Minutes of the University Senate Meeting October 14, 2009

 

 

Present:  T. Bars, J. Bonine, C. Bybee, S. Chakraborty, E, Chan, K. Dellabough, A. Emami, L. Forrest, H. Gangadharbatla, P. Gilkey, M. Henney, A. Hilts, J. Hurwit, M.A. Hyatt, M. Jaeger, K. Jensen, C. Jones, D. Kennett, H. Khalsa, R. Kyr, A. Laskaya, K. Lenn, H. Lin, C. McNelly, S. Midkiff, T. Minner, D. Olson, N. C. Phillips, M. Price, L. Reichardt, Z. Stark-Macmillan, L. Sugiyama, T. K. Thompson, T. Toadvine, N. Tublitz, L. Van Dreel, S. Verscheure, M. Williams

 

Excused: A. Berenstein, C. Ellis, S. Libeskind, L. Middlebrook, J. Piger, P. Southwell

 

Absent: C. Bengtson, N. Gower, S. Plummer, N. Proudfoot, P. Walker, P. Warner

 

 

CALL TO ORDER

 

University Senate President Peter Gilkey called the first regular meeting of the University Senate to order at 3:05 p.m. in room 220 of the HEDCO building.  President Gilkey welcomed everyone.

 

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

 

After several minor errors of a clerical nature were noted, the minutes from the last regular senate meeting of May 13, 2009 were approved as amended.  Minutes from the May 27, 2009 and May 28, 2008 senate organizational meetings were approved as well. 

 

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY

 

Remarks from University President Richard Lariviere.  President Lariviere thanked Senate President Gilkey for the opportunity to address the senate for the first time as the new university president, saying that it was both an honor and a privilege.  He has been working to familiarize himself with the university campus, university committees, and the university in the context of the entire state; in doing so, he said he continues to be humbled by the depth and quality of the UO’s faculty and programs.  The president noted that more budget and faculty hiring details will be provided later in the meeting, but everyone should be aware that we are in the midst of the worst economic environment of our working lifetime.  He explained that the state’s portion of our budget accounts for only 9½ % of our operating budget (and about 8% without the federal government’s stimulus money).  But because we have adapted to getting by on next-to-nothing from the state, we are in a better economic position than our peer comparator institutions who are accustomed to receiving much higher percentages of their budgets from their states and whose budgets are cut drastically.  As an example, President Lariviere reported that the University of California at Berkeley typically hires about 100 new professors each year – this year they hired 10.  On the other hand, we will be able to continue with our usual hiring pattern, which means that we have had an especially good year hiring new highly qualified faculty for this year.  Nevertheless, with so little state support, we will need to find new funding solutions and budget models to keep moving forward to fulfill our mission.

 

The president reported he has been meeting with deans, department heads, and faculty members his first few months on campus.  He spent much of the summer traveling around the state meeting with editorial boards, civic leaders, legislators, community college leaders, and other leaders, talking with them about the role of the university and about their situations within the state.  He commented that there is an enthusiasm for some kind of new educational model in higher education, but with no certainty as to what it is.  The president stated that the current climate provides and opportunity to find those solutions for higher education and achieve a new relationship with the State.  He affirmed that the UO is not willing to set out on a path of mediocrity, and that the university needs to find ways to avoid mediocrity. 

 

During a question and answer period, Senator Chris Jones, AAA, asked the president what conditions besides the economic conditions make him optimistic that he would be able to accomplish things that others who preceded him could not.  President Lariviere responded that it must be a collective effort that has to be supported by the faculty.  Second, ideas proposed will need to be supported by the social and political entities of the state – the business community, the labor unions, and so forth.  He continued that these factions will have to understand why what we propose is beneficial for them; if the university aligns all these factions in the proper way, this will be a very different moment for legislators in terms of their attitudes in solving this problem.  He added that he thinks this is the right moment.  Next, Senator John Bonine, law, asked the president to comment about his view of faculty governance and the role and relationship of governance with the administration.  The president answered that he believes in the collective harnessing of ideas toward solutions, and did not profess to have all the ideas, answers, or solutions.  He said that he had some ideas about how to attract the ideas and solutions, and added that he much prefers, and finds it challenging, to get the issue in front of people and see what they have to say about the matter.  He added that his sense is that this is the appropriate time to reevaluate the structure of governance and its support.

 

Remarks from ASUO President Emma Kallaway.  Ms. Kallaway reported on a number of activities underway in the student government, which is in charge of funding for many student activities and projects.  The recent Street Fair raised $3,000 and work is underway on a winter fund raiser.  Another project includes “Weaving New Beginnings,” a cultural event staged strategically to talk about safety.  The ASUO will also choose which issues to tackle for the year, such as the multicultural requirement, having a local farmers market, and a “green” campus infrastructure. 

 

Ms. Kallaway also noted that classes are very full and students are saying that class size is larger than what they expected.  She indicated that the ASUO will continue to advocate for Oregon Opportunity Grant money, which is nearly depleted at this time, in order to ensure that students have access to educational funding.  Lastly, Ms. Kallaway said that students and representatives from Facilities walked through campus last evening along with Dean of Students Paul Shang to identify the areas around campus where lighting is not satisfactory.  Changing from the yellow light to a white light will spread light further at ground level which will make a difference in campus safety for students.  The university will also be adding “duck feet” on some pavement to provide better path guidance and visibility.  Ms. Kallaway concluded her remarks saying that student government hopes to work well with the University Senate in a professional relationship this year.

 

Update from Vice President for Finance and Administration Frances Dyke.  Vice President Dyke began her remarks saying the unofficial enrollment numbers were strong at the end of the second week of classes, showing an increase in both headcounts and credit hours.  Compared to last year at this time, student headcounts have increased 4.3% (22,347 student this fall compared with 21,435 last fall) and credit hours have increased 4.5% (310,865 compared to 297,212).  Official numbers will be available at the end of fourth week and at the end of the term.  Vice President Dyke reported that the university finally has its budget numbers for FY10 and that Provost Bean has posted a message to this effect in the provost office web page (see October 7 update at http://provost.uoregon.edu/).  She noted that a 2.5% general fund budget reduction will be implemented immediately, retroactive to July 1, which was anticipated and discussed with deans last spring.  No other take-backs are planned at this time.  The State appropriation amount is $16 million less than the FY 2009 beginning state appropriation.  The expected tuition increase revenues will yield about $37 million.  However, obligations against the tuition increase revenues are backfill against the reduction in state appropriation ($16 million) increases in student scholarships and fee remissions to help maintain accessibility ($4 million), backfill for loss of funds from the UO Foundation and other income ($7 million) and the requirement replenish reserves to state-mandated levels ($2 million).  Thus the net amount available is about $8 million. 

 

The Vice President went on to say that base budget additional requirements are estimated at $14 million.  These include funding for enrollment increases and an increase in fixed obligations, such as annualized amounts of November 2008 salary and OPE increases for classified staff, officers of administration and officers of instruction/research, and increases in utilities.  These are covered by the net available from tuition increases mentioned previously ($8 million) and the 2.5% general reductions assessed to units ($6 million).  Next significant financial discussions will take place regarding the January referendum to appeal tax measures passed in June by the Oregon Legislature to balance the budget.  These tax increases included a tax increase on high income individuals and an increase in the corporate minimum tax.  If the tax referendum passes, the estimated funding loss to the Oregon University System is at $40 million for the biennium.  The UO’s share could be a loss of an additional $3 million of state appropriation per year, or $6 million for the biennium; it could also be a greater reduction.

 

Moving to another topic, Vice President Dyke reminded senators to check the web for H1N1 influenza updates (see http://em.uoregon.edu/).  Currently the Student Health Center is seeing a surge in student visits and increased absences for illness from staff.  There is a small amount of H1N1 vaccine available CDC listed for priority groups, and more expected to be sent.  Seasonal flu vaccine supplies also are depleted, so UO staff and faculty are advised to seek vaccinations through another provider.

 

On the construction front, the vice president reported that the new (HEDCO) Education building opened at beginning of summer term and the Jaqua Learning Center for Student Athletes expects to open in January 2010.  Space in Esslinger now occupied by student athlete services will be reassigned by the Campus Space Committee.  Discussions regarding scheduling for the first floor auditorium and classroom space in the Jaqua Learning Center are underway.  The new basketball arena is progressing on time and on budget. The arena will be open for the start of the 2011 PAC‐10 basketball season.  To date, $111.6 million in arena construction contracts have been awarded with 83% going directly to Oregon companies.  There are 200 trade workers on the site daily and there will be 450 workers there at peak activity.  The parking garage is progressing on time and on budget as well.  One hundred percent of the contracts for the underground structure have been awarded to Oregon companies.

 

Ms. Dyke next reported updates on several other construction projects.  The chiller replacement project and electrical distribution project are now completed, which represent phase one of the new power plant construction.  The State Board of Higher Education has approved, and the university is requesting an increased expenditure authority (to $75 million) for the East Campus Residence Hall.  The resident hall project was approved by the legislature in 2007 so that the university could initiate planning; construction is expected to begin in June 2010.  Finally, the university ended up with $3 million in state stimulus funds for projects that were “shovel ready” in May 2009.  These dollars have been spent on projects that included improving roofing, sidewalks, and other similar improvements. Requirements for these funds were that contracts go to minority, women or small business enterprises in the private sector.

 

The vice president noted that Information Services (IS) is working to comply with the Senate motion US08/09-8 regarding transparency of university financial transactions.  She indicated that it appears IS will complete the on-line budget tracking project by the November 15th deadline.  The plan is to present a reporting tool that balances the need for transparency with security and legally binding confidentiality concerns.  Once the reporting tool is available, the vice president will work with senior senate leadership to identify a task force to work through any problems or challenges that are identified.  

 

Lastly, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is implementing a community oriented policing and problem solving model (COPPS).  The model requires strong partnership with the campus community and the city.  Vice President Dyke said that the Targeted Crimes Unit was inaugurated during spring 2009.  The unit delivers community outreach and awareness programming, manages investigations, and uses information to develop effective prevention and response strategies.  The Safe Campus Initiative was launched during the summer, which includes restructuring the relationship with the Eugene Police Department with a dedicated officer integrated with the DPS team.

 

During a brief discussion period, Senator John Bonine, law, requested that future numerical financial presentation be accompanied with visual information to make it easier to follow the presentation.  The vice president responded that she would provide the information to eh webmaster for posting (see http://www.uoregon.edu/~uosenate/dirsen090/FDYKE-14Oct09.pdf).  Senate Vice President Nathan Tublitz asked about the progress on the on-line budget transparency project, to which Vice President Dyke reiterated her earlier comments that Information Services is on track to have financial posted by mid November.  There have been some difficulties with the software, but the intention is to work through those with the senior senate leadership. 

 

Update from Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Russ Tomlin.  Vice provost Tomlin expressed his appreciation to Senate President Gilkey for the inclusion of Academic Affairs in the first senate meeting of the year.  He commented that it affords the chance to participate in what many people are optimistic will be a year of improved transparency, collaboration, and shared commitment to the health of the university and its component missions and communities. 

 

Mr. Tomlin reported on several matters of interest and projects that are underway for the current year.  Regarding new faculty appointments, the UO was able to appoint 47 new tenure-related faculty members.  It was an exceptional year, with great success in hiring from exceptionally deep pools of superior faculty candidates.  Of the new appointments at least 14, or 30%, are individuals who self-identified as members of under-represented groups; 16, or 34%, are women.  The vice provost added that he expects this hiring year to be similarly exceptional.  With respect to faculty promotion and tenure, Mr. Tomlin provided a summary of the promotion and tenure process for tenure-related faculty.  This past year, there were a total of 55 promotion and tenure cases considered, 29 cases of promotion to associate professor with tenure, 20 cases of promotion to professor, and 6 cases for tenure only.  Fifty-two of the 55 cases resulted in promotion or tenure or both, which is consistent with patterns of success in prior years.  The vice provost also noted that the process was completed by May 1^st -- six weeks earlier than required, thus reducing anxiety for those under consideration. 

 

Vice Provost Tomlin next mentioned several projects underway.  The University of Oregon Academic Extension project is focused on the transformation of the current Summer Session and Continuing Education programs into an expanded vehicle to deliver UO academic expertise to a broader set of audiences.  The goal is to empower faculty to create academic programming attractive to new populations that returns significant resources back to the program creators and their academic departments.  The university grosses about $12 million per year through Summer Session and Continuing Education; the expectation is to double this revenue flow over the next three to five years.  Restructuring of Summer Session is currently underway.  The previous financial model will be replaced by one that drives most of the resources into the schools and colleges and their component departments.  There will also be an enhancement of academic quality through more robust oversight by the schools and colleges.  The larger Academic Extension project is expected to roll out January 1, 2010.  Some new opportunities will be initiated at that time and academic affairs will work with faculty, department heads, and deans to explore new opportunities in distance education, in domestic markets, and in international markets.  One example of an innovative direction is an E-textbook project, led by Dev Sinha, mathematics, which aims to reduce costs to students while being self-sustaining for the long term.  The vice provost noted that a faculty advisory board for academic affairs will be established this term; Mr. Tomlin will consult with the Senate President on this effort over the next few weeks.

 

Vice Provost Tomlin next explained that Academic Affairs is engaged in an extensive codification project to improve the quality of information available to faculty and staff about policies, procedures, and practices that affect academic appointments, opportunities, and success.  He commented that university policies, procedures, and practices are often out-of-date, or inconsistent, vague, and difficult to pin down, which is frustrating to many users seeking information.  The codification is aimed at increasing consistency across the schools and colleges, updating and revisiting formal policy or practice where policy and practice are in conflict, and providing more transparent information to support faculty and staff in various efforts.  Mr. Tomlin highlighted a few examples currently underway.  In response to a requirement in our current accreditation process, the Provost’s Office, is close to opening a UO Policy Library which will include an indexed inventory of all policies that govern the university.  Associate Vice Provost Ken Doxsee is working on web-based assessment infrastructure to meet current accreditation requirements.  And lastly, Academic Affairs will soon provide an updated website aimed at creating more accessible and transparent information on faculty matters, including: an updated and electronic promotion and tenure guide, and an intranet for faculty that will include more elaborate suggestions or coaching than is customarily done on a public site.   Some matters for the intranet would include post-tenure review, emeritus status for faculty, courtesy appointments, implementation of remaining NTTF matters (evaluation & promotion), and Conflict of Commitment, to name a few.   

 

During a discussion period, Senator Nick Price, mathematics, asked about policies for adjunct faculty.  The vice provost replied that the main project this year is the development of an evaluation and promotion process for NTTF that parallels what is done for promotion in tenure-related appointments.  There are department level guide lines for promotion of tenured related positions that are consistent with needs and expectations relevant to the peculiarities of the department.  Faculty members are reviewed at the college and school level and, in turn, are reviewed centrally for cross unit consistency.  Academic Affairs will be rolling out a process, based in part on units that have already done good work with NTTF in regards to evaluation and promotion, and make that process available to deans that do not have a good policy in place.  We will work to develop with deans to develop appropriate strategies.  Mr. Tomlin noted that consistency of practice across units is a challenging issue.  He also said that there are a few people that have been at the UO for considerable time that may need to be grandfathered into the system.   Senator Kassia Dellabough, AAA, asked if the policy will address the single-term adjunct faculty who are not NTTF.  Mr. Tomlin answered that right now the policy is aimed at NTTF and that every adjunct can tell whether he/she is a career NTTF, and covered by the promotion policy, by looking in the upper right hand corner of their contract. 

 

Senator John Bonine, law, asked whether the on-line policy library will be dated, and raised some privacy issues with the type of information that would be included on the proposed Academic Affairs intranet.  The vice provost answered that the policy library is web-based and will be dated.  As for the types of information found on the intranet, Mr. Tomlin was sympathetic to the privacy issue raised and explained that what he is wrestling with is how to deliver information that is useful to people without making a public statement or case out of every proposition that supports our faculty.  He said that there will be nothing in the intranet that a freedom of information request will not reveal.

 

REPORTS

 

Senate Nominating Committee.  Committee Chairwoman Anne Laskaya, English, presented names of persons nominated for positions on the Interinstitutional Faculty Senate and the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee.  Each was approved for appointment as follows: Erin Moore, AAA, to serve a term on the IFS expiring June 2011; Ron Severson, LCB, to fill a vacancy on the IAC-with term to expire June 2010; James Isenberg, mathematics, to serve as a Senate Representative to the IAC with term expiring June 2011; and Grace Golden, human physiology, to serve as a Senate Representative to the IAC with term expiring June 2010. 

 

UO Chapter of the AAUP.  AAUP UO chapter president Carl Bybee, journalism and communication, spoke about academic freedom in an era of budget cutbacks.  He began his remarks making three points: (1) academic freedom at the UO campus and across the country is under siege, but it is not due to this “budget crisis;” (2) academic freedom and the business side of a university are not two separate concerns – they are deeply interconnected concerns; and (3) academic freedom requires a strong, independent, informed, voice of higher education professionals capable of exerting significant, visible influence on university governance.

 

Speaking to the first point, Senator Bybee said that the current budget does pose significant threats to academic freedom and to the ability of the UO to carry out its public mission to the citizens of Oregon and to the nation.  To survive, he said the UO will need to continue to raise tuition and find ever increasing sources of outside financial support.  He suggested that there are major transformations taking place today in terms of how we understand economics, the value of public institutions, and the ideas themselves of what freedom and a free society mean.  On the second point, Senator Bybee said that looking at the number of tenure-related faculty on our campus over the past 15 years, the faculty has increased by 6% while overall enrollment has increased more than 20%, which is a matter of concern.  He continued that the AAUP, in recognizing the dramatic rise of adjuncts and instructors on campuses, incorporated specific steps of moving adjuncts, fixed appointment faculty and part-timers to more secure, stable economic footing into its “Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure”.   The numbers of who teaches and with what protections raise questions about the health of academic freedom on our campus that need to be addressed. 

 

Senator Bybee continued by raising a number of questions that well may impact academic freedom on campus: when the academic freedom of a member of the professional higher education community is challenged, does the university need to provide the economic support for the faculty member to engage that challenge?  When there are calls for budget cutbacks, where and how they will fall and take place, are these matters of academic freedom?  When the legislature allocates resources to the university, is tracking the flow and distribution of these resources matters of academic freedom?  When fund-raising priorities are set, are these matters of academic freedom?  Last, Senator Bybee said that the idea of shared governance does not work without substantial resources for faculty and other higher education professionals to act, to have timely access to crucial materials they deem relevant to their work, and to see the outcome of their work in determining crucial university decisions.

 

Senator Bybee concluded his remarks by inviting faculty members to contact him any time they feel their academic freedom in being challenged.  He said that the AAUP can provide advice and assistance regardless of whether the person is an AAUP member, an adjunct, or a full professor.  To have a public university serving a public mission in a democratic society, he opined that there can be no budget cuts to academic freedom or to the institutional resources and culture that support academic freedom.  (See http://www.uoregon.edu/~uosenate/dirsen090/BYBEE-14OCT09.pdf.)

 

Senate Budget Committee.  Mr. Tim Duy, economics, reported on work of the Senate Budget Committee (SBC) saying the last year the SBC spent a lot of times deciding on what the budget would look like as far as the revenue side from the state.  He noted that Vice President Dyke had already provided base details earlier in the meeting, and he added that there is some risk to the stability of that budget going forward, one of which is the $700 million in tax revenue that might not materialize if ballot measures to overturn new taxes are passed.  Mr. Duy explained that the governor’s office believes the revenue forecast have been overly optimistic, and that actual revenue received may not be able to support the state budget, and in turn, the university’s expected level of state support.  Mr. Duy agreed that the rebound from the current recession may not come back as strongly or as quickly as originally thought, which paints a less than rosy picture of the budget situation.  He added that the biggest near term challenge for the state of Oregon is that it has not added nearly enough (net) jobs to pull itself clear of the recession, and has not added many in nearly a decade

 

Faculty Governance Committee.  Last year senate president Paul van Donkelaar, human physiology, chairs the committee which is looking into restructuring faculty governance.  The charge of the committee is to use the Department of Justice opinion from November 2008 to guide revisions of the internal governance structure of the university.  He said there are a number of issues around that general concept of faculty governance that the committee will be working on.  Mr. van Donkelaar encouraged senators to visit the Faculty Governance Committee website that gives the information that we are using in our deliberations as well as our scheduled meetings, which are open meetings (see http://www.uoregon.edu/~assembly/dirSF/FGC.html).  He added that anyone who wished to contribute to the discussion was welcome.  He also noted that a Statutory Faculty Meeting was scheduled for November 18^th during which potentially one or more motions would be discussed and voted upon related to these issues.  Mr. van Donkelaar said there are a number of potential motions that will be actively considered at this point in time, and that the committee will discuss these motions and provide information about them to the UO community.

 

During a brief question period, Mr. Frank Stahl, emeritus biology, asked if we are bound to have a statutory faculty meeting on November 18^th if the committee was not ready to present any motions.  Mr. van Donkelaar said the date had been set last May by President Frohnmayer, but that he would contact President Lariviere about the whether the November meeting could be changed.  (Note; the November 18^th Statutory Faculty Meeting has been canceled and will be held at a time to be announced in the future.)  Senator Carla McNelly, multicultural academic success, asked why there were no students, classified staff, or officers of administration on the Faculty Governance Committee to which Mr. van Donkelaar replied that his understanding was that the committee is comprised of statutory faculty members who will be the faculty voting on the revising the governance system.  However, he indicated that the committee was open to communication from the broad community and invited that communication.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMUNICATONS FROM THE FLOOR

 

Climate Action Plan draft ready for review.  Art Farley, chair of the Environmental Issues Committee and Steve Mital, director of the Office of Sustainability, spoke briefly about the first draft of the Climate Action Plan (see http://sustainability.uoregon.edu/files/uploads/Climate_Action_Plan_1_1.pdf).  Mr. Farley explained that in signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, the UO has embarked on a journey toward climate neutrality, a long-term goal for a large institution.  He said that although the university already has progressed further down toward this goal than most other universities in the country, our new commitment cannot be simply another "green" effort that involves certain environmental interests.  Rather, he suggested that the commitment must span all the disciplines and departments -- everyone on the campus has a role to play.

In preparing the draft Climate Action Plan (CAP), information was gathered from several units, and outside consultants were hired to assist with data collection and modeling to estimate the emissions profile of our entire campus.  The CAP represents the best information currently available regarding how much the university is emitting and where opportunities exist for emission reductions.  He continued that although the CAP provides a good sense of what climate neutrality will require at UO from an operational perspective, it does not yet include details regarding faculty, staff, and student engagement.  Consequently, Mr. Farley asked senators and colleagues for their input on the draft plan to ensure that it reflects broad institutional goals.  A final version will be readied in early January 2010 which will be published on the ACUPCC website along with climate action plans from 650 other institutions of higher education.

Mr. Farley stated that the CAP is intended as a living document, changing and adapting to different circumstances as the university moves forward.  The process through which potential projects and strategies are solicited and evaluated is important; thus, he asked faculty and students to identify areas where curriculum and research tie in, staff to recommend operational initiatives, and everyone to suggest outreach programs for the campus and surrounding community.  Due to the rapidly arriving publication date, Mr. Farley implored everyone to give the CAP review process special attention and thought, submit feedback to him by November 30, 2009.  Mr. Farley concluded his announcement by saying that there are many questions left to be answered in this undertaking, but that it is in the best interest of this institution and of future generations that the UO Climate Action Plan be as inclusive and effective as possible.  The input solicited will help lay the groundwork for a long-range strategic plan for the UO and will help determine what type of university we are and create the type of university that we want to be. 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

 

Motion US09/10-1 – to create a Senate committee on faculty governance.  MotionUS09/10-1 was tabled at the May 27^th organizational meeting of the senate for consideration at this first senate meeting of the academic year.  The motion reads:

 

Moved,

 

 That the Senate forms a committee to prepare a draft university governance document for discussion at the announced meeting of the Statutory Faculty on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 15:30. The Senate President is directed to contact the so-called “Dead Presidents” [former Senate President, excluding the current (2009-2010) President] and to contact the members of the UO Senate and to invite the individuals contacted to serve on said committee.

 

Senator Tracy Bars spoke in opposition to the motion saying that the membership was too limiting and offered the following amendment: “The Senate President shall be named chair of the committee and shall have the authority to invite additional members from outside the Senate body to serve on the committee”.  The amendment was seconded.  After a brief discussion clarifying the relationship of the proposed committee (to be appointed by the senate president) with the statutory Faculty Governance Committee appointed by President Lariviere with membership advised by the Faculty Advisory Council, and some other supports speaking in favor of broadening the committee membership, the motion was put to a hand vote and was passed. 

 

The main motion, as amended was now on the floor for discussion.  Mr. Frank Stahl, emeritus biology, provided some historical context for the motion.  He said that last spring, retiring President Frohnmayer intended to create a committee to construct a faculty governance document.  Mr. Stahl continued that it seemed inappropriate to him to have a retiring president to take on that activity, and that it would be more appropriate for the incoming president or for the faculty to engage in that activity.  Further, Mr. Stahl explained, he was concerned that any committee so constructed might represent the philosophy of the outgoing administration, which he did not want to see happen.  As a consequence, he brought the motion to the Senate to ensure that faculty viewpoints on governance were properly presented to the statutory faculty when it met to decide on a governance document.  Since that time, incoming President Lariviere undertook steps to create a Faculty Governance Committee via the FAC.  With this explanation, Mr. Stahl suggested that the motion be tabled.  Senator John Bonine, law, moved to table the motion.  The motion to table US09/10-1, as amended, was put to a vote and passed.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

Motion US09/10-2 – regarding voting privileges for the University Senate Vice President.  The following motion was brought to the floor:

 

Resolved,

 

If the Vice President of the UO Senate is not a serving UO Senator, he shall serve ex-officio on the Senate with full voting authority and the membership of the Senate will be temporarily increased by one senator for the period in question concerning questions of quorum. 

 

With little discussion or dissent, Motion US09/10-2 was put to a vote and passed.

 

Notice of Motion US09/10-3 to create a Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Public Access.  Senate President Gilkey announced he has received notion of a motion to create a committee to address issues of public assess for scholarly publications which will be discussed in more detail at the November 11^th meeting. 

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

With no further business at hand, the meeting was adjourned at 5:00. 

 

 

Gwen Steigelman

Secretary