House Bill 4124 and HECC Recommendations regarding Oregon's Public Colleges and Universities

Section I

1.1  WHEREAS the University of Oregon is one of only two Research 1 institutions in the state of Oregon, as defined by the Carnegie Classification, representing the top-tier of research institutions in the country; and

1.2  WHEREAS the University of Oregon contributes over $15 to the Oregon economy for every $1 invested by the State of Oregon, totaling $3.7 billion to the state economy. The UO also benefits Oregon by advancing research and innovation, drawing visitors from around the world, and giving back to communities in every corner of the state; and

1.3  WHEREAS the University of Oregon Statutory Faculty, as represented by the University of Oregon Senate, hold an essential role in the governance of all academic matters as commonly understood in higher education; and

1.4  WHEREAS shared governance over academic matters is an essential component of academic freedom for UO faculty; and

1.5  WHERESAS the curriculum of the University, as defined by its academic departments and programs, is an essential part of the academic mission and purpose of the university; and

1.6 WHEREAS the University of Oregon Senate and its committees lead a thorough and diligent process to approve new programs, and review changes to existing programs at the University of Oregon; and 

1.7 WHEREAS the faculty of the University hold the expertise, that cannot be replicated by an outside entity, to make programmatic decisions in the best interest of the University and its students; and

1.8  WHEREAS the UO and its degree programs undergo regular review by internal offices and external accreditors on a frequent basis, leading to program revisions; and

1.9  WHEREAS the University Senate has worked along with the Office of the Provost to develop and execute best practice procedures to approve and review programs at the University of Oregon; and 

1.10  WHEREAS according to the UO policy "Retention and Delegation of Authority", section 1.7.1, "The Board of Trustees has the authority to establish, eliminate, control and substantially reorganize academic programs and units of operation. Any significant change in the University's academic programs as defined by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission must be approved by the Board prior to submission to the Commission"; and 

1.11  WHEREAS the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) does not possess the expertise, experience or commitment to the University of Oregon to review, renew or revoke academic programs in the best interest of UO's students, faculty, and staff; and

1.12  WHEREAS the state's investment in Oregon higher education ranks 46th in the nation; and 

1.13  WHEREAS the Higher Education Coordinating Commission published a report in January, 2026 "Spending and Efficiency in Oregon Public Universities," which analyzes trends in Oregon public universities' spending, staffing, and efficiency; and

1.14  WHEREAS HB 4124, introduced to the Oregon State Legislature in January 2026, calls for a comprehensive statewide review of all of Oregon's public institutions of higher learning to be completed in just a year; and 

1.15  WHEREAS while the University of Oregon Senate welcomes a statewide study of higher education, HB 4124 is written in such a way as to potentially result in unnecessary external intrusion in program and curricular matters at the UO which could make our standing as an R1 institution vulnerable; and 

1.16  WHEREAS the University of Oregon Senate strongly supports the idea that curriculum development and maintenance should be led by the faculty who are responsible for teaching the curriculum and whose scholarship underpins the knowledge related throughout the curriculum;

Section II

2.1  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that as part of any statewide study, the University of Oregon Senate supports attention to fiscal transparency, student access and affordability at the UO and other colleges and universities in their role as public institutions in Oregon; and 

2.2  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Oregon Senate is concerned about the speed of the proposed study outlined in HB 4124, where HECC is to conduct a study of the entire Oregon Higher Education System, representing 24 institutions, in about a year; and 

2.3  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Oregon Senate opposes any current or future legislative efforts to empower HECC, or any other agency, with the authority to demand the creation or elimination of UO programs. HB 4124 states that HECC may provide recommendations for "Instances of unnecessary program duplication across post secondary education institutions and unmet program needs statewide," as this would violate fundamental principles of shared governance and academic freedom for the faculty and Senate of the University of Oregon; and

2.4  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Oregon Senate formally opposes recommendation #2 of the HECC's January 2026 report (please see related documents) on "Spending and Efficiency in Oregon Public Universities" that would, "...require academic degree programs at public universities to be periodically reviewed and renewed by HECC,"as this would violate fundamental principles of shared governance and academic freedom for the faculty of the University of Oregon and external accreditation processes; and

2.5  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Oregon Senate also urges HECC to exhibit caution, and deference, to the principles of shared governance while "developing a proposal for targeted institutional integration by January 2027;" and

2.6  THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the University of Oregon Senate encourages the Oregon Legislature and the HECC to find stronger and more substantial state contribution to the financial viability of our institutions of public higher education.