Campus Policy:

On July 1, the recreational use of marijuana will become legal for those 21 and over across the state of Oregon, but not at the University of Oregon.

The federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug. Other examples of Schedule I drugs include LSD, heroin and MDMA. Because UO is a federally funded institution, the use of marijuana in buildings owned or operated by the university remains illegal.

This includes resident halls and graduate and family housing, even if you are 21 or over.

“If you receive federal funding, you’re required to comply with federal law,” Rita Radostitz, the director of strategic communication for Student Life said. “Because marijuana is still illegal under federal law, it’s illegal on university property.”

Marijuana use is also illegal at public universities in Colorado and Washington. Both states legalized the recreational use of marijuana before Oregon.

The illegality also applies to students with medical marijuana cards. Although card holders are allowed to use marijuana by the state, it remains a federal sanction.

“Federal government supersedes state,” Radostitz said.

Originally, Radostitz thought the university would have to wait for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to release its rules governing marijuana policies in Oregon before finalizing the university’s policy, but upon closer inspection of the measure, it turned out federal law precluded it regardless.

The university’s policy is not changing, but Radostitz thinks its education on marijuana will.

“I don’t expect that it’s going to be a challenging situation,” Radostitz said. “We have to educate students about alcohol, and it’s probably really not a whole lot different. It’s still prohibited for everyone under the age of 21. And for those 21 and over, they have to comply with the rules.”

Radostitz said that education will come mainly out of university housing. Resident assistants and housing managers for graduate and family housing will communicate the rules to their occupants. Marijuana policies will get added to existing Q&As about the UO, and incoming students and their parents will receive information at events like IntroDUCKtion. Where students and parents were already being informed about alcohol, they will now also receive information about marijuana.

Though the campus will remain unchanged by Measure 91’s implementation, Radostitz recognizes that student life won’t stay the same.

“Nothing has changed on campus,” Radostitz said. “Students who are over the age of 21 and live in an apartment that’s not a university-owned apartment, surely it has changed for them.”

Enforcement:

The Eugene Police Department is awaiting direction from legislation to aid in enforcing the specifics of Measure 91 once the law goes into effect, according to Melinda McLaughlin, their spokesperson.

Since marijuana use will remain illegal on campus, the University of Oregon Police Department does not have all the same concerns.

“It’s much clearer cut on campus,” Kelly McIver, communications director and public information officer for the UOPD, said.

The UOPD enforces marijuana use on campus as police reports come in and behavior is observed.

Students in violation of either the marijuana or alcohol policies on campus are often referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

If a student has committed an offense multiple times, they are more likely to receive a citation or custody arrest.

According to McIver, citations are not given often. The “overwhelming majority” of students caught smoking are referred to Student Conduct.

“We likely will enforce laws against public consumption of marijuana similarly to how we enforce laws against open containers of alcohol,” McLaughlin said.

All use of marijuana will remain illegal in public places.

OLCC:

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is in charge of how Measure 91 is implemented in the state.

It began the process by conducting 11 public hearings around the state to gauge what the public’s major concerns were with the introduction of the measure that legalizes marijuana dispensaries and private consumption for those 21 and over.

Tom Towslee, the communications director for the OLCC, said that about 4,000 people total attended the hearings to speak up about the measure’s implementation.

The OLCC is currently assembling a rules advisory committee to address the regulations.

“We are not in the enforcement business; we are in the regulation business,” Towslee said.

The OLCC is in charge of the application process for licenses for marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers.

The OLCC is not accepting applications until Jan. 4, 2016. Meaning the first license won’t be given out until “about a year from now,” Towslee said.

The OLCC had an upset with its marijuana program at the end of March, when its appointed program director, Tom Burns, was fired for leaking an internal document and then lying about it.

Will Higlin replaced him as interim director of the program.

“He’s doing a great job,” Towslee said.

Higlin previously served as the liquor licensing director for the OLCC.

The OLCC has not sought to replace Higlin with a permanent director for the program, because it is “more concerned about the rules,” Towslee said.

This morning Vice President for Student Life, Robin Holmes, sent out an email requesting students take part in a survey about sexual assault and misconduct. The deadline for the survey is Friday, May, 8.

“Sexual violence is a scourge across the nation,” Rita Radostitz, Director of Strategic Communications in Student Life said.

Radostitz said students should fill out the survey so the university can get a better perspective of student experience in order to facilitate programs to help prevent sexual assault on campus.

The UO is one of 28 universities taking part in the survey provided by the Association of American Universities.

A sample of 6,000 students who take part in the survey will get a $5 Amazon gift card. Those not selected for the gift card will be entered in a lottery for $500.

According to the AAU’s website this survey is one of the largest regarding sexual assault. They project the survey will reach over 800,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

When administration news breaks on the University of Oregon campus, it is a big deal.

The reporters for the Emerald immediately begin calling office numbers, sending out emails and contacting whomever they think of that can comment and explain events for our readers.

When breaking news occurred during 1994-2009, the Emerald newsroom could pick up the phone and dial the then-University President Dave Frohnmayer – at his home.

As news of his death spread, former Emerald reporters began sharing fond memories of the work they did with Frohnmayer, emphasizing how available he made himself to students.

The position of university president is not one that allows a lot of time for speaking with reporters, let alone working with student reporters.

Frohnmayer, always made the time.

One morning in the south area of campus, Thomas Patterson, a former photographer for the Emerald, met Frohnmayer and the two went for a run. Upon return to Frohnmayer’s home, Patterson was offered a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, prepared by Frohnmayer himself.

Patterson is currently a freelance photographer based in Portland, and is a graduate teaching fellow for the School of Journalism and Communication. He was a member of the Emerald staff from 1998 until 2002.

“You could tell the guy was really smart and wanted to interact,” Patterson said. “He was always helpful and very kind.”

Former Emerald editor in chief from 2005-2006, Parker Howell, knew Frohnmayer as a source, but also as a professor.

Howell took his freshman leadership course and was on a first-name basis with Frohnmayer.

Frohnmayer invited Howell and his fellow classmates to his home to play Diplomacy. The teams of students battled, either aggressively or diplomatically, to  conquer the most territory. Frohnmayer also made his home available for On the Rocks practices.

When Howell earned the position of editor in chief, he received a personal note of congratulations from Frohnmayer.

“(The congratulations) showed the detail and care (he had) about what was going on on campus,” Howell said.

Howell cited Frohnmayer as the person who sparked his interest in attending law schoool and in fact currently works for the Porter Foster Rorick LLP in Seattle.

Frohnmayer also served as tour guide through his office and Johnson Hall for Emerald reporters who would come speak to him.

Though former Emerald news reporter and news editor Meghann Cuniff never got a tour herself, she recalled stories of them she heard in the newsroom.

Frohnmayer would show his visitors all the spots in his office that made it into the film, Animal House. Cuniff also remembered one of the reporters got to see the “supreme court tour of his office.” Where Frohnmayer showed a student reporter memorabilia he has remaining from his time as attorney general for the state of Oregon.

Cuniff is currently at the Orange County register.

“He respected us as student journalists” Cuniff said. “He always had time for us.”

The post Previous Emerald reporters reflect on relationships with Dave Frohnmayer appeared first on Emerald Media.

After the alleged sexual assault of a University of Oregon freshman by three UO basketball players last spring, interim general counsel Doug Park requested copies of the student’s confidential therapy records.

Park told the UO Senate’s sexual and gender-based violence committee that he would have acted differently before requesting the record.

At the meeting on Monday, Park said he was following the August demands of the student’s attorneys to gather every document that related to the then pending federal civil lawsuit against the UO, The Register-Guard reported.

The suit was filed in January and includes a claim that the university illegally obtained the survivor’s confidential therapy records in December. She did not authorize the release of the records, and therefore, the lawsuit says the UO violated federal and state privacy laws.

Park told the committee that the university should have been more clear about what kinds of records were being requested.

This action taken with the student’s records prompted a perception among UO students that their private records were not safe, UO law professor and committee member, Ibrahim Gassama said.

UO psychology professor Jennifer Freyd expressed concern that the way the records were handled made it easy for other UO employees to possibly view them.

Park said he was confident that no one in his office saw the files.

Follow Jennifer Fleck on Twitter: @JenniferFleck

The post UO lawyer says he would have acted differently in handling sexual assault records appeared first on Emerald Media.

This morning, former Secretary of State Kate Brown was sworn into office as Oregon’s 38th governor.

Brown was sworn in at 9:55 a.m., five minutes before predecessor John Kitzhaber’s resignation took effect at 10 a.m. Brown is the second woman, and first openly bisexual governor, in the state’s history.

Kitzhaber resigned Feb. 13 in the midst of a scandal and ethical investigation of he and his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes. Rumors of Hayes using Kitzhaber’s influence to support her own endeavors have circulated since the last gubernatorial campaign, in October. Kitzhaber denies any involvement.

Kitzhaber was only four weeks into his historic fourth term as Oregon governor.

In his statement of resignation, Kitzhaber pointed to the media as a contributing factor in his decision.

“It is deeply troubling to me to realize that we have come to a place in the history of this great state of ours where a person can be charged, tried, convicted and sentenced by the media with no due process and no independent verification of the allegations involved,” the statement reads.

President of the University of Oregon Student Democrats Celine Swenson-Harris and Joseh Lewis, Chairman of UO Student Republicans, both echoed this sentiment.

“It was not particularly professional,” said Swenson-Harris of some of the media coverage. Swenson-Harris said she thinks Kitzhaber was tried in a court of public opinion.

“Its disconcerting that he had to resign without conviction from the Attorney General,” Lewis said, calling Kitzhaber’s stepping down an “opinion of the masses resignation.”

“It’s hard to say what happened,” said Swenson-Harris. “Without an actual investigation and due process, I don’t think anyone knows.”

The alleged ethics violations against Hayes and Kitzhaber include an unreported $118,000 Hayes received from the Clean Environment Development Center in Washington D.C.

“He’s clearly guilty of something,” Lewis said. Lewis thinks Hayes is just the tip of the iceberg for the corruption in Kitzhaber’s office, citing the missteps with Cover Oregon and the Columbia River Crossing — both failed projects undertaken by Kitzhaber in his time as governor.

“Oregon deserves strong leadership,” Lewis said.

On Monday, Oregon’s House Republicans submitted a number of bills geared towards improving the strength of current ethics laws.

In Brown’s swearing-in ceremony, her address focused on her goals to restore the trust of Oregon’s citizens, as reported by the Oregonian.

Brown pledged that she, her household and staff would not accept any outside compensation during her term as governor. Brown also stated that she desires to strengthen state laws to “ensure timely release of public documents.” She received a standing ovation.

According to state law, Brown will serve as governor until the next biannual election in 2016.

John Kitzhaber resigned Friday afternoon at a press conference in Salem. Willamette Week’s Nigel Jaquiss reported that the governor met with staff and that it’s official.

Kitz met with staff this am and resigned. That is confirmed.

— NigelJaquiss (@NigelJaquiss) February 13, 2015

Kitzhaber’s resignation will take effect Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 10 a.m.

“I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life,” Kitzhaber said in his statement.

You can read Kitzhaber’s full statement of resignation here.

OPB’s Amanda Peacher tweeted the announcement Kitzhaber submitted to Secretary of State Kate Brown. Kitzhaber stepped down only four weeks into his new term.

Brown is set to take over as governor for the state of Oregon and will be sworn in as the 37th governor of Oregon Friday.

Brown reportedly has no press conference set for Friday.

Kitzhaber is the fifth Oregon governor to resign. The Oregonian reported that he is the first governor in Oregon to step down due to public scrutiny.

Kitzhaber’s historic fourth term has been tumultuous after a number of scandals, many involving his fiancée Cylvia Hayes and her consulting business perpetrating ethics violations, such as the unreported $118,000 Hayes received from the Clean Environment Development Center from Washington D.C.

“I am confident that I have not broken any laws nor taken any actions that were dishonest or dishonorable in their intent or outcome,” Kitzhaber said in his statement.

His statement goes on to say that he finds the persecution of the media in regards to this scandal “troubling,” and calls out former “allies” for being “willing to accept this judgement at face value.”

Senate President Peter Courtney, State Treasurer Ted Wheeler and House Speaker Tina Kotek asked Kitzhaber to resign yesterday.

In December, Havard released a study citing Oregon as one of the least corrupt states.

The Oregonian has audio of the governor’s resignation.

In the most recent chain of events in the Governor John Kitzhaber drama, most of which surrounds alleged ethics violations of Kitzhaber’s fiancée Cylvia Hayes, Kitzhaber asked Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, via letter, for an independent review of his office’s handling’s of Hayes’ contracts.

Rosenblum responded that an investigation has already been opened, the Oregonian reports.

Her response reads:

“Thank you for your letter. My office has already opened an investigation into this matter. I appreciate your intent to cooperate fully.”

Rosenblum also released a statement to the Oregonian on Feb. 5, saying “Recent allegations relating to Governor Kitzhaber and Ms. Hayes are very serious – and troubling. My office is considering all of our legal options to ensure that we are best serving the state.”

On Friday, both the campaign manager Charlie Pearce and campaign attorney Jacob Daniels for Republican Dennis Richardson’s failed 2014 run for governor against Kitzhaber,  submitted a petition for the Governor’s recall to the Secretary of State.

In the petition they cited Hayes’ use of the governor mansion for personal profit, a trip to Bhutan that allegedly benefited them financially and the allowance of consultants working for Kitzhaber’s campaign to arrange organizations with businesses for personal gain.

“We feel as though the governor has lost the confidence of the people of Oregon,” Daniels, who graduated from the University of Oregon in 2007, said on Friday.

In order for a petition like this to pass it needs the signatures of 220,000 people, 15 percent of registered Oregon voters. On Friday, Daniels was optimistic that they would reach this goal.

However, Secretary of State Kate Brown has halted this petition, and another asking for the same thing, both were submitted last week. According to Oregon law, a governor has to have the chance to serve the state for six months before they can be recalled.

The petitions will now have to wait until June of 2015, Brown ruled, even though this is not Kitzhaber’s first term in office.

Though the petitions are on hold for the moment, Kitzhaber isn’t out of the woods just yet.

Back during the midterm elections in November, a preliminary investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, began. It centered on Hayes’ consulting business, where many of the allegations stem from.

“As someone who worked closely with the Richardson campaign, he (Kitzhaber) should not have made it out of the election. The clear corruption, in particular the Cylvia Hayes debacle on top of the Cover Oregon disaster, makes this man clearly unfit to be Governor of this state in my eyes, ” UO student and President of the UO College Republicans Joseph Lewis, said. Lewis worked on the Richardson campaign doing phone banking and canvassing.

The “Cover Oregon disaster” Lewis refers to is Oregon’s attempt at employing President Obama’s national health care plan, publicly failed, drawing attention from all over, even from John Oliver.

Others remain somewhat optimistic for Kitzhaber’s future as Oregon’s governor.

“We should let the Attorney General do her job and carry out the review requested by the Governor. In the mean time, let’s focus on helping Oregon families this legislative session,” UO student and President of the UO College Democrats Celine Swenson-Harris said. “I believe that it is absurd to call for anyone’s resignation before a full review of the facts has taken place.”

UO alumnus and campaign attorney for Republican Dennis Richardson’s unsuccessful campaign for Oregon Governor, Jacob Daniels, has filed a prospective petition demanding the recall of Governor John Kitzhaber.

Daniels, along with Richardson’s campaign manager Charlie Pearce, submitted the petition requesting the recall of Kitzhaber, citing many problems with the Governor’s First Lady, Kitzhaber’s fianceè Cylvia Hayes.

“We feel as though the Governor has lost the confidence of the people of Oregon,” Daniels said.

The reasons for the recall involving Hayes include her use of the Governor’s mansion to make money, allowing consultants within Kitzhaber’s campaign to arrange organizations with businesses resulting in six figure incomes and a trip to Bhutan the petition claims enabled Hayes to make a contract that benefited them finically.

“I hope he resigns,” Daniels said.

The Oregonian reports that this petition is the second filed this week calling for the recall of Kitzhaber. The first, received by Secretary of State Kate Brown on Feb. 5, was filed by Arin Marcus, and Oregon City resident. Marcus’s petition cites the reasons for recall as “Embezzlement of public funds.” And “Failure to protect Oregon businesses, families, parents and children.”

In order for the petition to put the issue to Oregon voters, it needs a minimum of 220,000 signatures within 90 days. 15 percent of Oregonians registered to vote.

Daniels says this is a goal he thinks they can achieve.

This is not the first time Kitzhaber and Hayes have received accusations of violating Oregon’s ethic regulations. The Emerald touched on the controversy of Hayes using her closeness to the governor’s office to further her own private consulting business prior to Kitzhaber’s reelection in the midterm elections of 2014.

If the petition succeeds, Daniels says he just hopes Oregon’s government can return to a place of transparency.

Tuesday evening in the Wheeler Pavilion at the Lane County Fair Grounds, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission hosted approximately 500 people to discuss the implementation of Measure 91.

Passed in November of 2014, Measure 91 legalizes the recreational use of marijuana for those over 21.

This Marijuana Listening Session was the fourth of twelve the OLCC will hold through March of this year. Two of the five OLCC commissioners presided over the event. Commissioner Michael E. Harper and Commission Chair Robert Patridge.

OLCC commisoners are volunteers. Patridge is District Attorney for Klamath County. Patridge said he didn’t support Measure 91 when it was on the ballot, but now it has passed Patridge says he “feels an obligation,” to see it through.

The meeting gathered public opinion on a variety of issues.

Many thought that the potency of cannabis should be tested before sale, though there was some discrepancy over how marijuana would be tested and the meaning of potency.

Many voiced concern over the possibility of outside corporations coming in from out of state and pushing out smaller, local grow operations. The general consensus from the people gathered was that they wanted people seeking licenses to be Oregon residents.

A hot button issue at the session was children, in regards to wether or not edibles that appeal to children should be produced, or if packaging on marijuana items should be child proof.

The OLCC also brought up the possibility of requiring workers in contact with marijuana needing licenses, like people working with alcohol are currently required to have.

Today a University of Oregon economics professor Bill Harbaugh posted on UO Matters that he is dumping the content of the confidential president archives online.

The archives posted are from 1878.

Bill Harbaugh is the person who received the 22,000 pages of current records.

“I’m posting it all despite the threats from VPAA Doug Blandy and Barbra Altman, the claim of Interm President Scott Coltrane that this is unlawful, and the protests of Interim Provost France Bronet that this is immoral,”  the professor wrote in his post entitled “UO professor goes rouge, posts confidential presidential archives on internet.

“From my reading of the post, it was intended to be a joke. The archives are from 1878,” Julie Brown, UO Director of Communications said.

“But if you haven’t figured out already, don’t worry about a Johnson Hall witch hunt for clicking the link – these are the 1878 UO Presidential Archives,” the Harbaugh writes in the post.

Harbaugh highlights three sections within the 1878 archives that show pay cuts, discriminative hiring and violation of the UO’s civility policy.

“All joking aside, think for a minute about the historical insights, and the glimpse into the humanity of these people that you get, 136 years later, from reading just a few pages of their letters,” Harbaugh writes. “What might people in 2150 learn about us, and themselves, from doing the same?”

Harbaugh goes on to say that those reading documents from the present in the future will not get this chance, due to his understanding of the plan by UO Interim General Counsel Doug Park and Library Dean Adriene Lim to ensure embarrassing documents are redacted before they enter the UO’s Presidential Archives.

“How shallow,” Harbaugh wrote.