1 December 13 and 14, 2012
1 UNITED ACADEMICS PROPOSAL
2
3 ARTICLE 3
4 SHARED GOVERNANCE
5
6 Preamble
7 Oregon state law, the University of Oregon’s original Charter and Constitution, as well as
8 long-established practice recognize the vital role of shared governance between the
9 University Senate and the Administration, both in setting priorities and making policy on
10 academic matters and as a guarantee of the freedom upon which excellence in higher
11 education depends. Although United Academics, as the elected and certified bargaining
12 agent, retains the exclusive right to reach agreement on the terms and conditions of
13 employment for members of the bargaining unit, the parties recognize the necessity of a
14 collegial governance system for faculty and of the University Senate’s authority to
15 legislate in matters of academic concern. It is mutually desirable that the collegial system
16 of governance, as established in the Constitution of December 15, 2011, be maintained
17 and strengthened so that faculty will have a mechanism and procedure, independent of
18 the collective bargaining process, for legislating in all academic matters.
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20 Section 1. The faculty, acting through the University Senate, Senate Committees, unit
21 committees, and in accordance with the UO Constitution, Senate Bylaws, and the
22 University Senate Policy on Policies is responsible for the review and establishment of
23 policy in issues that relate to academic matters as commonly understood in higher
24 education, as specified in the University Senate Constitution and Bylaws, subject to the
25 approval processes therein specified. These issues include, but are not limited to:
26 a. all curricular matters, including the course of study, materials used, class size,
27 and establishment, dissolution and substantial changes of degree programs
28 b. admissions standards and prerequisites
29 c. research and scholarship
30 d. requirements for regular certificates and degrees
31 e. regulations regarding attendance, examinations, grading, evaluation student of
32 performance, scholastic standing and honors
33 f. teaching methods and quality
34 g. professional standards and criteria for positions accorded academic rank
35 h. other academic matters referred to it by the Board of Higher Education, the
36 university administration, the faculty of a school, college, department, Extension
37 or the Libraries or other members of the university community
38 i. approval of the academic calendar prepared by the Registrar
39 j. unit committees
40 k. the regulations concerning and the awarding of honorary degrees
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42 Section 2. The faculty, acting through the University Senate and Senate Committees, unit
43 committees, and in accordance with the UO Constitution, Senate Bylaws, and the 2 December 13 and 14, 2012
1 University Senate Policy on Policies shall review, recommend, and participate in the
2 formulation of all other policy relating to matters of concern to the university community
3 including, but not limited to:
4 a. institutional priorities
5 b. the allocation and utilization of the university’s human, fiscal and physical
6 resources
7 c. academic organization, including the establishment or elimination of colleges
8 and departments and the reorganization of the general university and college
9 academic structure
10 d. admissions procedures and quotas
11 e.. student financial aid and tuition
12 f.. the library, the academic computing center, instrumentation and model
13 facilities, audiovisual center, university bookstore, the museum, supporting
14 services, etc. as they affect scholarly activities and research
15 g. administrative procedures and organizational structures
16 h.. the appointment, review, and promotion of academic and policy-level
17 administrative officers, including all those at the budget management level whose
18 functions are university-wide
19 i. the selection of the President of the University, Provost and Vice Presidents
20 whenever those offices become vacant or are created
21 j. donations of money and other resources to the university
22 k. the distribution of unrestricted funds made available to the university for
23 discretionary allocation in support of research or scholarly work
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25 Section 3. Departments or other traditional governance structures (unit) shall have an
26 active and significant role in academic matters as defined in Sections 1 and 2 of this
27 Article. The faculties of the colleges and departments shall make their own constitutions
28 and bylaws by which to conduct their respective governance responsibilities. Such
29 bylaws shall be subject to review and approval by appropriate dean or Vice President.
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31 (a) The faculty members of each department/unit, by majority vote, shall establish
32 bylaws, which must pass Administrative review. Governance in the
33 departments/units shall be conducted in accordance with their respective bylaws,
34 which shall be filed with the appropriate academic administrators and posted on
35 the department/unit web sites.
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37 (b) The bylaws of each department/unit shall include procedures for faculty
38 members to share significantly in unit-related governance responsibilities as
39 defined in Sections 1 and 2 of this Article, including but not limited to program
40 review; department/unit review; department/unit reorganization; development of
41 criteria for tenure, promotion, and merit salary increases; curricular matters
42 including class sizes, courses of study, major/minor/certificate requirements;
43 selection of department heads and/or chairs and certain other academic 3 December 13 and 14, 2012
1 administrators; procedures for amending bylaws; charges, powers and
2 responsibilities of governance committees; make-up of committees, including
3 numbers of TTF, NTTF, students, administrators, and others where appropriate;
4 process for electing committee members; clear guidelines that delineate what
5 matters committees can decide on and what matters require full-faculty vote;
6 procedures for faculty voting; and other matters of professional concern.
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8 Nothing in this Article shall be construed as abridging traditional rights of self-
9 governance of departments/units, to the extent those rights are exercised in accordance
10 with the statutes and policies of the university and with this Agreement.
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12 Section 4. No faculty member will be subject to discrimination, discipline or termination
13 resulting from participation in the system of shared governance.
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