If you have ever been inside “Treetops”, the official OUS Chancellor’s residence at 2237 Spring Boulevard, or if you know anything about its current use, I would be interested in hearing the approximate date and the circumstances. Please email [email protected] or leave an anonymous comment. Comments starting with “DO NOT POST’ will not be posted.
When Thomas Bartlett was chancellor (and I assume he used Treetops regularly) several faculty and spouses interested in the arts (I don’t remember who the others were) (but about 8) were invited to a dinner at the residence. His wife particularly was interested in art and they had amassed some nice pieces during the time TB was, I believe in Egypt, at an American university in Cairo. I don’t really recall the details–this was many years ago. The dinner was catered and elegantly served. The house is, as one can tell imagine from the exterior, very spacious, yet warm, with a certain amount of woodwork. Not a bad place to call home, especially if you don’t have to pay for the upkeep.
I have watched for activity there often and noticed very little. The high level of yard maintenance and scale of the estate always left me wondering what the landscaping bill might be. Does anyone know what the value of that property is ? Perhaps it ought to be sold ?
I had a friend who used to clean the house there until recently and she told me nobody is hardly ever there. she took me inside once and it is the most ridiculous house. Several stories with many many rooms in it. At the time the chancellor’s son was home and had a friend living there for free. Nice to see state tax dollars giving someone a free place to stay. The house is ridiculous in size for a family of three.
I went to a yard sale there in the summer of 2009. The seller was a girl, teenaged or perhaps in her early twenties, who said that she lived there with her parents and was planning to move out. Unfortunately, she wasn’t selling any good stuff.
From what I’ve heard OUS does not own Treetops free and clear. It is for the system’s use as the Chancellor’s house; otherwise possession goes back to the original owners. Who pays for upkeep? I suppose OUS.
From what I remember about Tree Tops..the UO pays for its upkeep. There is an account with Facilities Services. There was at one time an account for the museum of art also. Surprised? Same deal for the Presidents house.
On another note. After following the UO Matters for some time now…has anyone thought to contact the legislature on the corruption of the university by you know who? Isn’t there a board of legislators that deal with education in the state? Maybe they should be enlightened to the dealings here and maybe there should be a request for an investigation of you know who. I would bet there are things going on that are a bit shady at best that the state officials may want to clean up.
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Thanks for the Treetops info, commentors! I would definitely like more on this if anyone has it.
DO NOT POST
Did you know that DPS sent officers to a combat medic training last summer? Doug Trip has made comments that DPS could be “packing in a few months” Make no mistake that it is all about the guns. This bullshit where Doug Trip is saying that the gun issue will need to be discussed further is just that. Doug Trip intends to arm as soon as that bill passes. You may have noticed Doug Trip said that there was already money put aside for the transition to a sworn force. Employees taking furlough days and department cuts campus wide on top of a state deficit in the billions but we can afford money for guns and combat medic training for a DPS that is not sworn police. This makes no sense.
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So the state is faced with a $3 billion deficit and Frances Dyke is trying to put a feather in her cap for all of her past failures with DPS by promoting the new bill to make DPS sworn police at all at the expense of the tax payers and students. Nice job Frances. By the way Representative Barnhart who supports the bond issue for campus was solely responsible for killing past campus policing legislation. I hope if this bill moves forward that Means & Ways will see what a ridiculous waste of money it is and how much it is really going to cost and it will get killed. Just how much in terms of UO resources went into this bill? What sort of meetings were had behind the scenes? What kind if hand shake deals were made without the input of the students? I think the fix is in on this bill and it is once again the UO screwing the students and the taxpayers.
Perhaps UO’s students & faculty misunderstand the true purpose behind turning campus security into sworn cops. Think athletics. Think about the $$ the UO now pays to City of Eugene to police its athletic events. This isn’t about knocking over frat house parties. It’s about providing another service to the athletic department.
Students, Faculty and Staff we are being played by an administration gone mad…..
True story: DPS spent in excess of $1,300 for bullets in one day for shooting at practice targets.
In a year most employees don’t have that much invested in their job skills training.
UO Matters says this issue has been decided – sadly true. The UO will have an armed police force regardless of what the campus community wants.
At hand now is just another “feel good” administrative process for building “buy-in”.
No wonder we are increasingly distrustful.
If you think that $1300.00 is expensive then how about the $500.00 per month stipend Doug Trip was paid for 5 months for promoting the police legislation. What most do not see is that Doug Trip is trying to position himself for a vice president position where he will oversee DPS while the Director of security will oversee the security department and where a police chief will oversee the police officers and police supervisors and where a Director of parking will oversee parking and a Director of business affairs will oversee office staff and a Director of records will oversee records and a Director of dispatch will oversee dispatch. Think I am exaggerating? Think again. We cannot allow such recklessness to continue because a few people want to make their mark and have a legacy. And why did the school hire a guy with no actual police experience to form a police department?
DO NOT USE THIS POST
You can word this however you like. DPS has sent officers to combat medic training. I kid you not.
So how will DPS fund all of this with the governor calling for a $500,000,000.00 cut to higher education? I did notice that DPS said they have put money aside for the transition. I would like to see some numbers and how this is going to offset any cost. We all know it isn’t and this is just more public relations bull. If DPS cannot be honest about the numbers then how can they be trusted to be police?
I do not care about past DPS directors. I am concerned that DPS director Doug Trip has no actual police experience. Doug Trip has never been a police man as far as I can tell. Why on earth would he get hired to run a police department? This seems to me to be like hiring a brawling bouncer to run a fine dining establishment.
FOR YOUR INFO. Looks like this isn’t the first time Doug Trip has been involved in trying to get a campus sworn police.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:M0ngyrvwDNcJ:ftp://doaftp04.doa.state.wi.us/doadocs/governorstaskforcecampussafetyfinalreport.pdf+douglas+tripp+milwaukee+technical+college&cd=14&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com
DO NOT POST THIS: You should consider eliminating the time stamp that accompanies postings with the date. You might be giving away some people if you know what I mean. If not then a supervisor knows when an employee is at work or not. Hint hint hint. Thank you.
Dear Do Not Post:
Good idea. I think it worked. Get some sleep.
There was at one time (long ago of course) a standard qualification for a Vice President position required a PhD. Now they give the title out like candy topped off with huge salary increase, no one even bothers with searches for administration anymore so qualifications are a mute point.
There was also a time when the administration was here in service to the faculty and students (UO charter)…Anyone willing to take the University back and make it a University for Higher Education again?
You don’t have to post this if you don’t want to.
Treetops. Well there is a basement with a laundry area and restroom. First floor. Large eat in kitchen on the south end, setting room with fireplace just north of that that is closed off from the rest of the house by a door. There is a formal dining area surrounded by windows, huge entry area, entertaining area or formal living room and huge staircase leading to the 2nd floor with a library/office, 4 bedrooms and two or three bathrooms and the maids quarters off of a huge landing that at one time had a pool table at the top of the stairs. Going up to the 3rd floor large open space, bedrooms along the west and east sides. Full wrap around porch overlooking a supple lawn and garden area. If my memory serves me there is even a sign somewhere near the driveway that states the house owners and it’s intended use.
The house was “loaned” to the University for use by the chancellor and the University is responsible for its upkeep. My understanding is that if the chancellor doesn’t use the house it goes back to the family trust. That may have changed with time. The same arraignment for the use of the Presidents house.
At one time President Boyd had his personal belongings in the presidents house but did not live there. That way the University could still say it was being used by the president. The house was used as a guest house and meeting house at that time.
I was part of the interview process when Kevin Williams was hired. Doug Tripp was a finalist as well. My recollection is that Tripp has significant experience at larger campuses that do operate as police departments — if memory serves Michigan State was his last posting — though he has no experience in a municipal police operation.
I also remember strongly preferring him above Kevin Williams, who came off like a used car salesman. Tripp seemed to actually understand the difference between policing a college campus and running the county jail (Williams’ last posting). In hiring Williams, it was clear to me that the hiring authority doesn’t understand those nuances. However, I thought it was an uncharacteristically wise move to hire Tripp as the second in command during that process.
Williams was very open during his interview about his intention to turn DPS into a policing operation so the ball starting rolling with him even though he was largely ineffectual in his effort. Tripp seems to have a golden touch and the skill to make things happen, whether you agree with what he’s making happen or not.
FWIW, I’m still on the fence.
Anonymous asks: “Anyone willing to take the University back and make it a University for Higher Education again?” Anon. knows that the Charter obliges the Faculty (professors plus President) to govern the UO. Furthermore, Anon. should know that that UO has a post-Frohnmayer Constitution that does everything legally possible to put power into the hands of the University’s representative Senate, which has a strong majority of Faculty members. Old Man has observed that the Senate is keen to exercise its responsibilities despite the overload under which they are working as teachers and researchers, but they sure could use some help and direction. Anon. does not have to be a Senator to provide such help. Any member of the Statutory Faculty can bring motions to the Senate and participate in discussions. Even Emeritus Faculty have this opportunity. Just do it!
The only reason Doug Tripp has been able to get as far as he has with this bill is not due to any skill he thinks he has. It has been due to the diligent work of his staff and their true police experience. Doug Tripp is supervising managers with so much experience that they’d run circles around Doug and make him so dizzy he’d faint. I personally wouldn’t let Doug Trippy run an ice cream cart. If you were on the hiring panel and selected Doug then I have a great deal on an investment in Nigeria for you.
Being part of the interview process and being on the hiring panel are not mutually inclusive; I was not on the search committee. The hiring panel either recommended Kevin Williams or their recommendation was ignored. I would wager that if you spent any real time with Williams you would prefer Tripp, too…the lessor of two weevils ;)
The interesting thing about that whole process was that Tripp was hired as deputy chief without a formal search. I may be wrong here but I think when Williams was booted, Tripp was elevated to chief without a search.
It seems everyone has a piece of the DPS command puzzle. This is a near impossible position to fill and Williams and Tripp competed for it at the same time. Williams had good references because his previous employer wanted to dump him, and Tripp had some background in militarizing a campus safety office. Trouble was one candidate was from an under represented group. Which to pick? The AAEO solution was to offer jobs to both: Chief and Deputy Chief respectively. Frances Dyke is rigid and in time Williams wore out his welcome.
Tripp was heir apparent from the outset and he was promoted without a search. But if Tripp does not watch his potty-mouth he may too find himself on the outs with the Vice President of Prudeville.
Sorry but you are incorrect. Doug Trip was hired after Kevin Williams asked to hire him on as 2nd in command. You are correct about Doug Trip’s mouth. I wonder if he ever received the respectful workplace communication memo sent out by HR? Dropping the f bomb on your staff in a meeting probably isn’t the best thing to do to get the respect of people.
Fascinating article about Treetops in RG. As usual, UO Matters is to be applauded for being ahead of the curve.
What I would like to know is whether Pernsteiner received any rent money from the friends of his children who lived at Treetops while attending UO. Did Pernsteiner pull a Moseley and receive rent money on top of his already substantial housing allowance?
Pernsteiner allowing this sort of waste to continue is astonishing. Or is it? If you want to start saving money how about starting at the top for once.
Do you know that the U of O will fly in candidates for administrative position interviews, pay for their lodging and meals? How much money was blown on candidates that didn’t even pan out?
Do you know that the U of O paid an interim director’s rent and rental car as part of his contract while he was being paid some ludicrous salary too? The U of O paid to fly him here for the interview as well.
When does the wasteful spending end? No wonder Oregon is faced with such a fiscal abyss.
A $1000 a month utility bill????? There are custodians that work their assess off that do not take that home each month. This is just a shameful waste.
DO NOT POST
KW was booted out of DPS almost
2 years ago, but is still listed in the UO directory with a phone
number and E-mail address, implying he is still on the payroll. But no office address. Wassup with this? Is he being paid to sit at home and not sue
for being canned? Presumably the timely notice period has already
passed… Unless he was given a
special MB type 5-year verbal contract?
BTW, an LCSO source reported that
KW left there while being investigated for sexual harrassment and equipment procurement problems in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range.
It would sure be helpful for this
blog to be better organized with
improved topical organization and navigation.
In case you missed this, good to see Pernsteiner hard at work for OUS:
http://www.aei.org/event/100346
Our George is in the last panel of the day:
Panel IV: Reform Lessons from the States
Presenters:
ELAINE BAKER, Community College of Denver
GERI MALANDRA, Kaplan University
RICHARD PETRICK, Ohio Board of Regents (retired)
Discussant:
GEORGE PERNSTEINER, Oregon University System
Moderator:
ANDREW P. KELLY, AEI
The current chancellor was hand picked by Dave. He is part of the problem. Anyone that sets in their office across the street from the money grabbing administration like he does and not do something about it…is part of it. Education is not a priority anymore…its their paychecks that are of utmost importance..
It’s a fact. Old Man knows. The best faculty, at least in his field, would not think of seeking employment at a “football school.” If UO gets lumped with Ohio State or Oklahoma, etc., we are dead as a reputable university. Only vigorous support for UO’s academic program, to match that of the athletic program (think Stanford),will allow it to avoid that fate.
Frances Dyke has announced her retirement June 30, 2012.
Amen to Dyke. 2012 too far.
The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference Championships, 7 Rose Bowl Titles, and 4 National Championships. Now that’s a football school.
How does UW compare academically? 41st among national universities as rated by USN&WR. Oregon? 111th.
UW as a 12:1 student/faculty ratio. UO has a 20:1 student/faculty ratio.
As for football, Oregon has won zero national titles, zero Rose Bowls, and 5 (1 shared) Pac-10 titles.
The important difference between UW and UO are the socioeconomic features of their respective states. Compare Boeing (still employing high-skilled labor) to Georgia-Pacific (cut and ran years ago).
By accident and/or design, Washington State has invested in technology, innovation and trade for several generations. Oregon wasted its post-WWII years on a low-wage, low-skill, unsustainable timber mining economy.
Frances Dyke
“…in order to allow the university ample opportunity to conduct a search and provide time for overlap and a smooth transition for this large portfolio.” Please no overlap, no influence, no contamination/cross fertilizaton etc. etc. clean break.
“Since so much of the work in this portfolio is behind the scenes ..” or undercover/secret/covert etc.
“…advocacy for increased salaries and benefits has become more public;” for whom? The Johnson Hall crew?
“Business services have been redesigned and strengthened resulting in a university managed in a sound and fiscally responsible manner … It has a network of task forces and advisory groups in place to ensure fully accountable and transparent management for all funds.” Challenge any of their confusing policies and procedures and you may end up in the death pile. Don’t Sus any man.
“I look forward to my work through June 2012” at least one person does.
“… and with enthusiasm to other opportunities that will present themselves to me after my retirement date.” Oh my? Oh no. To be continued????!!!! yikes.
So FD is finally leaving….or is she? What kind of “retirement” contract did she get for herself. I ask because Dave, Lorraine and a host of others that “retired” have done very well sucking off the university. So what is Francis getting? And another quick note…did she say they were going to hold a search??? Really? just like the search that found her or a real search?
Alas, if only her highness would be escorted into retirement by her gentry: Penny the Shrill, The Grand Duchy of Mood Swings Laura, George the Great Illiterate, Lady Linda the OS2 of Talbots, and Lord Doug of F-bombs. The pox would be lifted and ours would be a happy ever after at ye olde university.
Alas, should we stop at thus 5? What about the court jester Brian, who provided Milady with full amuzement and Dames Catherine and Deanne, the big bad Wolf and Master Stew. Clean the entire Palace.
Dyke
You say ToMAto I say ToMAYto etc.
You say retirement I say timely notice.
Time’s way is to settle all accounts.
Unscrupulous decisions are like spiders
Crawling to catch up.
Of a yet to be impeached President Nixon
our late John Lennon said,
“Time wounds all heels.”
“access to childcare has increased”? Are you f-ing kidding me? Childcare at UO is a joke unless you’re pulling down a senior administrator’s salary — or two.
Lariviere and Nike v. Pernsteiner and bureaucracy
The story made me sick to my stomach.
Russ Tomlin will be next to go, and good riddance.
I wonder if Lariviere will make him send his own resignation letter around to the faculty too. Pretty humiliating.
Speaking of which, what are the chances that CAS dean Scott Coltrane will have a third-year review, as required by U of O policies? Part of the academic funding problem is his inability/disinterest in raising money for the humanities and social sciences. He didnt even bother to appt a humanities fundraiser for the last capital campaign. Then he gave the post to one of his secretaries, with no experience at fund raising. This is what happens when you hire a dean after multiple failed searches.
Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out Frances. Mayeb some sanity will be restored in the VPFA office and no internal cronies will get hired. You want to “be bold” and “not timid” Richard? Then start putting the boot to the idiots and get some actual talent in your administration.
Yes, we must demand a third-year review of Scott Coltrane. In my 20+ years at UO, he is the most ineffective CAS Dean with whom I have ever dealt. I hear that he is largely to blame for the imminent departure of Larry Singell to Indiana. Singell should’ve replaced Coltrane.
Sigh. Dean Singell is going to Indiana because he got a good offer. It is what it is. If you don’t know the details, then why create havoc by posting rumors. IMHO Dean Coltrane has done a lot to promote civility and camaraderie in the college during his term here.
For the record, almost everyone I talk to thinks Scott Coltrane is a good, maybe even great CAS Dean, and I have never seen any evidence to suggest any significant problems in his office.
Nothing I have heard – and I hear a lot – suggests that Larry Singell left for anything other than the reason that it was a huge promotion in every sense to go from Assoc Dean at UO to CAS Dean at IU. It’s our loss and their gain.
I generally post every comment I get unless it is crude or repetitive. Posts that have no evidence are pretty obviously just opinion, but that doesn’t mean I will censor them.
UO Matters
To: UOmatters and other readers
From: A dog
I think its irrelevant how coltrane, tomlin, dyke, etc have acted or how they are perceived.
What’s relevant is that those three, and others, have exhibited absolutely no leadership on academic issues and evolving a University in an academic sense. We have no academic direction. Period. We haven’t had one for some time.
We tend to just replace new individuals into this cycle of non-leadership. The current VPR search is a good example. None of those candidates are move the University into a different direction in terms of the interplay between research and academics and teaching and learning.
The dog’s time at the UO is indeed about up and while the dog maybe been personally (somewhat) successful in terms of doing what dogs do – this dogs lasting impression of the University of Oregon is one of an institution than can not change.
So yeah for Coltrane or boo for coltrane, what does it matter. The structure of CAS looks exactly the same under his reign. Nothing has changed.
We run on legacy. Most faculty here are comfortable with that.
Dogs are not. Dogs are hence irrelevant at the UO.
re:those “donations” for athletics. The article says these are given to get better seating etc. BS. You must pay them to keep your season tickets. So they are certainly NOT donations; a donation is voluntary. Theses are forced. You have no choice if you want to keep your seats. They are extortions.
If Coltrane is indeed a “great” CAS dean, then I am sure he will want to undergo a regular job review, as required. I posted the previous comment that he was doing a terrible job raising money for humanities and social sciences. This is not a personal slur; it is a comment on his performance. (Everyone seems to agree that Coltrane is amiable.) If my claims about his fundraising are wrong, correct them–with evidence. (CAS refused to post figures on what it raised for humanities in the capital campaign.) One correction: in my last post, I mentioned the CAS humanities development officer. In fact, CAS does not have one. The person listed on the CAS website now works for the U of Wyoming.
My comment was directed at the person who stated that Dean Singell left because of some action on the part of Dean Coltrane. This was not intended as a criticism of UO Matters, which does a great job nor the commenter who stated that Dean Coltrane is somehow not fund raising for Humanities. But I am confused. The capital campaign concluded in 2008, the year that Dean Coltrane was appointed. How is the lack money raised for Humanities under the capital campaign his fault?
ok ya got me with that email from Bean. LOL! My only concern was that it is suggested she teach at the business school. What subject…the inside job of corruption? Besides she isn’t degree enough to teach anything is she?
Has anyone read her “seeds of change” on her web site. WTF is that…I’ll pay you to come up with more ideas to rip off the University? Glad she’s leaving..I hope it’s really true.
Dog on Reviews
But its not clear that negative third year reviews carry any implications.
For instance, the third year review of CIO Don Harris was uber non-positive and yet there appear to be zero consequences of this or zero concerns.
Dog, I hear the same is true of the library dean’s review done at the same time.
A gaggle of geese, a pride of lions, a proliferation of provosts….
The Cat says: UO Matters has had a very busy day. And though the snow may be falling, there are some rays of light on the horizon….
So the DPS wants to be seen as transparent and accountable? If that is the case then why not share the whole of discussions surrounding the police legislation? The ODE article states ” The documents returned to the Emerald were heavily redacted and leave room for interpretation.” in reference to a records request about liability if inappropriate use of force takes place. Just Google oregon police lawsuit and see what you get. It gets expensive fast to settle and gets even more expensive to defend in court.
Does this MacDermid person actually think anyone will be stupid enough to believe that guns are not part of the package here? Pu-lease!!
Dog on Union/Finances Report:
I have thoroughly gone over the report and the numbers that it cites. While I overall agree with the fundamental conclusion of the report – namely that the UO is now spending proportionately less on its instructional mission (which I find
both damning and horrible to be at an institution of higher “education” that is doing that) – I have a very hard time with the overall secondary theme that both OUS and UO are “flush” with revenue. I think we might be “flush” with revenue on some kind of balance sheets, but I doubt either institution is that liquid.
But I could be wrong, and if I am wrong, then its a double shame not to be investing in renovating classrooms are building a new classroom building, either at the UO level or the OUS level.
The overall 2005-09 trajectory, however, is clear and that trajectory is definitely to NOT enhance our Faculty Tenure Track
teaching mission.
That is beyond broken and the UO should be made to pay a heavy price
for this decision. It should certainly lose its precious AAU
status, since there has been nothing AAU like about the UO for the last many years.
This young man asks: “Does the public have a right to know a UO professor’s unpublished research data collected using public funds or personnel documents regarding a disciplinary action taken against a UO professor?”
No. Such documents are exempt from disclosure under the Oregon Public Records Act. Why, then, should the public have a right to know how a tall UO student loses his scholarship? Do not students have at least as much right to privacy as do professors? Perhaps more. Students aren’t public servants; professors are.
How much is UO paying Kevin Williams?
And what is he really doing for UO?
I’m pretty sure he’s no longer on the UO payroll. If you know differently, email me.
As for the Bean email, roll up your pant legs, it’s too late to save your shoes!
“campus operations, human resources, affirmative action and equal opportunity, campus planning, risk management, public safety, budgeting and finance, institutional research, and emergency management.”
They forgot to mention other accomplishment like: instilling a environment of administration that gets away with threats, bully behavior, secrecy, greed,lying, unfounded firings, instilling fear among salaried staff, administrative harassment, shortchanging students, casting aside faculty, fake searches, questionable hiring’s, promoting unqualified people, outright ignoring law, ridding campus of “unwanted” ie..disabled employees and even students with disabilities,… outrageous titles and pay scale for “promoted” administration, instituting a program of “administration pay off” You all know…pay a person enough and they keep quiet. There is nothing they will do that will cause them to loose more money than they ever expected to make in their lifetime…yeah that game…there all in it….
Other than that she did a bang up job for the University and that shoe company’s athletic department. She really can’t leave fast enough…let no dust collect under her shoes and let her cast no shadow. Be gone with her already. I only wish she would take her ass kissing administration with her.
Using the words outstanding service in conjunction with Frances Dyke’s name is a contradiction in the worst possible way. Looks like I need to become an admin so I can surf on a wave on incompetence to a pile of money.
Kevin Williams left for a better position in Arizona where he is a commander of a campus police unit. If you want an idea of what the DPS will look like at the expense of your tax dollars and student tuition you can see what ASU looks like http://asu.edu/police/documents/ASUPD_orgchart.pdf
I think you are delusional about Frances Dyke’s retirement situation, your hatred of her is causing you to become deranged. She evidently has given timely notice of her intentions to retire after many years of service to UO. Evidently, the administration is gratified to have her continue until her planned retirement (not until they can “find a replacement.”) And why not. She has, as I said, given many years of service to UO. She was appointed to her present position after a national search which was conducted by a committee of UO faculty, administration, and staff. She was rather enthusiastically recommended by that committee, and their recommendation was enthusiastically accepted by the administration.
I know nobody, outside of some anonymous mutterings on these evanescent pages, who hates Frances like UO Matters. Most people I know think she has done a good job. She actually tempered some of the worst tendencies of Frohnmayer, especially on the arena. If the budget has not gone the way you would like, who bears responsibility for that? Why, it’s the top administration! Meaning Frohnmayer and Lariviere. Your beef is with them. If you want to try to run Lariviere out of UO, lots of luck. Maybe you’ll have better luck than Pernsteiner has!
Nice try on Frances Dyke, but it doesn’t work. 194 of our readers give her a D or F. Not scientific, I know. Just overwhelming. And our readers can be plenty positive – look at the grades for Kelly and Lariviere, and for the New Partnership.
Why so negative on her? I think because people feel so helpless. This year – for the first time anyone can recall – the top administration has actually started doing regular evaluations of top administrators.
But they are apparently cooked: Dyke and Tomlin will be reviewed, but no one is going to survey the faculty and staff for their opinions, at least not from what we’ve heard. And the evaluations will be secret. At least we’ll be able to get info on the subsequent raises though.
Instead of an honest, transparent evaluation of strengths and weaknesses and areas that need improvement, we are continually told that the central administration is an exceptional, able, perfect, group. Ask Bean what he thinks about person X: “He/she is probably the best Y I’ve ever hear of, on any campus. And overworked – UO spends 38% of what our peers do on administration.” Bullshit.
A little more honesty on the part of the administration would go a long way towards a more civil and constructive attitude, at least from me.
UO Matters
I’ll take your word on the open search though. My recollection was that she was promoted for one job and then given another when Moseley retired. But it’s quite possible that’s wrong.
Dog to Anonymous on Frances Dyke
I have good knowledge of Frances Dyke, her operation, the turnover in her operation, etc, etc.
A long tirade is not necessary here but 3 points are:
1) She is an extreme control freak which create an extremely bad workplace environment (hence the large turn over)
2) At any one time, over the last few years, she neither understood the overall budget nor knew where the money went to. I believe the people that hired her knew this …
3) She has no operational competence.
The end result of all of the above is that even if some funds were earmarked to improve our instructional mission, they seldom made it out of the VFPAs office so earmarked …
This is one reason why our classrooms are in such a bad state.
Lets do an eval on administrative searches. Find a real one first. FD was hired from a national search…fixed national search everyone knows she had the position before the first ad came out…The whole point of the search was to look good on paper and meet the regulations. DF needed a person “in the know” of what the administration was up to and a person willing to carry through was the main consideration. That be FD. And that statement is not just blowing hot air…I remember the search well.
Same with Bean and Tomlin neither of those people were hired through a search but both live well because of the administration salaries they were given. They too were “in the know”.
As far as reviews of administration my memory tells me through witness…they evaluate themselves. Amazing isn’t it..the rest of us suffer the wrath of the evaluation.
No more Frances Dyke comments for a while please, unless it’s new information – e.g. about her 1029 hours contract. She’s retiring, and Bean has announced a search will start shortly. Good enough.
But isn’t it also elitist to say that only the rich should worry about pollution?
I’d like to refer you to Sharon Astyk’s and Aaron Newton’s “Nation of Farmers” (which you will have to get via ILL I think) where she discusses this in more detail, esp. about half into the book. Apparently the yield per acre has gone down with this type of “green revolution” agriculture compared to organic or traditional farming, and the soil is more rapidly depleted. You needn’t post this, but you might want to learn about it. I was amazed. The Green Rev. actually didn’t do such a good job of feeding the world as we thought….
Really embarrassing that Lariviere would give a gushing introduction to the Indian food quack posing as prophetess.
Technologically enhanced agriculture is all that stands between the world and mass starvation. That may not matter to a lot of overfed Americans and academic types, including students, who maintain lithe bodies on their organic diets, but it sure would matter to the Indian peasants and hundreds of millions of others who have to worry about getting enough to eat.
It’s also embarrassing that an “environmentally conscious” populace would be falling for this nonsense. Without the green revolution and its sequelae, what’s left of the world natural habitats would have zero chance of surviving.
Norm Borlaug, who deserves to be even more honored than he is, was right on all of this, decades ago. Back then, the Green Revolution — the real one — got the admiration it richly deserved.
Frances Dyke did not retire voluntarily, she was forced out by President Lariviere in response to a series of complaints from faculty and staff.
Additional complaints over the initial decision to let her stay until 2012l led to the announcement by Jim Bean that a search committee would be formed immediately. These are the simple facts, not uninformed rumors.
I’d take this as moderately good news about Lariviere’s management ability. After all the bluster, things do get done.
To take the time and listen to Bean talking about the UO budget at the town hall is ugly at best. Sure a justification for greed coming from a man who never applied for his position and who thinks he is truly worth what he gets paid. And lest we forget is only 38% of whatever… Yeah…I’m listening with rubber boots at the ready. You sir and part of the problem…not the solution and that is only 38% of how I really feel.
“I’ll say this for Dave, he wasn’t afraid to talk to the press. Probably because he had no qualms about lying his ass off.”
That’s because he has a reputation. Who would believe that the former states lawyer or the dean of a law school or…wait for it…the president of a university would lie?
As my grandpa used to say…some people are as crooked as a dogs hind leg. I’m just saying, grandpa called it as he saw it that’s all.
Dog responds with the obvious to Anon
This is a blog – virtually all posts are uninformed opinion.
Simple facts can be supported with actual data or document evidence.
We can all say things are simple facts, such as Rich Linton was also forced out, but, as far as simple facts go, that one remains as uninformed opinion.
Dyke was part of an open search but only chosen when the preferred candidate took another position. Rather than start at square one and upset the succession schedule at Johnson Hall, the powers chose institutional memory over ability -reasoning the status quo as an acceptable alternative to forward thinking, in a pinch that is. Ironic considering her lack of regard towards even the most respected practices of her retiring peers the moment she took power. If Dyke’s successor brings that same spirit and swing on the office door, we’ll all benefit.
Dog to Anon
Once again, there is a lack of documentation on your post about Dyke being hired after an open search when the preferred candidate took another position?
Here are the facts of that search.
There were 4 finalists
Cleve McDaniel
Lynne C. Schaefer
Laura Hubbard
Francis Dyke
Dr. Schaefer remains the VPFA at
University of Maryland Baltimore County – so she clearly was not made an offer
Cleve McDaniel interviewed favorably and was at the top of some committee member’s lists. However, it is unclear if Cleve was made an offer. He currently is in the same of similar position as he was (Desert Research Institute – Nevada) when he interviewed. It is possible that he was offered the job and turned it down though there seems be no one out there willing to verify this in a credible manner.
My uninformed opinion is that das frohn and JTM preferred Dyke because ____________ (fill in the blank)
Hilariously uninformed speculation about the Frances Dyke search, recommendations, and ultimate hiring. I happen to know.
Seriously…explosion detection? I am always amazed at how this administration looks for ways to spend more money for their own use instead of fulfilling the mission of the University…which is to educate. Bomb detection? Really?
So far off track…its unbelievable but then..when one consideres this administration its no surprise.
Next thing ya know the Athletic department is going to request a whole pack of dogs…and get them!!!!
I once had an explosive canine. She too had an agreeable demeanor until–whamo!–poodle rage would hit. Oh, wait, an explosive DETECTION canine. Isn’t that what normal English calls a ‘bomb-sniffing dog’?
The Cat wonders: armed police? driving ‘police interceptor’, accompanied by trained dogs? will public safety be guaranteed? I think the UO needs a SWAT team; and an in house unit of the National Guard. Then maybe I will feel save entering Johnson Hall.
What this institution does not know about running a police department would choke a goat. McMinnville is about the size of our campus community. Their police department has 1.037 sworn officers per 1,000. According their Chief, McMinnville is under-policed compared to Kiezer (41 sworn) and Oregon City (38 sworn). An annual budget of $563,000 provides McMinnville with these core policing services:
• Emergency and non-emergency calls-for-service response.
• Initial and follow-up investigation of misdemeanor crimes and violations
• Initial investigation of felony crimes. (Detectives follow-up on long-term investigations of person and property crimes)
• Traffic enforcement
• Serious injury crash investigations
• Special event coverage
• Participation in multi-agency accident investigation team
• Parking enforcement and radar trailer placement
• Code enforcement, i.e., abandoned vehicles, trash complaints,grass, illegal dumping and sign postings, etc.
• Subpoena service
Special Operations:
• The investigation of mandated and the most serious felony
person crimes; i.e., homicide, rape, child abuse, etc.
• The investigation of all serious person and property crimes
• High School Resource Officers (SRO)
• Participation in multi-agency narcotics investigation team
• Public Information
• Emergency Management
• Liaison to State and Federal agencies
Support Operations:
• Police record management and reporting required by law.
• Record requests; i.e., information, police report copies, etc.
• Evidence and found property management and disposal
• Professional standards
• Technology Development
• Community Relations
• Facilitate community safety and educational events; i.e.,
National Night Out, Kids’ Bicycle and Safety Fair, Parent-aid
Drug Awareness Program, Citizens’ Police Academy, and Senior Citizen Safety and Awareness programs
You better believe, there is a dog and detectives!
Imagine not wanting this bargain?
well dog says
I can offer my services as an
explosives detonation canine,
if the UO police are interested.
I work for dog bones, which, coincidentally is equal to my
academic pay at the UO …
But DPS officers look so kool
driving around campus in their
black unmarked gas guzzling SUV
with tinted glass. I wonder if
the explosives sniffing dog
will be trained to deal with unruly
students that step out of line?
Ready to jump out of the SUV on
command. Sort of a substitute for
Tasers?
A $563,000 budget certainly does not cover the following (straight from McMinnville’s police department website):
We are made up of over 40 full and part time employees, 34 of whom are full time sworn police officers. This includes:
* Police Chief
* 2 Captains
* 6 Patrol Sergeants
* 18 Patrol Officers
* 1 Detective Sergeant
* 4 Detectives
* 1 Narcotics Enforcement Detective
* 1 School Resource Officer
* 1 Parking and Code Enforcement Officer
* 1 Community Support Coordinator
* 1 Police Executive Assistant
* 1 Evidence and Property Technician
* 1 Non-Sworn Division Commander
* 2 full time and 1 part time Records Technicians
* 1 part time Community Relations Specialist
* 1 part time Facility Maintenance
* 1 part time Range Maintenance
The point being, DPS already has a fiscal year budget that tops $400,000 without dogs or detectives – imagine once their sworn. Municipalities know policing is a bottomless financial pit. Any town our size has a considerable percent of budget spent on policing. In a era of scarce resources for education, bulking a police force is not strategic.
How about the school saves all this time and money and just brings back the EPD campus patrol unit? This is cheaper and they are trained and can do all the stuff the DPS wants to do at a fraction of the cost. The DPS would not need as many officers or managers and the students would save a ton of cash.
Police officer at the EPD make a max of $37.oo an hour after working there five years. This hourly rate does not include retriement benefits given to police in this state. Since the university of Oregon is always talking about being competitive to attract the best workers what do you think a university of Oregon police officer will make or what about a sergeant or higher level supervisors? this will be a fiscal disaster and i do not believe the DPS can justify any of it.
Dog thinks this insightful comment about grade inflation from a former student (posted on the grade inflation blog) ought to be mirrored to readers of UO matters: (note especially the third
paragraph)
Looking at grade inflation is a waste of time. The University is looking at grades in a misguided attempt to reclaim relevancy outside its borders.
Having graduated from this institution Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, I have to say that my grades didn’t help. I have yet to meet an employer that cares about grades whatsoever. And they probably shouldn’t.
Grades don’t show preparedness or work ethic. In my experience, most professors prefer to hear their own thoughts regurgitated. So, a good grade is often something achievable by a parrot: mimicry.
Looking at grade inflation misses the point. People are not impressed by Harvard students because of their GPAs. People are impressed by Harvard students because they serve on the Supreme Court and develop revolutionary businesses.
The UO needs some perspective. It is not an elite school, and addressing grade inflation won’t change that. Creating internships with great companies, developing larger study abroad programs, etc. will. Students need to have experiences and connections that will move them beyond this place.
Grades need to be more than letters, and awards must be more than pretty scribblings on a diploma.
In the end, it’s easy to address grade inflation. If a student doesn’t deserve an A, don’t give them one. I respected teachers who made me earn my grades. Enrollment won’t dissipate if you’re tough on students as long as your course is worth taking in the first place.
It might be prudent to note that the poll was commissioned by the UO Foundation. I’m not saying it should be ignored because of that, but at the least I’d want to see the wording of the questions and exactly who was polled. 70% in favor of local governing boards seems implausibly high to me, but what do I know?
I wonder why Athletics used state funds instead of donor funds from the Foundation/Alumni Association to pay off their football recruiting scouts? Or just have Kilkenny, Knight, etc pay the scouts directly?
At this point, it actually appears to have been a very shrewd move to run the 25k payment officially and through the compliance office in the AD. If they can produce the film/documents supposedly provided by Lyles for the NCAA investigators, it’s going to be very tough for the NCAA to punish Oregon for any wrongdoing. These payments were run legitimately because the AD knew there was a loophole to exploit here. The whole thing sound very Chip Kelly-like honestly.
OK, that’s logical.
The $25K paid to Lyle’s Complete Scouting Services is almost 7X the $3,745 paid to the other scout. I wonder if any of that $25K found its way into the pockets of the Oregon recruits Lyles was mentoring… Sort of an inducement to go to Oregon?
The Oregonian reported that Lyles did some rapid changes in the last couple of days to the scouting prices listed on his website, increases to be more inline with what he charged UO. Something is going on there.
The Confucius Institutes are, indeed, a propaganda vehicle for the PRC, as acknowledged by Li Changchun, a high-ranking party boss in the Politburo Standing Committee, who was quoted in an article published in The Economist (10/22/2009) that the Confucius Institutes were “an important part of China’s overseas propaganda set-up.” It is why not a single top-tier university in the US or abroad has been willing to host them. Faculty at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, and Princeton have all rejected them. None of Japan’s top national universities are willing to play host because of concerns over the Confucius Institutes’ covert ideological and political agenda. Serious questions have also been raised about the Confucious Institutes’ agenda to exercise soft power in other countries as well, ranging from Canada to Israel, from Germany to Sweden. The government of India has rejected Confucius Institutes altogether, correctly assessing them as a Chinese device to “widen influence by using culture as a propagational tool” (see “How to be a Cultural Superpower,” The Times of India, 11/22/2009). As Glenn May has correctly concluded in his article for Yale Global, those China specialists on campus (http://confucius.uoregon.edu/home/#Academic_Steering_Committee) who actively support the Hanban-financed Confucius Institutes–some of whom are historians who should know better–have been reduced to collaborators.
The Wikipedia article that appears to be the basis for these claims about Confucius Institutes bears the editorial tag that “this article lends undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, controversies or matters relative to the article subject as a whole.”
A quick fact-check of a few of these claims shows Confucius Institutes at numerous top tier universities, including Stanford, Columbia, U. Chicago, U. Michigan, UCLA. See for example:
http://ealc.stanford.edu/confucius_institute/index.php
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ealac/faculty.html
http://confuciusinstitute.uchicago.edu/
http://www.confucius.umich.edu/
http://www.confucius.ucla.edu/
“It is why not a single top-tier university in the US or abroad has been willing to host them” — University of Chicago, UCLA, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota and University of Maryland all have Confucius Institutes. In England both the University of London and the London School of Economics also have CIs, in Germany the University of Heidelberg, and in Australia the University of Melbourne. Not such bad company–all well above UO in the ARWU rankings, whatever such rankings are worth (ASU and the University of Utah, both with CIs, are much higher ranked than UO as well, but I just can’t bring myself to consider the possibility THEY might better than us)! So our historians can at least take comfort that they have fairly decent “fellow-travellers.”
A no-strings-attached donation. Is it possible?
Instead of Mary Jaeger’s idea to “spend the money on scholarships and fellowships for students in underrepresented groups instead, or on outreach programs like the one Economics runs in the summers.” — how about ending racial preferences altogether? Wasn’t that the idea back in the mid-60’s, when legally enforced segregation and discrimination were ended?
Food for thought found on the Yale Global forum on May’s article:
Mr. May is so obviously full of contempt towards “China scholars” that he is practically oozing insecurity. He has provided no evidence of any infringement of speech imposed upon Confucius Institutes, he merely conjectures wild scenarios.
If in fact schools are asked to adhere to a One-China policy, how would that be any different from the official U.S. stance? I am not aware of Universities having the ability to craft their own foreign policy. But how courageous of Mr. May to pillory academic institutions for not fighting such an inhumane policy. It would make a bigger statement if he turned down any federal funding for his work until the U.S. revises the unjust policy, since it seems to bother him so much. But that would actually require a sacrifice, which is much more involved than writing poorly researched opinion pieces lambasting his colleagues.
It’s funny that Mr. May complains that theoretically Hanban will not fund activities related to Taiwan; is not Taiwan in his mind a separate country? So why would China fund the study of a foreign country? Why doesn’t he complain that the U.S. does not provide funding in foreign countries for the study of Canada?
-Chinese American , Los Angeles, CA
The thought that Penny can come up with anything valuable relating to diversity, search equality, Veterans compliance, disability compliance or compliance of any kind for that matter. Or lets say….even proper grievance management makes me laugh. You have got to be kidding!!!
There hasn’t been an honest search come out of that office for years!!!! So training these search dogs for the sake of diversity….Oh please!!!
I wouldn’t give her or that office a dime toward any program she could think up. Not worth it. Her record speaks for itself…I should know…been there seen that. I for one know her secrets.
“There are no documents responsive to that request” – that really burns up a mere professor, who has to document chapter and verse for any use of research funds.
With Rich Linton leaving in June, what’s the feeling about his time at UO? A good subject for an unscientific poll?
Dog on Linton
Will if UOmatters does indeed do another poll entry UOmatters needs to run two polls.
Rich Linton as VPR
Rich Linton as Grad. School Dean
I suspect the results between the
two polls to be quite different
Doug Trip goes from being in charge of a bunch of students to an assistant director and then to a director? Sounds like he was in the right place at the right time but he still has no actual police experience. It is like hiring a cook who last week was a dish washer but got the job because the cook quit. He might have earned it but it just looks weird on his resume.
So am I reading this correct? The top upper crust muck that oversees ALL Higher Education in this state doesn’t have a PhD? How is this? It used to be that the upper crust of any university had to have a PhD to serve in the capacity of an administrator.
Must have changed when a past muck implemented his plan of wealth and corruption for all the other administrative muck of the university…education…last. Disgusting
So with the revelation of Francis and her “education”. We all know AAEO is run by a bachelors degree (oooh so impressive)…who else is lacking in proper education? Explains a lot considering the behavior of the upper crust lately.
So what would happen if the Faculty set standards for the administration of the University and passed a motion to say so? After all the administration is in service to the faculty and students….I believe that’s the charter. So standards should be set.
Then toss anyone that doesn’t meet the standards including the chancellor. I am stunned…no PhD…if it weren’t so sick it would be laughable. What were the requirements during the search? Oh never mind…probably written to fit his lack of education.
Who cares about Rich Linton? He is out. Let sleeping dogs ….
On Wednesday there were two hearings relating to the application by UO for 2 Greenway permits. I requested the record be left open so that the public is able to review plans and provide some input. The hearings official agreed and the record for both hearings will close at 5pm on March 23. Comments can be handed in at the planning counter at the Atrium building downtown or emailed directly to the city staff. The Greenway permits are needed to proceed with the next sprawling set of plans Nike hopes to develop on land around Autzen and the Casanova complex. The outcomes of both hearings are subject to appeal.
“Frohnmayer also played the seismic card when he was selling Matt Court arena to UO. But that turned out to be bullshit …”
Of course it was. He knew it was, too, way before when it was thrown back in his face at not only the City Council hearings on the matter (to transfer land from the City to the UO in order to have a new basketball arena built) but also at the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. If you read the minutes from the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, when he was making his pitch in order to pursue getting the bonds from the Legislature, he said point blank that the decision to replace Mac Court was based on a personal opinion. Safety concerns – Bah!
Of course, there’s little likelihood that Fenton, Esslinger, etc. would have 10,000 people in them during an earthquake.
And what about PLC? Not that I’m on a floor that would collapse on top of Economics or anything like that; but perhaps those of us in small programs should try not to be in the building at the same time.
Dear UO Matters/Anyone hear the words on the 235 million borrowed by Dave from foundation and lost in an investment buy when everything financial went boom? My ears heard he intended to pay it back before it was noticed with his winnings on investment…and lost it…thus retired right after loss. Is that the money Francis and the upper muck keep saying needs to be payed back?
The issue of safety from a potential earthquake had been pretty low during Frohnmayer’s presidency; just look at how several of the building you mentioned had been renovated in very recent years as part of preservation projects. If earthquake safety was a concern of his, then the replacement of the buildings you mentioned would surely have taken priority over McArthur Court.
Additionally, if there had been any risk of a catastrophe, the risk – in terms of probability of people getting harmed, killed, etc. – would be higher in the case of the buildings you mentioned (occupied by students, staff, etc.), in a given day/week throughout the year, than McArthur Court, with the limited events that occurred there – and lasted (in terms of how long the building was occupied during events) – during the same time frame. Such a probability, again, would have facilitated the buildings you mentioned taking priority to being replaced, which, in fact, was not a concern of Frohnmayer’s, as is evidenced by the renovation of several of buildings you mentioned.
Using the concern of earthquake safety to replace McArthur Court was a red herring.
When I was co-chair of the FAC a few years ago, we commissioned a study of how well the U of O would survive an earthquake. This was not long after a minor quake had hit Portland. The answer was–not well. PLC was not up to standards, but it was better off than some of the other buildings; Lawrence Hall and Gerlinger were death traps, as I recall. Nothing came of this because–we were told–that there was no money to fix any of the buildings. I could track down this study of anyone is interested. (It might take a while, though, as I am at Oxford now.)
So The Frohn is soaking the school for $300,000 a year and what is it exactly that he does? He works at a law firm? Where the hell does the guy work and who does he work for? This is disgraceful considering the cuts education is facing and he should be ashamed that he would filch this money out of the pockets of our students! But good old Dave is sitting back smiling away I’m sure laughing all the way to the bank. What a sad sad sad state of affairs.
FOR YOUR INFO, DO NOT POST THIS BUT USE IT HOW YOU LIKE Looks like the DPS is going to Salem on Thursday to try and push their agenda through. http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/UO-public-safety-officers-headed-to-Salem/Rua2CWqZZEi03gX54G4vRw.cspx Isn’t Thursday a normal work day? Is it legal for state employees to get paid for political reasons? I’m sure they will be travelling in one of the big new gas guzzling tahoes they bought. can i get some state money to drive a big car to Salem to push my politics????
I am so sick of what is going on at the UO I went to the governor’s web page and wrote him to demand he intervene in this mess and stop the pilfering by the administration and Dave F. I ask all to do the same. I want my University back.
“Any American who votes against this one should be forcibly deported back to whatever lousy country their own ancestors came from, and preferably back in time as well”
Well if you feel that way about it, to hell with you.
Yet it’s the staff that is going to be interrogated by the outsourced “Mercer” company to make sure that our kids on our health insurance are REALLY our kids. I hate this place.
One reason uomatters is driven up the wall by the ORI story is that UO matters may have not been aware of some of the key current and past details relating to the conflict. An oversimplified issue with a overhyped opposition is now morphing into political “SWAMP THING” .If it is time to round up the usual suspects to blame for this stalemate let’s round up the doughnut fed media people first. They are the root of Eugene’s Groundhog day here we go again BS problem. To mitigate this conflict the UO admin should seriously consider changing the UO mascot from a Duck to the Creature from the Black Lagoon.