Legal Counsel for Faculty

Senator Jane Gray has asked Senate President Peter Gilkey to raise the following question at the next meeting of the UO Senate Wednesday November 10 1999 during the "State of the University - statements or announcements by Senators concerning University business" (see Bylaws of the Senate).

Question

For several years since the retirement of Pete Swan, the faculty has had no access to legal counsel, either with regard to specific or theoretical questions that might arise on a daily basis in our contact with students and colleagues. M. Grier has stated to me that her position constrains her to only answer questions, or the kind of "theoretical" question for which I solicited an opinion, for the vice presidents and the president (Grier, email Oct. 21, 1999).

I would like to raise the issue whether faculty should have access to quick council, and if not from the "university's" lawyer from whom?

Jane Gray, Biology (541) 346-3032 email: LADYJANE@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU

Current Policy

Senate President Gilkey raised the question Jane Gray posed at a meeting of the Faculty Advisory Council on 1 November 1999. The following summary of what Provost Moseley said concerning the matter is reconstructed from the notes of Senate President Gilkey; it is not normative or an official statement by the University. Rather it is intended to give the flavor of the current policy on the matter.

1) The job description did not change when Pete Swann retired from the position and Melinda Grier took over. Faculty have never been able to get unrestricted legal advice; that could swamp the system. Thus there should not have been a significant change in the way the operation was run when Melinda Grier took over.

2) Faculty should go through the appropriate Vice President before contacting Melinda Grier. That would be Provost Moseley (for academic matters), Vice President Williams (for matters related to physical plant) or Vice President McDonald (for fundraising and community relations). The appropriate vice president will determine which questions they want Melinda Grier to spend time on - she accepts issues only on assignment from a Vice President and not from the individual faculty. Thus if a faculty member feels that they to get legal advice on an academic related matter, they should first contact Provost Moseley.