The Faculty Senate voted  Friday to alter subcommittee-reporting practices along with requiring university officials to justify a non-tenure promotion.

The senate voted to move the subcommittee reporting date to the second-to-last senate meeting of the semester instead of the last meeting.

Subcommittees are required to give an annual report on their committee affairs.

“If we want to follow-up with some kind of formal committee or all of Faculty Senate, we could do that before the end of the semester.” senate chair Nick LaRowe said.

There are eight subcommittees of the Faculty Senate. Those committees include Assessment, Curriculum, Economic Benefits, Faculty and Academic Affairs, Faculty Awards for Service, Teaching and Research, Faculty Grievance and Hearing, Promotions and Student Affairs.

“I know it would be much more productive if it wasn’t the last meeting. They present their reports and then we can accept them and then review them before our final meeting,” Associate Professor of Engineering Brandon Field said.

The senate also reviewed tenure and promotion decisions. They voted to require each college’s faculty search committee to give justification as to why a faculty member did not receive a promotion or tenure.

The department chair chooses a search committee for each department. In the case of hiring a department chair, the search committee is appointed by the dean.

“If its me who’s denied a promotion, I can presumably try to improve myself and try again in a year or two, but if I don’t know what my problem is, how am I going to improve?” Associate Professor of English Charles Conaway said.

There are four types of full-time professors, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and professor. To be promoted a faculty member must meet the criteria listed in the University Handbook. This criterion is broken down into three basic areas: teaching, scholarship and professional activity and service.

“They act as though you are trying to join a club,” Associate Professor of Communication Studies Wesley Durham said. “I don’t want to join a club, I want to know whether or not I’m getting a raise.”