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The Office of General Counsel & Board Secretary (OGC+BS) provides legal advice and strategic counsel to Eastern Oregon University on matters affecting the institution, and supports the EOU Board of Trustees through the Office of the Board Secretary. We advise the President, Board, and university leadership; coordinate with outside counsel when needed; and promote proactive, preventive legal guidance for a complex public university.
Governance and board support; public records and meetings guidance; contracts and signature authority; policy development; compliance and risk; subpoenas/service of process; student, employee, and research matters; real estate and business transactions; litigation coordination.
Note: OGC represents the university as an institution and cannot provide personal legal advice to students or employees.
Oregon law requires public universities to make publicly available an annual report describing the university’s use of outside counsel, including the types of matters, the number of litigation matters, and total spend by matter type. EOU’s reports will be posted here each year.
As a public body, EOU responds to requests in accordance with Oregon’s Public Records Law. To request records, please use the link below. Information about fees, timelines, and the role of the university Public Records Officer will be provided on the request page.
EOU maintains a comprehensive policy library and also follows applicable state and federal requirements. Typical university policy topics include free expression, student records (FERPA), research compliance, contracting, and risk.
EOU affirms the constitutional rights of free speech and academic freedom and will not infringe upon those rights, consistent with time, place, and manner regulations that protect health, safety, and university operations. This page consolidates applicable policies, guidelines, and resources at EOU.
The EOU Board of Trustees governs the university under Oregon law. The Board Secretary supports the Board’s governance, coordinates meetings and materials, facilitates trustee onboarding, and serves as the primary liaison between the Board and administration.
If you are served with a subpoena, summons, or other legal document related to university business, or you receive a legal hold notice, contact OGC immediately. Employees are generally not authorized to accept service on behalf of the university.
In limited circumstances, such as conflicts, Oregon law allows agencies to employ outside counsel; counsel must be members of the Oregon State Bar and are paid by the university. (This is background context for EOU staff; it doesn’t change how you contact OGC.) Oregon Legislature
General Counsel & Board Secretarycburford@eou.edu | (541) 962.3006Chris Burford serves as Eastern Oregon University’s General Counsel and Board Secretary, advising the President and senior leadership on the full spectrum of higher-education legal matters and supporting the Board of Trustees’ governance, meetings, and records. He joined EOU in 2015.
Before EOU, Burford owned and operated Burford Law Office, LLC (2011–2015), where he focused on municipal, real-property, civil litigation, and estates work, and served as Special Counsel to the City of Pendleton on transactional matters. Earlier, he spent nearly 18 years with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, including service as Attorney General, where he supervised the tribal Department of Justice and advised the governing body on a broad range of legal issues.
Burford earned his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law and a B.A. (cum laude) in History from Western Kentucky University. He is admitted to the Oregon State Bar and the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, and (since 2004) the Washington State Bar. His professional activities include representation in the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the Association of Governing Boards. He has also drafted state legislation adopted by the Oregon Legislature—including amendments to the Oregon Evidence Code (HB 2364, 2007) and Oregon corporate/partnership statutes (HB 2312, 2009).
Board Supportmooresm@eou.edu | (541) 962.3740Suzannah Moore supports the Eastern Oregon University Board of Trustees through the Office of the Board Secretary, coordinating agendas and materials, guiding public meetings and records compliance, and facilitating trustee onboarding and engagement. She partners with the General Counsel to align board actions, policies, and delegated authorities with university and state requirements. Moore manages committee workflows, public comment processes, and the archival of minutes and resolutions, and helps ensure clear, accessible communications between the Board, campus, and the public.
Board of Trustees Office of the President Eastern Oregon University One University Boulevard Library 209 La Grande, OR 97850
Phone: 541-962-3740 Fax: 541-962-3113 E-mail: board@eou.edu