Gov. John Kitzhaber signed HB 4061, a bill that “establishes a committee on local governance,” on March 27. The committee will investigate issues of how the higher education system is structured and will look into “recommending legislation for the creation of local governing boards.” @@http://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2012/HB4061/@@
The bill has been controversial since its inception, with students fighting on both sides of the issue. Andrew Rogers, an ASUO and Oregon Student Association member, went to Salem to fight against the passing of the bill. @@http://asuo.uoregon.edu/executive.php?a=12@@
“We started out in favor of HB 4061 when it was supposed to prompt a task force to inquire into what higher education reform would be,” he said. “Through the process it was amended to fast track institutional boards without a lot of thought into the repercussions for students.”
Students for Higher Education Excellence Now, a student group in support of continuing former University President Richard Lariviere’s efforts for local leadership, also traveled to Salem to advocate for independent governing boards. Sam Dotters-Katz, SHEEN president and a law student at the University, hopes the University will see more transparency in its leadership through the addition of such a board. @@I’m pretty sure Sam Dotters-Katz is a former student, but I couldn’t find confirmation@@
“HB 4061 was a great victory in the movement towards local governing boards, but it was only the first step,” he said. “A local governing board will be transparent and actually accessible to students. The board would meet on campus, meaning the efficacy of ASUO advocacy will increase tremendously.”
The committee will report its findings to the governor and the Legislative Assembly by Nov. 1.
Interim President Robert Berdahl also supports having an independent governing board for the University. @@http://president.uoregon.edu/biography@@
“I think it’s an important step forward for the University,” Berdahl said. “I am pleased that it was passed and we look forward to working with the special committee that was created and ultimately legislation that provides an independent board for the University and any universities in the system that would like to have them.”
This bill passed the House by a vote of 43-13 on Feb. 29, and then through the Senate 23-4 on March 2. @@http://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2012/HB4061/@@
Phil Barnhart, a Democratic state representative from District 11 — which consists of Central Lane and Linn Counties — voted for HB 4061. A longtime resident of Eugene, Barnhart feels that an independent governing board is crucial to the development of the University and the state-wide education system as a whole.
“They (Oregon University System board) don’t understand how the University’s needs are different from a school like Portland State or Oregon State,” he said. “I believe that setting up an independent board with the authority to manage the University is useful for the whole state.”
Barnhart is dedicated to maintaining the level of education the state currently provides, and thinks independent governing boards are the best way to achieve this goal.
The three most crucial aspects are providing good education for Oregon students at the lowest cost the state can afford at the best places the state can manage, he said. He will not support a bill that does not do those three things for the whole state, and not just the University.
“I think the current system which has the responsibility of governing meaning that the board is extremely remote,” Berdahl said. “They know very little about the programs of the campus as a result of dealing with system-wide issues rather than issues that deal specifically with this campus.”
The legislature will vote on the findings of the special committee in the 2013 legislative session.
“We’re poorly served by the present system and we would be much better served by a board whose interest is the University,” Berdahl said. “I believe it’s not a question of whether we get institutional boards, I think it will open the pathway for designing what powers the institutional boards will have.”