Good afternoon colleagues,
I am grateful to be with you in person today as the Senate wraps up the academic year.
Despite the sobering reality we face in navigating the current budget challenges, I have been heartened this year by the spirit of collaboration and the hard-earned trust growing between our administrative and Senate leadership here at the University of Oregon.
As I emphasized in my remarks to the Board of Trustees on Monday, Senate President Dyana Mason has been a true partner in this effort. Dyana, thank you for your wholehearted leadership; for your candor and collaboration, and for always being clear-eyed about the collective challenges we face.
Today, let me also take a moment to thank you, Sandy, for all the often-unseen work you do as Senate Secretary to keep the many parts of this body in tune and moving together. I have been grateful for your wise council and your deep understanding of this wonderful place and the people who make it so special.
I was pleased last week to see the full Senate approve the Academic Modifications Advisory Committee (AMAC) process. The final version is a product of healthy engagement, honest dialogue, and good-faith compromise. The approved process, in my mind, builds on the formative efforts we made last summer to try to create the conditions for the Senate to provide meaningful feedback and consultation on difficult budget decisions. The final policy also reflects some of the lessons we learned.
Let me affirm here publicly, and on behalf of President Scholz, our commitment to following both the letter and spirit of this newly formalized process in the months ahead.
I look forward to continuing to work closely with you, President Davis, as we navigate a path together through difficult challenges in the months ahead.
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For now, however, it’s time to celebrate and for gratitude.
I am thrilled to congratulate all the winners of the Senate awards this year, and I look forward to hearing more about their good work today.
And, finally, to all of our Senators, whether you are teaching, working, or researching over the summer, I hope you will be able to find some time for what is restful and regenerative for you.
Thank you.