11/29/2011: At 5:05, after sitting for two hours pretending to listen to us, and right before the board members were to vote, Board member Paul Kelly announced he had a sudden need to go to the men’s room. The entire board filed out with him, coming back 10 minutes later. Any guesses as to what went on back there? Here’s his email address, if you want to ask: [email protected]
Here’s the link to the entire OUS meeting. I haven’t looked too see if it includes bathroom video: http://media.uoregon.edu/channel/2011/11/29/ous-board-meeting-11282011-with-uo-senate-testimony/
That was an obvious “closing ranks” moment. If you want a suggestion for a video clip to go with this post, how about forest gump telling the president he needs to pee?
Maybe the donors can form their own University, and bring all the experienced faculty over? Wouldn’t that be Awesome?!?
…OR…How ’bout ‘LARIVIERE FOR GOVERNOR’!!
“VOTE FOR THE HAT!” :)
But, Yes-That could FIX EVERYTHING in one fell swoop! (or would that be a ‘Swoosh’?!) :D
This is BS. The state is trying to hold back UofO football. They are all haters we want more money for football and other sports and less public scrutiny. They are probably a bunch of Beiber fans. Nobody is stopping the hat and the visor combo. With PK and buying off the staff at UofO we should be able to fulfill the football vision and avoid silly public records requests like that dumb Willie Lyles railroad job.
We need to stop smoking crack.
If there was a nuclear option- it would have come by now. It would have been last week in the form of an announced refusal to give the nuclear gift.
We are great at raising funds- but we have yet to ever raise even a tenth of the fair market value for our campus buildings, brand, research, and faculty.
I’ve heard the value of what Oregon taxpayers ave invested closer to 8-10 billion.
And you think we just get to walk away with that asset as a consolation prize for our leader giving us raises, being popular as a result, being insubordinate and ten getting fired?
You’ve ‘heard’??? Sounds like political talk to me…Back your facts up with documentation…
We got raises? Mine was 0.6%–less than what COLA should have been. In effect, all I got was a slightly longer snorkel, and it will be almost wiped out by our new co-pay requirements.
In a world of bad options, this is especially awful. As a younger faculty member I have been curious how effective bottom-up voices would be in forcing compromise. That answer is now quite clear: not only is it ineffective, it induces spite and disdain from our “betters.”
Lariviere at least listened sometimes–I had three separate conversations with him directly, and they were actually useful and informative, not just worthless patter. I had a LOT of problems with the priorities of the UO under his watch, but I suspect what comes next will be far less responsive or open to discussion.
I’m starting to think that a robust faculty union, working in concert with other campus unions, is going to be the only way to assure an effective voice in University governance and a counter to the caprice of the Board. Shame on Kitzhaber for backing them up using ridiculous corporate-speak, too–that’s what’s ruining the OUS. He’s just burned most of the goodwill he earned with me for suspending the death penalty.
You see a conspiracy behind every corner. The meeting went on for hours. The board members did not want to get up and take a bathroom break while the meeting was going on. A “call of nature” break is a normal thing to have in a long meeting. I think Mr. Kelly just had to go. Give it a rest.
“….Board member Paul Kelly announced he had a sudden need to go to the men’s room.” Where else would they have gone to dredge up that turd of a decision?
Yes, Kitzhaber ‘Talks the Talk’ but clearly does not ‘WALK THE WALK’.
He undermines OREGON VOTERS on the Death Penalty, (which was voted upon twice and passed both times) while at the same time he stating that President Lariviere was ‘insubordinate’…
Last time I checked “WE, The People of Oregon were YOUR Boss, Mr. Governor-And I feel you have been insubordinate to what the votes approved…(Like I said, Twice!)…POLITICS AS USUAL…BE SURE TO VOTE PEOPLE!!
LARIVIERE FOR GOVERNOR!
I just read this comment on register guard that captures how I felt about the strange board meeting so allow me to share with readers here:
The Weirdness of the Board Meeting
11/29/2011 06:27PM
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I watched the entire meeting. The weirdness of it can hardly be described. It reminded me of a transcript I once read of one of the Moscow show trials from the 1930s. You know, the Stalin era.
We knew that the Board had already polled itself and that it had made a decision and that it had conveyed that decision to Lariviere. We knew that it had done so in secret (probably in violation of the law), without communicating with anyone at the UO, no consultation, nothing. Folks from the UO were nonetheless offered a chance to make brief statements at the meeting. For what purpose?
Well, explained the Chair, Matt Donegan, the Board has not made any decision yet. What? That’s strange. So, the supporters of Lariviere are allowed to speak for 3 minutes each. Then the Board members speak. They all have canned speeches to make about their decisions, and they are written up. A few remain completely silent and just stare.
However, one Board member slips and mentions the fact that they had already voted and made their decision. Whoops! The entire thing is a charade, a travesty. What’s really weird is that everyone already knew that but agreed to pretend that it wasn’t true when Matt Donegan denied it. They all gave their speeches as if they might change the Board’s mind.
What else could they do? What else makes sense when you are dealing with a Board that makes decisions in secret, then denies that it does, then admits that it does?
Comrades! Do the bidding of the General Secretary and carry out this charade, we will all go along (what choice do we have?) but at least get your story together!
The weirdness of denying reality outright, of blatant dishonesty so deep that it baffles all the participants so completely that they hardly know what is happening–that is what reminded me of the Moscow trials.
The Board and the Governor are on a very bad trip here.
Eh, I doubt much went on, but I can tell you one thing: nobody wanted to risk an(other) unscripted moment in that meeting room.