The statutory faculty of the University of Oregon has delegated its governance role to the University Senate, as articulated in the University Constitution. The Senate is comprised of 51 to 54 voting members from constituent groups on campus including the statutory faculty, librarians, officers of administration, students, classified staff, and career non-tenure-track research faculty. The statutory faculty is defined in the University Constitution as, “the body of professors consisting of the University President, tenure-related officers of instruction, career non-tenure-track officers of instruction, and officers of administration who are tenured in an academic department.”
The leadership of the Senate consists of a president and vice president elected from among the statutory faculty. These positions serve for a one-year term in their respective roles. After serving as the vice president, the incumbent then moves into the position of president for the subsequent academic year. A candidate for the vice president position does not need to be a current member of the Senate. In addition, the immediate past president maintains an important leadership role with the Senate, serving as a member of the Senate Executive Committee and a non-voting member of the Senate. The immediate past president may also continue to lead certain Senate initiatives, as determined by the Senate president. The Senate president routinely consults with both the vice president and immediate past president on issues facing the Senate.
University Senate Website
Compensation
The Office of the President for the university provides compensation to Senate leadership as follows:
Vice President
Choice of:
- $10,000* and one course release, or
- Two course releases
President
Choice of:
- $30,000* and one course release, or
- Three course releases
Immediate Past President
- Negotiated based on assigned role
While these are the standard compensation packages, it is possible that incumbents for these positions will need additional or variable considerations to appropriately account for other responsibilities, such as managing new or ongoing research grants. Candidates for vice president are encouraged to contact the administration liaison to the Senate to discuss how compensation might be best structured to fit individual circumstances.
*Any monetary compensation is provided into the faculty member’s research/professional development account and can be used for items such as research support or summer salary. If taken as summer salary, the funds must also cover the blended OPE on the salary.
Contact Information
For more information on the Senate compensation structure, including any questions by potential vice presidential candidates, please contact the administration liaison to the Senate:
- Angela Wilhelms, Statutory Faculty Executive Coordinator, wilhelms@uoregon.edu
For more information on the Senate including its current membership, university committees, and current actions and priorities, please visit the University Senate website or contact one of the following people:
- Senate President – Elliot Berkman, professor of psychology, senatepres@uoregon.edu
- Senate Vice President – Spike Gildea, professor of linguistics, senatevp@uoregon.edu
- Immediate Past President – Elizabeth Skowron, professor of psychology, eskowron@uoregon.edu
- Senate Executive Coordinator – Betina Lynn, senatecoordinator@uoregon.edu