From: Bill Harbaugh <harbaugh@uoregon.edu>
Subject: Defacement/improvement of University Mission Statement
Date: August 23, 2018 at 9:13:55 PM PDT
To: Adriene Lim <alim@uoregon.edu>
Cc: Mike Schill <mschill@uoregon.edu>, Jayanth Banavar <banavar@uoregon.edu>, Ed Teague <ehteague@uoregon.edu>, Elizabeth Skowron <eskowron@uoregon.edu>, ASUO President <asuopres@uoregon.edu>, Chris Sinclair <sinclair@uauoregon.org>
Dear Dean of Libraries Lim –
I’m writing to you regarding the defacement (or perhaps it should be called an unofficial improvement) of “The Mission of a University” mural in the Knight Library, specifically the red-marker redaction of the words “racial heritage”. This is shown in the image below, which a UO faculty member sent me today.
Classes are not yet in session, so I have not been able to consult with the Senate on this. However my official view as Senate President is that this change is an act of historical significance and free-speech which should be preserved, or at least be prominently documented, so long as this mural remains on display.
Yours,
Bill Harbaugh
Economics Prof & Senate President
University of Oregon
http://senate.uoregon.edu
