UO Matters

This seemed like a simple request. Tim Inman had sent the docs to Scholz, all he needed to do was forward those emails to me. I paid them their $364, and 6 weeks later I’m still waiting:

From: WTH <[email protected]>

Subject: Public Records request, Presidential transition briefing docs

Date: May 22, 2023 at 5:40:28 PM PDT

To: Lisa Thornton <[email protected]>

Cc: Tim Inman <[email protected]>

Dear Ms Thornton – 

This is a public records request for copies of all briefing materials prepared by the OtP or President’s Office and provided to Incoming President Scholz as part of his presidential transition. 

I ask for a fee waiver on the basis of public interest. I am ccing Tim Inman, as he should have these documents readily at hand and be able to provide them without your office’s usual fees and deliberate delays. 

Thanks, 

Bill Harbaugh
Econ Prof, U of Oregon

Reed’s Public Records’s office waited the maximum 3 weeks before asking me for $364.54: (Strange, because usually their fee is a prime number.)

From: [email protected]

Subject: University of Oregon Office of Public Records 2023-PRR-423

Date: June 12, 2023 at 3:28:32 PM PDT

To: [email protected]

06/12/2023

Dear Mr. Harbaugh:

The University of Oregon has received your public records request for “This is a public records request for copies of all briefing materials prepared by the OtP or President’s Office and provided to Incoming President Scholz as part of his presidential transition.” on 05/23/2023, attached. With this email, the office is providing you with an estimate to respond to your requests. 
 
The office estimates the actual cost of responding to your request to be $364.54. Upon receipt of a check made payable to the University of Oregon for that amount, the office will proceed to locate, copy, and provide the records you have requested that are not exempt from disclosure. Your check may be sent to the attention of Office of Public Records, 6207 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-6207. 

Please note that if the cost of preparing the documents for you is less than the estimate, we will refund the difference. If the cost of preparing the records for you exceeds the estimate, however, you may be charged for the difference. Following is an outline of how costs are determined.  

The office will provide the documents electronically to avoid a copy fee of 25 cents per page.  The office also charges for the actual cost of making public records available.  The charge includes, but is not limited to, staff costs for locating, gathering, summarizing, compiling, reviewing, tailoring or redacting the public records to respond to a request.  The charge may also include the cost of time spent by an attorney in reviewing the public records, redacting material from the public records, or segregating the public records into exempt and nonexempt records. 

The cost of time for each employee is calculated by multiplying the employee’s hourly wage calculation (including benefits expenses) by the hours or portions thereof necessary to locate, gather, summarize, compile, tailor, review, redact, segregate, certify or attend the inspection of the public records requested.

Thank you for contacting us with your request.  

Sincerely, 

Office of Public Records

6207 University of Oregon | Eugene, OR 97403-6207

(541) 346-6823 | [email protected]

I paid them their money, despite the fact they made no effort to explain how they had applied the Oregon AG’s 3-part test to reject the validity of my fee waiver request.

They replied saying I wouldn’t get the documents til July 12 – 6 weeks after I made the request:

From: [email protected]

Subject: University of Oregon Office of Public Records 2023-PRR-423

Date: June 22, 2023 at 3:53:33 PM PDT

To: [email protected]

06/22/2023

Dear Mr. Harbaugh:

The office has received payment for your request for “…copies of all briefing materials prepared by the OtP or President’s Office and provided to Incoming President Scholz as part of his presidential transition” and has begun gathering and reviewing responsive records.

Due to the volume of requests the office is currently processing, and the upcoming leave of key personnel, the office requires additional time to process your request. The office expects to provide records to you on or before 7/12/2023. 

The office appreciates your patience. Thank you for contacting the office with your request.

Sincerely,

Office of Public Records

6207 University of Oregon | Eugene, OR 97403-6207

(541) 346-6823 | [email protected]

publicrecords.uoregon.edu

You thought they hired him to run a university? From The Daily Northwestern, thanks to a reader for the link:

Content warning: This article contains mention of hazing, sexual assault and suicidal ideation.

A former Northwestern University football player told The Daily some of the hazing conduct investigated by the university involved coerced sexual acts. A second player confirmed these details.

The player also told The Daily that head coach Pat Fitzgerald may have known that hazing took place. 

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and it’s just absolutely egregious and vile and inhumane behavior,” the player, who asked to remain anonymous in this story, said. 

The former player said he reported his experiences to the University in late November 2022.  He alleges that much of the team’s hazing centered around a practice dubbed “running,” which was used to punish team members, primarily freshman, for mistakes made on the field and in practice. 

If a player was selected for “running,” the player who spoke to The Daily said, they would be restrained by a group of 8-10 upperclassmen dressed in various “Purge-like” masks, who would then begin “dry-humping” the victim in a dark locker room. …

Lead investigator Maggie Hickey, former inspector general of Illinois, interviewed coaches, staff, and current and former players, and reviewed thousands of documents, according to a news release by the University. 

According to the release, Hickey’s investigation revealed that while current and former players “varied on their perspective” regarding the conduct, the whistleblower’s claims were “largely supported by evidence.”  …

After the investigation concluded, the University placed Fitzgerald on unpaid suspension for two weeks. …

Free tickets to the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships!

TrackTown USA is offering University of Oregon faculty, staff, and students 2 free tickets to the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships on Saturday, July 8^th at Hayward Field.  Additional tickets can be purchased for $10 ($40 face value). Come seethe best athletes in the world compete including UO alumni Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker who are competing to make the US team in the men’s 1500 meters. Claim your tickets here.

Keith Frazee, PhD | Interim Vice President
University of Oregon | University Communications
Ford Alumni Center, Suite 209 | 1720 E 13^th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403
541-346-9388
[email protected] | uoregon.edu

Dear University of Oregon community members,

I am thrilled to have arrived on campus and to begin serving as your president. It is such an honor to lead this outstanding university and work alongside all of you to advance our mission and impact. In the video that accompanies this message I share some of my hopes and goals as I settle into my new role. At the top of my list: to listen and learn from you!

To that end, I hope you will join me at a meet-and-greet reception on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 12, on the EMU Green. Please stop by anytime from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. to say hello. I will also say a few words at 4:15 p.m. I look forward to seeing you.

I will hold additional meet-and-greet events this summer and fall. The next one is scheduled for Thursday, August 10, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Knight Campus.

I also look forward to many opportunities in the coming months to engage more deeply with my colleagues as we work together to expand the UO’s reach, prominence, and impact.

I appreciate the warm welcome I have already received. I am excited and optimistic about what lies ahead.

Go Ducks!

Karl Scholz
President

One of these was written for our Interim Pres and Provost by UO’s overpaid PR flacks, the other was generated in 10 seconds by ChatGPT with the prompt “Write a public statement from a university president saying that the university will maintain its commitment to diversity despite today’s SCOTUS decision banning affirmative action in admissions”. Edited only for names. Which is which? Which is better? Is either worth the cost of production? The cost of reading?

Shocking decision here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf

Irvin seems like a good choice. This was the job Woodruff-Borden was hired to do in 2019, before she somehow ended up as Interim Provost. Needless to say it’s very unlikely that she actually made this selection! Note that, in contrast to previous admin searches under her and Phillips, she takes care to note the Senate was actually consulted:

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce I have selected Renee Irvin, professor in the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, to be the next vice provost for academic affairs. She will start July 1.

Renee joins the Office of the Provost where she will focus on supporting the academic success of UO faculty by overseeing personnel actions such as tenure, promotion, faculty performance reviews, post-tenure review, development plans and sabbaticals, as well as training and development of faculty members across their careers.

Renee has demonstrated strong leadership skills throughout her time at Oregon and brings expertise, academic rigor, and good judgment to the vice provost role.

Renee came to the UO in 2001 after serving on the faculty at the University of Nebraska – Omaha. She’s held several leadership positions at the UO, including interim director of the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, head of the Department of Landscape Architecture, and associate dean for finance in the School of Architecture & Allied Arts.

She has served as founder and director of the Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management and of the Master of Nonprofit Management Programs, and director of the Master of Public Administration Program.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in German from the UO, graduating magna cum laude, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from the University of Washington. Her research interests include economics of nonprofit organizations and philanthropy.

Her academic honors include being named a Wayne Morse Center Resident Scholar; serving as president of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council; being appointed as an Ian Potter Foundation Visiting Fellow at the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, Queensland University of Technology; and receiving Public Administration Review’s 75^th anniversary Most Influential Article award. Renee was invited to the White House Social Innovation and Civic Participation’s Convening on Community Foundations; was a Fulbright Scholar at Zhongshan University School of Governance; and received a University of Oregon Faculty Excellence Award.

I want to thank members of the search committee, which included members of the faculty, staff, academic leadership, and the University Senate.

Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Renee in her new role. 

Janet Woodruff-Borden
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President

Dear colleagues, 

With graduation only a few days away, I want to take this moment to express my gratitude to you for a successful academic year. This year started with the welcoming of UO’s largest freshman class and will culminate with CAS graduating 2,441 undergraduate and 280 graduate students. Thank you for your hard work and extraordinary commitment to all our students over these past months. I hope your summer brings opportunities for fun and joy — not to mention well-deserved relaxation. 

This past year, I’m especially grateful for your patience and cooperation as we continue to implement our new shared services structure. We knew the implementation would be challenging, and it has been. I deeply appreciate the way you have all stepped up to try and make it work. We are doing our best to help ease the strain by continuing to hire and train staff in our Academic Service Units and the CAS Business Office, as well as collaborating on workflows with other academic and business hubs on campus. Please bear with us a little longer. We are committed to providing excellent support to the CAS community. 

We are thrilled to welcome the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) as a unit of the CAS family. The hands-on labs, field work, and small courses available at OIMB already create incredible learning experiences for our undergraduates, and bringing this resource beneath our umbrella will enhance opportunities for our students and faculty to take full advantage of this campus on Oregon’s coastal waters. Indeed, this last weekend, OIMB christened a new boat, the “Megalopa” — which is the term for the transitional stage between a crab larva and juvenile crab — creating even more opportunities for research and learning. 

I’m also pleased to report that our two new CAS schools — the School of Computer and Data Sciences (SCDS) and the School of Global Studies and Languages (GSL) — are developing well, and we expect them to continue building student enrollment in the coming year. We’ve recently launched a nationwide search for an SCDS director and will invite finalists to visit campus early in the fall term. We’re also looking forward to the upcoming fall launch within SCDS of a new cybersecurity major, a technology major that will train students in an area that addresses national workforce needs. 

Thanks to the effort and creativity of our departments, our Institutional Hiring Plan (IHP) proposals were very successful this year: we received Provost approval for 36 new tenure-track positions. We are especially excited to be building SCDS with three hires each in computer science and data science and to be expanding our Latinx Studies Program next year with six new tenure-track faculty positions across six departments. These new faculty will add expertise on critical issues of race and racism; access and equity; and social, cultural, and political debates pertinent to Chicanx, Latinx, and Latin American Studies. 

Finally, as you may know, we have restructured the CAS leadership team. We recently expanded the team to better align our leadership structure with CAS priorities and to better support our academic units in the areas of graduate studies, research and scholarship, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Lara Bovilsky (Graduate Studies), Jennifer Pfeifer (Research), and Nadia Singh (DEI) will be joining the team over the summer. Additionally, on July 1, 2023, Bruce McGough will be joining us as Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Elliot Berkman as Associate Dean for Natural Sciences. Harry Wonham will continue as Associate Dean for Humanities. I’m looking forward to the energy, creativity, and expertise our new appointees will bring to the leadership team, and I am filled with gratitude for the many contributions Hal Sadofsky and Phil Scher made to the college and university. 

On a personal note, thank you all for warmly welcoming me to CAS and UO over the academic year. UO is a very special place, and I look forward to working with you all in the coming year to continue to advance our excellence in research, teaching, and service, and to foster a community where all feel that they belong and are supported. Until then, have a fantastic and restorative summer. 

With appreciation, 

Chris 
Chris J. Poulsen
Tykeson Dean of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Earth Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences | University of Oregon
1030 E. 13th Avenue | Eugene, OR | 97403
Pronouns: he/his​

Dear colleagues,

Before we close out the spring term, I want to update you on how the college is addressing findings from the CAS Climate Survey.

As a reminder, in Spring 2022 the university partnered with Gallup to conduct a workplace climate survey designed to identify structural, cultural, and institutional factors that affect campus climate. The survey results are being used to improve the climate through targeted action plans at the university, college, and department levels.

In CAS, our Climate Survey Engagement Team (CSET) — a committee of faculty, staff, and students — led the college-level assessment of our results. They summarized their findings and recommendations in a report to me. I would like to sincerely thank the entire team, who embraced this task wholeheartedly and created a comprehensive and constructive report with recommendations that we can all work toward. We hope you will take a moment to review the final report. Its recommendations can be summarized as follows:

1. Increase recruitment and retention of women faculty, non-binary faculty, faculty of color, and differently abled faculty, as well as other appropriate staff.
2. Ensure that the implementation of survey action plans does not increase the workloads of faculty/staff.
3. Address any disproportionate amount of work assigned to faculty and staff who are women, non-binary, and employees of color.
4. Develop more effective mentoring for instructional faculty at all levels.
5. Create more opportunities for growth and promotion for faculty and staff.
6. Increase communication and ensure safety for those who speak up.
7. Ensure that recommendations are well-documented, publicly available and evaluated for effectiveness.

The issues the CSET report identifies are deeply important. They are also issues that many higher education institutions across the nation have been working to address, and ones that CAS has been addressing for some time. Yet, we can and must do more to create a climate in CAS where all community members feel that they belong and are supported.To this end, CAS is committing to two new initiatives in the coming academic year to foster a climate of belonging and inclusion:

• First, early in fall term, the college will roll out a program to fund small gatherings of faculty and staff to support networking and cohort building. This initiative is a specific recommendation from the CSET report to create support networks for underrepresented faculty and staff. 
• Second, throughout the academic year, we will work with faculty to develop recommendations for a college-wide mentoring program that assures faculty have the support they need and that recognizes mentors for their service.

These new initiatives are a part of our ongoing and sustained efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the college. To build our capacity to move this work forward, and to coordinate efforts across the college, this spring we created a new leadership position in the college — the associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADDEI). Nadia Singh, associate professor of Biology, will take on this new role in July.

The climate survey results and the CSET report are reminders that we have much more work yet to do as a college. We are committed to this work and to partnering with you all to make the college a wonderful place to work and learn.

In closing, thank you for your engagement in this process. We appreciate all the work that our faculty, staff, and students did over the past few months to dig into the survey and suggest changes that will make CAS a stronger community. We will keep you updated on our progress.
 
With appreciation, 
Chris

Chris J. Poulsen
Tykeson Dean of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Earth Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences | University of Oregon
1030 E. 13th Avenue | Eugene, OR | 97403
Pronouns: he/his​

Dear University of Oregon community members,

As the 2022–23 academic year comes to a close, we have much to celebrate. Foremost, we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating students. Your education has been marked by extraordinary resilience. Completing your degree, creating impact in our community, and graduating from the University of Oregon are already impressive accomplishments, but your experience included the disruptive challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. You overcame, persevered, and excelled. We are proud of you and your many accomplishments. Congratulations!

To our faculty, administrators, and staff: We experienced an atypical degree of change this year, and through it all, you continued to make new discoveries, produce world-class knowledge, art and expression; provide exceptional instruction and support for the success of our students; and serve the state of Oregon with our many programs and initiatives. We are deeply appreciative of all your work in support of our institution and community.

In a few short weeks, incoming President Karl Scholz will begin his tenure, and we share in his excitement to lead the UO into its next ambitious era. He has already demonstrated his vision, care, and commitment to excellence during his spring visits to Eugene and Portland, and we are excited about his arrival in July.

As we punctuate this academic year, we hope you enter the summer months with pride and a sense of accomplishment. We have much to celebrate, and we are grateful to each of you. May you have both a productive and restorative summer.

Sincerely,

Jamie Moffitt
Interim President

Janet Woodruff-Borden 
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President

Actually, I don’t see an apology in here. Must have been an editing error. Here’s Chat GPT’s version:

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP] [Email Address] [Phone Number] [Date]

[Recipient’s Name] [Recipient’s Position] [University/Organization Name] [Address] [City, State, ZIP]

Subject: Apology for Date Change of University of Oregon Commencement

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to offer my sincere apologies for the recent change in the date of the University of Oregon Commencement ceremony. I understand that this decision has caused inconvenience and disappointment among the students, faculty, and staff, and I deeply regret any distress caused by this change.

Allow me to provide you with some context regarding the circumstances that led to this unfortunate situation. As you are aware, the University of Oregon has always strived to provide exceptional opportunities and experiences to its students, promoting both academic excellence and overall growth. We have consistently aimed to maintain a harmonious balance between academic pursuits and extracurricular activities, ensuring that our students have a well-rounded education.

In this context, it was brought to our attention that a track meet, organized by the renowned philanthropist and esteemed alumnus of the University of Oregon, Mr. Phil Knight, was scheduled to take place on the same day as our previously planned commencement ceremony. Given the significant impact that Mr. Knight has had on both the university and the field of athletics, we felt it was imperative to address this scheduling conflict respectfully and thoughtfully.

We understand that this decision has caused a disruption to the plans and expectations of many individuals. However, after careful consideration, we concluded that rescheduling the commencement ceremony was the most appropriate course of action to ensure that our students could benefit from both events. We firmly believe that the track meet organized by Mr. Knight offers unique opportunities for our students to witness and learn from the best athletes in the world, potentially inspiring their own future achievements.

Please be assured that this decision was not made lightly, and we fully acknowledge the importance of the commencement ceremony for our graduates and their families. We deeply regret any inconvenience, disappointment, or frustration caused by this rescheduling, and we understand the significance of this event in celebrating the achievements of our students.

In light of the situation, we have taken immediate steps to mitigate the impact of this change. We have worked diligently to secure an alternative date for the commencement ceremony, which will now be held on [New Date]. We have also expanded the capacity of the venue to accommodate any additional guests who may wish to attend due to this date change. Our primary focus is to ensure that our graduates have a memorable and rewarding experience during their commencement.

Once again, I extend my sincerest apologies for any inconvenience and disappointment caused by the date change of the University of Oregon Commencement. We remain committed to providing our students with the best possible opportunities for growth and learning, and we deeply value your understanding and support during this time.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are more than willing to provide any further information or assistance that you may require. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name] [Your Position] [University/Organization Name]

That’s the rumor from some glum looking faculty down at the faculty club tonight. If you can think of an optimistic way to spin this, please post it in the comments.

OK perhaps I’m being a little unfair, I suppose Stalinist might be a more accurate description.

For as long as I can remember UO has had the same leave without pay policy as many of our comparators: faculty can leave for a year to try out a job at another university without giving up their tenure. (Not all: Some universities don’t allow this, at least one is more generous and says no more than two years without special approval).

So if that new department isn’t as great in reality as they made it out to be when they were recruiting, you know you’ve still got a place at UO.

I have two colleagues who took advantage of this, trying out new jobs and then deciding that, actually, Eugene and UO were the best place for them. They are now happy department members, and whenever someone else thinks of leaving they serve as proof that for all its faults, UO was not a dysfunctional totalitarian dictatorship that needed to build a wall to keep its people from fleeing to freedom.

But that was then. This February new CAS Dean Chris Poulsen decided that rather than boosting faculty retention with better working conditions or higher pay, he’d just take away this LWOP policy. And that’s not all – he also announced that henceforth faculty taking a LWOP could be forced to return to UO for a full year afterwards – even if the LWOP was for say medical reasons.

From what I can tell there was virtually no discussion of these changes with the faculty or the union. Heads seem to have been haphazardly informed, after the decision was made. The union only discovered these changes by chance – someone noticed that the CAS policy page had been updated, and then followed the timeline to see that it had been done at Poulsen’s direction. The UO Senate was never told. The CAS Caucus heard about it a few months after the fact, and only after I asked for it to be added to the agenda.

You can find the old policy here, with the changes. Kudos to the CAS staff for their excellent documentation, which should be a model for the OtP:

02/22/2023 – 9:09am by burridge

Updated policy at the request of Chris Poulsen/Deans. Removed section “LWOP to evaluate a position at another institution”

The faculty union pushed back and was able to rescind the requirement to return for a year, on the grounds that it sounded too much like something out of North Korea – no disrespect to Glorious Leader Kim Jong Un intended.

04/19/2023 – 4:14pm by burridge

Removed text: If LWOP is approved, CAS may require that a faculty member return for at least one year of service upon completion of the leave.

But Poulsen wouldn’t restore the old LWOP policy. So if I understand this right the union will have to try and bargain for it – along with pay increases that might help with retention in a slightly less coercive way – during the next round of contract negotiations.

Hello Campus Community,

I am alerting you to CPFM Facilities Services Custodial Department’s temporary adjustment to services provided to the academic buildings during the upcoming Summer Term. Last year we had the opportunity to partner with U of O Housing during the World Track Championships and provide custodial support to supplement Housing’s custodial staff during their busiest time of the year, which coincides with the least occupancy in the academic buildings. As a result of last year’s successful partnership, Housing is again going to utilize Facilities Services custodial staff during the summer. Because of this transfer of custodians, Facilities Services will be reducing some services in the academic buildings during the summer months.

In addition to supporting this year’s Commencement activities, starting June 21, 2023, all of the Custodial day shift, and part of the swing shift, will be working with Housing staff to prepare dorm rooms for the upcoming academic year and to support summer events. Custodial Services will continue to work with Housing until after the Labor Day holiday (September 4^th), when they will resume full campus services to the academic campus and spend the remainder of the summer getting the academic buildings ready for the school year.

For the summer, you can expect the following reduction in custodial services in the academic buildings:

• Offices will not be cleaned. 
• Classrooms that are not scheduled for use by the Registrar will not be cleaned.
• Reduced restroom and common space cleaning in lower use buildings, though all restrooms will still be checked multiple times per week and cleaned if needed.
• For buildings with regular classroom use, the only reduction that will be experienced is the temporary cessation of office cleaning.  All other services will remain the same as the academic school year.

Thank you in advance for your support in these efforts. Our custodians work very hard to keep the campus looking and feeling clean and safe for the campus community. They are proud of the work that they are doing to support the students, faculty, and staff.  We realize that there may be things that we have not considered with this service reduction.  

Please let us know if there are any challenges or difficulties that we can help address to make things work better for each of you. We will continue to have some custodial staff during the day to support urgent needs that may come up.

Dear colleagues,

We are writing to provide an update on the University of Oregon’s efforts to create a workplace climate that fosters equity, inclusion, and belonging—with the goal that every individual can achieve and thrive.

As part of this commitment to create a healthy and productive campus culture, the university conducted the IDEAL Climate Survey of UO Employees in April of 2022 with independent consultant Gallup. As previously shared, the results showed we have significant and important work to improve our culture and enhance the employee experience.

University leadership at all levels is committed to this work. We know that we cannot achieve our mission, support our students, and live our values if those who work here do not feel they belong, can contribute, and succeed.

Although the survey was conducted some time ago and reflects a snapshot in time, the responses reflect real experiences and perceptions. The processes of evaluating the survey results with employees and charting a course of action planning takes time. We are using the results to gain a better understanding of our campus climate and identify opportunities for improvement.

Gallup provided the university with the initial results in June 2022, which were shared with campus. Following more analysis, additional university-wide findings were shared in fall 2022 and again in the winter of this year. This spring, vice presidents and deans reviewed the school, college, and unit-level results, and used them to begin conversations with employees on unit-level action planning.

Gallup’s analysis of the findings identified several key areas of focus, including a need to:

• Improve engagement with employees so they feel connected and committed to their work and our mission,
• Enhance collegiality to ensure all feel respected, supported, and valued,
• Ensure employees feel they have equitable access to resources and opportunities; and
• Prevent and address incidents of harassment and discrimination, ensure incidents are reported, and ensure individuals know about and receive support and resources.

To address these areas of focus, the university formed four university-wide working groups in summer of 2022 and charged them with assessing resources, programs, policies and practices, and recommending improvements or changes.

Each working group is supported by an administrative unit and includes individuals on campus with expertise, responsibility, and/or involvement in the topic area. Climate survey questions were assigned to each workgroup to ensure a comprehensive effort to address all the findings.

The working groups focus are on:

• Engagement and Onboarding
• Equity
• Response, Reporting, and Anti-Discrimination
• Faculty Promotion and Tenure, and Service

The four university-wide working groups charged with addressing the survey findings have provided updates to senior leaders on their activities and have made initial recommendations.

This message provides a comprehensive review of this work. There is a lot that we would like to share. The key information includes:

• Review of work groups and their assessments and recommendations
• Update on unit-level action planning
• Information about resources, training, support, and reporting responsibilities.

The recommendations for any new or updated university-wide policy and program changes listed below, and others in development, will be shared with stakeholder groups for feedback, and reviewed and discussed by senior leadership and the units responsible for work associated with the changes.

This work is ongoing. It takes sustained effort and commitment. Improving our culture is a marathon not a sprint, and we remain resolutely committed to making the University of Oregon a great place to work, teach, research, and serve. We are also committed to continuing to communicate about these efforts and share updates on actions underway.

We want to thank the members of the working groups and all the individuals working to help us analyze, understand, and address these findings.

Again, below you will find additional details about the work group recommendations and the work being done at the unit level.

Sincerely,

Jamie Moffitt
Interim President

Janet Woodruff-Borden
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President

Working Groups Update

The working groups convened over this academic year, and are in various stages of assessment, review, and making recommendations. This spring, each group provided progress updates to members of senior leadership.

Each group completed activities which fall into several categories: cataloguing and assessing existing resources and programs, defining the scope and focus of the work, identifying gaps and recommending improvement in programs and policies, supporting unit-level work, and sharing information.

One very clear theme that emerged from each working group is that there are many resources, programs, tools, and initiatives designed to address workplace culture, equity and belonging across our campus and in our units. However, in many cases, there is a lack of awareness, clarity, coordination, understanding, and/or accountability for this work. Every working group is recommending better coordination, outreach and education regarding currently available resources and programs.

Engagement and Onboarding Working Group

Focus: defining engagement, providing tools and resources to support an engagement culture; recommending strategies for until level action and options for an accountability structure.

Lead unit: Human Resources

Summary of activities:

• Launched Employee Engagement web resources and worked with HR Partners and leaders across campus to increase awareness of these resources and consult on how they could be utilized to enhance engagement in units.
• Compiled a Climate Survey Guide to Data Sharing and Action Planning Discussions that was made available to deans and vice presidents and their senior leadership teams in February.
• Explored and identified options related to a potential accountability structure for supervisors and managers to enhance and sustain employee engagement efforts and focus,
• Evaluated additional resources that may be needed to support employee engagement work on an on-going basis.
• Evaluated onboarding resources to enhance what already exists and identify potential opportunities for additional resources.
• Started collaboration with HR and the Division of Graduate Studies to identify engagement and professional development resources to meet the unique needs of graduate employees

Working group recommendations to senior leadership for discussion and consideration:

• Implementation of subsequent workplace climate surveys every 3-5 years to sustain employee engagement and workplace culture.
• Adoption of an accountability statement for use on webpages and other written materials as needed.
• Addition of employee engagement accountability language to supervisor/manager position descriptions in the “Job Duties” section.
• Addition of employee engagement accountability language to supervisor/manager performance reviews.
• Development of metrics to evaluate supervisor / manager leadership around employee engagement initiatives.

Additional information: https://president.uoregon.edu/charges-climate-survey-working-groups#engagement

Equity Working Group

Focus: developing tools and interventions to address gaps in equity among groups based on race, gender, disability, ethnicity, and employee group; embedding equity practices and an equity lens approach; and partnering with human resources to develop equity expectations and tools for supervisors.

Lead unit: Division of Equity and Inclusion

Summary of activities:

• Identified experts to support facilitation of unit-level climate survey discussions.
• Developed and is hosting workshops to support faculty and staff including: Facilitating Challenging Group Discussions: Listening and Leading with Care facilitated by Justin Freeman, partner at Juniper Rim Partners; Journaling Experiences: An Equity Resourcefacilitated by Michelle Stimpson
• Identified existing list of institutional resources related to equity that need to be embedded in accountability processes.

Working group recommendations to senior leadership for discussion and consideration:

• Regularly communicate to all employees about expectations regarding equity in the workplace and provide reporting pathways to identify and address areas of inequity.
• Equip managers and supervisors with equity tools and hold leaders accountable for incorporating equity appropriately in all unit-based decision making, policies, and processes.
• Amplify institutional equity successes and address equity gaps where they exist.
• Communicate climate survey findings and analyses, as well as a shared definition of equity, to foster a common understanding of the work across campus.
• Ensure the actions that administrative leadership and units are taking to address equity gaps and barriers to change are being reported on and communicated regularly.
• Amplify existing professional development and campus resources related to equity for all campus and institutional decision makers.
• Systematize equitable decision-making across campus with the dissemination of an equitable-focused decision tool for major unit decisions.
• Embed equity definitions, scenarios, and tools into relevant professional development, supervisor expectations, and onboarding processes in ways that clarify what equity looks like within units/departments at various levels and centers equity as a value. 
• Present avenues to obtain resources for strategic investment in equity processes.

Additional information: https://president.uoregon.edu/charges-climate-survey-working-groups#equity

Response, Reporting, and Anti-Discrimination Working Group

Focus: preventing bias discrimination and harassment as well as other impacts around inclusion and belonging on campus; improving the system of university reporting and response.

Lead unit: Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance

Summary of activities:

• Assessed reporting obligations of designated reporters, reporting forms, and employee checklists.
• Identified and assembled resources for employees to increase clarity and understanding of resources; policies and reporting responsibilities; and resources for training and training requests.

Working group recommendations to senior leadership for discussion and consideration:

• Increase campus understanding of reporting avenues, investigation process and regulations, and response options.
• Develop training and resources to increase employee understanding of reporting obligations and available support.
• Develop training to increase understanding of policy violations versus conduct that fall below investigation threshold and non-investigative resolutions.
• Develop process to accompany investigation process to further inform and support campus through the investigation process.
• Create resources, and support and response procedures for incidents not meeting threshold for investigation or formal action.
• Improve anti-discrimination through education and awareness.

Additional information: https://president.uoregon.edu/charges-climate-survey-working-groups#anti-discrimination

Faculty Promotion and Tenure, and Service Working Group

Focus: identifying gaps in understanding of and knowledge about promotion and review policies, process, and expectations; augmenting the role of mentoring in clarifying expectations around promotion; implementing the University Senate-developed recommendations on equitable and transparent faculty service.

Lead unit: Office of the Provost

Summary of activities:

• Developed Community Canvas training modules on compiling tenure and promotion review materials for faculty and unit heads.
• Developed and implemented Faculty Mentorship Programs created for career and tenure-track faculty members.
• Updating Academic Affairs faculty evaluation webpages with templates and resources.
• At the request of the University Senate taskforce, developing a faculty dashboard for reliably tracking faculty employment information and recording faculty service.

Working group recommendations to senior leadership for discussion and consideration:

• Bring additional clarity to expectations for promotion through the current process of unit policy revisions.
• Develop additional training for unit leaders to foster mentorship around promotion.
• Create additional training resources and community awareness around equitable and transparent service allocations.

Additional information: https://president.uoregon.edu/charges-climate-survey-working-groups#faculty

Unit-level Data Sharing and Climate Action 

In February, the university held a School, College, and Unit-Level Climate Survey Workshop for all deans, vice presidents, and the senior leaders in their divisions. At this summit, university leadership provided information, expectations, and resources for sharing results specific to each school, college, institute, or division to individual employees.

A Gallup consultant provided training and input on how to engage with employees and embark on unit-level action planning. Gallup, Human Resources, the Division of Equity and Inclusion and the Office of the President created and curated a comprehensive list of resources and tools for unit leaders to utilize to engage in these discussions.

Vice presidents and deans are expected to have shared their unit- or division-level data with employees by the end of this term. Some of this work is complete, some remains underway. This work takes time, especially in very large academic units, but it is important that individuals not only see their unit’s results but have time to review and discuss them with their supervisors, directors, and/or division heads.

All deans and vice presidents are expected to report at the end of this month about these conversations and their next steps for addressing the findings through current or future action planning.

In addition to the scheduled sessions––Facilitating Challenging Group Discussions: Listening and Leading with Care and Journaling Experiences: An Equity Resource––the Division of Equity and Inclusion will also be hosting workshops over summer and fall to provide support and resources for unit-based teams as they develop their action plans.

Additional Information and Resources

Employee Climate Assessment:

• 2022 IDEAL Climate Survey of UO Employees
• Workplace Climate and Culture – Summary of progress and university communications

Employee Engagement and Support:

• Employee Engagement Guide
• Caregiving Resources – Care.com, UO Caregiver Networks, Eldercare, and more
• Employee Assistance Program
• Workplace Accommodations

Equity:

• Oregon HECC Equity Lens
• IDEAL Equity Tools
• Equity Lens Portland Community College Model
• Courageous Conversations
• Cultural Humility Toolkit
• Rehearsals for Life (Student Life)
• LACE resources
• Data dashboard (Provost, DEI and Student Life)

Response, Reporting and Anti-Discrimination Programs:

• Ombuds Program
• HR Employee and Labor Relations
• Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance
• Employee Assistance Program

Policies and Reporting Responsibilities: 

• Prohibited Discrimination and Retaliation Policy
• Conflicts of Interest and Abuses of Power: Sexual, Physically Intimate, or Romantic Relationships with Students
• Respectful Workplace Notice
• Reporting Responsibilities

Training and Training Requests:

• HR Learning and Development
• Community Canvas training modules on compiling tenure and promotion review materials for faculty and unit heads
• OICRC/Title IX Coordinator
• DEI Learning Opportunities
• Search Advocacy Training
• LinkedIn Learning
• Academic Impressions
• MyTrack
• Reporting Form
• Employee Formal Process

Of course this would make complete sense if he’s mostly concerned with looking like he’s doing something. Nah that can’t be it, can it?

From: CAS Dean [email protected]
Subject: CAS Faculty Announcing Nadia Singh as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Date: May 23, 2023 at 3:37:05 PM PDT
To: “‘[email protected]'” [email protected], “[email protected]” [email protected]

Dear CAS colleagues,

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Nadia Singh as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, from July 2023 through June 2026.
Nadia is an Associate Professor in Biological Sciences and a member of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution. She joined the UO faculty in 2016 after spending six years as faculty at North Carolina State University. Her work uses fruit flies as a model system to study the genetics of the evolutionary process. She is the recipient of a prestigious NSF CAREER grant.

Nadia has a substantial record of contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through her research, teaching, and service. Among her many contributions, she chaired the Biology Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for two years and founded and chaired the CAS Natural Sciences Diversity Leadership Committee. She also served as Associate Vice President of Research in OVPRI and in that role helped develop a strategic plan for advancing DEI. She has been strongly committed to creating institutional infrastructure to diversify the research enterprise and has collaborated on several research projects that broaden representation of underrepresented and underserved students and researchers in science. She has also been a national leader in promoting DEI through her professional societies. Nadia brings a wealth of experience, commitment, and leadership in DEI to the dean’s office.

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Nadia as our new Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Sincerely,

Chris

Chris J. Poulsen
Tykeson Dean of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Earth Sciences