Senate File 64 - Introduced SENATE FILE 64 BY CHELGREN A BILL FOR An Act relating to the teaching effectiveness and employment of 1 professors employed by institutions of higher learning under 2 the control of the state board of regents. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1523XS (6) 86 kh/sc

S.F. 64 Section 1. Section 262.9, subsection 25, Code 2015, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 25. a. Require that any professor employed by an 3 institution of higher learning under the control of the board 4 teach at least one course offered for academic credit per 5 semester. 6 b. (1) Collaborate with the institutions of higher learning 7 under the board’s control to develop and adopt the criteria 8 and a rating system the institutions shall use to establish 9 specific performance goals for professors and to evaluate the 10 performance of each professor employed by each institution 11 based on the evaluations completed by students pursuant to 12 this paragraph. Each institution of higher learning under 13 the board’s control shall develop, and administer at the 14 end of each semester, an evaluation mechanism by which each 15 student enrolled in the institution shall assess the teaching 16 effectiveness of each professor who is providing instruction to 17 the student each semester. For a professor teaching multiple 18 classes in a semester, the institution shall compile an average 19 evaluation score. Scores are not cumulative. If a professor 20 fails to attain a minimum threshold of performance based on the 21 student evaluations used to assess the professor’s teaching 22 effectiveness, in accordance with the criteria and rating 23 system adopted by the board, the institution shall terminate 24 the professor’s employment regardless of tenure status or 25 contract. 26 (2) The names of the five professors who rank lowest on 27 their institution’s evaluation for the semester, but who scored 28 above the minimum threshold of performance, shall be published 29 on the institution’s internet site and the student body shall 30 be offered an opportunity to vote on the question of whether 31 any of the five professors will be retained as employees of the 32 institution. The employment of the professor receiving the 33 fewest votes approving retention shall be terminated by the 34 institution regardless of tenure status or contract. 35 -1- LSB 1523XS (6) 86 kh/sc 1/ 3

S.F. 64 c. Develop a policy requiring oral communication competence 1 of persons who provide instruction to students attending 2 institutions under the control of the board. The policy shall 3 include a student evaluation mechanism which requires student 4 evaluation of persons providing instruction on at least an 5 annual basis. However, the board shall establish criteria by 6 which an institution may discontinue annual evaluations of a 7 specific person providing instruction. The criteria shall 8 include receipt by the institution of two consecutive positive 9 annual evaluations from the majority of students evaluating the 10 person. 11 EXPLANATION 12 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 13 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 14 This bill directs the state board of regents to require that 15 any professor employed by an institution of higher learning 16 under the control of the board teach at least one course 17 offered for academic credit per semester. The board must 18 also collaborate with the institutions to develop and adopt 19 the criteria and rating system the institutions shall use to 20 establish specific performance goals for professors and to 21 evaluate the performance of each professor employed by each 22 institution based on the evaluations completed by students. 23 Each of the regents universities must develop, and 24 administer at the end of each semester, an evaluation mechanism 25 each student enrolled in the university must use to assess the 26 teaching effectiveness of each professor providing instruction 27 to the student each semester. For a professor teaching 28 multiple classes in a semester, the institution shall compile 29 an average evaluation score. Scores are not cumulative. 30 The names of the five professors who rank lowest on their 31 institution’s evaluation for the semester, but who scored above 32 the minimum threshold of performance, shall be published on 33 the institution’s internet site and the student body shall 34 be offered an opportunity to vote on the question of whether 35 -2- LSB 1523XS (6) 86 kh/sc 2/ 3

S.F. 64 any of the five professors will be retained as employees of 1 the institution. If a professor fails to attain a minimum 2 threshold of performance based on the evaluations or receives 3 the fewest votes approving retention, the institution shall 4 terminate the professor’s employment regardless of tenure 5 status or contract. 6 -3- LSB 1523XS (6) 86 kh/sc 3/ 3