The Oregon State Board of Higher Education meeting on Friday played host to another chapter in the discussion of institutional governing boards for Oregon University System schools.
The board’s governance committee came forward with a proposal (PDF) for the allocation of responsibilities between the board and any institutional board.
OUS Communications Director Di Saunders@@http://www.ous.edu/news_and_information/bios/saunders.php@@ said that the proposal is a jumping-off point from which the board will continue to discuss strategies in the creation of institutional boards as well as what has worked and what has not worked at other institutions with independent boards.
Saunders said the board will continue to discuss the issue at next month’s meeting and into June when they will vote on what type of recommendation to give to the legislative committee created by House Bill 4061@@http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28stxacunbu3dm2fb35or5p0zw%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=2011-HB-4061@@. The Board will hold two meetings in June, one to set the budget and tuition rates, the other to give their final recommendation.
Currently, the proposal doesn’t give any substantial power to the institutional boards. One facet of the proposal says that the hiring, firing and evaluation of presidents would be shared between the state board and institutional boards.
“OUS recommends a system in which the institutional board hires and reappoints the president with the advice and consent of the OSBHE. Presidential evaluations should be a joint effort,” the proposal states. “Termination should be the responsibility of the institutional board after consultation with or with the advice and consent of OSBHE.”