UO Matters

The latest on the meltdown of UO’s leadership, from the Eugene Weekly. This is about the Dean who accused a sophomore of harassment, over an art project. Five months later UO’s investigation concludes:

“Taken as a whole, the information gathered in the investigation is such that no reasonable decision maker could find that Respondent violated the discrimination policy,” the August 27 notice says. “Therefore, at the threshold review, the Complaint is dismissed.”

That’s a pretty high bar. They could have cut Zaretsky a little slack – maybe “no more than 5% of reasonable decision makers …”.

But they went with zero. Nada. Zilch.

Which doesn’t stop Zaretsky from laying down a marker for anyone – e.g. UO President Karl Scholz – who might think about giving her some quiet time to work on her scholarship:

“Time will tell whether the debilitating coordinated and extensive campuswide antisemitic harassment, intimidation and threats I and other members of the Jewish campus community have endured for 22 months, continue this next academic year.”

Then to top it off we’ve got UO’s lawyer begging the student not to exercise their First Amendment rights or UO’s policy on academic freedom to talk to the press, lest Dean Zaretsky comes back with another expensive complaint:

On August 27, Nicole Commissiong, the UO’s chief civil rights officer and Title IX coordinator, told Steuerwald to “please be aware that the disclosure of the outcome of the investigation to third parties could result in harassment towards the complainant, as the complainant’s name [Which, for the record, is Adrian Parr Zaretsky: UOM] was previously disclosed in violation of the expectations for the investigation.”

You gotta love that “please”.

The Northwestern University board will sleep well, knowing that a longer fight would have been even worse for their university. Schill will get a buyout and a year sabbatical to look for another job, with a tenured law prof sinecure for backup, easing their consciences still more. Trump and his…

From the Trustees meeting on 8/27/2025:

Q for ChatGPT: Is the Provost really blaming the angst on the leaks, and not the fact people will lose their jobs?

Yes — that’s a very sharp read of Provost Long’s framing.

In the transcript, he explicitly acknowledges that anxiety and frustration are rising because preliminary information about possible budget reductions has surfaced publicly — and he even emphasizes that some of that information is incorrect. He then says this is the “price of leading a budget reduction process that is attempting to be consultative in a meaningful way.”

So the proximate cause he names is leaks / premature information sharing, not the actual substance of the cuts (loss of jobs, departments, or programs).

Of course, the underlying angst is clearly from the looming layoffs, program closures, and faculty uncertainty — but his rhetoric suggests he’s positioning the manner of communication (open, consultative, but leaky) as the trigger for community distress, rather than the core fact of layoffs and structural reductions.

That’s a pretty common administrative strategy:

• • Frame unrest as a communications problem, not a substantive policy problem.

  • Suggest that once the “final decisions” are made (in two weeks, per his remarks), the confusion and anger will settle.

Those are the numbers from UO’s official IR page here, from 2017 to 2024. They’ve removed the earlier data they used to show, sorry. Measured in Full Time Equivalents (FTE):

OA’s: 257 new FTE from a base of 1396.

TTF: 13 new FTE from a base of 740.

No mystery to this – the President decides where to spend the budget and while OA’s make the job easier for him and his pals, tenured profs just make trouble.

(FWIW over this same period classified FTE is up by 18%, career faculty are up 12%, pro-tems are way up from a small base, student headcounts are down then up and end pretty flat. Top admin positions went from 29 to 31.)

Dear CAS colleagues,

As President Scholz and Provost Long indicated in their memo yesterday, UO schools and colleges are in the process of finalizing their FY26 budget reduction plans. These reductions are part of a coordinated, university-wide effort to ensure the university’s long-term financial stability and reduce a $25-$30 million structural budget deficit that requires immediate action.
In CAS, we have been working for some time to bring our costs in line with the budget allocated by the university. As you know, meeting lower budgets in FY25 and FY26 has already required the college to take some incredibly difficult actions. Last spring, we made the painful choice to lay off 42 staff, instructional faculty, and student workers. We also canceled six tenure-track searches, paused all non-critical staff hiring, eliminated several unfilled positions, and reduced spending wherever possible.

Even with these actions, further reductions are required for FY26, amounting to approximately $5.3 million. Because 97% of our budget is comprised of labor costs, these next steps will include eliminating positions, including tenure and non-tenure track faculty positions, and reducing and/or closing some departments and programs.

In planning for these further reductions, we have sought to minimize the impact on students and our academic mission, while recognizing that any cuts can be harmful. We are now engaging department heads and other leaders from across the college and university to discuss proposed plans and to gather feedback before finalizing our recommendations. These conversations have been hard for everyone involved, and I am grateful to those who participated for their professionalism, empathy, and thoughtfulness.

Between now and the end of August, we will continue to work with department leadership to submit our final recommendations to the Provost for approval. Impacted employees and departments will be notified of final decisions the week of September 8, 2025. That same week, we will also share budget reduction decisions with CAS employees, along with an FAQ document.
We recognize the stress and uncertainty these necessary budget cuts are creating in CAS and across campus. Losing colleagues and long-standing academic programs is deeply painful for us all. At the same time, we can take solace in all the good work that continues to happen in CAS along with our unwavering commitment to students.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate these challenging circumstances together.

Sincerely,
Chris

Chris J. Poulsen
Tykeson Dean of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Earth Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences | University of Oregon
1030 E. 13th Avenue | Eugene, OR | 97403
Pronouns: he/his​

Those are the rumors. The union’s message is here. Here’s all Scholz is willing to say publicly:

Dear colleagues,

At the end of last academic year, we promised to continue to communicate with you about the budget process and the work being done to redress our structural budget deficit. Since our town hall last spring, administrative leaders have been working to identify reduction plans in line with meeting a 4 percent average reduction target for administrative units. The deans, in consultation with the Office of the Provost, have similarly been identifying reductions in the schools and colleges to reach 2.5 percent average reductions. All units, administrative and academic, have also been asked to eliminate any pre-existing budget deficits and to fully implement balanced budgets by FY2027. Some units have taken important steps in closing deficits over the summer.

While there remains much to be done before we announce specific actions, we want to provide a timeline and the process by which we will resolve the structural gap in our finances.

Here is the planned sequence of events for the coming weeks:

• August 11-29: Deans and Vice Presidents provided recommendations to the president and provost for consideration. Appropriate steps that align with institutional guidelines and procedures will conclude before Labor Day. This will allow for those directly affected to be informed as soon as possible. Please note that the School of Law, which operates on a semester system, is following an earlier timeline.
• Week of September 7: Another message will be sent to the campus community outlining specific plans of action. Employees affected directly by the budget reductions will be notified of their job status.

Sincerely,

Karl Scholz
President

Christopher P. Long
Provost and Senior Vice President

In a nutshell, an undergrad said some sophmoric things about CoD Dean Adrian Parr Zaretsky in an art exhibit. So the dean – by outward appearances an adult – filed student conduct charges that could lead to the student’s expulsion. The Eugene Weekly’s Bob Keefer has the story here. Read the whole thing, this snippet just gives a hint of how far off the rails Scholz’s administration has gone:

… On April 1, almost three months after the exhibition came down, Steuerwald received formal notice from the university of an investigation for possible violation of the Student Conduct Code. The dean, the notice says, “alleges that you submitted a proposal for an exhibition displayed in the Washburn Gallery that included a pamphlet that constituted harassment based on national origin and/or religion.” It also says the exhibition “included content that was sufficiently severe or pervasive that it substantially interfered with [the dean’s] university employment.”

The complaint, which does not suggest that Steuerwald was involved in previous threats or attacks, goes on to say that he could face “suspension or expulsion from the University.”

“It’s all very bizarre,” Steuerwald says. “I was very surprised by the whole thing. The art exhibit was up for four days with little fanfare.”

The university has hired a private firm from Ohio called INCompliance to conduct the investigation. INCompliance, according to its website, specializes in conducting civil rights investigations for educational institutions. So far the investigation has involved more than three hours of testimony from Steuerwald and has generated a 350-page evidence file. …

But my favorite part is that Scholz’s well paid PR flacks don’t even want their names used:

When Eugene Weekly reached out to the UO for comment on the unusual investigation, a university spokesperson who asked not to be identified would say only that they could not comment on specific investigations.

That last bit is of course bullshit. UO comments on investigations whenever it suits their purposes. When it doesn’t they claim there’s a rule against it.

Just kidding. UO has no effective internal audit operation and is no longer subject to state audits. Our administrators can do whatever they want. It was Molleda’s own students who caught him and published it in the student newspaper. If they hadn’t he’d still be a dean.

And while President John Karl Scholz has been busy firing UO’s teaching faculty, things are a little different for his administrators: A research leave followed by the “opportunity to re-engage with my scholarship and prepare to return to the classroom.”

Thanks to a reader for forwarding the most ineffectively self-serving email I’ve seen in quite awhile. The comments are open:

From: Juan-Carlos Molleda <jmolleda@uoregon.edu>
Date: July 8, 2025 at 10:27:23 AM PDT
To: All School SOJC <sojc-allschool@lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: [SOJC-AllSchool] A message of gratitude and transition

Dear SOJC community,

As the provost announced today, I’m stepping down as dean of the SOJC, with my term officially concluding on July 30, 2025. After nearly a decade in this role, I’ve taken time for deep reflection. With immense gratitude for this transformative chapter, I believe now is the right moment to make space for new leadership, foster a more united community, and welcome fresh ideas.

Following a research leave in fall ’25 and winter ‘26, I’ll return to the faculty. The time away will allow me to re-engage with my scholarship and prepare to return to the classroom after nearly a decade in academic administration.

I’m extremely proud of the things that the SOJC accomplished as a collective during nearly decade’s run.

Strategic Growth

• Raised over $22M in private funding and secured a $5M endowment from the UO Presidential Fund for Excellence to launch the Center for Science Communication Research. This led to increased research grants, a seed fund program, an associate program, a thriving minor, and a strategic partnership with the Knight Campus. During this period, the school’s endowment grew from $50M to over $76M, the student body expanded by 48%, and almost half of the current full-time faculty were hired. Additionally, seven instructors were reclassified as professors of practice, and 29 faculty members were promoted across ranks.
• Strengthened the SOJC’s reputation as a leading legacy program through two successful national re-accreditations and the certification and re-certification of the public relations program in 2018 and 2025—boosting visibility, reinforcing academic excellence, and continuing to attract top students and produce highly sought-after graduates.
• Streamlined processes and increased funding to expand financial support for undergraduate and graduate scholarships, experiential learning opportunities, and faculty research and teaching innovation.

Academic Innovation

• Designed and continuously refined a transformational curriculum that shifts from traditional media approaches to a forward-looking model—blending conceptual and practical learning to equip future professionals and scholars for success in rapidly evolving media communication and creative fields. This includes donor-funded, specialized courses such as Hostage Diplomacy, Media Innovation, and River and Rural Stories, as well as hands-on publication projects like the recently launched Ascend sports magazine.
• Modernized the school’s production facilities and student services, providing students with integrated academic and career advising, professional-grade multimedia studios, editing suites, data visualization tools, and virtual reality labs—positioning the SOJC as a national leader in undergraduate and graduate education and research in both Eugene and Portland.
• Launched professional master’s programs in Advertising and Brand Responsibility and in Immersive Media Communication—a Portland-based online degree supported by the Oregon Reality Lab and the Immersive Communication Advisory Network, featuring leaders in this emerging field.
• Increased the cohort size and placement of PhD students, expanding our academic and industry national and international reach.

Student Engagement and Partnerships

• Expanded global and experiential learning programs with increased funding, integrating real-world projects and client-driven work into curricular and co-curricular activities—enhancing graduate job readiness and strengthening the school’s growing alumni and industry network.
• Refocused the mission of the Agora Journalism Center to strengthen the local news and information landscape in Oregon and beyond by championing community-centered journalism.
• Engaged over 75 students in the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, producing media content and supporting World Athletics Production with 20+ students serving as loggers and runners.
• Facilitated collaboration across the university’s two campuses through initiatives such as:
  • Partnering with the Lundquist College of Business (LCB) and its Warsaw Sports Business Center to collaborate with students and faculty on women’s and men’s basketball campaigns, supported by continued financial backing from a distinguished SOJC alum.
  • Co-creating the Oregon Accelerator with LCB—a program designed to educate students and athletes on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) projects, a rapidly evolving area shaping the future of sports business, marketing communication, and athlete branding.
  • Establishing a memorandum of understanding with the Knight Campus to share expert science communication faculty.
  • Forming an agreement between the UO Athletics Video Department (QuackVideo) to support the production of broadcast content for various school-produced B1G+ streams.
  • Signing an MOU between the College of Design and SOJC Portland, granting Sports Product Design and Architecture students access to the new Multimedia Production Studio.

These achievements reflect your talent, passion, and commitment to excellence. I’m confident that the SOJC is in a strong position to continue pushing the boundaries of journalism, communication, and media education and scholarship for years to come.

I know that navigating change—especially in turbulent times—is never easy. Yet, you have consistently shown resilience, creativity, intellectual strength, and deep dedication. These qualities have enabled the SOJC to overcome major challenges, including the disruption of the pandemic, and emerge stronger.

With deep admiration and full confidence in the bright future of the SOJC community,

Juan-Carlos

Juan-Carlos Molleda, Ph.D.

Edwin L. Artzt Dean and Professor / School of Journalism and Communication

217 Allen Hall, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1275

541-346-2233 / jmolleda@uoregon.edu

I only know of two UO professors who’ve made the cut: Economics Professor Ray Mikesell, who died in 2006 at 93, and now Biology Professor Frank Stahl, who died this April at 95. Please post a link if you know of others. Ray’s brief obituary – which I’m happy to claim some credit for persuading them to publish – is here.

UO’s normally effusive PR flacks have not seen fit to note Frank Stahl’s passing, but the NYT more than makes up for that with an obituary that goes into an impressively detailed explanation of the work that made him deserving:

 

I’m sure he’s got “business reasons” for this:

…

What did the old policy say? I’d search for it, but that might be a crime.

Here’s the email, with many other policy changes, some documented and some not:

Begin forwarded message:

From: UO Policy <uopolicy@uoregon.edu>

Subject: UO Policy recommendations posted for Public Comment

Date: July 2, 2025 at 3:36:40 PM PDT

You received this email because you have signed up for university-level policy notifications. If you wish to unsubscribe, please send an email to the following address with UNSUBSCRIBE (no quotes) in the subject line: policy-notification-request@lists.uoregon.edu.

Good afternoon,

The following four policies have been posted for a public comment period until July 16, 2025, end of day. During that time, UO community members are invited to send feedback or questions to: uopolicy@uoregon.edu.

• • V.11.02 Prohibited Discrimination and Retaliation policy has been recommended by the Policy Advisory Council for revisions and long-term enactment (currently, this policy is in effect as a temporary emergency policy).

The policy concept form, redline version of the current policy and clean version with proposed revisions are now posted at:https://policies.uoregon.edu/content/policies-open-comment-0

• • III.03.02 Incidental Fee Authorization has been recommended by the Policy Advisory Council for revisions.  The policy concept form, redline version of the current policy and clean version with proposed revisions are now posted at: https://policies.uoregon.edu/content/policies-open-comment-0

• • Privacy Policy (proposed new policy) has been recommended by the PAC for enactment; the policy concept form and proposed policy document are posted on the public comment page at: https://policies.uoregon.edu/content/policies-open-comment-0

• • Acceptable Use Policy (proposed new policy) has been recommended by the PAC for enactment; the policy concept form and proposed policy document have been posted on the public comment page at: https://policies.uoregon.edu/content/policies-open-comment-0

Comments on the proposed policy revisions and enactments and general questions can be directed to: uopolicy@uoregon.edu.

Thank you,

University of Oregon Policy Notifications
Office of the University Secretary
uopolicy@uoregon.edu
https://policies.uoregon.edu/

Just kidding, they’re going to meet to give Duck AD Rob Mullens over $5M in raises. The millions in subsidies for the Jock Box, Knight Arena Bonds, and administrative overhead will continue.

Dear CAS colleagues, As you know, our college faces a $3.65 million budget deficit this fiscal year (FY25). As a result, we have made the difficult decision to eliminate approximately 42 positions across four CAS employee groups: officers of administration, classified staff, career faculty, and undergraduate student employees. (Graduate employees…

Two years since Pres Karl Scholz started and he still seems to have no effective internal controls on administrative spending. Apparently only the little people have to book their travel through Concur.

Read all the amazing details at https://dailyemerald.com/166936/features/abroad-sojc-dean-flies-high-back-home-his-school-spirals-into-deficit/

A very thorough investigative report from Tristin Hoffman:

Juan-Carlos Molleda, dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, is facing scrutiny by University of Oregon officials over his extensive university-funded international travel. Meanwhile, his school’s budget has spiraled into a deficit under his management, a six-month investigation and review of hundreds of financial and travel documents by The Daily Emerald has found.

UO Provost Chris Long told The Emerald on June 5 that Molleda is being internally audited for his travel spending. The audit was launched after The Emerald reported on Molleda’s Feb. 21 email about his travel. His email to SOJC faculty was sent on his own command after The Emerald filed public records requests for his travel records.

Molleda, 60, has served as dean since 2016. He has many official reasons to travel as the leader of the SOJC, from attending professional conferences to raising funds from donors. He receives an annual travel budget of $30,000 from his job, and university travel rules often have allowed him to draw on endowment funds from the UO Foundation, which are separate from his school’s budget, to pay his additional travel costs.

The cost of Molleda’s travel and first-class flights dwarf those of two other UO deans. In the 2023-2024 school year, Molleda’s travel expenses rose to $46,000, according to travel documents obtained by The Emerald under Oregon’s Public Records Law.

Over the same period, then-Dean of Students Marcus Langford spent just over $11,000 on travel. Then-law school Dean Marcilynn Burke spent $3,700.

In the past two years, Molleda has traveled to Paris, Lisbon, Madrid, Medellín, Querétaro and other international cities. He often flies first-class and adds personal days to many of his trips without disclosing them to UO, nearly 700 pages of his travel records obtained by The Emerald show. …

Dear Colleagues: We have a difficult message to share with you today about the financial outlook for our institution. Over the last several months, the university’s budget has been adversely affected by several factors, including sweeping changes to federal research funding, limited state support, and shortfalls in non-resident enrollment projections.…