On October 4, the Special Legislative Committee on University Governance unanimously voted to send Legislative Concept 759 and recommendations to the legislature and governor. LC 759 would allow the University of Oregon and Portland State University to create their own governing boards. The referral to the legislature marks the conclusion of the work of this interim committee, which was created by HB 4061 during the 2012 legislative session and met regularly over the last six months.

The legislative concept allows the UO and PSU to create their own boards and allows other universities to do so if they show capacity and capability to be governed by an institutional board. The draft does not address the makeup of the board, but it does state that the university president would serve as a non-voting member and that the board would include one member of the statewide Board of Higher Education.

The finalized legislative concept also enumerates an institutional board’s authority, and requires that the State Board of Higher Education confirm the selection of a university president by the institutional board with a majority vote. 

The legislative concept and recommendation are available on UO’s state affairs page.