US9900-15A

BASIC PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING UNIVERSITY-WIDE COMMITTEES, ADVISORY GROUPS AND BOARDS

The long standing and highly valued tradition of shared campus governance at the University of Oregon rests on the basic tenet that major decisions are reached after broad discussion and consensus. Major proposals impacting the campus community are generally brought forward for campus-wide discussion from small groups of community members organized as committees, advisory groups or boards. Because of the campus-wide importance of their work, these groups shall adhere to the following three principles, which form the foundation for our system of shared governance:

1) SHARED GOVERNANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON INCLUDES ALL SEGMENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY. A founding principle of the University of Oregon is that of shared governance. Although the University was originally described in the 1876 Charter as being governed by the President and faculty, shared governance has evolved in this century to include all constituent groups within the University community. The underlying assumption is that all voices within the community are significant and each plays a role in campus-wide decisions.

2) THE UNIVERSITY SENATE IS THE PRIMARY DELIBERATIVE BODY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON. The current framework of shared governance as set forth by the University Assembly in May 1995 designates the University Senate as the sole governing body of the University in all matters of shared governance. As such, it is the central venue for public discussion and official deliberation on University issues. Since its reformulation in 1995, it has worked closely with the Administration and has assumed an increasingly significant role in many campus decisions.

3) REGULAR COMMUNICATION AND CONSULTATION AMONG ALL CONSTITUENT GROUPS IS AN ESSENTIAL HALLMARK OF SHARED GOVERNANCE. A fundamental principle of shared governance is the agreement that decisions of community-wide importance be implemented through wide consultation with all segments of the community. By necessity, this requires the formation of small groups of community members to deliberate on specific issues and make recommendations for action. These groups, often called committees, councils, or boards, must communicate and consult regularly with both the University Senate and the Administration to ensure the proper functioning of the University. A welcomed by-product is the enhancement of collegiality and respect across campus. Both official reporting and informal communication will take various forms, depending upon the specific charge of each body and its level of confidentiality.

These principles shall govern the work of University standing committees, administrative advisory groups and externally mandated boards as defined in the accompanying document entitled Revised Campus Wide Committee Structure. The above 3 principles of shared governance and open communication shall also apply to short-lived Task Forces and ad hoc committees. Regardless of their origins, any campus group is required to report to the University Senate on issues of general importance to the University community. 

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