A Public University for the Common Good
The Oregon Compact reads: The mission of higher education in the United States is to create, preserve, and disseminate knowledge and educate students for the benefit of the common good:
- The freedom to think critically, to question, to disagree, to teach, to innovate, and to pursue knowledge wherever it leads without censorship, intimidation, persecution, or deportation is the lifeblood of education and democracy. Together with other freedoms and protections enshrined in the US Constitution, academic freedom enables the people to pursue truth and justice, engage critically with power and society, and envision, organize, and build towards the future.
- True academic freedom demands that knowledge be accessible to all members of society regardless of class, country of origin, migration or citizenship status, sex, gender, sexuality, race, religion, political beliefs or disability. Students must not be treated as customers, consumers, or mere human material molded according to the demands of an exploitative labor market. Rather they must be empowered as indispensable collaborators in their learning.
- To realize their educational mission, institutions of higher education must operate independently, with shared and democratic systems of governance, fair labor practices, and transparent modes of financial stewardship that free students from burdensome debt. An educational system aligned with democratic values requires empowered workers at every level, expanded tenure protections for faculty, tuition-free attendance for students, robust rights for student workers and staff, and deep public investment, centering the common good – not private profit.
Our vision is to advance higher education for the common good, founded on: academic freedom and independence, democracy and shared governance, fairness and economic justice. This includes the Oregon Compact’s goals for state-level changes, the goals of Students Rise Up for national-level changes, and our Campus Labor Council & ASUO’s shared goals for university-level changes.
Statement on Free Tuition as a Key Demand
The notion of “free tuition” may, at first, seem like an impossible goal, or even part of a “radical” agenda—but if we look at the situation internationally, we see this is far from the reality. Colleges and Universities in the United States, where tuition costs (adjusted for inflation) have doubled over the last 30 years, charge far more for tuition than any other country in the world. Only elders remember a time when free tuition was the reality in more than a few places in the United States.
Around two dozen countries in the world provide free or nearly free higher education to their citizens today. A good number of these provide free higher education to international students as well. Of the two dozen countries that offer free or nearly free college tuition, only five have a higher GDP per capita than the U.S.
Student loan debt is higher in the United States than in any other country, with the average student leaving college $40,000 in debt. Of course, those whose families pay more have less debt. This means those whose families can’t afford to pay either leave school with astronomical debt, indebt their families, or are shut out entirely. Many people have little hope of paying off their student loans before they retire. And many parents who have taken out loans to help their children through school are now trying to figure out how to retire while still paying these loans back. No wonder that polls indicate a majority of Americans support the idea of free college education.
Free tuition isn’t a radical agenda, it is supported by most Americans, the norm in many places in the world, and a question of economic justice here at home.
Sources & More Info:
Source: GDP Per Capita
Source: Countries with the most Expensive Public College Tuition
Source: Student loan debt compared by country
Source: Student loan debt in the United States
Source: Student loan debt and retirement
Source: Tuition has increased dramatically
Source: History of free college in the United States
Shared Governance & Financial Reform at the University of Oregon
Some of the UO leaderships’ past actions have undermined our collective trust in their commitment to institutional shared governance, transparency, and democracy. The United Academics Politics Committee has documented these issues extensively; we have also provided clear definitions (and examples) of true financial transparency and shared governance here.
In spring 2025, United Academics (along with other campus labor unions and the student government), each passed a financial resolution which collectively demanded improved financial transparency and shared financial governance at the University of Oregon.
These resolutions outline a vision for the UO where everyone gets a seat at the table—faculty, staff, and students—when it comes to talking about money. This would be a transformative step not only in democratizing the UO, but also in ensuring it remains a public university by, for, and with us—the campus public.
“It is mutually desirable that the collegial system of governance be maintained and strengthened.”
— Article 3, United Academics Collective Bargaining Agreement with the University of Oregon.
Read UA’s Financial Resolution
The vast majority of the campus community currently has no say in how UO manages budgeting, fundraising, purchasing, and investing. This means there are few mechanisms for feedback and accountability when finances are mismanaged or allocated to the wrong priorities. Our resolution seeks to further empower both the UO Senate and other democratic bodies at the UO to be a part of the financial conversation.
Read our full resolution or watch one of the videos below to learn more about our vision for shared financial governance and transparency at the UO.
Learn More About Our Goals:
How could shared financial governance help strengthen UO?
United Academics and other unions want to build a better collaborative relationship with UO leaders because we know they can’t manage these challenges alone. Academic and financial decisions are tied together.
When UO leaders decide to lay off faculty or eliminate programs, they are necessarily making curriculum decisions. That means that both faculty and the administration have a reasonable claim to be included in major financial decisions.
Faculty voices matter during times of scarcity—not just because the CBA requires it, but because it is the wise and sensible thing to do.
With our priceless years of service and our high levels of expertise, faculty shine at optimizing educational and research outcomes when it comes time to make tough decisions.
How could greater financial transparency help strengthen UO?
Many campus stakeholders, including our faculty labor union, have big, unanswered questions about UO’s finances. We deserve real clarity at a time when our leaders are treating mass layoffs and program eliminations as viable options.
Most of all, we deserve the broader context of UO’s long-term financial management decisions which got us into this situation. Clearer financial data can also allow us to help solve UO’s budget problems, and effectively lobby the state of Oregon for greater investments in education.
That’s why we are calling upon UO leadership to give campus stakeholders like us a seat at the table—not just an email or a highly controlled town hall after decisions have already been made.