Last updated on 06/23/2015
6/23/2015 update:
Oregon Law says:
PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES WITH A GOVERNING BOARD
352.025 Legislative findings. (1) The Legislative Assembly finds that the State of Oregon will benefit from having public universities with governing boards that:
(a) Provide transparency, public accountability and support for the university.
(b) Are close to and closely focused on the individual university.
(c) Do not negatively impact public universities that do not have governing boards.
(d) Lead to greater access and affordability for Oregon residents and do not disadvantage Oregon students relative to out-of-state students.
(e) Act in the best interests of both the university and the State of Oregon as a whole.
(f) Promote the academic success of students in support of the mission of all education beyond high school as described in ORS 351.009.
(2) The Legislative Assembly also finds that:
(a) Even with universities with governing boards, there are economy-of-scale benefits to having a coordinated university system.
(b) Even with universities with governing boards, shared services may continue to be shared among universities.
(c) Legal title to all real property, whether acquired before or after the creation of a governing board, through state funding, revenue bonds or philanthropy, shall be taken and held in the name of the State of Oregon, acting by and through the governing board.
(d) The Legislative Assembly has a responsibility to monitor the success of governing boards at fulfilling their missions, their compacts and the principles stated in this section. [2013 c.768 §1]
The Legislature has passed that responsibility to the HECC. Executive Director Ben Cannon’s proposal for this is here, well worth reading it all:
Workgroup recommendations will be advisory to the Executive Director. HECC staff will make a
final recommendation to the Commission for an evaluation framework in summer, 2015. The
Commission-adopted framework will be employed in Fall 2015 for evaluations of the three
institutions whose boards assumed governance responsibility July 1, 2014 (UO, OSU, and PSU). All
seven public institutions will be evaluated annually using the framework starting in Fall 2016.
The work group will convene January 2015 – June 2015 and will use the following legislative
guidance to frame its work and outcomes:
ORS 352.061(2) stipulates that the HECC’s evaluations of universities must include:
A report on the university’s achievement of outcomes, measures of progress, goals and
targets as described in the university’s achievement compact with the Oregon Education
Investment Board;
An assessment of the university’s progress toward achieving the mission of all education
beyond high school as described in ORS 351.009 (the 40-40-20 goal); and
An assessment as to how well the establishment of a governing board at the university
comports with the findings set forth in ORS 352.025.
ORS 352.061(2)(c) also requires that the HECC assess university governing boards against the
findings set forth in ORS 352.025, including that governing boards:
Provide transparency, public accountability and support for the university.
Are close to and closely focused on the individual university.
Do not negatively impact public universities that do not have governing boards.
Lead to greater access and affordability for Oregon residents and do not disadvantage
Oregon students relative to out-of-state students.
Act in the best interests of both the university and the State of Oregon as a whole.
Promote the academic success of students in support of the mission of all education beyond
high school as described in ORS 351.009 (the 40-40-20 goal).
ORS 352.025 notes four additional Legislative findings:
Even with universities with governing boards, there are economy-of-scale benefits to having
a coordinated university system.
Even with universities with governing boards, shared services may continue to be shared
among universities.
Legal title to all real property, whether acquired before or after the creation of a governing
board, through state funding, revenue bonds or philanthropy, shall be taken and held in the
name of the State of Oregon, acting by and through the governing board.
The Legislative Assembly has a responsibility to monitor the success of governing boards at
fulfilling their missions, their compacts and the principles stated in this section.
The HECC has now released its workplan, here:
10.0 a. University Evaluation Staff Summary
10.0 b. University Evaluation and Academic Quality Framework
11.0 Informational Series: Workforce Training Programs in Oregon
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