Portland State University is one of seven public universities in the Oregon University System (OUS). OUS is governed by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education (OSBHE), as authorized in Oregon law. OUS is directed by the chancellor, who reports to OSBHE.
All public universities in Oregon are governed by OSBHE. The public community colleges are governed by the Oregon Board of Education, through the State Department of Education. The two public postsecondary educational systems coordinate and collaborate through the Joint Boards of Education, and its Articulation Commission. Additionally, Oregon’s single academic health center, Oregon Health & Sciences University, was formerly within OUS, but is now a public corporation that maintains close ties with OUS and its member institutions.
The Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) govern the Oregon State Board of Higher Education
OUS and Portland State have mature governance systems that have evolved over the years. The intersecting authority and responsibilities of the governing board, administrators, faculty, staff, and students have been defined and are articulated in a number of important documents, including the following principal sources.
Collectively, these documents represent a system of shared governance that identifies who has authority over which decisions, and who, by nature of their interests or expertise, should be consulted in the decision making process. Oregon Administrative Rule 580, for example, enumerates the primacy of faculty participation in matters concerning curriculum, and the significant participation of students in decisions regarding incidental fee assessment and distribution.
The system of governance continues to evolve even at the time of this writing. Significantly, in November 2003 Governor Ted Kulongoski asked five of the eleven OSBHE members to resign and appointed five replacements. The Governor explained this action as a step toward policy changes, particularly related to access and quality, and to address fiscal concerns. The reconstituted board appointed a Chancellor’s Office Review Working Group to examine the role and structure of the office. The work of this group is expected to continue through fall 2004.
The trend appears to be a decentralization of functions now performed by the Chancellor’s Office, leaving the chancellor to focus on a coordinating role. In March 2004, departing Chancellor Richard Jarvis predicted changes to come when he stated, “The role and the mission of the system administration through the Chancellor’s Office will change in ways very different from the mission that I was hired to advance.” In June 2004, under the Governor’s leadership, OSBHE appointed George Pernsteiner to a two-year term as executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer. Pernsteiner is also serving as the interim chancellor while the board works on reorganizing the office and redefining the role of the chancellor.
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