The University Senate started its March 11 meeting on a somber note, taking a moment of silence to pay its respects to David Frohnmayer, president emeritus, who served as president of the University of Oregon for 15 years, as well as dean of the School of Law for two years.
Following the moment of silence, the Senate voted three times to suspend its rules to consider and pass motions that:
- Establish a process for the Senate to nominate representatives for consideration by the governor for appointment to the Board of Trustees of the University of Oregon;
- Request, if legally possible, the return of counseling records and the crafting of guarantees and policy changes providing confidentiality for such records; and
- Request a “comprehensive report” from interim President Scott Coltrane no later than April 8 on recommendations to address issues of sexual violence.
Following the break in its agenda, the Senate approved most of its agenda items, including:
- The Winter Curriculum Report, which included clarification around faculty/student engagement as it relates to mismatches between the number of credit hours earned and the number of credit hours spent in the classroom, as well as the elimination of the Inter-college General Education Review Committee. The action places general education review exclusively with the University of Oregon Committee on Courses;
- An updated policy proposal on employee morale-building event expenditures;
- The approval of specifications for a new standing Senate Committee on Respect and Community Values and the Ombuds Administrative Advisory Group;
- A motion supporting the Associated Students of the University of Oregon efforts in negotiating with the athletic department on student incidental fees associated with athletic tickets; and
- A motion requesting that the university president appoint faculty members from the Senate Intercollegiate Athletics Committee and the University Senate to the Special Athletics Admits Group.
—By Tobin J. Klinger, Public Affairs Communications