OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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A recording of the meeting is available here.
Senators Present:
Senators Absent:
Ex-Officio members present: Bailey (remote), Batten, Dahl (remote), Du Pont, Dugger (remote), Goergen-Doll, Hamblin, Hansen, Mathew, Murthy, Spitz, Valls
Non-Voting members present: Beachley, Palmer
Staff: Caitlin Calascibetta, Susie Sprinson
Guests: Nancy Barbour (remote), Stephanie Baugh (remote), Vrushali Bokil (remote), Chris Brakke (remote), Danielle Brewer (remote), Heather Cashell (remote), Eleanor Feingold (remote), Kali Furman (remote), Susan Gardner (remote), Alix Gitelman, Romeo Lopez Gonzalez (remote), Beamlak Guggsa (remote), Claudia Hamilton (remote), McKenzie Huber, Jennifer Humphreys (remote), Nadia Jaramillo (remote), Tim Jensen (remote), Laurel Kincl (remote), Jan Lewis (remote), Rebecca Mathern, Megan McDonald (remote), Mealoha McFadden (remote), Phil Mote (remote), Janice Nave-Abele (remote), Vincent Nguyen (remote), Stephanie Ramos (remote), Carolyn Rothwell (remote), Melanie Rose (remote), Robbin Sim (remote), Michael Steinberg, Caryn Stoess (remote), Lisa Templeton (remote), Carolyn Warfield (remote), Bridget Watson (remote), Karen Watte (remote), Phil Williams (remote), Nicole Wolf (remote), Steve Wuhs
Comments from Faculty Senate President
Andrew called the meeting to order. He welcomed senators, proxies, and visitors, and reviewed the agenda for the meeting. He thanked everyone for their participation in the recent special session regarding course caps on Core Education. He noted that the two motions that were passed reaffirmed the Faculty Senate’s authority regarding the Learning Outcome and Criteria Report (LOCR) and over the general education curriculum.
Report from OSU President
OSU President Jayathi Murthy provided an update to senators. President Murthy acknowledged the rapidly changing federal landscape and reminded the senate that Roy Haggerty will join OSU in July as Provost and Executive Vice President. President Murthy noted that OSU is engaged in staying true to its mission, including academic freedom and free expression. Several offices are working together to carefully track and monitor the evolving immigration situation, and OSU has joined 23 other universities in filing an amicus brief supporting Harvard University’s lawsuit against the federal administration for freezing research funding based on alleged viewpoint discrimination. OSU also filed declarations in two new lawsuits brought by multi-state coalitions against the National Science Foundation (NSF), which challenge the NSF’s policy regarding a 15% cap on reimbursement of indirect costs for new awards. The suit also challenges the termination of certain existing grants. President Murthy emphasized staying engaged through challenging times and fostering dialogue. President Murthy also expressed appreciation for the OSU community and their engagement through the legislative session. She remains optimistic about the legislature investing in capital projects. President Murthy closed her remarks by noting that a media deal was announced this season that provides national visibility across major TV networks for OSU football, and OSU is well-positioned as we look to the future of the Pac-12. There were no questions for President Murthy.
Consideration of Degree Candidates
Rebecca Mathern, Associate Vice Provost and University Registrar, presented OSU’s class of 2025 degree candidates. Rebecca noted that this is the largest graduating class in OSU’s history. She explained the process through which candidates are evaluated for confirmation of degree requirements and shared the total number of candidates by degree type. There were no questions or comments.
Motion to approve degree candidates from OSU’s Class of 2025. The motion passed with 101 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition and 0 abstentions.
Curricular Proposal
Jim Coakley, Co-Chair of the Curriculum Council presented one curriculum proposal. Jim explained that the proposal creates a special education graduate certificate. Jim also provided a summary of the Curriculum Council's work to-date.
Special Education Graduate Certificate – 915: There were no questions or discussion.
Motion to approve CIM proposal #915 to create a new graduate certificate in special education. The motion passed with 92 votes in favor, 2 votes in opposition and 1 abstention.
Graduate Council Proposals
John Becker Blease, Chair of the Graduate Council presented three proposals from the Graduate Council.
There was no discussion.
Motion to approve the Graduate Certificate Learning Outcome Policy passed with 87 votes in favor, 5 votes in opposition and 4 abstentions.
Motion to approve the Graduate Committee Reconstitution Policy passed with 87 votes in favor, 5 votes in opposition and 4 abstentions.
Motion to approve the update to the Advisorless Student Policy passed with 89 votes in favor, 4 votes in opposition and 3 abstentions.
Interinstitutional Faculty Senate (IFS) Resolutions
Kerri Goergen-Doll, Senior IFS Senator, presented background information on OSU’s representation in the IFS and their meetings to-date. She explained that the IFS drafted and approved two resolutions regarding support for public universities and sanctuary laws in Oregon, and they are seeking endorsement from the OSU Faculty Senate. There was no discussion.
Motion to endorse the Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Resolution in support of Public Universities in the State of Oregon passed with 93 votes in favor, 4 votes in opposition and 1 abstention.
Motion to endorse the Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Resolution in support of Sanctuary and Public Universities in the State of Oregon passed with 92 votes in favor, 5 votes in opposition and 1 abstention.
FS Meeting Location Poll
Faculty Senate President Andrew Valls introduced a brief survey to provide senators with an opportunity to give their feedback on holding meetings in the Memorial Union or the LaSells Stewart Center. Senators were also encouraged to provide more substantive feedback via email. Results and feedback will be given to the Executive Committee for consideration.
University Budget Update
Carla Ho’a, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Brent Gustafson, Associate Vice President for Budget and Resource Planning, and Belinda Batten, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President, provided an update on the OSU budget. Brent explained the budget evaluation process to-date. Realignment is necessary because of projected expense growth, declining university reserves, assumption of new revenue, and the need to position OSU in an increasingly competitive environment. There have been over 20 hours of meetings with colleges and administrative units to bring the budget back into alignment. Some of the challenges identified were budget constraints, staffing infrastructure, and strategic tensions. Brent highlighted opportunities, including areas for growth, efficiency gains, and revenue strategies. Brent noted that they are trying to be mindful of risks and uncertainties, and setting the university-wide budget target required a delicate balance of making assumptions and projections.
Carla Ho’a expressed that while there is a lot of uncertainty at this point in time, they are making sure to be transparent and that there is a good understanding of our financial situation. Carla also expressed that OSU is not going to make reductions more or sooner than necessary. Carla also acknowledged that there are unique nuances in each situation, so cuts and balances in departments may vary depending on their need and their resources. 5.2% is the baseline for reduction in colleges, with a floor of 3.2% and a ceiling of 6.5%.
A senator asked if units were considering layoffs, furloughs, or retirement incentives. Carla explained that layoffs are under consideration in some circumstances, but individual units approach those scenarios and targets in different ways. Human Resources is talking with various unit leaders about how they’re implementing their plans. A senator asked about raises for employees, and Carla explained that there was some debate about whether OSU should have a merit program this year, and ultimately decided it was important to recognize the work of employees. A senator noted that there may be unintentional financial burdens related to vendors being placed on administrative units due to OSU's Administrative Modernization Program (AMP). A senator asked about investments that OSU has made, and Brent clarified
that some of the investments included expenses like new personnel, costs related to core education, re-organizations, and the Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex. A senator asked about costs related to athletics, and Carla explained that this is a new conference at a different level, and athletics will have some significant challenges with the name, image and likeness issues. Legal costs related to athletics are essential for OSU so we have a clear understanding of our obligations.
A senator asked about the financial situation of the OSU Portland Center, and Belinda explained that former Provost Ed Feser assembled a Portland Strategy Taskforce that is working on OSU’s general strategy for Portland. A senator asked about the common actions different units implemented to meet the reduction target. Brent stated that the scenario plans had consistent themes, but actions will vary by units. Some units are considering the elimination of vacancies, personnel reductions, service and supply reductions, student employment reductions, and consolidation or structure changes. A senator asked if OSU anticipates needing to modify Prosperity Widely Shared or 30 by 30. Belinda stated they may consider changes to Prosperity Widely Shared once there is additional clarity around federal landscape that could impact research or student goals. Belinda explained that if there was something material that OSU felt was important to change, they could do that. Carla expanded on AMP’s contribution toward our budget, noting that OSU expects an estimated savings of about $10.8 million, but does not expect to start seeing those savings accrue until fiscal year 2028.
A senator asked how the recent financial investment in athletics resulted in improvements to the budgetary situation. Carla stated that athletics is always an important part of any university, and impacts the student experience, alumni relations, and fundraising efforts.
Matters Arising
There was no new business.
Adjournment
With no further discussion or business before the Faculty Senate, Andrew adjourned the meeting.
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Land Acknowledgement