As part of the shared governance of the University, Senate members may from time to time be called to serve on committees or advisory boards that develop and review policies and procedures or that render professional judgments. Although certain sensitive matters, such as personnel decisions and other personal matters, are appropriately (and in some case may legally only be) discussed in confidence, confidentiality should, in the interest of transparency and full deliberation, be invoked only for compelling reasons after deliberation by and the approval of the committee members and not as a means to avoid debate or accountability.
Therefore, the Senate Assembly advises Senate members that:
• whereas executive session deliberations are appropriate only for certain limited matters, members are discouraged from signing agreements or agreeing orally not to disclose committee activities as a whole;
• when asked to accept broad confidentiality restrictions as condition for serving on committees or advisory boards, members are asked to disclose such requests and their rationales to SACUA through the Faculty Senate Office so that the extent of such activities can be documented for review on request by members of the University Senate.
