12/2/2011: Released 3PM Friday. Pdf here. Money graphs:
Letter from Senate Executive Committee to the Statutory Faculty regarding UO Interim Presidential Appointment:
December 2, 2011
Dear Chancellor Pernsteiner and Members of the State Board of Higher Education,
The UO Senate Executive Committee urges you to approach Robert Berdahl to become interim president of the University of Oregon. … As you know, Berdahl is one of the most distinguished leaders in all of U.S. higher education. He is also a former UO faculty member and College of Arts and Sciences dean. …
We do not feel that any internal candidate would be appropriate as an interim president. UO’s upper administration is dangerously understaffed. Many of its members are interim, retiring, newly arrived, or contending with health issues. Every available administrator is needed for other critical management tasks besides the presidency. None has sufficient external stature to keep the university on course while we transition to new permanent leadership. …
My take: The internal candidates are helping Pernsteiner by allowing their names to be in play with the OUS board members. These people are not credible candidates in the eyes of the faculty who have known and worked with them for years – and with whom they will have to continue to work, whether or not they are appointed interim President by Pernsteiner and OUS board. Have some self-respect, deans – withdraw your names. To quote one longtime professor, writing to Pernsteiner:
… you do need to understand the roots of the outrage, and I dare to write that is not based on love of RL as much as on the hope that he could and would clean house.
Our top administrators have been feeding at the Johnson Hall trough for years. Pernsteiner’s got his own source of slop. They understand each other too well.
Quoting from above: “UO’s upper administration is dangerously understaffed.”
Its hard to believe that the upper administration is dangerously understaffed given the tremendous growth, if not outright
bloat, in the upper administration over the last few years. E.g., just look at the growth in the VPFA’s office since Dan Williams retired. The bloat in the upper administration has been a frequent discussion topic here on UOM the past year or so.
I realize the authors of this letter are trying to keep current Johnson Hall occupants from serving as interim president, but it sure causes me heartburn to say that the administration is seriously understaffed… BS. This undermines the credibility of the Senate Executive Committee, IMHO.
Read closely, the “understaffed” comment doesn’t allude to numbers; it alludes to quality of individuals.
vpfa and all stole the campus blind, of course. Still, Berdahl is undeniably the strongest possibility. If he does not receive a full, good faith offer before anyone else, then OUS will be revealed to all as liars and charlatans, which I desperately hope they are not. hang tough. stick together no sniping, please. Berdahl or bust.
I have to second the comment about the understaffing at johnson hall..what a joke…especially how many have been added to the vpfa, dan williams’ recent job…during which for 25 years or so he also oversaw athletics and kept them honest. why is his name not on the list for interim president? it is also obvious that la riviere was seduced by the glamor of athletics…private planes/million dollar salaries etc…He missed an important meeting with his boss, his peers to go to a pac 12 meeting..what was he thinking.? If berdahl was his paid advisor…how is he going to do a better job?
Dan William is part of the bloat. Still pulling down the same base VP salary (yes at a fraction of full time, but hey I’d love that fraction).
No, you are wrong and need to check your facts…
Good interview:http://dailyemerald.com/2011/12/05/video-qa-with-richard-lariviere/
RL hired Bob Berdahl AFTER Bean taking a leave. That is very understandable and a reasonable action to take. Also the media like to highlight BB’s $97K part-time salary, but the fact is that’s a discount for someone of his level of credentials.