Sponsors
Motion
Section I
1.1 WHEREAS the University of Oregon Senate recognizes that the university's libraries are indispensable to the scholarly mission of the University of Oregon and vital to maintaining a thriving academic community; and
1.2 WHEREAS due to the current fiscal reality, the UO university administration has, through funding reductions, subsequent cuts to collections, and the layoff of library faculty and staff, created an untenable and unsustainable system that cannot support UO’s research mission; and
1.3 WHEREAS alternative budget strategies may exist that could address institutional financial needs without further reducing library personnel or services; and
1.4 WHEREAS it is the duty of the University Senate to defend the conditions necessary for the flourishing of higher education; and
1.5 WHEREAS UO tenure- and non-tenure-related faculty serving inside and outside the libraries share concerns regarding current and future instability in the UO Libraries budget.
Section II
2.1 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UO Senate calls on the university administration to restore library funding to levels sufficient to sustain core services, collections, and staffing; and
2.2 THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the UO Senate calls on the university administration to immediately cease layoffs of library faculty, officers of administration, staff, and student workers, and to explore all available alternatives — including administrative consolidation and budget reallocation — before any future reduction in library personnel is considered; and
2.3 THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the case that the university administration pursues future elimination of library faculty, officers of administration, or staff, the UO Senate calls on the university administration to conduct an impact assessment demonstrating that alternatives were considered, affected parties were consulted, and that the proposed action is a last resort, and to share this assessment with the University of Oregon Senate Library Committee before taking such action; and
2.4 THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the UO Senate calls on the university administration to disclose to the University of Oregon Senate Library Committee on an ongoing basis the metrics, data, and criteria used to make decisions about library finances and staffing, so that the Senate, faculty, staff, and the broader university community may meaningfully provide comment on those decisions.