A bevy of documents from the UO’s presidential archives that were improperly released to a faculty member have been returned.

The 22,000 pages of documents in electronic form had bypassed the usual archival processing procedures. The university sought their return because they may have contained protected material that is not public information.

Acting Provost Frances Bronet sent an email announcing the return. The complete text of the message is available here.

Bronet said a separate policy and personnel review are continuing. She stressed that the university’s main concern was protecting the trust and privacy of those who seek help or counsel from the Office of the President.

“We have a moral obligation to maintain the confidentiality of those who see the Office of the President as a point of last resort,” she wrote. “This includes those who chose to outline personal struggles in their academic pursuits or parents who might write to seek support for their child during times of personal challenge. Students, parents, faculty and staff need to have confidence that we will follow appropriate procedures to ensure their right to privacy.”