The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Faculty Senate discusses workload, budget

Members of the UI Faculty Senate still have doubts about the university’s future after a presentation from UI Provost Wallace Loh during the group’s first meeting Tuesday.

Loh outlined future plans for the university, including “Iowa Promise II,” an addition to the university’s “Iowa Promise,” established in 2005. But the threat of additional work and increased budget limitations left many Senate members with more questions.

Iowa Promise II focuses mainly on achieving excellence in strategic areas of research and graduate education.

The first step is an increase in retention and enrollment, Loh said, noting the UI’s retention rate is the lowest in the Big Ten. The university has taken steps to increase the current 83 percent retention rate with learning-living communities, freshman seminars, courses in common, and improved advising, he said.

“This is not rocket science,” Loh said. “Students are leaving because they don’t feel connected to the university faculty, students, or the community.”

Loh said his goal is to require all freshmen to take freshman seminars. However, Faculty Senate members questioned whether the additional seminars would add to the already heavy teaching load faculty have taken on.

It would take 200 seminars to accommodate all freshmen, Loh said. This would require faculty to teach one freshman seminar every five years.

Increased retention would help the UI economically, as well. With every 1 percent increase in retention rate, the UI gains $2 million.

In addition, the strategic plan also includes six task forces dedicated to identifying areas of focus for the university. Once the areas have been chosen, 100 new tenure faculty positions will be established to focus on improving one specific area. But Faculty Senate members asked how the university could afford to support 100 new positions with the recent budget cuts.

“People forget we have had a very significant increase in tuition, which has provided cushioning for the cuts,” Loh said.

Aside from focused excellence, the strategic vision also aims to preserve faculty salaries. In order to achieve this goal, any incremental increase in the UI General Education Fund will primarily go to salaries.

“We are not talking fundamental change but more marginal change,” Loh said. “But it’s precisely at the margin that success is achieved.”

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