Welcome to New Faculty

Dear new University of Oregon faculty: As University Senate President, I warmly welcome you to Eugene and to the University of Oregon. As faculty, you have the opportunity to participate in campus decisions through our campus governance system, which has a long and rich tradition. Three principles underlie our system of governance:
1) Shared governance at the University of Oregon includes all segments of the University community. A founding principle of the University of Oregon is that of shared governance. Shared governance has evolved to include all constituent groups within the University Community. The underlying assumption is that all voices within the Community are significant and have a right to share in campus wide decisions. That right requires each stake holder group to assume co-responsibility for managing the affairs of the University. As an essential stake holder, faculty obviously play a key role in the campus decision making process.
2) The University Senate is the primary deliberative body at the University of Oregon. The current framework of shared governance designates the University Senate as the sole governing body of the University in all matters of faculty governance. As such, it is the central venue at the University for public discourse and official deliberation on University issues. Since the Senate's reformulation in 1995, it has worked closely with the administration and has assumed a significant role in campus decisions.
3) Regular communication and consultation among all constituent groups is an essential hallmark of shared governance. A fundamental principle of shared governance is the agreement that decisions of Community wide importance be implemented only after wide consultation with and broad consensus by all segments of the Community. By necessity and for efficiency, this requires the formation of small groups of Community members to deliberate on a specific issue and make recommendations for action. These groups, often called committees, councils, or boards, communicate and consult regularly with both the University Senate and the administration to ensure the proper functioning of the University. A welcomed by-product is the enhancement of collegiality and respect across campus. A list of campus wide committees and their relationship to the University Senate and the Administration can be found on the University Senate web site at http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~uosenate/dirsen012/uncomstr01.html.

These three principles of campus governance and respectful communication among all members of the University Community form the foundation of our system of shared governance. Our governance system is the key to the current vitality and future health of our University. I strongly encourage you to participate in campus governance during your career here at the University of Oregon. Sincerely, Nathan Tublitz Professor of Biology University Senate President for 2001-2002