Bill Text: IA SF64 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the teaching effectiveness and employment of professors employed by institutions of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-27 - Subcommittee, Dvorsky, Hogg, and Zaun. S.J. 159. [SF64 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-SF64-Introduced.html
Senate File 64 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY CHELGREN A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the teaching effectiveness and employment of 2 professors employed by institutions of higher learning under 3 the control of the state board of regents. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 1523XS (6) 86 kh/sc PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 262.9, subsection 25, Code 2015, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 25.a. Require that any professor employed by an 1 4 institution of higher learning under the control of the board 1 5 teach at least one course offered for academic credit per 1 6 semester. 1 7 b. (1) Collaborate with the institutions of higher learning 1 8 under the board's control to develop and adopt the criteria 1 9 and a rating system the institutions shall use to establish 1 10 specific performance goals for professors and to evaluate the 1 11 performance of each professor employed by each institution 1 12 based on the evaluations completed by students pursuant to 1 13 this paragraph. Each institution of higher learning under 1 14 the board's control shall develop, and administer at the 1 15 end of each semester, an evaluation mechanism by which each 1 16 student enrolled in the institution shall assess the teaching 1 17 effectiveness of each professor who is providing instruction to 1 18 the student each semester. For a professor teaching multiple 1 19 classes in a semester, the institution shall compile an average 1 20 evaluation score. Scores are not cumulative. If a professor 1 21 fails to attain a minimum threshold of performance based on the 1 22 student evaluations used to assess the professor's teaching 1 23 effectiveness, in accordance with the criteria and rating 1 24 system adopted by the board, the institution shall terminate 1 25 the professor's employment regardless of tenure status or 1 26 contract. 1 27 (2) The names of the five professors who rank lowest on 1 28 their institution's evaluation for the semester, but who scored 1 29 above the minimum threshold of performance, shall be published 1 30 on the institution's internet site and the student body shall 1 31 be offered an opportunity to vote on the question of whether 1 32 any of the five professors will be retained as employees of the 1 33 institution. The employment of the professor receiving the 1 34 fewest votes approving retention shall be terminated by the 1 35 institution regardless of tenure status or contract. 2 1 c. Develop a policy requiring oral communication competence 2 2 of persons who provide instruction to students attending 2 3 institutions under the control of the board. The policy shall 2 4 include a student evaluation mechanism which requires student 2 5 evaluation of persons providing instruction on at least an 2 6 annual basis. However, the board shall establish criteria by 2 7 which an institution may discontinue annual evaluations of a 2 8 specific person providing instruction. The criteria shall 2 9 include receipt by the institution of two consecutive positive 2 10 annual evaluations from the majority of students evaluating the 2 11 person. 2 12 EXPLANATION 2 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 14 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 15 This bill directs the state board of regents to require that 2 16 any professor employed by an institution of higher learning 2 17 under the control of the board teach at least one course 2 18 offered for academic credit per semester. The board must 2 19 also collaborate with the institutions to develop and adopt 2 20 the criteria and rating system the institutions shall use to 2 21 establish specific performance goals for professors and to 2 22 evaluate the performance of each professor employed by each 2 23 institution based on the evaluations completed by students. 2 24 Each of the regents universities must develop, and 2 25 administer at the end of each semester, an evaluation mechanism 2 26 each student enrolled in the university must use to assess the 2 27 teaching effectiveness of each professor providing instruction 2 28 to the student each semester. For a professor teaching 2 29 multiple classes in a semester, the institution shall compile 2 30 an average evaluation score. Scores are not cumulative. 2 31 The names of the five professors who rank lowest on their 2 32 institution's evaluation for the semester, but who scored above 2 33 the minimum threshold of performance, shall be published on 2 34 the institution's internet site and the student body shall 2 35 be offered an opportunity to vote on the question of whether 3 1 any of the five professors will be retained as employees of 3 2 the institution. If a professor fails to attain a minimum 3 3 threshold of performance based on the evaluations or receives 3 4 the fewest votes approving retention, the institution shall 3 5 terminate the professor's employment regardless of tenure 3 6 status or contract. LSB 1523XS (6) 86 kh/sc
