Congratulations to the Class to 2014
The University of Oregon celebrated commencement with the 2014 graduating class on campus on June 16. Joining thousands of our graduates for the Duck Walk and then congratulating them at Matthew Knight Arena is a wonderful reminder of what I love about this university. It is also a terrific opportunity to reflect on the successes and opportunities of the last academic year.
This year we engaged in one of the most important transformations of the university since its inception. The passage of Senate Bill 270 created an independent Board of Trustees for the UO. These dedicated and knowledgeable trustees have authorities and new tools to elevate teaching and research endeavors and further the UO’s mission as a premier, public, residential, research university. The board is now prepared to assume governance on July 1. I thank all who worked to make this aspiration a reality.
This historic moment comes as the UO operates in a changing, evermore competitive environment. We are positioned to serve our state; support our talented, passionate faculty; and prepare our smart, savvy, and eager students for the new global economy. We remain committed to our fundamental mission and to our aspirations—to be among the very best public residential research universities in the world.
As we congratulate the newest UO alumni, I thank you for creating the legacy upon which our university is built. I remain humbled, impressed, and honored to represent the University of Oregon.
Here are a few examples of the many accomplishments—as well as a few challenges—that contribute to the character and success of the University of Oregon.
Student Diversity, Access, and Achievement
The university enrolled its highest achieving and most diverse freshman class in our history this year. We made great strides in our aspirations to provide affordable access and support to the best and brightest Oregonians, thanks in part to the success of PathwayOregon, the addition of the Evans Scholarship House, and other programs. Our students continued to earn distinguished scholarships, including the first Truman Scholar in 22 years, three Fulbright recipients, a record number of Gilman Scholars, and many more.
Faculty Teaching and Research
Our faculty again produced outstanding levels of research, innovation, and discovery—with sponsored activity totaling $120 million in 2013. Presidential Chair and professor of chemistry Geri Richmond was elected president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and both biological anthropologist J. Josh Snodgrass and biochemist Tom H. Stevens were named follows. Helen Neville as was also elected to National Academy of Sciences—among the most prestigious honors in the academy. The UO also reached the first faculty collective bargaining agreement in the AAU in decades and made progress on continuing to retain and attract the best faculty in the world.
Academic and Strategic Planning
This year we welcomed Scott Coltrane as Senior Vice President and Provost. He helped lead a benchmarking exercise that provided us with a useful comparison to our AAU peers; a series of academic planning sessions; and a “Clusters of Excellence” faculty hiring initiative that identified 10 proposals designed to build on our academic successes with targeted faculty hires. The first round of strategic hiring will be funded by $1.5 million in savings achieved from the reorganization of Advancement. Faculty hiring and student access will be the major benefactors as our strategic capital campaign enters its public phase this fall.
Leadership
In additional to Provost Coltrane, Randy Kamphaus joined the UO as College of Education dean and Adriene Lim as Dean of University Libraries. Brad Shelton will serve as Interim vice president for research as we search for a replacement for Kimberly Espy, who is now at the University of Arizona. I also created an ombuds program to support the campus community, and hired the university’s first tribal liaison to foster relationships with Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes.
Equity and Inclusion
I am very excited about our equity and inclusion priorities, such as growing a more diverse student body and faculty, which we continue to support and advance. The formation of the President’s Diversity Advisory Community Council (PDACC), composed of 23 professionals from around the State of Oregon, will help guide senior university leadership on advancing our diversity agenda. The Showcase Oregon conference on equity, inclusion, diversity best practices was a great success and will become an annual event.
Sexual Violence and Intimidation Prevention and Response
Like colleges and universities across the country, the UO is confronting the critical issue of sexual assault and harassment on our campus. A particularly high-profile incident this spring brought this important topic to the fore in our community, and we are working together to address this complex and critical issue from a variety of perspectives. We have updated our student code of conduct. I have authorized two additional staff positions, aligned with the recommendations of the White House Task Force report and of our VP for Student Affairs, to augment our support for survivors. We have also enlisted the help of a panel of experts to conduct a thorough review of our sexual misconduct prevention and response practices. We must move forward together to make our campus safer.
Campus Transformation
Our physical campus continues to transform and improve with the addition of the impressive Hatfield-Dowlin Complex, the Straub Hall renovation, and the Erb Memorial Union and Student Recreation Center expansions in full swing. We also are embarking on new projects to reimagine the science library and build a fitting softball stadium for our stellar softball team. The Museum of Natural and Cultural History added a new exhibit wing inviting us to Explore Oregon!
Go Ducks!
We achieved incredible success in athletics, including Duck football’s third straight bowl win at the Alamo Bowl, the softball team’s world series berth, men’s basketball in the NCAA tournament, men’s tennis making its first trip to the NCAA’s in 10 years, the acrobats and tumbling team’s fourth straight national title, and of course our dominance in track, with the men winning an outdoor title and women coming in third, and both teams clinching the indoor titles. The university will soon welcome the World Juniors Track and Field Championships to Hayward Field.
It has been an incredible academic year for the University of Oregon. Thank you to everyone who made it a success.
Have a wonderful summer,
Michael Gottfredson, President