Faculty Senate faced three special orders during its meeting Tuesday, going over an Open Access Resolution, seeing the work of the non-tenure eligible (NTE) task force and electing council chairs.

The Open Access Resolution was presented to the senate by Faculty Senate President Jonathan Sturm with the intention to promote Iowa State open access research journal archives.

The Open Access Resolution was controversial among Faculty Senate members, with many questions being directed toward Sturm. 

“This resolution in no way requires faculty to publish in open access journals,” Sturm said. “Faculty Senate strongly encourages ISU scholars, not requires.”

Daniel Krier, associate professor of sociology, defended Sturm while debate ensued over the language of the resolution.

“It was completely painless on both of my articles being archived, and there were over 600 downloads by people around the world,” Krier said.

After further debate, Sturm pressed on.

“What I think we’re trying to do here, folks, is to say the future is coming at us,” Sturm said. “It already has arrived in many ways while we use the internet in ways we didn’t 20 years ago.”

There was tension in the vote, as it was the first vote that could not be completed verbally this school year. Instead, former Faculty Senate President Rob Wallace had to do a hand count, which came out in favor of the resolution 32-15.

The NTE task force set out to “evaluate the current status, definitions, descriptions and policies surrounding the role of NTE Faculty at ISU and to propose improvements to the current appointment classes, responsibilities and procedures for evaluation, review, renewal and advancement.” 

The NTE task force also presented its findings, which were published last month. The NTE task force was spearheaded by Wallace and Associate Provost Dawn Bratsch-Prince. The task force has made numerous proposals, which can be viewed in its report, but Wallace and Bratsch-Prince want more feedback.

Wallace provided his email, [email protected], for direct feedback to the information in the report.

Provost Jonathan Wickert, whose office helped with the task force, was satisfied with the results that the task force has come up with so far.

“It’s been a great project collaboration between Faculty Senate and my office,” Wickert said. “We’re trying to find more ways tor recognize and advance our faculty.”

The council chair positions that were up for a vote were Faculty Development and Administrative Relations Council, Judiciary and Appeals Council and Resource Policies and Allocations Council.

All of the council chairs who were up for election were unanimously voted on. Claire Anderson won the Faculty Development and Administrative Relations Council chair, Carol Faber won Judiciary and Appeals Council chair and Jamie Brown won Resource Policies and Allocations Council chair.