Board of Trustees committee meetings, Sept 10

Highlights so far today (9/10/2014). Usual disclaimer: Nothing is a quote unless in quotes.

Academics and Student Affairs:

• Packed house for this meeting – including TV.
• Frank Stahl tells me the mission statement vote is off the agenda. They’re going to use it to try and distract the faculty for another 3 months?
• Committee Chair Mary Wilcox: We’ll talk about mission statement, but we know the current draft is a failure, and we got an extension from HECC.
• Talks about Shelton’s Academic Analytics data about faculty productivity – which Shelton has not shared with the faculty.
• Mission statement discussion. Mary Wilcox: says the past efforts to write this haven’t worked, Coltrane will take charge. (I think he and Shelton already tried that). Ginevra Ralph: I kept looking at this thing for a mission. Couldn’t find it.
• Connie Ballmer: Kitzhaber wants something that differentiates the Oregon universities. This thing looked like it could be OSU’s. What is unique about UO? Cluster hires? What about asking those 160over90 branders for some ideas?
• Coltrane: We brought them in at last minute, they are responsible for the “bullet point” style. (What a surprise. At least they didn’t give us their VD idea.)
• Ginevra Ralph: Can we punt and just use the old one, and get on to our real work?
• The committee members then go on and on about the damn thing. 45 minutes so far, just on process. Shoot me.
• Finally, on to educational program review, from Ruth Keele, Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
• Some talk about the law school’s proposed new undergrad minor and major. Michael Moffitt talks about his “business school case study“.
• Lillis: This process seems really slow. Ford: How to we get rid of old unpopular programs?
• Hans Bernard is very credible.
• Lillis: Is HECC credible or are they political lackeys? (Like OUS). Do they know anything about AAU, etc?
• Roger Thompson: UO in US News. Coltrane: “Go Ducks!” Ann Curry shuts him down: “No, go hungry. Long way to go.”
• Thompson plays with his crowd, holds off with numbers: Oregon HS numbers are shrinking, and many are not college ready. 52% Oregon residents. Slices and dices students by minority status.
• SES? Close to record for Pell grant eligible. Pathway Oregon about 530, same as last year.
• Largest “funnel” in history: Suspects to prospects to applicants to admits to enrollments. We bought $130K names. SAT’s up from ~200th in the country to ~150th. Total enrollment about same as last year – 24,500.
• Robin Holmes on student conduct code changes
• Wants to put UO’s problems in context, part of a national problem.
• Conduct code’s are meant to be educational, not legalistic, not criminal. Ours is now 25 pages long. We don’t find students guilty, we can’t put them in jail, just kick them out. So, lower standard of proof.
• She then gives an extremely selective history of why these new changes are coming before the board all of a sudden, without the required faculty/student review. Is she even going to mention the rape allegations?
• And it’s 5:20, the meeting ran late, no time for substantive committee discussion. Kurt Willcox starts asking questions. So do others. Mary Willcox says yes, Holmes should explain more.
• Holmes starts talking about “existing cases and liability”. Yup.
• ASUO Pres Gutierrez and K. Willcox worried about removing review panel.
• Board approves the permanent (Senate approved) and temporary changes.
• But wait! Apparently there are more changes that Holmes and the GC have forgotten to make. Another vote.
• Meeting adjourned.

Exec and audit committee:

• New internal auditor.
• No process for faculty or Senate input into presidential evaluations.
• Closed search for new president, if I understand it. Search firm, consultants, etc. UO students’ “Daily Jade” blog has the breaking news on this.

Finance and Facilities:

• Jamie Moffitt keeps her status as the administration’s best presenter.
• UO revenue increased from $915M in 2012-13 to $1,028M in 2013-14.
• Spending on personnel increased from $492M to $525M.
• Student aid increased from $63M to $66M.
• Reserves increased substantially – Moffitt argues these will be needed next year to cover new labor costs, but she’s not showing the budget plan for 2014-15. Hmm.
• They want to let the UO Foundation manage UO’s internal bank funds, without putting it out for bid? Wow. This needs a special vote because our secretive Foundation is not regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
• UO has $689M in debt to the Oregon Treasury, makes semi-annual payments, and is now making plans to sell bonds.
• Chris Ramey explain Vision Plan for physical campus. 150 new faculty, 300 new grad students – someday. Also considering scenarios with 10,000 new undergrads. Nothing about UO Alumni Golf Course.
• UO’s building priorities: 500 student dorm, science building, and a new softball stadium. Of course.
• New leases for Portland programs. Lots of money. Not clear if any of these programs are self-supporting.

9/10/13: The agenda is packed with important issues. It’s a shame they are still scheduling these when school is out of session. And there still is no student member and won’t be for a while – rumor is Kitzhaber didn’t get the nomination to the Senate in time. Here’s the schedule and docket links, or check the official website here.

Executive and Audit Committee Meeting
September 10, 2014 (10 AM, Room 403 Alumni Center)
Notice  |  Agenda  |  Summary  |  Minutes

[I’m at the meeting but won’t be blogging much.]

1. Convene

2. Approval of March 2014 Executive and Audit Committee meeting minutes (Chair) (Action)

3. Discussion of internal audit charter and FY14-15 audit plan (Treasurer, Chief Auditor) (Action)

UO’s new Auditor is Brenda Muirhead. Seems very experienced, energetic, organized. Many responsibilities, she’ll be a busy person. OUS used to have this job. No complaints to the hotline, as of yet.

4. Discussion of Board operating guidelines and procedures (Chair, Secretary) (Action)

Trustee Kurt Wilcox makes a plea to allow more time, openness for public comments. Interim GC Doug Park manages to use Oregon Public Meetings Law to argue for limits on public comment. A pretty creative interpretation – I’m thinking this was not exactly the intent of that law! Board passes original policy.

5. Discussion of a modifications to standing committees and the addition of a Presidential Factors Committee (Chair) (Action)

6. Discussion of a Presidential Review Policy (Chair) (Action)

Lillis: Ginevra Ralph will chair this new committee, lots of consultants.

Ralph: Wants more frequent comprehensive reviews (3 years). Committee will also deal with compensation.  Wilhelms suggests changes to make sure the reviews are done when school is in session rather than in summer.

The proposed policy includes a survey of vice presidents, deans, and officers, but does not include any provision for regular input from the faculty or Senate on our president’s evaluation. Bad.

Kurt Wilcox wants to *require* input from other university constituents, not just insiders. Committee isn’t going to go for that.

Doug Park reveals that faculty records laws will restrict public release of this info. (Gottfredson did this with his OUS review – refused to release it.)

7. Discussion of presidential search and recruitment (Chair)

Lillis: New approach. We’re in an uncomfortable position when it comes to finding a new president. Doesn’t think just advertising, hiring a search firm, and collecting resumes. Don’t think top people will apply. Proposes instead that one part of the committee will search out good candidates and try to recruit them. Then a larger committee will be involved in assessment of 3-4 candidates. Example: would put students on assessment committee, not recruiting. Recruiting committee will have to travel, etc. Lillis does not think this can be done publicly – best candidates may not be looking, may not want their boards to know they are interested.

The discussion with the full board tomorrow will go into more detail. Interestingly, there is no draft document to make public on this procedure before the board will vote on this tomorrow.

There will be a search firm and consultants. I hear Bob Berdahl’s advice is available, though it hasn’t worked out well for Hawaii.

8. Adjourn