composition of the University Calendar Committee.

Tom Weber, member of the Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Calendar Committee, displayed the results from the ISU Web page poll and said about one-third of the students voting were in favor of four weeks. The committee was taking polls to determine student and faculty opinions on the subject through the ISU home page.

“The students are not a monolithic block all favoring three weeks,” he said.

Although the University Calendar Committee voted in favor of three weeks, Weber said he questioned the composition of the committee. The Athletic Department and lectures/public department representatives, whom he said should be able to coordinate their events around the calendar, both voted for three weeks.

“It’s sort of like the tail wagging the dog,” he said.

Gregory Palermo, architecture, also said he wondered about the representatives selected for the committee.

“Apparently virtually anybody can be on the committee, and I’m troubled by that,” he said.

Jim Hutter, political science, also proposed a resolution for the senate to support a four-week break, which would be sent to Provost Rollin Richmond, who currently has the Calendar Committee report.

Hutter said he thought the original change to three weeks came as a surprise because the Faculty Senate was not informed by the University Calendar Committee.

“We were all surprised, and I think shocked, to discover the three-week break,” he said.

The senate passed the proposal for a review of the University Calendar Committee’s decision, which stated, “We move that the senate appoint a committee to review the role and the composition of the University Calendar Committee and to make recommendations on possible changes to its structure and its jurisdiction.”

Senators passed the resolution supporting a four-week break 51-10.

The senate also reconsidered the salary policy recommendation voted on at the last meeting, with Jeff Iles, horticulture, asking to have “departmental” salary increase returned to “general” salary increase.

Some senate members questioned if using “general” would give the “above-average” professors the increase they deserve.

“We’re going to be awarding the average person while penalizing the above-average person,” said Nelle Hutter, foreign language.

However, Grace Kunz, textiles and clothing, said above-average professors still would be rewarded.

“The risk of having no money to reward good performers is highly unlikely,” she said.