- Adoption of a rational Legal Representation Policy, introduced by Senate VP Margie Paris. (See here for Randy Geller’s attempt).
- Legislation to require the administration to recoup the annual $1.8M cost of athlete-only tutoring and the $500K cost of Knight Arena land bonds from the athletic department, and require them to contribute 2% of their $90M budget towards need and merit based scholarships for regular students, introduced by Bill Harbaugh.
Synopsis:
- Resolution to request that Gottfredson make the jocks finally start paying their bills, and start those long promised payments to UO’s academic side passes, 19-4.
- Rational legal policy discussed, postponed til 5/22.
- Contentious debate on changes to the Library Committee erupts into a wild brawl. President Kyr restores order with his fists.
Live blog disclaimer: My interpretation of what people said, meant to say, or what I wished they’d said. Nothing is a quote unless in quotes.
Agenda:
1. Call to Order
1.1 Approval of the Minutes of the April 10 & 17, 2013 Senate Meetings
Approved.
2. State of the University
2.1 Remarks by President Michael Gottfredson
Salem: SB270, UO board bill. HB3120 affects general higher ed admin structure for the state. HECC (sic) takes OUS responsibilities away. In Ways and Means now. Watershed moment for UO. No change in public university mission. New governance structure is very standard. Advertises meetings to collect input from faculty – too late. Bonds for new science commons have been requested. Changes in central admin: new Advancement unit, development, external relations under Andreasen. Efficient, common to combine these. Important given new capital giving campaign. Shout-out to faculty honors, women’s softball, HHDL.
2.1.1 Questions and Comments with Response
Ahlen: Support or oppose staff on board. Gottfredson: Opposed. Allen: We don’t get paid enough to buy a seat, any ideas? Gottfredson: No. Dreiling: Will you lobby faculty or students get a vote? Gottfredson: Read my testimony to the legislature. Stahl: Will the board respect the constitution? Gottfredson: Read my previous statement to the Senate in favor of strong shared governance. Important idea, strong views. Stahl: Will you take action to defend it? Gottfredson: I think I have.
3. New Business
3.1 Motion (Policy Adoption): Legal Representation Policy; Margie Paris (Law), Senate President-Elect and Chair, Legal Representation Policy Review Committee
Kyr reads the motion. It spells out the GC’s responsibility to provide high quality legal assistance. Authorizes Randy to provide legal opinions about UO stuff, and hire high priced legal help from Harrang et al. New language removes Randy’s monopoly on providing legal advice to faculty, students. We have the right to seek legal advice – revolutionary. UO shall defend employees against acts of omission, including those in teaching, research, service. (Merle Weiner clause). Employees may be reimbursed for legal expenses, especially if there’s a conflict of interest.
Paris: Originally drafted by Geller’s office, would have given you the red-lined version but it’s all red. Tublitz proposed 2 amendments today, want to add these. Right to legal advice: what if Senate wants alternative, competent legal advice? Amendments allows this.
Mitchell, Harbaugh: SB242 took away DOJ’s monopoly on legal service to OUS institutions. Minor problem for some of the wording.
Lamar Wise: ASUO supports motion because it gives chance to get out from under Geller. Stahl: Hold back til we get the DOJ thing figured out. Sullivan: Geller represents the administration. If he’s defending an employee, who’s the client? Paris: Let’s go back and research this stuff. Good call. Kyr: We will make Geller show his mug at the next meeting. Meanwhile, direct questions to Paris. Postponed.
Kyr: Minor changes to a few committees. IAC, SBC, STC will come back for more study at 5/22 meeting. Lots of minor changes, lots of committees, people who went through all this should get a medal. But wait – FAC changes. Having been on this for a few years, I can report it has been a disaster. Don’t know if it’s working now, it’s all secret. Motion adds a few rules on TT/NTT composition. 10 TTF, 3 NTTF, 2 OA’s. Amendments about this and that. Library committee. Gottfredson bails. Scholarships. Study abroad committee. …. All passes.
3.3 Motion (Legislation): Payments from the Athletics Department for Academic Purposes; Bill Harbaugh (Economics), UO Senator
Kyr reads the motion, with what perhaps might be taken as a certain degree of enthusiasm, or at least enunciation.
Dev Sinha: Tries to take over the meeting with his own powerpoints. Kyr sends him back to his corner. Strongly disputes the motion. Kyr generously gives him 5 minutes. Sinha argues our President would have to say “Dear Mr. Knight ….”
Mechlen: Strong support as a student who has met with Mullens about similar past efforts, and got the cold shoulder. Paris: We need to make these payments a requirement. But doesn’t think the Senate should do it. Dreiling: This is not about dissing Phil Knight, it’s about holding the AD accountable, and respecting the universities overall priorities. It’s time, and we’re just the body to do it. Stahl: Why doesn’t it say “shall”? Psaki: Support this. We need to think about the cost of doing business in the AAU, not the PAC-12. Harbaugh amends to be resolution rather than legislation, saying he doesn’t want to diss the generous Phil Knight or paint Gottfredson in a corner, since he seems to be pretty good at doing that himself. Sinha: IAC meetings were not about us sitting down as colleagues… No kidding. Motion to postpone from Huaxin, rejected. Waddell: Kyr charged the IAC with dealing the motion last year. Sinha has been trying to speak for the IAC, he shouldn’t. Disappointed this has been turned into a resolution. It’s not unreasonable that after 10 years the AD should start paying their bills.
MOTION PASSES 19 to 4.
Meeting concludes, about 5:10.
So, I suppose Gottfredson plans to do nothing to follow up on faculty/student voting rights on any future board. Thats for that Mike. You’re a real friend to faculty and students.
So passively hostile. Don’t exploit the existence of a constitution and do nothing about it. Come on, already!!! Who do you think you’re talking to?
Yeah, and thanks for the lack of voting classified staff on the board, too….because like faculty and students our experience is also so invaluable…as in, not valuable….
I’m happy to see that the senate is ignoring Kyr’s charge to put the computers away. Nice try, Mr. Senate President.
Re FAC:
Does anyone have an example of “the difficult things” one may have said the Gottredson over his short tenure?
Bonus question: Does anyone have an example where Gottfredson took action in response to mention of “the difficult things?”
I’m not familiar with the FAC, but I suspect that it is just cover for the president. How close am I?
Is Dev Sinha on the athletic department’s payroll?
It definitely used to be cover for the President under Frohnmayer. In fact, he would make decisions and then ask the FAC to publicly support those decisions. We refused but he did what he wanted anyway. Can’t say if it’s different now.
Maybe Sinha moonlights as a scout for them..
Harbaugh is the one who sold out, changing it from legislation to a mere resolution. Look for him in the skybox with Mullens and Gottfredson at the next bowl game. He merits public censure, as a pussy.
I agree that legislation would have been preferred. He hasn’t sold out, though.
However, it is clear watching the pattern of voting. Future administrators stay out of it… kiss ups.
2 bottles of Lagavulin. And worth it. Thanks Phil.
My takeaway is don’t vote for a math professor for senator.
Dev is motivated on some weird prior, hardwired to defend the athletic department to the point that he spends all day putting together a hack presentation meant to protect the Rob Mullens form paying his own damn bills. He’s probably looking for some kick back somewhere.
I’ve heard about Dev. Now that I’ve seen him in action, I’m much more sympathetic to those trying to make a difference on the IAC. If I were Rob Mullens, I’d quietly shut him up before he does more damage to his cause.
An alternative to the Athletic Department’s two percent transfer (after paying their own bills)? How about they pay their student athletes? (Don’t dare throw back some NCAA rules, you selfish asses. The likes of you and Dev Sinha are defending one of the most egregious exploitations modern time.)
2 bottles of Lagavulin. And worth it. Thanks Phil.
Who is Phil?