Iowa-2015-SF64-Introduced
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
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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
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