The University Senate is an inclusive body comprised of faculty, administrators, staff and students, but not all enjoy the same rights within the organization.
Classified staff members – generally including non-faculty, non-administration University employees – have long held appointed positions within the University Senate. They haven’t, however, had voting privileges. That changed last month when the Senate passed a motion that will allow three classified staff members to vote on measures.
In 2002 three classified staff were appointed to the Senate for the first time, but as non-voting members, or “Senate participants.” This motion’s passage represents a victory for certain staff and faculty who have clashed with the University administration over whether classified staff having voting privileges is acceptable, because staff are union-represented.
Four other Oregon University System institutions have voting union-represented members sitting on the Senate.
In November 2006, a motion that biology professor Nathan Tublitz had planned to present was withdrawn, “citing the incompatibility of current contract language bargained by the classified

staff’s union,” according to University Senate minutes. Graduate Coordinator for Computer Science Star Holmberg, a current Senate participant, wrote a separate Senate Report for classifieds and expanded upon the incident: “Holmberg asked (General Counsel Melinda Grier) why it is considered illegal for us to obtain our votes through a Senate motion, but it is not illegal for us to be elected to Senate positions that afford us the opportunity to have a voice, and possible influence, in the Senate. Melinda explained that as Senate participants we are like invited guests of the Senate.”
Holmberg said in an interview that although she is “overjoyed” at this motion’s passage, she doesn’t understand why there is such reluctance on the part of the administration to allow classified staff votes.
“We’re just talking about three lousy votes,” she said. “It’s not like they’re going to go to jail for letting us vote.”
In light of the push for voting rights that has taken place during the last couple of years, Grier asked the state Department of Justice whether voting classified staff would violate collective bargaining laws. Leigh Salmon, Oregon’s assistant attorney general, consulted with Grier and said “the answer to your question is less than clear, but there are a number of risks associated with such inclusion.” Salmon thus advised Grier to exclude classified employees from the Senate.
Holmberg is one of three classified staff on the Senate. At the Feb. 13 meeting she and fellow Senate participant Sue Martinez presented the motion. Biology professor Nathan Tublitz, who Holmberg said is “the faculty member who has stood by us throughout,” spoke at the meeting and urged senators to pass the motion.
“Our entire governance system is based upon a fairly unique representational system where we have a University Senate that is not a faculty-only Senate,” Tublitz said in an interview. “One of the stakeholder groups that was glaringly omitted when we created the University Senate was the classified staff. And we were simply rectifying that.”
Tublitz said the motion’s passage was unsurprising.
“I think the Senate in its wisdom realized the merits of this particular motion, and the fairness of it,” said Tublitz. “That’s what it really boils down to.”
Martinez, food service coordinator at the Grab ‘n’ Go, said the classified staff’s voice will benefit the Senate.
“We’re educated people. We’re people that live in this community, that pay taxes, that do everything everybody does,” Martinez said. “It will make a difference in a positive way.”
Tublitz agreed.
“They make this University run,” he said, “and they are an integral part of this University, and therefore deserve a voice in our governance system.”
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