Tarek Anthony

Climate Justice League member Jack Dodson speaks before the University of Oregon Board of Trustees during public comment, urging the university to electrify its boiler system. The board met at the Ford Alumni Center on June 2, 2026, in Eugene, Ore. (Tarek Anthony/Emerald)

The University of Oregon Board of Trustees declined to approve a student proposal to use student building fee funds to help finance an electric boiler system, delaying a potential step toward the university’s climate goals.

The proposal was not approved during the board’s meeting Tuesday, but trustees directed students and administrators to continue discussions and revise the resolution before bringing it back for future consideration. Board Chair Steve Holwerda said the administration would “try” to hold a special meeting before June 30 to further discuss the proposal.

The terms of undergraduate student representative David Mitrovčan Morgan, graduate student representative Cy Abbott, non-faculty staff representative Lillian Moses and Trustee Jenny Ulum expire this month, adding urgency to efforts to reconvene and reconsider the proposal before the board’s membership changes.

Several students used public comment to advocate for a transition to cleaner energy on campus. Jack Dodson, a member of Climate Justice League, urged university leaders to replace the university’s current boiler system with an electric alternative.

Former ASUO President Prissilla Moreno and Student Planning and Construction Committee members Skyla Bird and Morgan Clemmer presented a recommendation that the university use SPCC building fee funds to pay for the installation of an electric boiler system. According to SPCC, the project would cost approximately $15 million.

Clemmer said SPCC funds could also be used to offset annual electricity costs, which are estimated at $10.2 million. If installation cannot occur immediately, the funds would be placed in a separate account and reserved specifically for the project.

While several trustees expressed support for the concept, they said they wanted additional time to review and revise the language of the proposal before voting on it.

The SPCC framed the proposal as a vote in the best interests of students, a characterization Holwerda disputed.

The proposal comes after years of university discussions over potential boiler replacement options aimed at meeting campus climate goals. Bird said electrification is particularly important because the university is one of Eugene’s largest sources of emissions.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.