[Uosenate] Senate Leadership update on our role in protests

[Senate President]

Dear UO Senators,

Senate leadership wanted to provide you with an update on how we see our role during this stressful and vital period in our university’s history.

Be assured that Senate Leadership has been working on the encampment protest issue, trying to represent the Senate's interests. Of course, with a complex, politically charged issue such as peace in the Middle East, there are no easy or correct courses of action that the Senate can take. Different Senators have varying political stances on this issue, and in fact, I have received several unprofessional emails from my colleagues.

During the past week, Senate Leadership has seen a significant change in the willingness of top administrators to engage in dialogue with Senate Leadership. Administrators are making a concerted effort to be more transparent with Senate Leadership about their ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict. This clearly indicates their commitment to at least share information, and I value their efforts to keep Senate Leadership informed about the latest developments. Here is the latest posting that administrators shared with us prior to their release publicly:

https://freespeech.uoregon.edu/uo-response-encampment-demands

 The lines of communication are open between Senate Leadership and the President's Office. We also suggested that administrators update the release of their timeline, which they were able to do. This is the behind-the-scenes work that has been ongoing.


Currently, Senate Leadership is not considering an emergency Senate meeting. We have provided administrators with a clear statement, signed by 15 Senators. We had it clear that it was not an official Senate resolution but a letter signed by particular Senators concerned with the conflict and asking for a peaceful resolution. We now have direct lines of communication with the President’s office. We must maintain this open communication to ensure everyone is on the same page.

We have one more Senate business meeting left, filled with essential votes that will move this university in a positive direction: the Hispanic Serving Institution vote, the restructuring of the Academic Council’s representation, and more support for Core Ed. I want to focus on ensuring all those votes pass the Senate; that’s my priority now. I want to ensure the Senate conducts our formal business and that we end the academic year strongly and positively.

I know these are stressful times, and I appreciate all the Senators' work and advocacy. I even understand the visceral emails some Senators have sent me because they demonstrate your passion for this issue – I don’t take them personally.

The Senate Leadership hopes that administrators and the encampment protests come to a resolution promptly.

All the best,

Gerard.


Gerard Francisco Sandoval, PhD
President, University Senate<https://senate.uoregon.edu/>
Professor, School of Planning, Public Policy and Management<https://pppm.uoregon.edu/>
University of Oregon
147A Hendricks Hall
Eugene, OR, 97403-1209
541-346-8432

Alison Schmitke, PhD
University Senate Vice President
Senior Lecturer II
Undergraduate Degree Program Director
Education Studies
College of Education
University of Oregon



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