The administration knows that the pandemic has put the faculty in a tough spot. So they’re taking advantage of the situation to buy our intellectual property rights on the cheap, before the layoffs start. This is the agreement that faculty must sign before participating in this summer’s online teaching improvement…
Posts published by “uomatters”
The gist is a list of “criteria” that includes no actual criteria, standards, numbers, trends, required first or second derivative signs, or any other metrics.
So it’s gonna be a judgement call, and Provost Phillips is not going to disclose what criteria actually need to be met to reopen in-person teaching at UO:
On or before August 26, the university will make a decision about whether to alter our plans and either more significantly reduce the number of in-person courses or transition to a fully remote model for the fall. This decision will be based on public health guidance and the following criteria:
- Indications of increasing community spread
- County reopening phase level
- Rate of county rapid testing turnaround times, and capacity for UO to provide testing to help sustain county needs
- Capacity of contact tracing and case management at health authority, for example Lane County Public Health (LCPH) in Eugene, including UO contact tracing resources assigned to support LCPH
- Implementation of protocols for enforcement of behavioral interventions, especially face coverings
- Capacity of on-campus self-isolation space for students living in University Housing
- Access to and availability of personal protective equipment needed to remain operational
- Ability to maintain proper levels of cleaning and sanitation
- Status of local K-12 schools and impacts on university personnel
Meanwhile UO’s Public Records Office is still delaying the release of basic testing data:
Full text online here and below the break:
7/14/2020 update: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/07/14/trump-administration-drops-directive-international-students-and-online-courses
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security rescinded a July 6 policy directive that would have required international students to take at least some in-person college coursework in order to remain in the U.S.
The government agreed to rescind the guidance to resolve a lawsuit filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The rescinding of the directive, and an associated FAQ released on July 7, means the government reverts back to a March guidance that allowed international students to remain in the U.S. while taking a fully online course load. …
7/13/2020: GC Kevin Reed hires outside lawyers to sue Homeland Security
The docket and complaint are here, courtesy of the Free Law Project. I’m no law professor but much of this seems to be cribbed from the Harvard and MIT complaint filed last week, here. Presumably Ted Olson – a founding member of the Federalist Society – and his firm are giving us a discount:
Ryan Thorburn has the PAC-12 report in the RG here: Oregon Ducks to receive $32.2 million payout from Pac-12 for 2018-19 fiscal year The Duck’s federally required EADA report shows some details on revenue and spending:
Ken Goe has his entry in the Oregonian: “The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports continues to be our No. 1 priority,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement released by the conference. “Our decisions have and will be guided by science…
Universities do that for coaches all the time. For example, over the past 5 years UO has paid former coaches $13.5M. Universities also do it to get rid of bad presidents – e.g. the $940K we paid Gottfredson to go away. But this time a university bought out a tenured…
It was scheduled for Sep 12 at Autzen. Ryan Thorburn has the news in the RG here. Word is that Duck AD Rob Mullens and Coach Cristobal will personally make up any losses to their players’ pay or bonuses.
[reposted because of reserve and media contract stuff]
3:00 p.m. Finance and Facilities Committee https://trustees.uoregon.edu/sites/trustees2.uoregon.edu/files/meeting_packet_-_ffc_final_12.3.18.pdf
1. Audited Financial Statements: Jamie Moffitt, Vice President for Finance and Administration and CFO; Kelly Wolf, Associate Vice President and Controller; Scott Simpson, Partner, Moss Adams
Here’s one metric where UO is not at the bottom of the AAU – reserves:
2. Quarterly Financial Reports and Annual Treasury Report: Jamie Moffitt, Vice President for Finance and Administration and CFO; Karen Levear, Director, Treasury Operations
All these business people on the board, and the only trustee who found the error in the report is the UO staff trustee, Jimmy Murray, a librarian. Controller Kelly Wolf thanks him.
As usual these reports do not include any information on the athletics budget, or the various tax changes affecting it, or their subsidies, or their debt obligations. This is despite the fact that in the past trustees have specifically asked to see this.
Rumor down at the faculty club is that the PAC-12 board, which is chaired by President Schill as of July 1, will meet this Friday to discuss what to do about football. The Ivy League has already postponed or maybe cancelled it, that news is here. Meanwhile USA Today reports…
That would be Stanford University – thanks to several readers for the forward. Sacrifices must be made. Except by the golfers, I can’t help but notice: Stanford University logo JULY 8, 2020 An Open Letter to the Stanford Community and the Stanford Athletics Family Marc Tessier-Lavigne, President Persis Drell, Provost…
Dear University of Oregon community, The federal government’s recent guidance forcing the immediate exit from the United States of international students enrolled entirely in online or remote classes is cruel, unfair, and misguided. This is a reversal of guidance issued at the onset of the pandemic that had created helpful…
Our favorite law firm is now down to just 15 attorneys, but with the help of a $350K-$1M Payroll Protection Program loan has been able to retain 20 jobs: And, should you need assistance with your own PPP loan or other parts of the CARES act, former UO General…