Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Suit seeks to overturn Medford's pot ban ... Kids learn life lessons in preparation for auction at Jackson County Fair ... One dam at a time ... Suit seeks to overturn Medford's pot ban ... Kids learn life lessons in preparation for auction at Jackson County Fair ... One dam at a time ... INVESTIGATION UO seeks return of released documents Officials call it an illegal action; one recommendation was to abolish influential University Senate Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jan. 22, 2015 at 4:53 PM By The Associated Press Posted Jan. 22, 2015 at 4:53 PM » Social News EUGENE — Among the documents the University of Oregon claims were illegally released from the president's office is a 2012 recommendation from the school's lawyer to abolish the University Senate, a body that gives faculty members influence in governing the school. The document surfaced in a blog run by economics Professor Bill Harbaugh and argues that faculty members who unionized thereby gave up any role in management, the Eugene Register-Guard reported Thursday. There's no apparent indication the administration acted on the 14-page recommendation from Randy Geller, then general counsel. He retired last year. The documents were released under circumstances that haven't been fully described and have caused a stir on the campus that's going through a significant shift at the top. The Legislature gave control to a board dominated by prominent graduates, as of July. A month later, the president abruptly resigned. The interim president, Scott Coltrane, sent out an email Tuesday announcing that two unnamed employees were put on leave while an investigation is conducted into how the 22,000 pages of documents got out weeks ago. The documents were not reviewed to make sure they didn't contain information that state and federal laws prohibit the schools from disclosing, said school spokesman Tobin Klinger. Harbaugh said on his blog he isn't in possession of the documents, which the school said were released in electronic form. He said he wouldn't reveal who gave him the document he posted but said more will be released. The school set a Thursday deadline for the return of the documents, which the school's media office said hadn't happened as of midday. The documents were released as records from the president's office were being sent to archives — standard operating procedure when presidents leave office. Only the Geller memo has been made public, Klinger said. Klinger said the documents were communications with the president's office dating as far back as 2010 but didn't seem to have personal information that would help an identity thief. Coltrane, a former provost, was named interim president while the university's new board looks for a successor to Michael Gottfredson, who was the second university president in a row to serve only two years. The University Senate is composed of administrators, faculty members, students and classified workers and has exercised significant authority over academic matters. The Geller memo was labeled "Attorney-client Communication Confidential and Privileged." It says the faculty "traded its voice" in university management when it unionized in 2012. "Accordingly, my advice is to proceed as follows: 1. Abolish the faculty assembly and the university senate and all committees created by the university senate," it reads. Harbaugh posted it under the headline "The UO administration's secret plan to abolish the UO Senate." Philosophy Professor Scott Pratt said faculty members are concerned about the memo's contents. "It seems to me that stuff about shared governance should be public," he said. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jan. 22, 2015 at 4:53 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501