Last updated on 03/13/2024
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:
On zoom at 3PM Wed, https://uoregon.zoom.us/j/97954327496
- Call to Order
- Land Acknowledgement; Shalini Agrawal (Visiting Faculty Fellow in Design for Spatial Justice & Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture)
- Intro Remarks; Senate President Gerard Sandoval
- ASUO updates; Ravi Cullop
Approval of the Minutes
UO President’s Remarks
- University President Karl Scholz
New Business
- Vote: US23/24-09: Approval of Curriculum Report, Winter 2024; Frances White (Chair of UOCC)
- Vote: US23/24-08: Student Registration Holds policy; Jesse Nelson (Asst Vice Provost Advising & Access)
- Vote: US23/24-07: Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech policy; Katy Krieger
- Updates: Affirmative Action; Kevin Reed (General Counsel), Jeslyn Everitt (General Counsel’s Office), Caron Campbell (General Counsel’s Office)
- Faculty Salaries and Meeting the External Market: United Academics’ Proposal; Keaton Miller (Associate Professor, Economics)
- Brainstorm session: future UO Senate priorities?
Notice of Motion
- 4:50 P.M.
Adjournment
- 5:00 P.M.
What is this about?
“ 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? ”