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George – here’s what we really think:

11/30/2011: Not everyone had a chance to speak their piece today. Send me more, I’ll post them.

Chancellor Pernsteiner,

At Monday’s meeting, the Board of Directors said that trust is vital to the relationship between our University and the OUS, and I agree. But the past few days have shown that this community no longer trusts the Board, and it especially does not trust you.

The overwhelming sentiment on this campus is that your leadership threatens to drive our University into the ground. Given this irreversible erosion of trust, my question is this: will you consider stepping down from the board so that our institution can continue to grow and thrive, or will you cling to power at the expense of the 27,000 students, faculty, and staff who believe in a bright future for the University of Oregon.

Thank you,
Ben DeJarnette

Link to DeFazio’s strong statement of support for Lariviere and a UO Board and for the end of OUS. Where were you last week Pete?

Professor Robert Z. Melnick knows Pernsteiner, and ripped into Pernsteiner and Ciuffetti at the assembly, pdf here.

Professor and former CAS Dean Joe Stone – who also knows Pernsteiner – explains how UO has sacrificed for OUS, and gives his advice on the appropriate “beau geste” for Mr. Pernsteiner.

One pissed off P. B. Shelley explains the next steps the UO community should take regarding the OUS Chancellor, Board and staff:

Men of Oregon, heirs of Glory,
Heroes of unwritten story,
Nurslings of one mighty Mother,
Hopes of her, and one another;

Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number,
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you –
Ye are many — they are few.

RG storyOregonian story, KEZI video

19 Comments

  1. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    As I was listening to Ciuffetti speaking I realized that I had a unbeatable desire of skipping the meeting.

  2. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    Mr. Pernsteiner admits he has a communications problem. Dr. Ciufetti (who ought by this time have her colleagues trained to say her name right, no?) says that there was a communications problem with President Lariviere. So whose problem is this? Mr. Pernsteiner’s self-admitted problem made for ineffective communication with President Lariviere. By his own logic, Mr. Pernsteiner’s communication problems ought earn him a termination of his contract.

  3. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    Two thoughts.

    1. If the Kitzthaber is a CEO and the university our regional offices, how many regional office should be shut down for not being profitable enough?

    2. Did anyone catch Linda this afternoon saying that she didn’t hear any significant comments on Monday. In other words, the position of the faculty, students and staff are insignificant from her view on the board.

  4. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    The Willamette Week article above says it all. LR failed us. He could have been a leader by positioning UO politically and helping us make the gains using the system but he chose to use the same sharp elbows that have been noted from reports at Kansas. LR created this problem because he was only one half a good president. His ego drove UO backwards. Our anger should include LR.

  5. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    The Willamette Week article is pretty one-sided. For example the article says that Lariviere “boosted salaries above the ceiling,” but his letter to Pernsteiner explaining the raises (which you can find elsewhere on this site) made a pretty good case that he was within the limits set by OUS.

  6. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    Joe Stone’s comments answer the “sharp elbows” charge eloquently and factually.

  7. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    Where is Oregon AFT?

  8. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    Firing someone who is very good at their job (which even the board agrees with) because of “sharp elbows” is lunacy. Well here we are.

  9. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    Just about everyone in media pointed fingers at RL defy Governor and Board’s order about salary raise. But the fact is that raise was authorized BEFORE such said order and the chancellor KNOWS about this fact. He may be protected by crippled law in Oregon, but he is guilty morally and ethically by hiding the fact from Public.

    Just about everyone in media saying that the support for RL was bought by the salary raise. Let me for one to say that that is not my case and I still support RL. I got less than 2% raise and every faculty in my unit earns the same salary even though I have been in UO 9 years longer. And my salary is the same of the average assistant professors across campus and I have been an associate professors for 15 years. If the Board’s logic is we must all only rise together and no one allowed to be ahead, then shall I sue others with higher salary or we erase other schools new buildings since we have not got ours?

    Ciuffetti should be clearly labeled OUS professor of Forest Business Interests Advocate. As a professor herself, she should be more shamed by her support for a decision to remove UO President in the middle of a school year without any regard for the 29500 UO students, faculty, and staff. She is guilty of doing so to a sister institution at the possibility of benefit her own school.

  10. Anonymous 12/01/2011

    How did the AFT-represented faculty representative on the Board of Higher Education vote? It has been reported that the decision was unanimous.

  11. Anonymous 12/02/2011

    “‘The President agrees…to do the following,’ the contract states. ‘Refrain from opposing any legislative proposal adopted by the Board and/or advanced by the governor.’”

    That quote from the WWeek article listed above is telling; they knew he would openly oppose the governance proposal they would be putting forward so they fired him before he could do so.

  12. Anonymous 12/05/2011

    anonymous asks where was oregon aft?

    every union and union-related faculty used RL’s steps trying o do te right ting and then either threw him under the bus or just stood by in smug satisfaction at how UO ‘got cut down to size’ portland aft used uo raises in their negotiations, pissing governor, pern, etc off and then sat idly by, or even gloated over our predicament. seiu absolutely threw RL under the bus in state negotiations. same story at western, more or less, but lets keep our eyes on the prize now. berdahl or bust

  13. Anonymous 12/05/2011

    Shame on those who benefited from the courageous actions br RL yet have no conscience to stand with the man and UO. That kind of mentality will never put Oregon higher Ed in any better position than it is now.

  14. Anonymous 12/05/2011

    Anon #6: why you call the pesident LR? Who are you and who you are talking about? If you are one of uo community member you would know better that is the name of fired UO president. Troll?

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