UO-OUS fact sheet

Governance

• Oregon University System (OUS) comprises seven public universities and one branch campus
• The Oregon State Board of Higher Education is the statutory governing board of OUS
• The Board is composed of twelve members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon State Senate
• Eight public members are appointed for four-year terms and two faculty and two student members are appointed for two-year terms
• Current board president is Matthew Donegan
• The OUS Chancellor's Office carries out the Board's goals and initiatives and statewide higher education responsibilities
• The Chancellor is appointed by the State Board of Higher Education
• The current Chancellor is George Pernsteiner, appointed in 2004
• The State Board is responsible for appointing the President of each member institution
• Senate Bill 242 shifts the governance structure of the Oregon University System from a state agency into a public university system
• This provides OUS institutions with greater control over their costs and exempts them from some state oversight conditions
• This action comes into effect January 1, 2012
• Senate Bill 909 establishes a 13-member Oregon Education Investment Board appointed by the governor, which will oversee all levels of state education from preschool through college
• This new board could potentially eliminate the State Board of Higher Education
• This action comes into effect June 30, 2012
• The New Partnership Agreement put forth by UO President Richard Lariviere proposes to establish an independent governing board for the UO and a new funding model that is not directly dependent on continuing state support
• The University of Oregon is the only Oregon member in the Association of American Universities

           

State Support

• With an enrollment of more than 24,000, the University of Oregon comprises roughly 24% of OUS students; it receives 20.5% of the OUS budget
• The University of Oregon currently receives less than 8% of its support from state sources
• Adjusting for inflation, state support per student at the UO has declined by more than 50% over the last 20 years
• The UO receives less support per full time student than any other OUS institution
• The UO currently receives less support per student than any other public institution in the AAU (35% less than the next lowest member)

External Support & Economic Impacts

• The UO received $96.7 million in donor contributions in 2010-2011
• UO faculty and students generated $135.6 million in research support during 2010-2011
• In fiscal year 2009-10, the UO received $58.5 million in state support and generated $1.97 billion in economic impact (a 33.6 to 1 return)

Raises and Contracts

• Faculty and administrative salaries are controlled by the UO; classified staff salaries are controlled by the OUS via a union contract
• The UO would like to raise staff salaries, but is blocked from doing so by the OUS-SEIU relationship
• When President Lariviere attempted to address staff furlough requirements with overtime pay, his actions led to a rebuke by then Governor Kulongoski
• Staff salaries can not be determined locally via quality or need while salary decisions are controlled by the OUS, as salary decisions must be applied uniformly across all OUS institutions, regardless of their financial state
• Depending on rank, faculty and instructor salaries at the UO are 80-90% of those from peer public institutions
• Other OUS institutions are also granting pay raises to faculty

·