7/13/2011 update: I’ve written UO Public Records Officer Liz Denecke asking her to forward *all* the agreements, and I copied Dennis Galvan and John Manotti. Still no reply. Maybe it makes sense for UO to cut deals with corrupt politicians (as with Pernsteiner for example) but not in secret.
7/12/2011: One month after President Lariviere signed this – apparently with no input from faculty other than Dennis Galvan – I’ve finally managed to get a copy of the formal agreement, via a public records request.
But the meat of the agreement, the “Twin Edens” proposal part, with all the details including the “significant investment”, was not included in what I received from Public Records Officer Liz Denecke. Sort of like she did with the Willie Lyles reports. Maybe the hope is that by using the UO Foundation’s exemption from Oregon’s public records law the details can be kept secret? Good luck with that.
Lariviere flew across the country sign sign THIS? Nothing of consequence has been worked out. No wonder the principals were unwilling to let us see the agreement for a month. But, there is a silver lining. Having not committed ourselves to anything, we should back out immediately. Let Ali Bongo give his tainted money to someone else.
So basically the deal is this:
1 – Gabon gives undisclosed sum of dirty money to U of O
2 – U of O agrees to set up an English language training center in Gabon
3 – U of O agrees to accept students from Gabon who (a) can pay international student fees; (b) meet entry requirements into the university; (c) can speak English.
4 – U of O agrees to let students from Gabon to do grad research and participate in U of O on a merits based basis.
SO….. #3 and #4 already exist. #1 and #2 look like they were proposed by U of O, not Ali Bongo…. so what’s the point of this deal??
This won’t increase the level of education to the average Gabonese students. The Elite could already have applied to U of O, paid international fees, and gotten in on merit.
Sounds more like this:
U of O is selling ‘legitimacy’ and helping Ali Bongo look like a statesman. IN exchange all U of O has to do is accept money from a dirty thieving dictator.
SELL OUT!
Suggestion:
Pres/OIA should set up independent blue-ribbon board of faculty/administrators (Heads of International Studies, African Studies, Global Oregon, Sustainable Cities, plus VPIA) to create guidelines, oversee use of funds, eliminate conflict of interest/corruption.
Sen. Ted Kennedy’s mansion sold … to Gabon: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/ted-kennedys-kalorama-mansion-sells-for-65-million/2011/07/21/gIQAHz8fSI_blog.html