Last Friday, the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation union (GTFF) voted unanimously in favor of a resolution opposing development north of the tracks in the UO Riverfront Research Park until the 1989 master plan is updated through a democratic, student- and faculty-inclusive process. Graduate and undergraduate students should pay close attention to ASUO presidential candidate positions on this and vote in the ASUO election this week.
For more than 20 years, University undergraduates, graduates and faculty have been opposed to UO Riverfront Research Park plans to construct large buildings and parking lots along the banks of the ecologically sensitive Willamette River, between Agate and Hilyard streets, north of the tracks. This opposition is articulated through ASUO and University Senate resolutions passed in 1999 and 2010. The GTFF, joining students and faculty across the campus, hopes that President Lariviere will usher in a new era of meaningful collaboration, participatory democratic process, and mutual respect between the University administration and the faculty, students and staff who form the heart of the University community.
Both graduate and undergraduate students should carefully consider the positions of Amelie Rousseau and Alex McCafferty regarding 1) their understanding of the riverfront planning process to date, 2) the site design issues on the riverfront, and 3) their commitment to uphold ASUO and University Senate resolutions regarding riverfront development.
Pay attention to what the candidates have to say on this issue over the next few days. Then, vote on DuckWeb by 5 p.m., Thursday, April 8. Your vote matters.
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