Members of the University Assembly succeeded Tuesday in gathering 33 percent of Assembly member signatures — the amount necessary to enact legislative authority concerning the University’s stance on an Iraq invasion.
University President Dave Frohnmayer has scheduled an Assembly meeting Feb. 28 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the three-court basketball area of the Student Recreation Center. The meeting will focus on the petitioners’ request for a University resolution against the invasion of Iraq, and the body could vote on the issue at the meeting.
In December, the University Faculty Senate voted against hearing a similar resolution condemning a war in Iraq after Frohnmayer sent letters to all senators asking them to rule the resolution unfit business for the senate. Since then, members of the assembly have been working to gather the signatures required to reopen discussion on a new resolution, which would instate an official University stance against the war in Iraq.
The University Assembly consists of instructional faculty, librarians, officers of administration, ASUO Student Senate members, 25 members of the ASUO executive, ASUO Constitution Court justices and all emeritus faculty. It is the largest representative body of the University, and all
members of the group are eligible to vote during meetings. However, if the assembly wishes to bring the Iraq resolution to a formal vote on Feb. 28, more than half of the body must attend the meeting.
Professor Emeritus Frank Stahl, who has been a dominant voice behind the assembly’s petition, spoke for the resolution at the December meeting of the senate and at the Jan. 31 non-binding discussion of the assembly. He said the completion of the petition shows the University supports the resolution even if the administration does not.
“I think it’s wonderful that the president has called a timely meeting of the assembly,” Stahl said.
Frohnmayer has opposed all University efforts to pass a resolution concerning Iraq, and the recent success of petitioners has not changed his stance on the issue, University spokeswoman Pauline Austin said.
“The administration is not the voice of the University,” Students for Peace member Philippa Anderson said. “The fact that the faculty is comfortable enough in their decision to have a voice separate from the administration is a big deal and says a lot about the University and the professors and faculty that work here.”
College Republican Chairman Jarrett White said it is important that people opposed to the resolution also attend the meeting.
“Why should those of us who are for this war support a faculty resolution that does not represent us?” White asked. “It is hard enough to stand up as a conservative on this campus without having to stand up against the official voice of the University.”