Dear Tracy, Ali, and Michele.

Thank you so much for agreeing to serve as the Senate Rules committee for academic 2009/10. This is a crucial committee of the Senate. I intend to send every motion to this committee and ask you in return to send a formal report to me for transmittal to the Senate -- this report will also be attached to the motions page and form a permanent part of the record.

Your charge is

• a) Verify as best you can that the financial impact statement (which is required for every motion) looks reasonable
• b) Verify as best you can that the motion is in order -- i.e. that it deals with a matter that properly comes within the pervue of the Senate.
• c) Work with the maker of the motion to try to get the wording as clean as possible. Is it implementable and unambiguous, for example.

But I put no constraints on you and each motion will require different things probably. You should communicate with Paul Simonds the parlimentarian as appropriate. And please keep Gwen and me informed if the motion is rewritten so we can keep the records up to date.

I am appointing Tracy as "convenor" of the committee and your first task I would suppose would be to elect the permanent chair -- let me know who that is. In the past, the rules committee has met electronically rather than in person but I leave it up to you as to how to conduct your business this year. Tomorrow (Thursday) I will write to you all "officially" when I send Franks motion to you as the first order of business.

Thank you very much. I really am very grateful. Our system of shared governance only works well when people like you step up to the plate and make it work. And let me know if there is anything I can do to facilitate the smooth running of this committee.

Peter B Gilkey
UO Senate President 2009/10