Lecturers, a growing position at the University of Iowa dedicated to teaching, will now have a spot in the Council on Teaching.

The UI Council on Teaching advises the Provosts’ Office, gives out teaching awards, decides teaching innovation grants, and provides a forum for other discussion on issues related to teaching at the UI.

In addition to those duties, the council oversees teaching evaluation, nontraditional education programs, registration, convocation and commencement, and the university calendar.

Currently, the council has 15 seated members, including various types of teachers, but it doesn’t include one position, which has gained recent traction, said Shelly Campos, a member on the council.

“It’s important [to add a seat] because lecturer is a full time job as a teacher,” she said. “It’s important for them to have a vote.”

Campos said multi-year lecturer contracts are becoming much more common, but to add someone from the position to the council a change to the charter is needed, which requires the permission of the other UI governance organizations.

Currently the UI Faculty Senate, Faculty Council, Graduate and Professional Student Government, and the Staff Council have passed it, pending approval from the UI Student Government.

Campos said that while other faculty also teach, the focus is specifically on teaching for lecturers, so the need for a seat on the council on teaching is only natural.

She said the fact that lecturers may not have a voice in awards that the council gives out is a big enough reason to add the seat.

“Lecturer is a growing rank, according to some reports,” said Chuck Wieland, president of the Staff Council. “They need to have a voice.”

Campos said the group has been big enough to unofficially add a member to the council.

“We have one lecturer currently sitting on the council with us, but as a non-voting member,” she said.

Campos said adjunct faculty is another group without a seat on the council.

With the change, a committee of lecturers at the UI would appoint a person to the council, but if that changes, an appropriate governance body will appoint the member.

Overall, the Staff Council overwhelmingly approved the change because of the growing need for a lecturer voice.

“They’re a large constituency; their voice should be heard,” Staff Councilor Sue Buckley said.