A proposal to create a new faculty research track that would bring in new faculty members specifically to conduct research full-time was discussed by The Steering Committee at Tuesday’s meeting.
The researchers would be fixed-term faculty assigned to an academic unit and would serve as principal investigators or project directors on research projects, said Terry Curry, associate provost and associate vice president for academic human resources.
“The idea would be that there would be faculty members generating outside research … to advance the mission of their unit,” Curry said. “They will carry the titles; research assistant professor, research associate professor and research professor.”
Faculty already heavily engaged in research will be considered for the full-time research positions first, Curry said.
“The hope is that we grow this. And as research funding grows, there will be more people that come on board,” he said.
The topic was set to be discussed further at the February meeting by committee chairperson John Powell.
The committee briefly discussed proposed changes to the dual enrollment by undergraduates policy, which would allow students to dual enroll in graduate study once they reach junior standing.
Currently, students are eligible once they are within 15 credits of finishing their undergraduate program.
There currently is a maximum limit of two semesters that students can dual enroll. Under the proposed changes, the limit would be removed.
The committee motioned discussing on-campus parking during the next University Committee on Faculty Affairs meeting Jan. 17.
“Parking is one of those issues that has been a problem since the car was invented,” said Michael Kaplowitz, professor of environmental and natural resource law and policy. “Michigan State has struggled with it.”
Kaplowitz mentioned many faculty members have difficulty parking at the Main Library with declining parking spots for faculty permits.
Professor of music Deborah Moriarty said there are issues regarding a lack of parking at special events such as degree-required recitals and concerts.
“It’s an important issue, (and) I think it’s an academic issue,” Moriarty said. “It effects how productive faculty can be.”
There was no timetable set for the merger of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and Department of Plant Pathology into one new department.
The merger, which has been in the works for several months, will be reviewed by the University Council, where it will frame a proposal to be voted on by the MSU Board of Trustees, Powell said.
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