UO Matters

Shortly after accusing the union of “cherry-picking” its list of overpaid administrators to come up with the result that top admins are paid 99.4% of comparators while faculty are only paid 84%, one of the union team members used the H word to describe how the faculty felt after the…

His last offer was another round of real pay cuts. How insulting will he be today? Show up or zoom in to find out. Of course he won’t be there himself, he’s got people to do that for him.

Full disclosure: When I was young I also did some dumb things late at night, but I do wonder about the thought process that led them to decide this made sense.  In the Daily Emerald: According to a statement by EPD Public Information officer Melinda McLaughlin, “at 1:55 a.m. on…

Thanks to a reader for the link: In US higher education, faculty members may receive an outside offer of employment from an external organization, and then receive a corresponding counteroffer from their current institution. Counteroffers are written contracts made to individuals — either prematurely in anticipation of an outside offer,…

In economics one good paper a year is a respectable career and the review process can take many years. Apparently the physical sciences are more responsive to market pressures: https://www.wsj.com/science/academic-studies-research-paper-mills-journals-publishing-f5a3d4bc?st=sgc2yq1xhe54ij4&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink Fake studies have flooded the publishers of top scientific journals, leading to thousands of retractions and millions of dollars in…

Dear members of the University of Oregon community, Today marks day 12 of the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.” In that time, I have received many emails and other forms of communication from UO faculty and staff. I apologize that I have not responded to each. Please know they are being read.…

Whatever you think of this decision, kudos to him for taking responsibility for it. Pres Schill would have made some VP take the blame: Dear University of Oregon community, The last nine days have been marked by the expression of strong convictions following the establishment of an unauthorized tent encampment…

Actually, he got VP Kris Winter to do his dirty work with this email to students:

… In short, no student should be encouraged or compelled by UO employees to be exposed to the protest or encampment. This includes visiting the encampment for any academic or instructional purpose including class or office hours. I encourage students to reach out to report concerns through the links in this message, to practice self-care and mutual support, and to make use of the following resources as we navigate this challenging time. …

As it happens, UO has a policy on academic freedom that addresses this, and does so far more liberally (in the classical sense) than what UO is telling its students:

b. TEACHING. The University’s responsibility to help students to think critically and independently requires that members of the university community have the right to investigate and discuss matters, including those that are controversial, inside and outside of class, without fear of institutional restraint. Matters brought up in class should be related to the subject of courses or otherwise be educationally relevant, as determined primarily by the faculty member in charge of the class.

…

The academic freedoms enumerated in this policy shall be exercised without fear of institutional reprisal.

Scholz’s message to students below:

Stephanie Hensley in the ODE: For professors at the University of Oregon, salaries are notably lower than those of their peers at other universities. The average annual salary of a full professor at the UO is $139,800, whereas the American Association of Universities averages $174,300. … Since joining the University…

Did we forget to teach our students about how Nixon got re-elected in 1972? https://www.kezi.com/news/local/pro-palestinian-protest-encampment-at-the-university-of-oregon-nearly-triples-in-size/article_98270c3a-0739-11ef-8289-13901edbc5be.html

Dear University of Oregon community, We are living through an extraordinary moment in which people at universities across the nation—including on our own campus—are expressing their passionate views about the ongoing conflict and devastating loss of human life in the Middle East and particularly in Gaza. The destruction and suffering…

Thanks to a regular reader for the link: Announcing Ian F. McNeely as the College’s next senior associate dean for undergraduate education  

What I learned in bargaining today, on zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81254557403?pwd=Nkh2L1ptaDhpRmlvdWNaaXYxaHcxQT09 In response to this news from Keaton Miller (Econ) your union has lowered its salary demand from “Average, in 3 years” to “99.4% of average, in 3 years”. The new proposal will be posted at https://www.uauoregon.org/bargaining/ Presumably it will be…

Dear University of Oregon community, I am thrilled to announce that Christopher P. Long, dean of the College of Arts & Letters and the Honors College at Michigan State University (MSU) and professor of philosophy and MSU Research Foundation Professor, will join the University of Oregon as provost and senior…