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<p class="MsoNormal">Dear University Senators,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last week, we announced the formation of a joint task force that will advise the UO president on potential long-term institutional responses presented by the COVID-19 crisis. This task force was formed in response to our recent
<a href="https://senate.uoregon.edu/2020/04/24/statement-from-the-senate-president-and-vice-president-on-the-university-budget/">
call</a> for collaborative long-term planning that would bring together the knowledge and experience of UO faculty, staff, and administrators to find new, creative ways to accomplish our mission in the face of significant cuts to our operating budget in the
coming months/years. I am writing you today in response to questions raised about how task force members were chosen and attempt to address any confusion about the relationship between the task force and the university senate.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our goal in proposing this task force is to engage proactively with the administration to advocate for significant representation from the university’s senate and diverse constituencies in this important long-term planning effort. We view
the task force as an outstanding opportunity to promote an elusive goal: academic shared governance in the long-term financial planning of the institution. We are proud of the level of representation on the task force, which
<span style="color:black">is comprised of many individuals who serve in elected, representative positions on campus, including
</span>current and former senators, and members of university academic and advisory committees. Further, the task force is comprised of a majority faculty. Of 15 members, 9 are women. Three members are senior academic administrators, one is a member of the
classified staff, one is an officer of administration, and there will be one student member as well.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Members of the task force were identified and chosen jointly by the Senate President (myself), Senate President-Elect Elliot Berkman, University President Mike Schill, and Provost Patrick Phillips. Together the Senate President and President-Elect
generated a list of prospective members for the Task Force and the President and Provost made some edits and suggestions as well. Together we finalized a list of candidates. All who were approached recognized the importance of this opportunity and agreed
to serve. We sought broad representation from the ranks of TTF and Career Faculty, Classified Staff, and Officers of Administration across campus, with a student representative to be named in the coming weeks. We sought
<span style="color:black">individuals who would bring diverse expertise and a deep commitment to the institution-as-a-whole, while also keeping the committee manageable in size.
</span> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Though the task force members were appointed jointly by the senate leaders and administrators noted above, we want to be clear that the task force cannot speak for the senate nor substitute for consultation with the senate or any senate
committees. Further, in no way does the task force replace the important work that will continue in the senate’s various committees in the coming year. On the contrary, the work ahead will intersect with many parts of the academic mission of the university,
making it important to engage with these committees throughout the coming year where their expertise is relevant.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In light of concerns that have been raised, we are changing the name of the task force to the “<i>University Task Force on Long-Term Financial Responses to COVID-19”,
</i>so as not to confuse matters and make it clear that the members of the task force have not been chosen by the senate, nor have they been formally endorsed by the senate. This name reflects the reality that the whole university will need to be part of our
long-term response to the changes brought forth by the pandemic.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In closing, Elliot and I would like to express our gratitude to those of you who have worked with us to clarify the role this task force will play in the coming months. We view this conversation as yet another example of the positive outcomes
that result from direct communication, constructive engagement, and shared governance and cooperation between the senate and administration.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A">Elizabeth A. Skowron, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A">Professor, Department of Psychology<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A">Center for Translational Neuroscience
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A">UO Senate President<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A">University of Oregon<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A">Eugene, OR 97403<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ctn.uoregon.edu/"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A">http://ctn.uoregon.edu/</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#44546A">Tel. 541-346-9329<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1F497D"><img border="0" width="120" height="111" style="width:1.25in;height:1.1562in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.gif@01D63014.EA6D0220" alt="cid:image001.gif@01CE1104.B9070730"></span><i><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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