coe-staff: University Senate Update 12/3/14

[Deborah Olson]

Hi colleagues - I hope you are enjoying the weekend. I am quickly sending out my notes from last Wednesday's Senate meeting because serious and challenging actions are happening on our campus.  Regardless of whether you support the GTFF strike, it is important to understand that the administration is taking actions that disregard academic freedom and integrity. Since the Senate meeting on Wednesday, an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences has informed the students in classes in the depts. of Linguistics, Philosophy and Environmental Sciences that she will be giving them their grades if the strike goes beyond Dec 12, also instructors have been removed from their own Blackboard courses, and at least one dept. head has been told that disciplinary procedures will be started against her if she doesn't comply with the "Academic Continuity Plan."

Last month the Senate passed legislation that the administration consult with the appropriate academic committees regarding the Academic Continuity Plan. As that didn't happen, this month the Senate passed legislation calling for members of the Undergraduate Council, The Graduate Council, and the Committee on Courses to form a task force, the Academic Integrity Task Force, to seek administrative solutions to administrative problems grade issuance and financial aid.  This task force met on Thursday and Friday with the registrar and financial aid representatives to understand that administrative solutions that maintain academic integrity can be found.  Their report should be out shortly.

In my notes I tried to capture at least some of the discussion that occurred with President Coltrane after his State of the University address (all very respectful, I might add).  Also note that the UO is going ahead with the AAU sexual assault survey and the locally produced survey and that we finally got to the changes in the Student Conduct Code regarding sexual assault that have been on our agenda almost since the start of the term.

Please refer to the senate webpage, http://senate.uoregon.edu/content/senate-meeting-agenda-december-3-2014  for links to the texts of all motions, except the Academic Integrity Task Force, which I briefly summarized.

Lastly, a professor of history and environmental studies and graduate director of environmental studies has an op-ed piece in this morning's Register Guard: http://registerguard.com/rg/opinion/32508160-75/gtf-strike-a-bad-sign-for-uo.html.csp

It is quite possible that you will be hearing from the Senate President, Rob Kyr, in the next few days.  If so, please give his email you utmost attention.

Thanks much
Deborah Olson
Special Education

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