Dear Colleagues,
Supporting the University of Oregon’s core academic mission is our top priority. To advance this mission we are pleased to announce the redirection of recurring funds to support the cluster of excellence faculty hiring initiative.This initiative will enable us to hire two to five new faculty members in each of several key academic areas, raising already strong programs to the level of the best in the country or the world. Proposals for faculty cluster hires are due to the provost’s office by May 1. More information about the initiative and submission process is available on the provost’s website.
Last April, President Gottfredson announced organizational changes that combined two vice-presidential administrative units—University Relations and Development—to create a single University Advancement unit under the leadership of Vice President Michael Andreasen. The president requested that this reorganization yield significant recurring operational efficiencies to be redirected to core academic functions, as well as enabling greater integration of communications, state and federal relations, licensing, development, and alumni relations.
One year later, we see many positive results of this shift, including the desired efficiencies and opportunities for strategic reinvestment of resources toward our academic mission. These organizational changes have enabled us to redirect $1.5 million in recurring funds to support the initial cluster of excellence faculty hires. We will seek additional funding for this key strategic initiative in our upcoming capital campaign.
We are pleased to make these new investments in our academic priorities, and will continue to look for additional ways to provide more resources for academics. We thank Vice President for University Advancement Michael Andreasen and Vice President for Finance and Administration Jamie Moffitt for working diligently to make this investment possible.
Regards,
Michael Gottfredson President
Scott Coltrane Senior Vice President and Provost
Speaking of himself in the third person, are we?
Ughhh….
1) Wasn’t the last announcement for $2M? What happened to the other $500,000? Espy’s retention package perhaps..
“We will seek additional funding for this key strategic initiative in our upcoming capital campaign.”
2) Does this mean the first round was selected already to fast track donor solicitations? i.e. write a proposal that might be obsolete in a year so you can write another…..repeat…
An $800M budget, and this is the best he can do? Less than 2% of the athletic budget. Too little too late.
On a positive note (and I’m a skeptic about Gott), he did manage to find money for faculty through reduction of administrative bloat.
We all know there is plenty more where that came from – will he have the insight and balls to go after more?
Conservatively, he could probably free up another 10mil this way. He could end the practice of fluffing up the PERS of soon to retire faculty turned admin with these late career “associate/assistant” Dean appointments or Special assistant to the Provost. I’ve got a few associate/assistant deans taking up space in my building for starters.
We’ll know in the next year or so if this is a strategy or a fluke.
Or it is just your standard attempt to change the message after an astounding blunder trying to bullshit your new bosses (the board) trying to slosh a few paper numbers around before anyone notices. If they can make it to summer without committing to shared governance it is game over. Goodbye University of Oregon, hello _________ U?
Maybe, but I am more optimistic about the Board having seen their thoughtful and measured response to the backlash over the governance document. They heard the criticism and made changes to the process. That’s a lot more than we can say about the “leadership” on this campus to this point.