Education at OHSU

Faculty Senate

The mission of the Faculty Senate is to represent faculty in proposing, evaluating and advising on actions or policies to create, maintain and protect an academic environment conducive to the full and free development of scholarly learning, teaching, research, patient care and community service.

Senate Snapshot

The Faculty Senate is a collective group of faculty representatives from across the university who come together to discuss, plan, advise, and, where appropriate, take action on any matter of general interest or concern to the faculty or pertaining to OHSU. This includes, but not limited to:

  • Faculty status
  • Strategic planning
  • Academic policies
  • Educational standards, curricula, new programs, regulations
  • Research
  • Budget
  • Aspects of student life that relate to the university environment

Executive Committee Members

  • Martina Ralle, Senate President
  • Amy Miller Juve, Senate President-Elect
  • Karen Eden, Senate Immediate Past President, Ex-officio
  • Gabriel Kleinman, Senate Secretary
  • Niki Steckler, Senate Treasurer
  • Erin Madriago, Senator At-large
  • Sue Aicher, Senator At-large
  • Carmem Pfeifer, Senator At-large

Senate Committees

Advising the administration and Faculty Senate on matters pertaining to health care services, regional outreach and community service; the number of primary care providers offering care to local, regional, and groups targeted for outreach; the state of clinical service facilities; the diversity of the health care workforce; the quality of the clinical care environment for providing training experiences for students and postgraduates; and clinical services for under-served groups. Advising and facilitating faculty involvement in community outreach activities.

Reviews and evaluates current academic policies, proposals for new and revised program curricula, in addition to proposals for termination of programs or other academic entities.  

Serves as the Nominating Committee for the annual elections of the Executive Committee. Monitors the Faculty Senate elections and reports results of unit elections, failure of units to elect representatives, or any violations of the election process to the Faculty Senate. Conducts elections for any represented school or unit that requests this service. Organizes the nomination process for the annual Faculty Awards and convocation. 

Reviews and makes recommendations about university-wide strategic plans, policies, and documents that affect academic faculty, including appointment, promotion, tenure, evaluation and development, rights and privileges, program elimination, and termination of appointments and contract. Addresses issues raised by the Faculty Survey regarding faculty welfare. Analyzes policies and procedures for determining salary increases within schools and unites. Monitors conditions within and outside the university that, in its judgment, affects the academic freedom of the university, its faculty or its students.      

Senate Work Groups

  • Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
  • Faculty Compensation Plan
  • Monitoring Institutional Responses and Outcomes on Faculty Issues
  • Faculty Voice

The IFS is comprised of representatives of the faculty senators from the public universities in Oregon. Its purpose is to:

  1. Serve as a voice for faculties of Oregon public universities on statewide concerns
  2. Consider statewide policies and make recommendations
  3. Strengthen faculty participation in governance of the institutions.

OHSU Faculty Senate representatives convey the concerns and opinions of the OHSU Faculty Senate to the IFS and convey to the senate issues raised in IFS meetings. 

The Women in Academic Medicine Committee was established as a standing committee of the School of Medicine in 1993 to address issues of concern that affect women faculty including career advancement, career satisfaction, participation by women on decision-making bodies at OHSU, pay equity, discrimination, and parenting and schedule flexibility issues.

On July 1, 2019, after a careful review process and stakeholder meetings, the committee expanded to become an OHSU-wide committee representing all schools, affiliated units, and the College of Pharmacy, and a structured standing committee within the OHSU Faculty Senate under the new name of the Women in Academic Health and Medicine Committee.

In 2020-2021, GEAHM expanded their mission and changed their name to Gender Equity in Academic Health and Medicine Committee (GEAHM) to reflect their broader gender equity mission. 

All perspectives dedicated to the advancement of women and gender diverse individuals across OHSU are sought, including graduate students and residents. Recommendations from the committee are designed to benefit all members of the academic units and the entire OHSU community.  Learn more at the GEAHM website.