Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 15:18:14 -0700

From: Suzanne Clark clark@oregon.uoregon.edu

Subject: senate99-00: Licensing Code of Conduct Decision

Dear President Frohnmayer,

As a member of the Licensing Code Committee and a member of the University Senate, I would like to recognize with gratitude your support of mutual governance in the question of a Code of Conduct and of joining the WRC. The committee has worked for several months now toward the consensus that we articulated to you yesterday: that is, that the University of Oregon should join the WRC to monitor compliance with our code of conduct. Students on the committee were extremely well-informed and articulate--I was very impressed by their contributions, which I thought were persuasive. I look forward to the Senate reception of the committee report. It seems very important to me that this decision is being discussed according to the processes of governance that we have been struggling to make stronger this year. I frankly do not understand why students are protesting.

The demand of protestors for immediate action would eliminate faculty and staff input into this decision. So ironically--even though I believe faculty and staff will support the WRC, as students have voted to do--they are in effect protesting against waiting until the University Senate has a chance to be heard on this subject. These protests seem to be based on a lack of understanding about how students can participate in governance via committees and the Senate.

In my view, your insistance on following the processes of consultation with committee and Senate is particularly laudable--even courageous--in the face of such protests, which demand more rapid executive decision.

I commend you for your adherence to principles of mutual governance in the face of such a confusing strategy.

Suzanne Clark Professor, English Dept. University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403 541-346-5819