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UO Matters

UO Senate to reiterate Academic Freedom policies, then use them to hear from Union on salaries

Thanks to our UAUO Faculty Union, the Senate, Michael Dreiling (sociology) and John Bonine (law) UO’s policies were already much stronger than the oversold and poorly written “Chicago Principles”, in that they give the faculty, and all UO employees, explicit protection to criticize the university administration.

Former President Gottfredson’s failed efforts – with the collaboration of then Senate President Margie Paris (law) – to keep this protection out of the policy under the guise of promoting “civility” earned him one of many critical news reports, this one in Inside Higher Ed:

The union’s proposed statement is similar to existing policy, calling free inquiry and free speech “essential components” of academic freedom. The statement is also more expansive, and includes language guaranteeing faculty the “right to engage in internal criticism, which encompasses the freedom to address any matter of institutional policy or action, whether or not as a member of any agency of institutional governance.”

The Senate passed this despite Gottfredson and Paris’s efforts, and in the wake of the alleged basketball gang-rape coverup Gottfredson signed it shortly before the Trustees fired him.

So it’s disappointing but not surprising to hear the rumors down at the faculty club that Sandy Weintraub, the JH administrator charged by Pres Scholz with keeping the Senate in line, tried to keep the Faculty Union’s presentation about uncompetitive UO salaries off the agenda – on the same day that the Senate will take up a recommendation from our accreditors at the NWCCU, led by former OSU administrator Sony Ramaswamy, that UO consolidate and reiterate its academic freedom policies.

General Counsel Kevin Reed is already dealing with one lawsuit claiming that UO violated the First Amendment by blocking a critic from commenting on DEI’s twitter feed – does he really want another? I guess not, since the Union is on the agenda:

March 13, 2024 Senate Meeting Agenda:

Econ Prof Keaton Miller to discuss faculty raise proposal with Trustees and Senate this week

The UO Trustees presentation is at ~9AM Tuesday at https://youtube.com/live/M9VWXXsCDtY?feature=share and the UO Senate one will be sometime after 4PM Wednesday, at https://uoregon.zoom.us/j/97954327496. Supporters are asked to chant What do we want? Average! When do we want it? In three years! at their computers (while muted of course, we’re not…

Professor Bill Harbaugh, a.k.a. UO Matters, to retire from UO on March 15

I’ve taught at UO since 1995, and thanks to my students and colleagues in economics and other departments, and the many helpful staff and OA’s, it has been a wonderful place for me. That said I’m looking forward to a new and different life at the end of a dirt road on Orcas Island. The blog will continue with help from others, so keep those rumors and documents coming. Guest posts, including non-defamatory ones, are always welcome. uomatters at gmail dot com.

To my students: Yeah it is weird that my paycheck stops a week before the end of the term, but I think they’ll still let me post your grades.

Departing Law Dean Marcilynn Burke should thank UO’s undergrads for subsidizing her success

Back in 2014 UO’s VPFA Jamie Moffitt signed off on this deal giving millions in subsidies to the law school, which at the time was run by her husband Michael Moffitt. The money came from UO’s “Education & General fund”, which is to say mostly undergraduate tuition and state support:…

Faculty Union to present wage demands, Thursday at 12:30 in 125 Chiles. See comments for live-blog!

Thursday is the day! We need a strong turnout this Thursday, 12:30-3:30 in Chiles 125, as the UA Bargaining Team presents our economic package to the administration. Our Article 26: Salary represents a significant increase to faculty pay through across-the-board, merit, and equity raises, as well as promotion increases. The UA…

[Secret] Provost candidate #1 is James Antony

Currently serving as dean of something or other at UCSD. His Ph.D. is in Higher Education & Organizational Change. You can find his cv and letter at https://president.uoregon.edu/uo-search-provost-and-senior-vice-president. According to his Google Scholar page he’s done research on athletic scandals and faculty satisfaction. Seems like a good fit! Whoops, Ed…

UO Senate’s action to kill numerical student course evaluations now part of a national movement

The Chronicle has the report here, highlighting new research showing bias and irrelevance of the old evaluations and new efforts to replace them with meaningful feedback from students and colleagues, A snippet: What sparks this kind of change? Growing concern about the inequity of student course evaluations has inspired some…

Pres Scholz to bring 4 provost candidates to campus for our inspection

University of Oregon community members,  The University of Oregon’s search for its next permanent provost and senior vice president will soon move into the finalist stage, and I invite you to meet the finalists later this month. I am pleased that we received applications from a robust, well-qualified pool of…

OSU hits up state taxpayers for big-time Beaver sports bailouts

Government Relations at Oregon State UniversityFebruary, 2024 Update.This week, the Oregon Legislature convened it’s short 35-day session. Due to the short timeframe, each legislator is limited to introducing two bills and committees restricted to three. That does not mean that legislators won’t be tackling policy issues this year; in fact, reforms…

VP for Enrollment Roger Thompson finalist for Missouri State Prez job

Thanks to a reader for the link. https://news.missouristate.edu/2024/01/18/missouri-state-announces-three-finalists-for-president/ It’s a transparent open search run with no apparent interference from a search firm. Three finalists announced publicly and brought to campus for the university to meet with and provide feedback to the Board, *before* the final hiring decision. Astounding. Thompson should…