The faculty senate heard four new proposals at their December meeting. 

At Tuesday’s Faculty Senate meeting in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union, the senate was introduced to two new degrees, a change in academic renewal and an update to the prerequisites language in the course catalog. 

Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert gave the council an annual update on NTE, or non tenure eligible, structure at Iowa State.  

“The level of NTE instruction should be less than 15 percent across campus and no higher than 25 percent of any particular department,” Wickert said.

The total percentage of NTE faculty teaching university wide is 34.8 percent. 21 of Iowa State’s 56 departments has a total of 25 percent NTE faculty and 18 departments have a total of below 20 percent.

Wickert reminded the senate that NTE faculty support Iowa State’s mission to provide a high quality education.

He then moved on to say it has not been determined what Iowa State’s tuition proposal will look like. In preparation, over 30 meetings have occurred with students on the topic of differential tuition. 

Public meetings will begin in February to discuss changes in tuition.

Tim Bigelow, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, presented the second reading for the textile design minor. The senate voted to adopt the minor.

Bigelow then moved on to the second reading for the bachelor’s of science in actuarial science and the bachelors of science in data science; both proposals were passed by the senate.

Bigelow then presented for the first time a masters in real estate development. He said this degree is well supported.

A new doctorate in population science in animal health was also proposed by Bigelow.

He then presented a suggested change to academic renewal.

Academic renewal gives students the opportunity to start over at Iowa State after they spend at least five years away from the university. The courses a student has taken and grades they have received are disregarded.

The current requirements say students need to remain in good standing, meaning they must maintain a 2.0 grade point average, after 1 year. This proposal wants to make this so students must be in good standing after 1 semester.

The last proposal made by Bigelow is an update to the prerequisites language in the course catalogue. This proposal exists to formalize the way it is written and develop a better administrative drop system.