Following the university's transitont to governance under the Board of Trustees, the University of Oregon will review and update its policies. This is a big undertaking. But it is important work, as these policies are critical to our operations and fulfilling our mission. This review will also afford us the opportunity to organize and streamline the policies so that the University can operate effectively and transparently.
As part of the UO’s transition to a self-governing institution, all of the policies the UO previously operated under by state of Oregon, Oregon University System, and the State Board of Higher Education became UO policies. We now control all these inherited policies and have the opportunity to adapt them into a cohesive body that best serves our community. In addition, many are irrelevant to the UO. For example, several relate to management of the Oregon University System or to programs at other universities in Oregon. Others have not been reviewed for decades and need to be updated.
I have appointed a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) made up of faculty, staff, and students as well as the University Senate President. The membership of the PAC is listed here. The PAC will advise the president on how to prioritize and organize the policy review process in cooperation with the various departments and people on campus who are affected by the policies. The council will also ensure the campus community has ample time to provide feedback and input on the creation or revision of policies.
The PAC membership was formed after receiving recommendations for faculty, classified staff, officer of administration, undergraduate student and graduate student members from relevant campus groups such as the University Senate, the OA Council, ASUO, existing administrative divisions and other bodies.This is an unusual opportunity to organize our policies, codify our practices and simplify our organization’s documentation. The Policy Advisory Committee will seek input from all parts of campus to conduct such a comprehensive review. Information about the process will be updated on the policies website.