Sponsors
Motion
Preamble:
The University Senate of the University of Oregon, as the recognized shared‑governance body responsible for academic matters, budgetary oversight, and the protection of the university’s public mission, submits the following resolution for consideration.
Section I
1.1 WHEREAS Oregon's public universities are institutions whose missions, academic priorities, and long‑term viability must be guided by the needs of students, the state, and the broader public; and
1.2 WHEREAS philanthropic donations to public universities receive significant public subsidy through federal and state tax benefits, yet donor‑directed gifts often restrict institutional flexibility and may contribute to mission drift; and
1.3 WHEREAS restricted philanthropic giving increasingly shapes program viability, resource distribution, and academic direction, with implications for equity, general education, and statewide workforce needs; and
1.4 WHEREAS several public universities nationwide — including the University of Arizona — apply assessments on restricted gifts to ensure that donor‑directed philanthropy contributes to core academic needs and mission‑critical programs; and
1.5 WHEREAS a statewide restricted‑gift levy could help rebalance the relationship between public mission and donor influence by ensuring that a portion of philanthropic funds supports general education, advising, underfunded academic units, and programs essential to Oregon’s economic and civic vitality; and
1.6 WHEREAS HB 4124 (2026) directs the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) to develop recommendations for a “viable and superior institutional framework” that improves institutional financial viability without major new public funding, and explicitly authorizes HECC to evaluate funding strategies and system‑level reforms; and
1.7 WHEREAS the RFP for the HB 4124 study calls for analysis of “funding strategies,” “financial health,” and “structures that support statewide needs,” and requires consultation with faculty, staff, students, and other interested parties; and
1.8 WHEREAS shared governance requires that faculty have a meaningful role in identifying structural factors that affect academic quality, program stability, and the long‑term sustainability of Oregon’s public universities.
Section II
2.1 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the UO Senate urges HECC to include, within the HB 4124 statewide study, an analysis of philanthropic funding patterns, including the role of restricted gifts in institutional financial viability, mission alignment, and system‑level equity; and
2.2 THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the UO Senate requests that HECC and the Oregon Legislature evaluate the feasibility, benefits, and potential statewide implementation of a restricted‑gift levy or assessment on donor‑directed philanthropic gifts to public universities; and
2.3 THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the UO Senate affirms that any such levy should be designed to support the public mission of Oregon’s universities by strengthening general education, underfunded academic units, student success initiatives, and programs essential to statewide workforce and civic needs; and
2.4 THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the UO Senate calls for transparency and shared‑governance participation in any statewide or institutional discussions regarding philanthropic flows, donor agreements, and mission alignment; and
2.5 THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the UO Senate directs the Senate Budget Committee to engage with faculty, administrators, HECC, and statewide partners to provide data, analysis, and faculty perspectives relevant to this issue; and
2.6 THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the UO Senate will transmit this resolution to:
- The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC)
- The Oregon Legislature's relevant committees
- The Interinstitutional Faculty Senate (IFS)
- The UO President and Provost
- The UO Foundation and Board of Trustees