The meeting was called to order by President David Frohnmayer at 3:07 p.m. in room 177 Lawrence. The minutes of the October 5, 1994 meeting of the Assembly were approved as distributed.
The President recognized Mr. Paul Simonds, President of the University Senate, to catch the Assembly up with actions of the Senate. Mr. Simonds informed the Assembly that the Senate has had to fill a number of vacancies on committees due to resignations, that Mr. Paul Simonds was elected by the Senate to the Interinstitutional Faculty Senate for a three year term, the Senate received a report from the Commission on Faculty Rewards and Development, and approved the Report from the Committee on the Curriculum.
Ms. Laura Alpert, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Governance, was recognized to give a short report from that Committee. Ms. Alpert stated that the Committee has had several meetings, held 3 forums to gather information on faculty governance, and is now digesting the information gathered. In addition each member of the Committee is drawing up a proposed governance document based on information from the forums and the survey taken by the Faculty Advisory Council during the past academic year. The Committee will discuss/debate each of the proposals and attempt to put together a single proposal by late March.
Because of the detail and work involved the Committee will not be able to make the March deadline as established by the Assembly in June 1994. Thus, the Committee requests that the deadline be extended to the May meeting of the Assembly. Without objection this request was granted.
President Frohnmayer informed the Assembly that he was, at this time, quite optimistic that the State Legislature would give public higher education a fair hearing during the present session. The President has visited with most of the members of the Legislature and has presented the University of Oregon's legislative agenda to each, along with the agenda for OSSHE in general. Ô
The high school population of Oregon is growing rapidly a fact that was brought to the attention of legislators repeatedly in previous years as the higher education budget was slashed and now it is predicted that the number of high school graduates in the year 2000 will be close to 37,500. This is a 35 % increase from the 1992 graduation numbers. During the last four years the years of Measure 5 the State investment in higher education has fallen by $100 million. The capacity to accommodate the projected enrollment growth is thus severely reduced.
The future of Oregon's economy will be based on college level skills and higher education will be expected to educate that work force. Yet, at present funding levels, this will be difficult.
The President concluded his analysis of the legislative reception by stating optimism but he noted that "...the situation is fluid."
In addressing the concerns of those impacted by Measure 8 the President outlined the bases of the four different legal challenges presently being pursued. Three of these challenge specific parts of the Measure and will most likely take a considerable amount of time to be litigated. A fourth one is based on constitutional issues that are basic and it is thought that this particular lawsuit will be on a fast track and will probably be heard by the State Supreme Court in the Spring. This lawsuit calls for a "summary dismissal" because of the constitutional both federal and state issues.
On a very personal note the President informed the Assembly that his oldest daughter Kirsten had been admitted to the University Hospital at the University of Minnesota for a bone marrow transplant. Ms. Frohnmayer has Fanconi Anemia and has now been diagnosed as having leukemia, a quite often related disease for those with Fanconi Anemia. Because of this the President will be in residence at the University of Minnesota for a period of time. The President and the Provost of that University have made available to President Frohnmayer office space and equipment that will allow him to be in full contact with the University. He stated that he will continue to be President 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The absence will not interfere with his duties as President because of the technology available to him in Minnesota and here in Eugene. In addition he will make return trips to Eugene and Oregon during his stay in Minnesota.
Mr. Paul Simonds, President of the University Senate, was recognized to make the motion for approval of the Report of the Committee on the Curriculum for 1995 1996. President Frohnmayer introduced Mr. Micheal Dyer, Chair of the Committee on the Curriculum.
Ms. Jean Stockard, Chair of the Academic Requirements Committee, introduced the following motion for that Committee:
Students admitted to the University before fall 1995 may satisfy the multicultural requirement with one course from any of the three multi cultural categories.
Ms. Stockard explained the point of the motion as clarifying the requirement for students that might not complete their degree for years to come. The Academic Requirements Committee anticipates, based on the experience of this Committee, that the returning student could be caught in a jumble of requirements and without specific legislation no easy solution would be possible. This motion accomplishes this and also aligns the past wording of "Race, Gender, non European American" for the previous requirement with the new title of "Multicultural Requirement" for the pre 1995 admitted student.
Without dissent this motion was made a part of the 1995 1996 Report of the Committee on the Curriculum.
With this the Assembly commenced to go through the Report page by page. (In mid February the University Committee ont he Curriculum will issue its final report for 1995 96. That report will contain assembly approved changes in the preliminary report and minor corrections delivered to the chair by February 8, 1995.) With the exception of the motion from the Academic Requirements Committee no other additions or deletions were proposed. The Report was approved without dissent.
The President specifically thanked each member of the Committee on the Curriculum for the dedicated work they gave to the University through their service on the Committee. It was time consuming, detailed, involved and necessary work, he noted, and concluded that the base of the University is its curriculum and it must be constantly adjusted and updated to keep up with the expectations of the students and society.
The business of the meeting having concluded the meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m. Keith Richard Secretar