We Love Our Pres

Robert Berdahl named interim president for the University of Oregon

2011-12-09T17:36:00.001-08:00

This statement was released at 5:30 pm on Friday, December 9:

Dear faculty, staff, and students:

I am pleased to report to you that the Oregon State Board of Higher Education has asked me to serve as the interim president of the University of Oregon and that I have accepted their invitation. I do so with a mixture of excitement, sadness, determination, and gratitude.

I am excited to return to the UO, where I came as a young faculty member and spent important years of my intellectual growth in the presence of wonderful and stimulating colleagues, some of whom remain on the faculty or engaged in the ongoing life of the University. Although the UO is a much different institution, and a substantially better university than I left twenty-five years ago, I still feel that I am truly coming home.

However, I am saddened by the circumstances that have led to my assuming this position. I believe that the UO has made important progress on all fronts under the leadership of Richard Lariviere and I have made it clear that, whatever its reasons, I believe the Board of Higher Education made a serious and damaging mistake in terminating his presidency at the UO.

I am also moved by a determination to carry forward the important agenda President Lariviere has outlined for the campus: taking important steps toward the development of genuinely independent governing board for the campus, continuing to assure alumni and supporters of the University that investing in this institution will yield substantial dividends for the State of Oregon, and working with Oregon leaders to restructure and improve all levels of education for Oregonians. I have said repeatedly that the quality of the University of Oregon is better recognized outside of Oregon than within it. We must work to persuade Oregonians of the treasure they have in the UO and why it deserves their support.

Clearly, securing a highly qualified permanent president who shares our visions of innovation and academic distinction will be among the top priorities for my term as interim president. The University’s next president will have unprecedented opportunities to work with other higher education leaders and Oregon lawmakers in setting an ambitious course for the future, expanding the UO’s impact throughout the state and the world. I intend to assist in recruiting the next president in whatever way I can.

Finally, I am filled with gratitude to the faculty and staff for the confidence you have expressed in me. It will be difficult to meet the high expectations you have set for me or to provide the quality of leadership provided by President Lariviere, but I commit to you that I will do my best. I look forward to working with you all as we move forward together.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Berdahl

Faculty pass resolutions condemning board process

2011-11-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

The UO Statutory Faculty met en mass today in Mac Court and heard statements from the Chancellor and State Board of Higher Education member and OSU professor Lynda Ciuffetti (kudos to them, especially Lynda, for attending a difficult meeting). A few pictures here. News coverage: KMTR, KEZI, Register Guard, OPB.

The highlight of the afternoon was the entrance of President Lariviere to thunderous applause and not a few tears (here's some cell phone video). It was difficult to observe his reception and not to understand how crazy this whole process has been. When does any organization have such support for their leader -- especially an organization comprised mostly of headstrong academics. It is a real tragedy and a wasted opportunity. But the current power structure means that the UO must move on.

Many effective and impassioned speeches from faculty and students followed. The strongest statement of the day came from Pete DeFazio (thanks UO Matters).

The faculty then unanimously passed four resolutions:
1) A motion copied almost verbatim from a faculty resolution passed in 1987 when Paul Olum was fired by the State Board. Apparently not too much progress has been made, although the provides 65-70% less funding in 2011 dollars now, so the financial incentives of being subservient have lessened.

2) A motion calling for the establishment of an independent board of oversight for the UO.

3) A motion calling for the Chancellor to follow a recommendation from the Senate for who should be the interim president.

4) A motion calling for a State Board meeting on the renewal of the Chancellor's contract before the end of the year (when it is due to be renewed).

The major theme that emerged from the Chancellor's comments throughout the day today is that the actions that President Lariviere was taking were counter to the interests of higher education in the state as a whole, even if they appeared to be good for the UO.

The equity versus excellence issue is a difficult one in the public's mind. As this process moves forward, it will be important for someone (perhaps our newly activist marketing program) to reverse this message and show how an independent board structure is not selfish, but instead benefits public education in the state.

The financial benefits of excellence

2011-11-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Here are the numbers of budget funding sources and how they have changed over a three year period. Note that the state fraction has dropped by 50%. Also note that all categories except state funding are much higher now -- the capacity of the university to invest in education has increased by 25%. Gifts and grants show the largest percent increase, but an equally important category in terms of total amount is tuition and fees. Some of this has come from tuition increases, but for the most part those increases have been used strictly to balance losses in state funding. Most of that increase is driven by the increase in enrollment, especially for out of state students.

	FY09	%	FY12	%
Tuition and Fees	203	33.3%	326	39.9%
State Appropriation	73	11.9%	46	5.7%
Gift, Grants & Contracts	127	20.8%	217	26.6%
Other	208	34.0%	228	27.9%
Total	612	100.0%	819	100.0%

Three main points here:

Somehow President Lariviere was able to lead the university to unprecedented growth despite the worst economic climate in the state in many generations. When you include the investment multiplier of this spending, this is a multi-billion dollar impact on a state that is seriously struggling. Was this at the forefront of the minds of the governor and board when they considered how much President Lariviere annoyed them? Shouldn't their vision been a bit broader in terms of the students and citizens of the state?
The areas in which the budget has been able to increase are in "prestige funding." These are the grants, gifts and out of state students that have been flocking to the university because of our rapidly increasing reputation. Again, this is largely a flow of funds from outside the state to inside the state. It does not seem that the folks making these decisions have thought much about these numbers.
The raise in faculty salaries (totaling a few million dollars) in a time of fiscal hardship has drawn much of the attention. First, tax dollars from hard pressed citizens did not fund these raises. Second, OUS member institutions were already empowered to make salary decisions for their academic staff. President Lariviere apparently only perturbed the Governor in his desire for salary freezes; there was no official policy at stake here (i.e., it is all about politics, not finances). Third, this set of employees had just doubled their financial impact on the university while working several years under frozen wages. UO faculty make 80% less than faculty at public peer institutions and are constantly being poached by other universities. Was it a good management decision to adjust their salaries in this climate or to risk the hard fought gains of the last three years by losing them? Perhaps whichever state manager who is currently calling themselves the CEO in this circumstance can explain the proper business case here.

And for those students wondering why tuition keeps increasing, check out the chart below. The central feature of the New Partnership agreement was to stabilize the level of state contribution in order to generate tuition stability over the long term. This is still a worthy goal, not properly acknowledged by the OUS.

Statutory Faculty meeting

2011-11-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

There will be a statutory faculty meeting Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 in Mac Court. Faculty should plan to arrive by 2:45 so that they can check in for voting purposes. For procedural reasons the meeting actually officially begins with a University Senate meeting at 3pm, followed by the broader meeting at 3:10.

Live coverage of the meeting will be provided by the UO Channel here.

The entire university community is invited to attend. It is likely that motions will be entered in support of President Lariviere, in support of establishing a separate oversight board (independent from the OUS) for the UO, and perhaps a motion calling for an evaluation of the renewal of Chancellor Pernsteiner's contract, which must be decided upon by December 31.

Pernsteiner himself will be in attendance, as will a representative of the board. This is an important opportunity to move the university ahead on a positive path forward.

Rally success!!

2011-11-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

The UO community held a highly successful rally today at noon outside the EMU. Lots of press coverage (we'll provide links as they come available, add them to the comments).

The main themes to emerge were a great sense of loss of President Lariviere. Many great testimonials regarding his outreach and diversity efforts. Also, many speakers emphasized the need to continue the President's vision of an oversight board that is independent of the OUS.

Here is the updated fact-sheet and informational flyer that was distributed at the rally. Pay special attention to the financial figures in terms of state support. It has decreased 50% in the last three years, down to less than 6% of the total budget.

Rally flyer

Rally today at noon!

2011-11-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

There is a rally today at noon at the EMU amphitheater. While we still want to support our president, it is important to start moving onto next steps.

There are two main issues:

1) Input form the UO community was not sought. It was also clear that the State Board does not know and does not care about the impact of their decision on the University of Oregon. Board President Donegan touted the fact that he had "spent a whole day on campus" since becoming president. The process here is broken and political, and does not serve the best interests of the university system or the state.

2) The UO needs an independent oversight board that is responsive to the needs of the university. Board President Donegan is to be commended for breaking protocol and at least attempting to address some of the concerns of the audience (the rest of the board in no way participated in an open meeting process). However, his description of his distress of seeing how wonderfully everything was going at the UO and then having to return to the difficulties facing the board generated by President Lariviere's actions seemed especially telling. It is not about him and how hard the life of the board is. It is about building excellence in higher education within Oregon, which is exactly what President Lariviere was doing. Falsely pitting the UO against other campuses is a complete canard, since the state only supplies 5.8% of the UO's funding. Whose funds the UO stealing exactly? In fact, the UO has been subsidizing many of the other state universities for years.

The issue at hand is exactly the opposite of the State Board's position. Building excellence in higher education in Oregon is dependent on each university being allowed to play to their unique strengths. The entire state benefits from the increasing reputation of each of its member institutions. It brands the state as a place that businesses that rely on well-educated employees can come for innovation and engagement. It allows natural rivalries to be based on who is doing things the best, rather than how an unnecessary bureaucracy can attempt to keep all institutions uniformly mediocre.

It is time to aggressively push forward the need for an independent board. The OUS is irrelevant to this discussion. It the State Legislature and the Governor who must build on the outrage of this broken process to provide a future path for excellence within a state that no longer provides adequate support for higher education for the benefit of its citizens.

Lariviere given 30 day termination

2011-11-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

The State Board voted at 5:56 pm to terminate President Lariviere, with his termination taking place on December 28.

Chancellor Pernsteiner will be visiting the campus this week to consult with UO faculty and administrators in order to identify an interim President. He would like the board to name the interim next week.

Board Meeting transcript

2011-11-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

Oregon Live has a good live blog going (with abbreviated transcript).

Rally/Teach-in on Tuesday!

2011-11-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

TEACH-IN / RALLY

Tuesday November 29 at NOON

EMU AMPHITHEATER

In light of the OUS Board of Education’s decision to dismiss University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere, the faculty of the University of Oregon have organized a teach-in /rally to educate ourselves and the UO campus community about the UO/OUS governance system and relationship. How is it possible that the OUS can fire our president without a clear process that involves students, faculty, staff, and members of the University community? To learn more, or to show your support, come join us at this very important gathering!!

See you there!!! Go Ducks!!

The plan is to have a series of student, faculty, legislative, and community speakers starting at noon, followed by a march around campus. Following those activities there will be Q/A session to address questions. The organizers are trying to put together a FAQ sheet, so send in the questions you would like to have addressed.

State Board meeting webcast

2011-11-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

A webcast of the State Board of Higher Education meeting on the decision to fire UO President Richard Lariviere is available starting at 3:00 pm at:

http://ous.edu/state_board/meeting/webcast

Please don't crash the server (although that may be inevitable).

Aggressively Aspirational

2011-11-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

The stereotypical view of a university professor is someone with leather elbow patches kicking back in their office discussing philosophy. They get paid for that? To be sure every university, like every workplace, has a few professors who mail in their lectures and ride the end of their tenure into retirement. Life for the vast majority of faculty is wildly different, however. The most successful faculty members work 60-80 hours a week and function as small business owners running their own enterprises. They are responsible for securing venture capital, staffing their operations, and efficiently producing their products (students, papers and books). This is why the faculty bring in twice as much research funds (>$130 million) than the money provided to the university by the state.

The other largely unknown feature of faculty members is that, if they are to succeed, they must be aggressively persistent in the face of failure. Faculty working at the edge of their fields are close friends with failure. The acceptance rate at top academic journals is 5-10%. The slow down in the economy means that most funding agencies reject 90% of all proposals sent to them. Every year the university hires the best and brightest in the country, rigorously evaluates their performance, and then fires them if they do not meet a high set of standards dictated by the review of their peers drawn from around the world. Laying down in the face of failure is not an option, and only those that stand up from a beat down remain to fight on to advance their scholarship. The simple reality is that only doers can succeed.

That may be why President Lariviere is so well liked on the University of Oregon campus. He is the ultimate faculty member. He is a true scholar in his field – a field (Sanskrit) that seems so esoteric that it speaks to what it means to be a university that embraces knowledge for its own sake. But mostly, the university loves him because he continually strives for excellence for the students, faculty and staff of the UO. That is what we are all about, or at least it is what we should be all about. President Lariviere’s experience as a faculty member has trained him to keep striving to advance the field, to advance the university, in the face of all obstacles.

And sometimes those obstacles are institutional in nature. The bureaucracies of the state higher educational system are clearly not keeping up with the financial realities of today. Lariviere has ruffled feathers by being perceived in not working within the existing system to achieve his aspirational aims. Rather than giving him space to push the state forward, the power structure is collapsing back upon him in what some might portray as a cynical attempt to maintain the status quo and their own positions. It’s Dumbledore versus Umbridge. It is exactly these properties that have brought two of the major entrepreneurs in the state, Phil Knight of Nike and Tim Boyle of Columbia Sportswear, to Lariviere’s defense. It is rare to find a great man whose epitaph reads, “He played well with others.”

Word has it that the UO’s sister institutions have been very quiet on the issue of the firing of the president. They obviously are being trained to keep their heads down, which is likely to be the longest lasting negative impact of this action. But it is also possible that they think that it is time for the “uppity” UO to be brought down a notch. This is truly sad if true, because excellence in higher education in the state is not a zero sum game. You can be sure that weakening the UO will lead to damage to every other institution of higher learning within the state. Being known as a state where innovation is suppressed will drive away faculty and administrators in all locations. It is easier to steer clear of controversy than to come into a situation where to have to worry about fixing it.

The University of Oregon aspires to be great, and it will not be apologetic about it. This is the highest role that a public university provides its citizens, and it is exactly what Oregon needs now and in the future. And so the campus mourns the potential loss of a true academic leader at the helm of the university. Whoever comes next will by default be more bureaucratic and less visionary. And we know that the actions of the Governor and the State Board of Higher Education means that we will not be seeing likes of Richard Lariviere again for a very long time. The State of Oregon is diminished by this fact.

President: Work for meaningful change in the system

2011-11-27T19:52:00.001-08:00

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:

Thank you for your support this week. Jan and I are deeply touched. More than anything I want the University of Oregon to flourish. Like so many of you, I love this university and all it represents.

I came here because the University of Oregon is a model for how public universities fulfill their mission in troubling times. I came here because the state of Oregon is a place so often at the forefront of change, a crucible where innovators, dreamers, mavericks and fair-minded citizens devise new solutions to old problems. I still believe this is true.

The conflicts that resulted in my termination are a symptom of the broken system of governance and funding in Oregon higher education that desperately needs changing if the state of Oregon is going to achieve the greatness we all aspire to. You know that. This is why there has been the outcry—the genuinely amazing outcry—from so many of you.

I am humbled by your support, but your cause should not be my employment status. Your cause must be how Oregonians will be educated. Your cause must be how institutions like the University of Oregon can be strong in a state with weak public resources.

I urge those of you who plan to rally or attend the state board meeting to focus your time, energy and efforts, not on questioning the wisdom or process of the decision. Instead focus yourselves on the larger cause of meaningful policy reforms that will benefit the UO, the system of higher education, and the state of Oregon. The Governor and Legislature already took actions this year to create a promising new governance structure for all education in Oregon. It is possible for the state to take the next step and create a strong, independent governing board for an institution like the University of Oregon.

Universities in Oregon need to be differentiated based on their mission. Strong independent boards should be guided by goals set by a statewide coordinating authority. Each individual university must be able to best organize resources, serve the state and meet its mission.

A system approach that delivers conformity among institutions by applying the same fiscal and policy lens to all, regardless of mission, will continue to be costly to the state’s future. It will not harness the unique strengths of each institution. Such an approach has not and cannot deliver the fullest promise of higher education for Oregon’s future.

Work for a genuinely independent, genuinely powerful institutional governing board. That is the doorway to a better future for the UO. Stay the course. Don’t let disappointment prevail.

Thank you for supporting the University of Oregon and for the honor of serving as the sixteenth president of the university.

Sincerely,

Richard Lariviere

Message to Governor & Board: Slow Down

2011-11-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

Thus far, we have seen a great demonstration of the use of power to try to resolve a contentious issue.

The State Board used their administrative power to inform President Lariviere that he would be terminated and encouraging him to resign; using the Thanksgiving weekend in an attempt to blunt possible negative responses.
The UO community, led primary by faculty who were able to mobilize during the Thanksgiving weekend, attempted to use their collective power to force the Governor to change the Board's decision.
The Governor then asserted his ultimate authority (power) by firmly backing the board in its decision in bidding a not too friendly farewell to President Lariviere

Now that all of the sides have firmly established their positions, and now that it is clear that any of the parties is unlikely to back down, there is an obvious train wreck coming that is almost certain to cause damage to the state for years to come.

This would be an ideal time for all parties to take a step back and reinsert some reasonable sense of process into the resolution of these issues, as opposed to attempting to use power to crush their "opponents." Really critical here is the question of what happens next. If Lariviere is indeed to be fired on Monday, then how does a new leader gain traction in the mess that is left behind? The faculty, in particular, will continue to press their point of view, as they should. What happens next? Will people continue to work together to further the institution or will they work to subvert what they see as a pretender to the throne? Will they work for the new leadership at all?

Although their motivations are understandable, the State Board has clearly been hasty in their actions, never allowing any meaningful public input into the process. Time will tell if this was a legal requirement, but it is certainly the proper way to create a meaningful transition to new leadership, if that is their goal.

Word has it that Chancellor Pernsteiner has agreed to attend the UO statutory faculty meeting on Wednesday. The Governor may be attending as well. Frankly, these are brave acts. Perhaps braver still would be to use the Board meeting on Monday to table the motion on Lariviere's termination for at least several more weeks. If all parties have the same goal of making higher education in the state great, but there is a difference of opinion in how to make that happen, then we have the foundation for working together for the next few months. The alternative is to destroy the overall goal itself, which goes well beyond counterproductive.

There is an old adage about the value of slowly removing the bandaid versus ripping it off quickly. The Board appears to be heavily in rip-off mode. Dr. Kitzhaber should know that you can not rip the bandage off of a wound that clearly still needs a great deal of suturing.

The scars that may remain for years to come depend heavily on the actions of the next few days.

Rallies on Monday and Tuesday

2011-11-27T17:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a rundown of upcoming events related to the State Board's firing of President Lariviere:

Monday in Portland: The big kahuna is the hastily announced public meeting of the State Board of Higher Education at 2:00 pm. The board will meet in private session at 2:00 and then open up to a public session at 3:00 pm. UO Senate Robert Kyr and ASUO President Ben Eckstein will be given an opportunity to speak before the vote. The Board will then vote and then open to floor to public comment (seems a bit backward, but why beat a process while it's down). Buses and carpools leave the UO campus at 12:30. There will be a pre-meeting gathering at the Oregon Business Institute in Portland. OBI is in the 200 Market Street building. Gathering of supporters in the public square outside of the main building at 1:30 or so is encouraged, although there is no formal events planned. If anything happens, it will be an occupy-style spontaneous event.

Monday in Eugene: The Facebook group Laviriere for UO President is planning a simultaneous demonstration on Monday at 2:00 pm outside Johnson Hall. Check in with them for updated details. In deference to the PDX events, the big Eugene rally will be Tuesday.

Tuesday in Eugene: Rally/March/Teach-in at noon on campus. Logistics are will be confirmed and announced Monday morning. Right now the plan is to rally at the EMU amphitheater with student, faculty, legislator, and local community speakers, followed by a brief march around campus. The march will end back at the amphitheater with an opportunity for the speakers and audience to engage in a discussion so that everyone can gain clarity on the underlying issues. Look for firm details tomorrow.

Stand by for further updates. Follow @weloveourpres on Twitter for regular updates.

Mutually Assured Destruction

2011-11-27T09:28:00.000-08:00

The Governor’s recent press release supporting the State Board of Education’s decision to fire UO President Richard Lariviere leaves the university in a very dark place. The standing hope over the last few days was that mounting opposition to the firing would provide political cover for the Governor to encourage the board to reverse its decision. The Governor has now gone so far in his statements that it would be a major embarrassment for him to reverse course. On the other side, the UO constituency is truly up in arms about the firing, not only because President Lariviere has been doing a good job, but mainly because this is such a clear affirmation that the state has no clue how to build excellence in the face of its ongoing disinvestment in higher education. The state currently provides less than 8% of the funding to the University but demands 100% of the control. It instead should be paying closer attention to what is going on with the other 92%.

In his statement, the Governor belies a serious misunderstanding of the situation on several counts:

1. That current UO efforts are somehow coordinated by the President’s office.

In his release, the Governor refers to an “orchestrated media blitz”, perhaps implying that efforts on the President’s behalf are being organized by the President’s office. They are not. Other than issuing two statements regarding his firing and his decision not to resign, the President has not been directly involved in any retention efforts. These all spontaneously erupted on Wednesday morning following the announcement of the firing. Faculty in leadership roles acted quickly to condemn this action and to plan rallies in support of the President. Phil Knight immediately provided a strong response, which undoubtedly matches the concerns of many major donors (who contribute 50% more to the UO each year than does the state). Largely due to the Board’s cynical use of the Thanksgiving holiday as a means of suppressing dissent, we have yet to hear strongly from the students, although it is clear that they will have mixed opinions because of their concerns about rising tuition costs. Ironically, it is continuing state cuts and not any small university actions, such as increasing faculty salaries (which are paid for via increases in enrollment), that are the ultimate source of all tuition issues.

The bottom line is that the University of Oregon community is very angry and it is difficult to see them backing down any time soon. This creates a dangerous situation that is sure to ultimately erode the strength of the UO.

2. That the University is run like a business.

The Governor relies on the oft-used maxim that the university should be run like a business, with its employee (the President) completely beholden to its CEO (the Chancellor). A major source of the state’s ongoing issues with higher education is the lack of recognition that this is a horrible analogy for how a university actually functions. Instead of a monolithic corporation, a university is much more like a collective of 1000 small businesses, each run by an individual faculty member. The majority of these “businesses” have essentially no capital and are therefore completely dependent on the central organization for generating their “products” (research and education). However, some of these are multimillion-dollar operations manned by staffs that number in the dozens. These small business operations work for the benefit of the university, but they are also surprisingly mobile and can be moved to other universities with little difficulty. Indeed, this kind of poaching occurs all the time, and every year and the university must work very hard to retain its top faculty. Any deviation from a commitment to excellence will inevitably lead to a loss of the university’s best faculty.

Currently the top 30 researchers at the UO bring in as much money to the university as the contribution provided by the other 3.8 million citizens of Oregon. This is amounts to the in-state tuition of 18,000 undergraduates. Losing the UO’s top 2-3 faculty would be equivalent to a 10-20% cut in state funding. It is appropriate for faculty to be the ones who work the hardest to improve the university. To dismiss them as simply “whiny employees” is a major mistake, however. Under the current and future fiscal reality of the state, a misstep here could result in a multi-billion dollar impact on the state economy. The stakes are not small and do not only involve the delivery of education to undergraduates.

3. That the State Board is qualified to manage higher education.

The Governor is attempting to portray the current situation as a dispute between employer and employee. Again, this is a false model. Instead the state should be seen as an important stakeholder in the success of the university, but not its sole provider. What company allows a shareholder with a 8% interest to control 100% of strategic decision making? There is an old saying in the charitable giving world: winners invest in winners. So it goes with donors, with faculty retention and recruiting, and with attracting the best students to the university. (It is no accident that the athletic departments have been a strong supporters of President Lariviere). We should be paying our closest attention to those 92% (and that fraction grows by 1-3% a year). Why a minority shareholder would be allowed to poison an institution that is on such a strong upward trajectory is completely puzzling. It is not business; it is politics. One would hope that the perceived political cost of pursuing such an obviously wrong path would be sufficient to dissuade one from going that route. Unfortunately, it appears that this is simply to be the politics of destruction, with the major players long gone by the time the real impacts are keenly felt.

Curiously, the current State Board of Higher Education, which seems so intent on bringing the University of Oregon into line, has no representation from the UO. The Board is also likely to be eliminated in June with the implementation of Senate Bill 909 (unless they have cut a new deal with the Governor). With the exception of a faculty member from Oregon State, the board has absolutely no experience with the operations of a major university. Looking at the resumes of the board, it is clear that these are very accomplished individuals who are strongly committed to improving Oregon’s communities through their work with a wide variety of groups and service organizations. One can only assume that they mean well. But why are they in a position to make such decisions? The Chancellor’s office itself does not contain any individuals with strong academic backgrounds; they are largely financial managers.

There is a clear dispute here on how the future of state higher education should be structured. The Governor asserts that President Lariviere has been a poor employee and should do as he is told. The other side of this coin is that these “employers” are not competent to make proper decisions, and so the only option that a true leader has under these circumstances is to do what is right for the future of the state. Presdient Lariviere is likely to be fired, but that there is no way that this can be portrayed as anything other than martyrdom at the hands of political operatives.

4. That it will be business as usual after this “blows over”.

No matter what happens, the university will go on. This is not the last controversy to face the UO, nor will it be the last. No doubt the Governor feels that he can simply weather this storm and install a new, more compliant president at the helm. It may work this way, but there are important warning signs that say otherwise. First, these actions are seen as a clear deviation from the path of excellence that the UO is currently on. Unlike past years, the UO is almost completely dependent upon “reputation money” (grants, donor contributions, out of state tuition), and state contributions will play no role in stabilizing university finances if this situation becomes unbalanced (as it can by the decisions of just a handful of faculty and donors). Second, any new administration that is installed by the Governor will be viewed as illegitimate by the UO community. How many current faculty and administrators will be willing to serve such a person? It is not about quitting per se, but service to the university takes much more effort than simply carrying out one's own teaching and research. Even a known entity, such as past-president Dave Frohnmayer, would not be supported in such a role. Someone from the OUS will lead to outright rebellion. The saddest aspect of all possible outcomes, other than the continued presidency of Richard Lariviere, is that actions perpetrated by an outraged community will mostly harm the UO itself and have little impact on the Governor. Perhaps a court intervention precipitated by the Board's questionable adherence to open meeting laws will provide a cooling off period.

Overall, though, the Governor and the university are locked in a pact of mutually assured destruction. The Governor’s actions ensure that the faculty and donors of the university will be forced to react, and the nature of their reactions will lead to long-term damage of the university. Given that the State of Oregon has essentially no resources to back its controlling interest, the worst-case scenario is that this is a decision that will forever label Governor Kitzhaber as the destroyer of higher education in the state.

Game ball to Lariviere

2011-11-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

You can mess with academics, but this university all pulls on the same oar.

Chip Kelly gives President Lariviere the game ball.

Governor backs State Board

2011-11-26T18:33:00.000-08:00

From a press release earlier today (Saturday):

"First, let me say that the situation involving the Oregon State Board of Higher Education and Dr. Richard Lariviere has nothing to do with an "ongoing difference of opinion over the future of the University of Oregon," as Dr. Lariviere suggested in an email sent out to faculty and students last Tuesday.

My education strategy includes building a world class, innovative system of higher education that delivers better results for students and serves as an engine for our state's economic recovery. Achieving these goals requires all of our university campuses, the Oregon University System and the State Board of Higher Education to be pulling in the same direction.

While the timing of the Board's action on Dr. Richard Lariviere's employment contract may come as a surprise to some, the possible decision to terminate his contract should not, given his record.

There have been a number of well-publicized incidents involving Dr. Lariviere that have eroded trust and confidence with the Board of Higher Education. He disregarded Board direction on more than one occasion. His decision to bypass the Board and lobby for increased independence for the University of Oregon was a clear violation of policy and made our larger, collective efforts to advance system-wide reform much more difficult. Consequently, Dr Lariviere's employment contract was limited to one year and included specific performance standards in an attempt both to alert Dr. Lariviere to the seriousness of these issues and to create an opportunity to rebuild trust.

But his conduct has not changed.

Most recently, after agreeing face-to-face with the other presidents to limit compensation increases given the state budget's severe revenue constraints, Dr. Lariviere unilaterally granted substantial salary increases to his administrators and faculty. Unlike every other university president in the state, he disregarded my specific direction on holding tight and delaying discussion about retention and equity pay increases until the next biennium to allow for a consistent, system-wide policy on salaries.

His decision not only undermined the Board, it undermined my own directive and the credibility of my administration with the other campuses that complied with the agreement. I am not saying that retention increases are not warranted – they are – but the faculty retention problem is not unique to the University of Oregon. By acting alone, Dr. Lariviere has created significant difficulty for other schools. At Portland State University, the increased pressure on the administration continues to prevent successful conclusion of contract negotiations with its faculty. His actions show little regard for the needs of the rest of the university system, other campuses, and the state.

Dr. Lariviere's popularity in the University of Oregon community speaks for itself. But evaluating his performance requires more. His responsibility to the Board of Higher Education and his contribution to the larger issues and success of the entire system fall short. Indeed, Dr. Lariviere's actions have done damage to our vision for higher education and other institutions of higher learning; and, ironically, have served to undercut his own aspirations for the University of Oregon.

His vision for the U of O ultimately needs the support of the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate and a majority in both chambers of the legislature. That does not exist today. I am personally committed to the concept of local governing boards and seeking new funding sources for Oregon's universities, including consideration of an endowment funding model, but Dr. Lariviere has made the path to reform much steeper. Indeed, the orchestrated media blitz over the past few days has made some of those who are not warm to his ideas even more resistant.

In my opinion, should the Board of Higher Education decide to terminate Dr. Lariviere's contract on this basis, it would be fully justified from an executive management standpoint. Any private sector CEO, faced with a division manager who was totally dedicated to his or her specific department but willfully and repeatedly undermined the needs and goals of the overall company would, I expect, fire the manager – and probably after the first instance of such behavior; not the second. And few would be sympathetic to a call for special treatment.

The Board of Higher Education is a group of thoughtful and dedicated Oregonians – many of whom have executive management experience themselves – and I am confident that their decision will not be arrived at lightly but only after much deliberation. I intend to fully support them as we pursue excellence in higher education across the state of Oregon."

Buses to Occupy OUS on Monday

2011-11-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest on the Monday State Board of Higher Education Meeting via past Senate President Nathan Tublitz (for current Senate Pres Robert Kyr and the Senate Executive Committee). There are only two buses being rented. If people let the Senate know that we will need more transportation, then I'm sure that the funds can be raised to provide it. By the way, it looks like there won't be an opportunity for a stop in Salem on Monday. That will have to wait until later depending on how things roll during the rest of the week.

TIME: 2-5pm. The Board will meet in Executive Session at 2pm. The public part of the meeting will begin at approximately 3pm. Senate President Robert Kyr will speak shortly after the beginning of the public meeting.

LOCATION: OUS Boardroom, 1800 SW 6th Avenue, Suite 515, Portland State University campus, Academic and Student Recreation Center, Portland, OR, 97201

PRE-MEETING GATHERING: The Oregon Business Institute in Portland has generously offered the use of several rooms for us to gather prior to the meeting.
OBI is in the 200 Market Street building. That is between 2nd and 3rd Avenues on Market Street. It is roughly 3 blocks from the OUS Boardroom.

TRANSPORTATION:
By bus: The UO Alumni Association has generously offered to provide two buses for this event. Buses will leave at 12:15 pm Monday from the front of the Ford Alumni Center.
By car: OBI has a parking garage under their building which they have offered for our use. The garage is located on Market Street immediately after passing by 3rd Avenue You will need to pull a ticket and go up to the OBI office to obtain free validation stickers.
Carpooling: Please send a message to N. Tublitz at tublitz@uoregon.edu if you need a ride or have available space in your vehicle.

ATTIRE: Please wear UO colors if possible.

We are hoping for a huge turnout at the Board Meeting in support of our President. Please feel free to pass this on to others.

OUS Ethics Violation Complaint Filed

2011-11-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

UO Matters outlines an Oregon Government Ethics Commission complaint that is being filed by more than 50 UO faculty members. The gist of the argument is that the State Board of Higher Education decided to fire President Lariviere in a closed meeting (via phone calls) and have in fact been proceeding as though that is already a done deal, whereas they are required by law to discuss on vote on the situation in a public meeting. Local folks recall the trouble some Lane County Commissioners got into for similar behavior.

Word has it that things may get ugly for the Governor as well, as a group of legislators is very unhappy with this action. The Governor is still above it all at this point, so everyone can save face by a reversal at Monday's meeting. We all need to get along for just seven more months until Senate Bill 909 kicks in. We can do this for the sake of the children of Oregon.

Football consciousness

2011-11-26T16:37:00.000-08:00

Great show of support today for #istandwiththehat at Autzen stadium today. Dozens of faculty members handed out thousands of flyers to largely confused attendees. This was indeed a great opportunity to keep folks informed.

The effort was greatly helped by "We Stand with the Hat" banners at all four corners of the stadium. Good presence there as well as to the TV audience (banner close up here). The President of the Alumni Association did a superman routine with a "hat" t-shirt under his outer shirt, and President Lariviere got a standing ovation from the crowd.

By halftime, many fans were asking what the deal with "We Stand with the Hat" was -- more opportunity for flyers all around.

Here is a bad pic of the stadium banners in action.

UO Deans speak out in support of Lariviere

2011-11-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

Here is the text of the statement from the UO Deans in support of President Lariviere that appeared in Saturday's Register Guard:

The decision of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education not to renew President Richard Lariviere’s contract is a body blow to the University of Oregon and to the state. The ouster of this visionary, effective president will have a profoundly negative effect on families, businesses and communities in all corners of our state and beyond.

The deans at the University of Oregon urge the board and the governor to reconsider before it is too late.

As deans of the UO schools and colleges, we work closely with faculty and staff who prepare students for success in an increasingly complex world. We work every day with internationally recognized faculty whose research and creative activity have an impact around the world while bringing millions of dollars into the state.

We are charged with assuring that the university fulfills its mission as a public research institution. Despite declining state support, despite economic uncertainty and despite increased competition for the best students and faculty, the UO is a better university today than it was three years ago.

We are poised to make even greater progress, in part, because our president has modeled and encouraged creative, innovative, future-oriented thought and action. We are on a roll, to the benefit of all. Please do not stop us now.

President Lariviere has earned our confidence — not because we have agreed with all of his ideas, but because he is intelligent, creative and bold in the pursuit of excellence.

We are unanimous in giving the president an A+ for his vision, his leadership and his unwavering commitment to public higher education. We are confident that an evaluation of his performance based on appropriate metrics would lead to a similar grade. We can only conclude that the state board and the governor gave him an F in “plays well with state bureaucracies.”

Oregon cannot afford to lose a visionary leader over style points.

This controversy is about the future of Oregon. Without the development of new ways to support and deliver higher education in our state, both our private and public sectors will collapse, leaving us with mediocrity throughout.

At a time when the state is struggling to balance its budget, struggling to build an infrastructure for renewed growth and struggling to compete in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, we must not gamble with our economic and intellectual future.

Our protest is not about protecting our boss; it is about excellence. Twenty-four years ago, UO President Paul Olum was removed from office because he advocated for a new relationship between the UO and the state. Time and again, UO presidents have told the board, the legislature and the governor that the university cannot achieve its full potential without a change in the status quo models of financing and governance.

We are seeing the potentially devastating impact of this decision to change leadership. In the last 48 hours, every dean has had some of our best faculty question whether they can stay. Every dean has had alumni and supporters express second thoughts about investing their time and money in the UO.

Faculty and students come to the UO because they believe in our potential to be bold, creative, imaginative and empowering. Firing our president would send a tragically wrong message.

President Lariviere was hired by the board and supported by the UO community because he promised to lead us in finding a new model for excellence in higher education in Oregon. The UO community challenges the board, the governor and our president to forge a new path so that we can continue to build a great university for the benefit of all Oregonians.

Tim Gleason is dean of the UO School of Journalism and Communication. Others contributing to this statement were Michael Bullis, dean of the College of Education; Frances Bronet, dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts; Deb Carver, dean of Libraries; Scott Coltrane, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Cornelis “Kees” de Kluyver, dean of the Lundquist College of Business; Brad Foley, dean of the School of Music and Dance; David Frank, dean of the Honors College; Sandra Morgen, vice provost of Graduate Studies and associate dean of Graduate Studies; and Michael Moffitt, dean of the School of Law.

Civil War Activism

2011-11-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

Today is the best chance to move the publicity meter forward in anticipation for Monday's meeting of the State Board of Higher Education, in which the firing of President Richard Lariviere is the sole agenda item. The Board and the Governor need to know that the political cost of this action is far too high and that the citizens of Oregon demand that the University of Oregon and all of the universities in the be free to seek true excellence in high education. To do otherwise will cause irreparable harm to the state and to its economy (the UO generates $2 billion in economic impact on Oregon each year).

Here is a new and improved flyer for people to distribute: New flyer

Here is a half page flyer for those concerned about being concise and saving paper: Half Page Flyer

Flyer Brigade

2011-11-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

There is a concerted effort to distribute flyers before the Civil War game on Saturday. Security has been notified, so there should not be any issues.

What you can do:
1) Print out several 100 copies of this flyer. DO NOT use university or any other state owned equipment for this purpose.

2) Meet at the President's pre-game tailgate tent (east gate) at 11:00 am to organize.

3) Be pleasant and positive. Say, "Would you like some information about supporting Excellence in Higher Education within Oregon?"

4) Wear your fedoras and have fun.

Civil War Footballitics

2011-11-25T09:22:00.000-08:00

In an incredible coincidence of timing, the largest OUS event of the year, the UO-OSU civil war football game, falls right in the middle of the most controversial OUS action of the last decade. Since the game is in Eugene, this serendipity obviously must be capitalized upon.

Here are a few thoughts:

Wear "I/We Love Our Pres" t-shirts. Easiest solution is to quickly modify an "I Love My Ducks" t-shirt. "I Stand with the Hat" t-shirts are an excellent choice for new printing.
Wear fedoras. Apparently the hunt is on to find a large stock of yellow fedoras. Good luck to those hearty souls.
Signs reading "We Love Our Pres", "I Stand with the Hat", and "Keep Lariviere!"
Look for opportunities to reach out to the Beaver Believers. This is not about the UO, but an attack on the commitment to excellence in higher education across the state. OSU also suffers from this action and one hopes that they will stand with the UO on this.
When the time comes to show your support for the President -- and it will most assuredly come in a very public way -- then go nuts. A chant at that point will be appropriate, but it must be very simple for 50,000 people to simultaneously participate in. Perhaps "Ri -- chard" will suffice.

There is a men's basketball game at Matt Court on Tuesday night. Standby for potential action there as well.

Destroy all excellence

2011-11-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

Architecture professor Peter Keyes posted a brilliant piece of satire on his Facebook page. It is reproduced below for those of you without a Facebook account (the rest of you should "like" the original).

In a surprise move, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education announced they will meet on Monday, November 28, to vote on terminating University of Oregon head football coach Charles (Chip) Kelly. In a statement released today, Board President Matthew Donogood emphasized that Kelly had repeatedly put the interests of the UO Ducks football team above those of the other teams in the state system. “Under Chip Kelly, the Ducks have relentlessly pursued national BCS football championships, while the teams at Southern Oregon University and Eastern Oregon University have labored in obscurity in something called the NAIA. His dogged pursuit of excellence is contrary to the values we hold here at OUS, where we believe that every student deserves a shot at the national championship, no matter how scrawny he might be.”

The OUS Board’s sentiments were echoed by Oregon’s Governor, who said “The University of Oregon must get on the same page as the rest of the state. We need to create a seamless football opportunity system in this state, from pre-K through college. To accomplish this, I have created the Oregon Football Investment Board (OFIB) , which will determine how Oregonians can best spend the limited football dollars we have, to ensure that we are getting the best return on our football investment. For the amount that the Ducks spend on one away game, we would be able to move the WOU Wolves up to NCAA Division III from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and maybe buy some new flags for the flag football team down at OIT.”

Coach Chip Kelly could not be reached for comment, as he was tied up on the phone talking to recruiters from other universities.

I open at the close(d meeting)

2011-11-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

The State Board of Higher Education operates under the Oregon open meetings law. Bill Harbaugh's blog UO Matters goes into detail regarding whether or not the board's recent actions are in violation of this law. As recently demonstrated in cases involving the Lane Board of Commissioners, the State Board members could be sued individually in such a case.

Events of next week

2011-11-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

Here is how the schedule for next week is shaping up:

Monday: OUS meeting at 3:00 pm in Portland (PSU Rec Center). Possible meet-up/rally at 1:30 in the plaza outside. Possible rally in Salem at 11:30 or 12:30. Talk it up so that plans can start coalescing.

Tuesday: Teach-in and Rally from 12-2 pm on campus. More details to follow when planning is completed.

Wednesday: Statutory Faculty meeting with UO Senate 3-5pm, with all community members are invited to attend. Two motions will be considered: one in support of President Lariviere and one calling on the Chancellor and the State Board to resign.

Salem stop on Monday

2011-11-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

People heading to Portland for the Monday State Board meeting are encouraged to make a stop over in Salem for a brief rally. It is clear that the only person in a position to alter the path we are on is the Governor, so his should be the primary ear we seek.

Probably better to plan a time on the way up rather than on the way down, but we will need to see what starts developing. If it is to happen before the meeting, then the rally in Salem would probably need to start at 12:30 to allow adequate time to get to the 3:00 Board meeting.

If the 1:30 rally in Portland whips into shape, then it might be better for the Salem rally to start at 11:30.

An evening Salem rally would be a bit more difficult to plan because we do not know what the dynamics of the 3:00 Board meeting will be and how long it will take. Probably 6 pm would be safest, but that is too late for the evening news cycle (except for a live feed, I guess).

Again, this is now a purely political process, so the political stakes need to be raised. By the same token, supporters of the UO need to be sure not to make any missteps that provide the Governor cover on this.

Occupy OUS Monday

2011-11-24T10:11:00.000-08:00

It appears that the Monday meeting by the State Board of Higher Education in Portland has been set for 3:00 pm Monday in PSU's Academic & Student Recreation Center, Suite 515 (1800 SW 6th Avenue, Portland). The meeting will public in the sense that the public can attend, but it is unlikely that the general public will be given an opportunity to participate. UO Senate President Robert Kyr will be allowed to speak. General civil disobedience at the meeting itself is probably not a great idea, although strong attendance is encouraged.

There is a large plaza right next to this building (Urban Center Plaza - Google Map). If a spontaneous group of individuals were to peaceably gather at, say 1:30, at this location in anticipation of the 3:00 pm meeting, that would seem to be a great opportunity to show your support, chant some slogans, wear your duck gear, and drink some Seattle's Best coffee (it is a very civilized protest site).

This would be a great opportunity for Portland area UO alums to participate and share their support. Students in Portland for the Thanksgiving holiday might think about lingering for an extra afternoon. Rumor has it that a large contingent of faculty will be car pooling up for the meeting.

If people start Tweeting up the Monday rally (#weloveourpres & #KeepLariviere), then we can make it happen -- spontaneously, with lots of energy and minimal organization.

Richmond in RG: Divorce papers with Board

2011-11-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

Today's Register Guard has a front page article by Greg Bolt on the Lariviere firing. Not too much new information, although it does confirm that the Monday meeting is the real deal. There are good quotes from several members of campus, including Senate member Peter Keyes. Eugene businessman Brian Obie discusses the political cost to the Governor of supporting this action. If anything is going to change, it has to be clear that this political cost is going to be very large--across the state and not just in Eugene. Only the Governor can intervene at this point (contact him at gov.kitzhaber@state.or.us).

One of the more interesting quotes is from Chemistry professor Geri Richmond, who has served on the State Board of Higher Education:

Geri Richmond, a chemistry professor and former member of the state board, said Lariviere’s treatment will make it hard for people on campus to support the university system’s leaders.
“There will be complete disregard on this campus for anything the chancellor has to say, or the board,” she said. “I think what this has done, unfortunately, is create divorce papers for the U of O and the board and chancellor. I don’t see it any other way, given what you’ve seen today in terms of the outpouring of support for Richard.”

Add support to your signature

2011-11-23T17:33:00.000-08:00

Leave it to Journalism and Communication to be at the forefront of doing, you know, communication.

Add this to your signature line:

Go with a Big Banner

2011-11-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

From the School of Journalism:

If any other schools would like to place the same banner on their building, please call Steve, the owner of Signs Now. He has our image file and can print and hang the banner for you.

Signs Now (541) 485-0290.

UO-OUS fact sheet

2011-11-23T16:57:00.000-08:00

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

Stand with the Hat

2011-11-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

Great logo

State Board meets to fire Lariviere now

2011-11-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

Although President Lariviere has been told that his contract will not be renewed, it now appears likely that the State Board of Higher Education will meet on Monday morning to fire him immediately. They may already have a replacement waiting in the wings.

Backlash builds over Lariviere decision

2011-11-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere's supporters jumped to his defense Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the news broke that the State Board of Higher Education would not renew his contract when it expires on July 1.

More at Portland Business Journal

President fights on!

2011-11-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

Earlier today I informed the chair of the State Board of Higher Education of my decision to not resign my position at the University of Oregon. Instead, I am committed to serving as president through the end of my contract on June 30, 2012.

As you know, on Monday I was informed by the State Board of Higher Education that my contract as president will not be renewed. In the hours since news of the State Board decision became public, I have been heartened by the outpouring of support I have received for the work we are doing to reimagine public higher education in Oregon. While the positive comments from members of the campus community and beyond help to galvanize my commitment to this outstanding institution, I hasten to remind you that this is not about me. We must all redouble our efforts to bring about positive change to the governance, funding and accountability of Oregon’s public universities.

Again, I want to thank you all for the excellent work you do. I am, indeed, fortunate to be able to call you colleagues.

Best regards,

Richard Lariviere

Senate Petition for the Reinstatement of President Lariviere

2011-11-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

This from the UO Senate:

To:
University of Oregon Community

From:
Robert Kyr, University Senate President
University Senate Executive Committee

Re:

Petition for the Reinstatement of President Richard Lariviere
Please sign no later than noon on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
On behalf of the university community, the Senate has formulated a petition for the reinstatement of President Richard Lariviere, which demands that faculty, officers of administration, students, classified staff, and officers of research be significantly involved in decision-making at this level. I strongly urge you to sign this petition which you can access through the following link (and which will also be posted on the Senate webpage):

http://senate.uoregon.edu/content/petition-reinstatement-president-richard-lariviere
If you wish to see an excel sheet listing everyone who has signed the petition, then please follow these instructions: 1) Use the link above to access the petition and fill it out, then click “submit”; 2) Click the “results” tab (to the right of the “view” tab); 3) Click “Download”; 4) Another page will appear, and under “Export Format,” click “Microsoft Excel”; 5) Finally, click “Download” (in the box) at the bottom of the page.

The results of the petition will be sent to the list of individuals printed at the end of this email. In addition to signing the petition, I strongly encourage you to write your own letter to as many of these individuals as possible. Furthermore, please show your support by joining the following Facebook page (by clicking “Like” at the top of the page):

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lariviere-for-UO-President/141237885983124?sk=wall
Please be aware that the Senate Executive Committee will meet today in emergency session, and within the next 24 hours, we will announce a series of Senate actions that will involve our entire university community. These plans for action will be posted on the Senate webpage:

http://senate.uoregon.edu/Contacting Governor John Kitzhaber - requires leaving an entry on the state web site at:

gov.kitzhaber@state.or.us
Here are the State Board and Chancellor e-mail addresses:

george_pernsteiner@ous.edu
matt_donegan@ous.edu
jill_eiland@ous.edu
lynda_ciuffetti@ous.edu
hannah_fisher@ous.edu
allyn_ford@ous.edu
jim_francesconi@ous.edu
Farbodd_Ganjifard@ous.edu
paul_kelly@ous.edu
rosemary_powers@ous.edu
preston_pulliams@ous.edu
kirk_schueler@ous.edu
dave_yaden@ous.edu

This link allows you to determine who your Oregon State Legislators are and provides contact information for them:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/

Faculty response

2011-11-23T13:52:00.001-08:00

Here is a nice example of the kind of feedback that can be provided by the faculty:

Dear Chancellor Pernsteiner and members of the State Board of Higher Eduction,

I am writing to express my deepest concern over the decision to terminate the employment of the University of Oregon's president, Richard Lariviere. I have been a faculty member here for 24 years and I have never been more alarmed by anything that has happened to the university than I am by this decision. If the decision stands, it will likely have devastating consequences for the university and the State of Oregon. Those consequences go far beyond removal of an effective leader who has gained the confidence and support of the campus community. It will send a powerful message across the country that Oregon will not tolerate anyone who makes a creative effort to reverse the continuing whittling away of our university. The story of the dismissal will be covered by every serious newspaper in the United States, and it will likely have a disastrous impact on the national and international reputation of the university that many of us have struggled to build over the years. It will also likely reverse the trend of growing student interest in the UofO across the United States and beyond, and it will virtually assure that we will be in a poor position to recruit quality applicants for the presidency in the near future. I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to reconsider this decision, which represents a major blow to the university and to the State.

Sincerely,

Alec Murphy

--
Alexander B. Murphy
Professor of Geography
Rippey Chair in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of Geography
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1251

Phil Knight lashes out on firing

2011-11-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

From the Portland Business Journal:

"It deeply saddens me that some people in power in our state continue to drive Oregon into a death spiral with their embrace of mediocrity. It’s yet another application of Oregon’s Assisted Suicide law.

For the Chancellor and the State Board of Higher Education, a 'team player' is someone who falls in line with their acceptance of mediocrity, and the one who strives for excellence does not fit in. Let us hope that the Oregon community can take this astonishingly bad decision and recognize that it does not have to define us. We still have the collective capacity to rise up and do great things."

The UO receives more money from private donors than it does from the state. Do not underestimate the impact of this action on the university's relationship with donors. Many of these donors are in a position to use their clout to push back on this action. Let's hope that they do.

More at Knight article

Contact the Governor

2011-11-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

One of the most disconcerting parts of this action is the apparent reversal of Governor Kitzhaber on his support for President Lariviere and the University of Oregon in their relationship with the OUS. You are encouraged to contact the Governor to inquire about this betrayal of trust. The Governor's first term saw the radical disinvestment of the state from the higher education system. Is his lasting legacy to be the final destruction of excellence in higher education within the state?

Here is his contact information:

gov.kitzhaber@state.or.us

Governor's Citizens' Representative Message Line
503-378-4582

Rally on Tuesday!

2011-11-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

There will be a rally Tuesday afternoon (11/29) in support of President Lariviere. More details soon. Follow @WeLoveOurPres on Twitter.

Contacts for State Legislature

2011-11-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the email address for the State Legislature. If change is to be affected, it must come from here.

sen.jasonatkinson@state.or.us

sen.alanbates@state.or.us

sen.leebeyer@state.or.us

sen.suzannebonamici@state.or.us

sen.brianboquist@state.or.us

sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us

sen.petercourtney@state.or.us

sen.richarddevlin@state.or.us

sen.jackiedingfelder@state.or.us

sen.chrisedwards@state.or.us

sen.tedferrioli@state.or.us

sen.larrygeorge@state.or.us

sen.fredgirod@state.or.us

sen.markhass@state.or.us

sen.betsyjohnson@state.or.us

sen.jeffkruse@state.or.us

sen.lauriemonnesanderson@state.or.us

sen.rodmonroe@state.or.us

sen.frankmorse@state.or.us

sen.davidnelson@state.or.us

sen.alanolsen@state.or.us

sen.floydprozanski@state.or.us

sen.dianerosenbaum@state.or.us

sen.chipshields@state.or.us

sen.brucestarr@state.or.us

sen.christelfer@state.or.us

sen.chuckthomsen@state.or.us

sen.joanneverger@state.or.us

sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us

sen.jackiewinters@state.or.us

rep.JulesBailey@state.or.us

rep.jeffbarker@state.or.us

rep.philbarnhart@state.or.us

rep.cliffbentz@state.or.us

rep.vickiberger@state.or.us

rep.terrybeyer@state.or.us

rep.deborahboone@state.or.us

rep.peterbuckley@state.or.us

rep.kevincameron@state.or.us

rep.brianclem@state.or.us

rep.jasonconger@state.or.us

rep.jeancowan@state.or.us

rep.michaeldembrow@state.or.us

rep.margaretdoherty@state.or.us

rep.salesquivel@state.or.us

rep.katieeyrebrewer@state.or.us

rep.lewfrederick@state.or.us

rep.timfreeman@state.or.us

rep.billgarrard@state.or.us

rep.chrisgarrett@state.or.us

rep.saragelser@state.or.us

rep.alissakenyguyer@state.or.us

rep.vicgilliam@state.or.us

rep.mitchgreenlick@state.or.us

rep.brucehanna@state.or.us

rep.chrisharker@state.or.us

rep.wallyhicks@state.or.us

rep.paulholvey@state.or.us

rep.valhoyle@state.or.us

rep.johnhuffman@state.or.us

rep.davehunt@state.or.us

rep.bobjenson@state.or.us

rep.markjohnson@state.or.us

rep.billkennemer@state.or.us

rep.bettykomp@state.or.us

rep.tinakotek@state.or.us

rep.waynekrieger@state.or.us

rep.shawnlindsay@state.or.us

rep.gregmatthews@state.or.us

rep.mikemclane@state.or.us

rep.nancynathanson@state.or.us

rep.marynolan@state.or.us

rep.andyolson@state.or.us

rep.julieparrish@state.or.us

rep.tobiasread@state.or.us

rep.dennisrichardson@state.or.us

rep.arnieroblan@state.or.us

rep.mikeschaufler@state.or.us

rep.patricksheehan@state.or.us

rep.jeffersonsmith@state.or.us

rep.gregsmith@state.or.us

rep.sherriesprenger@state.or.us

rep.kimthatcher@state.or.us

rep.jimthompson@state.or.us

rep.carolyntomei@state.or.us

rep.mattwand@state.or.us

rep.jimweidner@state.or.us

rep.genewhisnant@state.or.us

rep.mattwingard@state.or.us

rep.bradwitt@state.or.us

Contacts for the Board of Higher Education

2011-11-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

Here are the email addresses for the Chancellor and the members of the State Board of Higher Education. Let them hear your voice!

george_pernsteiner@ous.edu, matt_donegan@ous.edu, jill_eiland@ous.edu, lynda_ciuffetti@ous.edu, hannah_fisher@ous.edu, allyn_ford@ous.edu, jim_francesconi@ous.edu, Farbodd_Ganjifard@ous.edu, paul_kelly@ous.edu, rosemary_powers@ous.edu, preston_pulliams@ous.edu, kirk_schueler@ous.edu, dave_yaden@ous.edu

Support from the College of Arts and Sciences

2011-11-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

Here is a statement of support passed by the department and program heads from the College of Arts and Sciences on 23 November 2011.

Use social media

2011-11-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

Please be active in your use of social media in advancing the discussion of the firing of President Lariviere. Use the hashtag #weloveourpres on Twitter. Let your Facebook friends know about this blog.

UO President Fired!

2011-11-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

Text from President Lariviere's letter to the campus on 22 November 2011:

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:

I received news on Monday in a meeting with the chair of the State Board of Higher Education that my contract as president of the University of Oregon will not be renewed. I was told I could resign or accept the termination of my contract, which runs through July 1, 2012, and I am weighing those options at this time.

This turn of events is a result of the ongoing difference of opinion over the future of the UO. But meaningful change often turns on uncomfortable moments, and it is my hope that I will be leaving the university well-positioned to take advantage of ongoing reforms to our state’s system of public universities.

Since becoming the UO’s 16^th president in July 2009, my focus has been on enhancing the education of our students at Oregon’s flagship public university. I have sought to do this by focusing on our critical public mission and tapping the brilliance and innovation that resides here among our faculty, staff and students.

The UO has had a leading voice in public discussions that resulted in this year’s legislative overhaul to the structure of Oregon’s entire educational system – from early childhood education through post-doctoral studies. Our bold ideas have led to the promise of additional changes in the not-too-distant future, including eventual consideration of our proposal for individual universities to form local governing boards.

But our primary mission has been to provide educational opportunity and academic excellence, and you have taken both to new heights. Enrollment is at an all-time high this year, topping last year’s record enrollment. Much has been made of our ability to attract out-of-state and international students, but we are also educating more Oregon students than ever before. This year’s freshman class is the most diverse and has the highest grade point average of any incoming class in UO history, and we have raised freshman-to-sophomore retention to a new level.

We are what great students look for in a university. We are different, and embrace difference. We have brilliant, dedicated faculty, cutting-edge research, and award-winning programs. Through careful financial stewardship we were able to give well-earned salary increases to faculty and staff. The UO’s research grant funding is setting records as well.

Even though the past 2 ½ years have been difficult economic times for our entire country, we have generated a quarter of a billion dollars in private gifts at the UO and we have half a billion dollars in ongoing construction projects.

One of my proudest accomplishments is the concerted advocacy for public policy, governance and funding changes to strengthen the university and the entire state. I remain hopeful that honest debate and the exploration of new ideas – whether academic or political – will be celebrated and encouraged.

I wanted you to hear this news from me personally, not read about it elsewhere. I encourage all of you to channel your energy into advancing the momentum we have built together. Thank you for the great work you do. I am intensely proud to be your colleague.

Sincerely,

Richard Lariviere