1/28/2015 update: Interim Provost Bronet releases statement:
Friends and colleagues,
Many of you are following with interest the recent release of electronic documents, which bypassed archival processing procedures, and the university’s efforts to get those documents back.
I am pleased to inform you that the documents have been returned.
Our separate policy and personnel review of this situation will continue. We hired an independent law firm, Hershner Hunter, to complete this inquiry so that we can identify how and why confidential documents were disclosed, and take steps to ensure that something like this never happens again.
What was at stake went beyond a concern that confidential information was shared before being appropriately processed. Of greater concern is that the release violated the trust of the students, parents, faculty members and others who saw the Office of the President as a safe place to share concerns or seek assistance.
We have a moral obligation to maintain the confidentiality ! [sic] of those who see the Office of the President as a point of last resort. 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.
One of my greatest concerns throughout this situation has been the way that it has impacted the talented team in our university library. The faculty and staff in UO Libraries are among the most committed and entrusted to carrying out our mission. Their commitment to the ethical standards and values of their professions should stand as a model for us all. They deal with these kinds of complex privacy rights issues on a daily basis and balance them with their advocacy for openness and transparency. They do so with passion and integrity.
Thank you for your understanding of this im! portant [sic] issue.
Sincerely,
Frances Bronet
Acting Senior Vice President and Provost
1/28/2015: I’m directing all media inquiries about LibraryGate to our $115K-a-year Deputy Strategic Communicator and self described “Duck advocate“, Tobin Klinger:
You can reach Mr. Klinger at
Tobin Klinger
Senior Director of Public Affairs Communications
541-346-5558
[email protected]
So when documents leak out from the incident… what happens then to the archives patron? What if said documents were leaked prior to the request?
Out of curiosity, how many other Faculty Senates have issued a statement, acknowledgment, anything, regarding what’s taking place between UOM and the flagship? This is a dilemma that should have created a measure of solidarity….