Member Message November 3rd, 2014

Greetings everyone:

I hope this message finds you all well. By turning back the clock, it does seem like fall is really here. The extra hour is welcomed!

My message today focuses on our Board of Trustees. Their official duties and responsibilities began on July 1 of this year. University of Oregon and Oregon State also have Boards. The other universities will follow in 2015.

On September 11, I was asked to give a brief overview of our union to the Board at its quarterly meeting. I finished that presentation by asking for a place on the agenda at each meeting to apprise the Board of our activities. The Presiding Officer of Faculty Senate and ASPSU (Associated Students of PSU) each have a standing five minute spot on the agenda at every meeting. This is most likely a carry over from when meetings were a part of the Oregon University system.

On October 27, I was asked to present at the Special Committee on Campus Public Safety concerning an armed police force on our campus. Here is my speech and here is the data from our poll. I shared the results of the poll and then mentioned that that the Board's "corporate" model prevented those who live here, work here and study here from access to them as decision makers for this campus. When members asked me where to send their input on an armed police force on our campus, the best I could do was point them to the Board's Secretary or the President.

On Wednesday, October 29, I received a phone call from the Board of Trustees' Chairman, Mr. Nickerson. He told me that none of the other 2 boards in Oregon have contact information for their members. He apologized for taking so long to get back to me concerning my request for time on the Boards' agenda at each meeting. He said he has just completed his poll of the Board members and the decision was that AAUP could not have time on the standing agenda (nor would any of the other unions on our campus). Mr. Nickerson said I could speak during the public comment period that is offered at the end of each Board meeting, or I could ask him for agenda time and he would consider my request. As President of our union and all it stands for and has accomplished on our campus, this felt dismissive and I find the timing of the denial to speak at each Board meeting quite interesting.

My feedback was that I was disappointed that the Board decided to not grant this time and I also added that it felt like I was being reprimanded for my words at the Campus Public Safety meeting on Monday.

In conclusion, my hope is that the next meeting of this Committee will offer more public input and less administrative filibuster on an armed police force on our campus. The meeting on October 27 was dominated by justification for an armed police force and students of color spoke at the very end. PSU-AAUP is not unified on this and I understand that. However, all groups need to have equal time to speak and all of us should have access to this Board who will set policies and practices for our campus. That's how a public university works!

Take care everyone,
Pam Miller
PSU-AAUP President