9/7/2011: I don’t get it. First the two Diane Dietz stories, now this editorial. They repeat Di Saunder’s misinformation, put Bean’s quote in the worst possible context, and say nothing about the raises the OUS administrators took for themselves while they were forcing furloughs on the UO staff. Nothing on Lariviere’s courageous moves to use overtime to undo the furloughs for low paid staff.
It’s like the RG is trying to help Pernsteiner fire Lariviere. What a disaster for UO and the state that would be. There are plenty of tough questions to ask about Lariviere’s management of UO. Why did it take him 2 years to start cleaning the administration of Frohnmayer holdovers like Martinez, Linton, and Dyke? Why is he putting so much money into new administrative hires, and so little into new faculty? Why is the athletic department still sucking $5 million a year from academics, while he lets them pretend they are self-supporting? Why do we still not have a reasonable public records process? Attacking Lariviere over these raises is a cheap shot – while ignoring the important questions. I don’t get it.
unfortunately the overtime “making us whole” didn’t reach all Classified Staff. Managers refused to offer overtime, and had extra funds in their payroll budgets to give themselves raises. The Pres tried, but his administrators didn’t listen.
I don’t know about the R-G, but the second paragraph is about half the reasons I’d like to see Lariviere go.
I know you like the New Partnership, but I see it as his (personal) empire building. The end result would be notional oversight by a board controlled by the UO president. And if the money should run out, UO would go back, hat in hand, to the legislature for more.
Then there are the numerous administrative failings by Lariviere documented here. Those aren’t mistakes or holdovers, that’s Lariviere doing what he’d like to do without looking like his hands are dirty. The UO police are another example. Clearly it’s about (perceived) prestige and having the same status (and policing powers) as other universities.
My druthers would be for both Pernsteiner and Lariviere to be fired for cause.
Eugene has always had a suspicion and dislike of outsiders, especially people who don’t go along with the “old ways.” It’s not just about UO. Look at how Eugene stopped several high tech companies, including HP, from locating here, when they very much wanted to. Look at how Eugene chased out PeaceHealth.
Lariviere is an outsider, he clearly wants to shake things up, wants to make UO more of a competitive place, more independent. Every bit of that goes against the grain here.
The last guy we had like that was Paul Olum, who (also?) got canned. (Myles Brand was an outsider, but he was very careful not to offend the powers that be, and even so, word was that the Legislature thought he was too uppity.)
The only one who has been able to get away with things has been Phil Knight, with the Ducks. But he has been willing to pay for it himself. And he’s hardly an outsider. And of course, athletics is different.
I don’t think that Lariviere has a scintilla of political savvy in his body and the folks around him aren’t very bright. A bad combination.
I disagree, I think Lariviere has a lot of political savvy. It’s hard to please everyone when you have big ideas, but that doesn’t mean it’s a lack of sophistication. I still think his leadership is a very good thing for the University. However, I do agree that he doesn’t have the best team surrounding him. He has held on to people for too long, and the hiring processes to find replacements for everything from development directors to ORSA staff has taken way, way too long.
My humble opinion is that the UO is in something of a human resources crisis on the administrative level, and it reflects very poorly especially in situations like this (with the raises and so on.)
Truly- the emperor has no clothes.
I agree with the above post.
It won’t surprise me to see the R-G start calling for Lariviere’s resignation or at least join the hue and cry for OUS to fire him when the one-year contract runs out. Can’t you hear it? He’s not a “team player” and won’t “play ball” with the powers that be. I agree with UO Matters … fire Lariviere and then we are screwed.
Not all managers refused overtime. I know I allowed it as others that I work with.
The RG’s stupid line, “the UO is a state university”, doesn’t hold water. In what sense does providing us with 6% of our funding make us a state university?
No wonder their readership is declining…Good riddance.