4/14/2011: Looks like our croissant loving Chancellor, Dr. George Pernsteiner, has come through for independence. Bill Graves in the Oregonian:
A bill that would free Oregon universities from hundreds of state agency regulations and give them more control over their money and operations appears to have all the support it needs to become law.
Legislators, university leaders, students and others all testified in support of Senate Bill 242 this morning during a public hearing in the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education. No one opposed the bill. The full Ways and Means committee likely will approve the bill soon and send it to the floors of the Senate and House for a vote. …
The bill would end the Oregon University System’s status as a state agency and make it a public university system similar to the state’s 17 independent community colleges, with more control over how it raises and spends money.
The seven universities would be able to keep their tuition reserves and the interest they earn on them. The interest now goes into the state general fund where it often is used for other state services. The State Board of Higher Education has decided that if the universities get to keep interest on tuition, they will spend it on need-based financial aid to students.
The universities also could save money, officials say, if they had more flexibility and authority to issue bonds, make contracts and capital purchases, manage staff and benefits, hire legal services and buy health insurance plans other than those offered through the state. …
Meanwhile, the UO Senate pulled its motion of support for Lariviere’s plan for future consideration – in a meeting that was reportedly marked by more testy exchanges over faculty/administrative trust.
The Senate also rejected Ian McNeely’s proposal to add average grades to course transcripts, but did recommend individual departments talk about grading. Verbano story in the ODE here. My department has guidelines for the % of As and Bs and every quarter we all get an email showing each professors student rating scores and their actual grade distribution. Keeps us on our toes.
I think that McNeely should be commended for raising the grading issue. It’s a serious ongoing problem. It’s also a tough to solve, even to discuss.
I hope that the discussion is not over.
In the majors, going one for three gets you into the Hall of Fame.