Report of the IFS-ORP Committee 23 March 2004

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 17:08:25 -0800
From: Peter B Gilkey
To: iifs@lists.uoregon.edu
Subject: iifs: Report on the ORP Committee meeting 23 March 2004

Dear fellow members of the IFS:

Here is a short summary of the meeting of the IFS-ORP Committee today 23 March 2004 hosted at WOU -- many thanks to Bob for making the arrangements! He did, as always, an outstanding job.

Three members of the ORP committee of the IFS (Mina Carson OSU -- Chair, Peter Gilkey UO, Bob Turner WOU) met today with Denise Yunker (OUS) and Lisa Zavala (OUS) for 3 hours. We had a 1 hour telephone presentation by a VP from TIAA-CREF during that meeting. It was a great meeting. I learned a lot. And I came to the conclusion that we needed to have a similar educative process made more widely available.

Denise took the time to go thru the ORP situation very carefully and I think I understand it fully. Lisa also explained some of the legislative complexities. What we have at present is a "short term" fix for ORP. However, I am pursuaded that a long term legislative fix is required. I really am. The disaster of this year is only too likely to be repeated in the future in different contexts. To explain all this would take more writing than I really want to undertake. I have asked Denise to brief us at the 9/10 April meeting of the IFS in Eugene and she has most graciously agreed.

A lot is going to happen in April - here is a very abreviated summary. The IFS is actively engaged.

• 1) Friday 2 April. The situation will be discussed before the State Board. Both Denise and Lisa will probably present "docket items" related to ORP and the need for a long term legislative fix. My report to the board will deal with ORP and with the board working groups.
• 2) Friday or Saturday 9 or 10 April. Denise will brief the IFS at our meeting in Eugene.
• 3) Thursday 15 April. Lisa will draft a legislative "placeholder" for the requisite legislation. This is a formality - not substantive
• 4) Thursday 22 April. Denise and Lisa will reconvene the "stakeholders" group to begin a dialogue concerning the "principles" which any long term legislative fix should involve. The ORP committee (Mina Carson chair) of the IFS will attend as will as many of the rest of that committee as is possible. We will report on this further.
• 5) End of April. Denise and Lisa will be giving a presentation to the faculty of OSU, WOU, and the UO. I am organizing the meeting at the UO on 1500-1700 Wednesday 28 April; Bob and Mina are organizing the meetings at WOU and OSU, respectively. I am working on that now. At our meeting April of the IFS, we will discuss how to organize similar meetings at the other OUS Universities. For example, either before or after the state board meeting at EOU in May might be a good opportunity there as I expect Lisa and Denise will be there. But we can discuss this at the UO in April.

In our system of shared governance, it is necessary to cast the net widely and involve as many interested parties as possible. I think our faculty need to know, concerning ORP, how how we got here, why we need a legislative fix, and how to get to one. And I am very grateful Lisa and Denise have agreed to participate.

The crucial task we must undertake is to determine how to set the ORP rates. They must be competitive, stable, and sustainable. We must explain clearly to the affected faculty WHY some of us think that it is necessary to undertake a long term legislative fix. We must also provide the relevant background - this is an education function and we are in the education business. Words like "normal cost" and "past service funding cost" are crucial - as is what happens when the "past service funding costs" is negative! And we must create channels whereby all the stakeholders can communicate their ideas as to what principles should be followed -- shared governance is about respectful communication.

Have a great spring break (what is left of it)

Peter B Gilkey President IFS (2004)