This is an exciting time to be at the University of Oregon. It is a time of tremendous accomplishment, as our faculty, students, and alumni, through their research and scholarship, contribute ideas and innovations that impact our economy and quality of life in a substantive way. It is a time of change, of the integration of new technologies, the opening of new facilities, and soon, the graduation of a new class of UO alumni who will go out and make their mark on the world. And it is a time of some ambiguity, as we monitor the progress of key higher education initiatives before the state legislature, come to terms with the challenges presented by the withdrawal of state support, and live with the uncertainty of the sequester and what federal policies will mean for higher education.
We as an institution are engaged in an evolution in the true sense of the word—a gradual, ongoing process of change and adaptation to conditions that will render us ever more agile, stabile, and strategically prepared to carry out our public mission. What has not—and will not—change is that mission itself. The talent, creativity, and passion with which the university’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni approach their work, their research, and their teaching is tremendous. These are the qualities upon which the UO has been built, and I am proud to have the opportunity to represent this great university.
Michael R. Gottfredson, President
Below are a few recent examples of the many accomplishments—as well as a few challenges—that contribute to the character and success of the University of Oregon:
Our Newest Graduates
First and foremost, let’s congratulate the 714 University of Oregon students—now University of Oregon alumni—who completed 740 degrees winter term. What they have accomplished, and what they will do with the knowledge they have developed, is the foundation and purpose of all of our work. I look forward to congratulating them and their families in person, along with their fellow graduates at spring commencement on June 17.
Tuition Equity for Oregonians
In February, UO student Edith Gomez and I, along with others, had the opportunity to testify before the state legislature in favor of a widely supported tuition equity bill to grant in-state tuition eligibility to undocumented students who meet residency and academic requirements. I’m delighted to report that on April 2, Governor Kitzhaber, with Gomez present as an invited speaker, signed the bill that provides access to quality higher education to more students with the talent and drive to pursue it.
Legislative Updates
During UO Day at the Capitol on April 11, I had the opportunity to speak beforethe Senate Committee on Education and Workforce Development in support of the institutional governance bill (Senate Bill 270), testifying that an institutional governing board will help the UO keep top students in Oregon, retain valued faculty, and appeal more effectively to donors. The bill is designed to enable the university to operate more flexibly to create opportunities for Oregon students; to generate greater financial resources to support education, research, and public service; and to maintain the essential public nature of the university. I believe it will do that, and it is a landmark piece of legislation designed to enhance the public interest. The entire process has been remarkably collaborative, and I believe the legislature has done a tremendous job of combining the elements necessary to establish a true governing board for the university while respecting and responding to the important concerns that have been raised. I’m heartened by the thoughtfulness and commitment to the ideals of public higher education that have marked the discussion. On April 18, the Senate Education and Workforce Development amended and approved SB 270, the institutional boards bill, unanimously voting to send the bill forward for consideration by the Joint Ways and Means committee.
In March, I represented the UO, PSU, and OSU before the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education in support of the governor’s budget proposal as committee members considered budget allocations for the Oregon University System, outlining the importance of Oregon’s large research campuses to the economy of the state and the social and financial mobility of its citizens. Even as we seek changes to university governance, it is imperative that the state maintain its support for undergraduate education through an adequate budget investment.
Research and Collaboration
The proposed Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network (RAIN), a business incubator network that would encourage collaboration between university researchers and private-sector partners, was a key theme in a keynote I presented jointly with Oregon State University president Ed Ray to more than 600 business leaders at the Eugene Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Economic Forecast event in March. Addressing a gap in Oregon’s innovation economy, RAIN could generate more than 100 startup businesses and 18,000 high-paying jobs over a decade, and become the cornerstone of a major regional center for innovation in the South Willamette Valley. The UO already has a strong record of facilitating startup companies that utilize research and innovations developed here on our campus and spinning them out into viable businesses that improve the Oregon economy and quality of life. Last year alone, the UO and OSU collectively brought nearly $400 million in research dollars to the state.
Economic Impact
UO economist Tim Duy has compiled the annual economic impact report for the university, showing an impressive increase in total impact over the previous year for fiscal year 2011–12. Direct spending by the UO, its researchers, students, and visitors accounted for more than $1.2 billion during that period, and the total impact of the spending was $2.6 billion. I encourage you to review the report to get a sense of the real, tangible impact of the university on the state’s economy—with every dollar in state appropriations for the UO ultimately adding $55 to the state economy.
Sequestration Effects
On March 1, Congress allowed sequestration to take effect, requiring federal agencies to make $85 billion in spending cuts over the remaining months of fiscal year 2013. Federal agencies are currently in the process of determining how they will implement these cuts across programs. The Office of Research has established a website to track the impact of the sequester on the university, its students, and its faculty, and we will continue to provide updates as the tangible effects are identified. The federal government is the university’s largest government partner. Unless federal budget stability is achieved, student aid and research activity will be disrupted in ways that greatly dismay me.
Applications Up for 2013–14
Applications to the UO continue to increase across all categories—Oregon residents, nonresidents, and international students alike. The academic quality of these applicants, as measured by high school grade point average and standardized test scores, continues to rise, as does the diversity of applicants in terms of ethnicity and socioeconomic status. We are also pleased to see increases in our applications from international students. At the same time, we remain fully committed to serving Oregon students, and we continue to admit all Oregon residents who meet our admissions standards. Our nonresident students, who pay 3.5 times the tuition that Oregon students do, help to support our in-state students even as state appropriations decrease—while receiving an excellent value for their tuition dollars.
SOJC Opens Allen Hall 3.0
The School of Journalism and Communication celebrated the opening of a transformed Allen Hall, home to our School of Journalism and Communication. The $15 million construction project added 18,000 square feet of instructional space designed to support more than 2,000 students now and into the future as they master the rapidly changing landscape of their field. SOJC dean Tim Gleason—recently honored with the 2013 Charles E. Scripps Award as journalism and mass communication administrator of the year—provided outstanding leadership that was instrumental to the success of this project.
Jessica Green Named Guggenheim Fellow
UO biologist Jessica Green has become the university’s most recent Guggenheim Fellow. She was one of 175 U.S. and Canadian scholars, artists and scientists named as 2013 Guggenheim Fellows. Under the fellowship, Green will work at the Ecole Polytechnique in France on two closely related efforts: the development of microbial community assembly theory for urban environments and the production of a graphic novel, Cities Unseen, about microbes in the built environment. She will collaborate with Hélène Morlon, who was the first postdoctoral researcher in Green’s UO lab and now is a scientist for France’s National Center for Scientific Research.
High Rankings for Graduate Programs, Service
The latest rankings of America’s best graduate schools from U.S. News & World Report include several UO programs in top-ten spots. Both the College of Education graduate program and Special Education program ranked second among public institutions, and among universities overall they placed eighth and third, respectively. The School of Law has three specialty programs ranked in the top ten.
The Peace Corps’ 2013 Top College rankings placed the UO at number eight this year, up two spots from 2012. We currently have 82 undergraduate alumni serving overseas, and our university has produced a total of 1,165 Peace Corps volunteers— a testament to our students’, and the UO’s, long-standing commitment to service.
Student Video Strikes a Chord
Two of our cinema studies students, Samantha Stendal and Aaron Blanton, produced an antirape video in response to the widely publicized rape case involving high school athletes in Steubenville, Ohio. Their video, “A Needed Response,” went viral, creating a phenomenon that led to an interview on CNN.
Faculty Members Collaborate with Eugene Opera
For the second year in a row, UO faculty members collaborated with the Eugene Opera to present a series of events (lectures, panel discussions, and more) centered around an opera production. Both collaborations have involved edgy, modern operas—Nixon in China in 2012, and Dead Man Walking this year.
Sustainable Cities
Service takes another form through the UO's Sustainable Cities Initiative, a program now in its fourth year. Drawing students and faculty members from various departments, the program partners with a municipality and applies the creative and intellectual strengths of the UO participants to help solve real-world problems facing cities such as Gresham, Salem, Springfield, and now Medford.
Olympic Track Trials to Return to Hayward Field
The Olympic Track and Field Trials will be held at historic Hayward Field in 2016, the third straight trials to be held in TrackTown USA. The trials were first brought to Eugene in 1972 by legendary Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman and have been hosted here five times: 1972, 1976, 1980, 2008, and 2012, when the economic impact to the area was estimated at $37 million. Ten former Ducks competed in the London Olympic Games, with two—Ashton Eaton ’10 and Galen Rupp ’09—bringing home medals.
Go Ducks!
While we are seeing tremendous benefits from collaboration with our institutional peers in advocacy, research, and economic impact, we remain tough competitors on the court, track, and field. This year, our women’s teams have been national champions in cross country and indoor track and field, number two in the nation in volleyball, and on May 5, our UO softball team swept Oregon State to win its first Pac-12 title. Our men’s teams have taken home the Fiesta Bowl trophy, placed sixth in indoor track and field, and made the sweet 16 in basketball—it’s a great year to be a Duck.