[Uosenate] Senate Exec Mtg Friday

Wed Aug 27 18:52:09 PDT 2025

Dear Dyana and all,

I agree with the suggested changes and would like my name to be added to the letter.

I will be traveling on Friday but will do my best to join the meeting via phone.

Thank you,
Paula

________________________________
From: uosenate-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu> on behalf of Jesus Ramos-Kittrell <jramoski at uoregon.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 6:23:48 PM
To: Pedro Garcia-Caro <pgcaro at uoregon.edu>; Eric Corwin <ecorwin at uoregon.edu>; Senate President <senatepres at uoregon.edu>; Betina Lynn <betina at uoregon.edu>; uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu>; uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: Re: [Uosenate] Senate Exec Mtg Friday

Dear Dyana,

I concur with my colleagues' remarks, especially with Pedro's observation on the attack on tenure. Please add my name to the list.

Jesús

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From: uosenate-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu> on behalf of Pedro Garcia-Caro <pgcaro at uoregon.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:39:27 PM
To: Eric Corwin <ecorwin at uoregon.edu>; Senate President <senatepres at uoregon.edu>; Betina Lynn <betina at uoregon.edu>; uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu>; uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: Re: [Uosenate] Senate Exec Mtg Friday

Dear Eric, and all,

These are all great suggestions. I would add that the sentence “Tenure should only be violated when all alternatives have been exhausted” is poorly worded and it cedes territory many of us are not ready to grant. Might elimination work for you all? Or perhaps at most something like “Tenure should only be questioned or reviewed as a last resort and when all alternatives have been exhausted”

Best,

Pedro

Pedro García-Caro<https://cas.uoregon.edu/directory/romance-languages/all/pgcaro>

Associate Professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies | Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages, University of Oregon | UO Senator (2023-2025), College of Arts and Sciences, Humanities | Friendly Hall 325 | (541) 346-5813

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From: uosenate-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu> on behalf of Eric Corwin <ecorwin at uoregon.edu>
Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 4:29 PM
To: Senate President <senatepres at uoregon.edu>, Betina Lynn <betina at uoregon.edu>, uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu>, uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: Re: [Uosenate] Senate Exec Mtg Friday

Dear Dyana, et al.,

Thank you for writing this letter and thank you for holding this senate meeting.  I look forward to a valuable discussion, but I thought that it might be worthwhile to offer some detailed feedback in advance of that meeting.

Para1: I don't think it's appropriate to accept the usage of the (apparently) highly loaded term, "structural deficits".  Perhaps instead we could use the more neutral phrasing, "UO leadership has shared with us the budget deficits..."

Para2: Should it be, "We constituents of the Senate..."

Para3: I would argue that the lack of transparency is real. It undercuts our argument to call it "perceived".

Para4: I don't think that this order reflects the prioritization of my concerns.  Perhaps others feel differently, however.  Nevertheless, and for example, the timeline, while certainly rushed, is not the primary problem.  The problem is the attack on tenure and the elimination of programs, which will undoubtedly lead to negative impacts on the students of our University.  In similar fashion, the arbitrary and capricious performance criteria are a part of the attack on tenure, rather than their own independent offense.  I would suggest instead ordering these sections as:

  1.  Attack on tenure (which is facilited and exacerbated by a rushed timeline and arbitrary and capricious criteria).  My understanding is that this is the most legally dubious aspect of the plan and the one most likely to cost the university a large fortune in lost lawsuits.

  1.  Destruction of academic programs (which is facilited and exacerbated by a rushed timeline and arbitrary and capricious criteria).  My understanding is that there is greater legal standing for this action, but it is still almost certainly a violation of both the CBA and tenure protections as currently proposed.

  1.  Negative impact on students.

We've heard much less explicitly about the attacks on NTTF and other members of our community which will result from this plan, but surely they will be treated in a similarly cavalier fashion.  Our opposition to this should likewise be stated explicitly.

Final Para: I think that we should make demands rather than simply asking for more time.  I think it's important to make clear that there are some aspects of this proposed plan that will never be acceptable, even if all voices are heard before action is taken.  The senate describes itselfs thusly, "The Senate derives its authority from the Statutory Faculty, by virtue of the University of Oregon Constitution, and expresses the faculty's will on academic matters through legislation and policy proposals." As such, we should act with authority and demand that this destructive plan be halted.

Thanks again, and I look forward to Friday's discussion.

Best,

Eric

--

Eric Corwin

Professor

Department of Physics, Willamette 374

1274 University of Oregon

Eugene, OR 97403-1274

<corwinlab.uoregon.edu>

cell: 773.706.0488

<ecorwin at uoregon.edu>

<eric.corwin at gmail.com>

________________________________

From: uosenate-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu> on behalf of Senate President <senatepres at uoregon.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:46 PM
To: Betina Lynn <betina at uoregon.edu>; uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu>; uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: [Uosenate] Senate Exec Mtg Friday

Senate Colleagues,

Yesterday, I invited you to attend an emergency Executive Committee meeting this Friday from 12-1 on zoom.  https://uoregon.zoom.us/j/99524312478<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/uoregon.zoom.us/j/99524312478__;!!C5qS4YX3!AV3As8KXQn3sFSo74nor4l6axC3-oTz-kwCy28vD15pwFK_qx0gPzwBSR9K9sss2Z6nPQPDBa80HWDjhmJU$>

The main agenda item for discussion is an open letter that your Senate Leadership has written to President Scholz, Provost Long and the Board of Trustees.  I have attached a draft of that letter here.  At the meeting on Friday, I will open the floor to discussion and feedback. I will circulate an updated letter by Monday morning.  My goal is to invite you in joining me as a co-signer.

In addition, President Scholz and Provost Long have both agreed to provide some remarks and answer questions at the meeting.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and I will look forward to seeing you on Friday.

Dyana

Dyana Mason, PhD

University Senate President and Associate Professor

Director, Master of Nonprofit Management

School of Planning, Public Policy and Management

University of Oregon

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From: uosenateexec-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenateexec-bounces at lists.uoregon.edu> on behalf of Betina Lynn <betina at uoregon.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 4:48 PM
To: uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenateexec at lists.uoregon.edu>
Cc: uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu <uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: [Uosenateexec] Senate Exec Mtg
When: Friday, August 29, 2025 12:00 PM-1:00 PM.
Where: Zoom

https://uoregon.zoom.us/j/99524312478<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/uoregon.zoom.us/j/99524312478__;!!C5qS4YX3!FYbbQDbXPelM2V0oGiBrHfEA2k2GR0grzmcUDb02VtxAzhDE2WYhylCuVW2HtCEDXmy-EADw-yf3Rw4U-ySj1Q$>

Dear Senate Executive Committee members and Senators,

In recent weeks, I have heard in many different forums the deep anxiety and concern that everyone is experiencing regarding the Administration's call to cut $25-30 million dollars<https://president.uoregon.edu/revisiting-uos-financial-outlook> from the University budget.

Although the Senate's "official" calendar typically does not begin until the start of the academic year, I feel it's important to offer a time and place for us to gather, hear different perspectives from across our Senate constituencies and articulate our collective concern with the Administration about the impacts any potential cuts may have.

Additionally, the timeline that has been shared with us makes comprehensive campus engagement difficult.

I'd like to invite you to a special "emergency" Senate Executive Committee meeting on Friday, August 29 from 12-1pm.    You will also receive a zoom invite to add to your calendar.

Agenda

I.  Welcome
II. Brief  Remarks
IV.  Potential Open Letter - Introduction and Discussion
V. Next steps, and adjourn

Although our Executive Committee meetings are generally not recorded, we will be recording and posting this meeting as well as inviting all Senators. Visitors are also welcome but will only be allowed to participate at the discretion of the Senate President.

I understand that meeting when many faculty are "off contract" is unusual, so let me thank you in advance for taking time out of your schedules to participate.

Dyana Mason

Dyana Mason, MBA PhD

Director, Master’s in Nonprofit Management
Director, Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management
School of Planning, Public Policy and Management
University of Oregon

541-346-2324  |  dmason at uoregon.edu<mailto:dmason at uoregon.edu>  |www.dyanamason.com<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.dyanamason.com__;!!C5qS4YX3!FYbbQDbXPelM2V0oGiBrHfEA2k2GR0grzmcUDb02VtxAzhDE2WYhylCuVW2HtCEDXmy-EADw-yf3Rw5SYIlDiA$>

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President of University of Oregon Senate (2025-2026)

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