Iowa State faculty could be facing sweeping changes in criteria for promotion and tenure, including defining the responsibilities of faculty members in order to help decide tenure.

Members of the Faculty Senate’s Committee to Review ISU Promotion and Tenure Criteria and Procedures presented its first draft of changes to promotion and tenure at Tuesday night’s Faculty Senate meeting.

The draft proposes replacing ISU’s 13-year-old promotion and tenure policy with a policy that would be based more on a periodic peer review process.

Olivia Madison, an associate professor with the library, is the chairwoman of the committee. She said some departments used periodic peer reviews for tenured faculty, but this policy would bring the policy to all tenured faculty.

The new plan, she said, would also define the responsibilities of faculty members more specifically.

“At this point we are receiving comments regarding the final document,” she said. Faculty can view the document on the Faculty Senate Web site at www.public.iastate.edu/~facsen_info/homepage.html. Faculty can also pick up copies at the Faculty Senate office in Lab 103 of the mechanics building.

Madison said she is also planning on holding two faculty open forums during the next two weeks, although no times have been scheduled.

Barbara Mack, secretary of the Faculty Senate, said the plan to define faculty responsibilities is the strength of the proposal. Defining responsibilities, she said, will help with reviewing faculty.

“I think it’s a largely positive document. We have some departments where the promotion and tenure system has worked and others where the system has not worked smoothly,” she said.

The new plan, Madison said, will broaden the definition of scholarship to include some areas outside of teaching responsibilities, such as artistic activities, although it would still be ultimately judged by peers.

The definition of scholarship would also include people who are working on patents, but haven’t made the particulars of the research public, Mack said.

In addition, the new plan would disband the requirement of at least one area of excellence, Madison said.

“I think the document includes some needed changes. Its strength particularly is its holistic view of a faculty member’s role,” Madison said.

She said a final draft should go to a vote before the Faculty Senate at November’s meeting. She estimated the plan to go before the state Board of Regents in December or January.