The University of Oregon faculty Senate held its fall retreat over Zoom on Wednesday, Sept. 30, and equity and inclusion were the talk of the afternoon. In his opening remarks, Senate President Elliot Berkman stressed that he wanted this year’s Senate to work on implementing some of the resolutions listed in the Resolution Against Racism and Systemic Oppression, which it approved on June 10.
“I think it’s the most important work we’ll be doing this year,” Berkman said. “We are going to start dedicating our time and efforts into how we can educate ourselves, like what we mean by anti-racism. What do we have at our disposal to affect change?”
In short, the resolution resolves to “condemn the long-standing murder by police and other racially motivated violence,” recognize and address the biases and privileges of those in power, hold leaders accountable for their actions and charge all Senate academic committees with determining how they can educate future generations about these issues.
The UO Senate collaborates with trustees, the university president, the administration and various academic committees to make important decisions regarding the university. Business is conducted through motions, and group members change every year.
Berkman said the Senate is the outlet for shared governance at UO, a point that other Senate leaders later emphasized in their remarks. Senate Vice President Spike Gildea said his priority this year is having open lines of communication.
“I want to be here because it just seemed like a time to be in a place where you might want to make a difference,” Gildea said.
Provost and Senior Vice President Patrick Phillips said, for him, shared governance means engagement across the entire UO community. He warned the Senate that this year will be different from others and that Senate meetings will be a place to have difficult conversations about important issues.
“We are heading into certainly what is going to be a very contentious fall, mainly because of the political landscape we are currently in. Always fall back on the mission we are trying to accomplish together,” Phillips said. “The essence of the university is academic freedom.”
Janet Woodruff-Borden, executive vice provost for academic affairs, briefly went over some announcements that were not related to equity and inclusion. She said about 20% of fall classes ended up being in person, prioritizing labs, studios and first-year experiences such as living in the dorms. Woodruff-Borden announced a free, live audio transcription in Zoom as a brand new feature for students who need accommodations. Students can access it at the UO Service Portal.
Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Yvette Alex-Assensoh gave a presentation about how the Senate can effectively approach its anti-racism work. She said uncertainty is not only at the university; it’s everywhere. Senate members went into breakout groups to discuss perception and ways to move forward within their own academic departments. Alex-Assensoh noted that very little growth has occurred with faculty of color at the university, and African American faculty has the highest turnover rate.
“The demographic of this campus is not going to change overnight, but what can change is the way that you inhabit the space you lead,” Alex-Assensoh said. “You’re gonna make some mistakes. You’re gonna piss some people off. You need to be brave enough to apologize, accept your mistakes and move on.”
Alex-Assensoh explained the difference between equality and equity; equality is treating everybody as if they started from the same place, while equity is knowing that isn’t true. Students come from all different backgrounds and privileges, Alex-Assensoh said, and it is the university’s job to act accordingly.
The UO Senate will be meeting over Zoom every first Wednesday of the month until further notice, and all meetings are available to watch at the UO senate webpage, as well as the agenda and minutes of each meeting.
“We have equity issues at this university,” Berkman said. “This is all hands on deck.”
