01/13/2016 • Over six months ago, when I first met you, I made a promise that I would not spend my first year sitting on my hands. Instead, I would move forward with a plan to focus on academic excellence. Today, I am more optimistic than I have ever been that we will achieve our vision of achieving eminence.

01/06/2016 • Since I assumed the presidency of the university last July, I have met with countless members of our community. Whether those meetings were with faculty, students, staff, or alumni, there was virtual unanimity with respect to one proposition: our top priority needs to be academic and research excellence. With this message, I invite you to join me in what I hope will be a transformational process of aligning our resources and our efforts to achieve our aspirations as a preeminent public research institution.

12/10/2015 • As the fall term and finals wrap up, I want to wish you all very happy holidays and a safe winter break. My first full academic term as your president leaves me inspired, invigorated, and impressed by the commitment and talent of our community of scholars.

11/23/2015 • Welcome to this Unity Vigil. Welcome students, faculty, staff and friends of the U of O. Welcome people of all faiths, cultures, ethnicities, orientations, genders and perspectives. Welcome all.

11/20/2015 • Welcome, everyone. I am pleased to see so many people joining us today, and I am very thankful to have the opportunity for our campus to have this conversation.

11/18/2015 • We have an opportunity to move forward as a campus that embraces diversity, encourages equity, celebrates our differences, and stands up to racism. It is critically important for us, as a great university, to not turn away from hard conversations but to confront challenging issues thoughtfully and honestly. To encourage this dialogue, I invite you to attend an event, Lessons from Mizzou: A Campus Conversation.

11/12/2015 • Our nation today is engaging in serious soul-searching over issues of racial equity. It is about time. For too long, we have allowed ourselves to live as two nations—a world of class divisions, of racial divisions, reflected in where we live, what we earn, and how we are educated. As a great university we must confront these issues in a thoughtful and honest way.

11/12/2015 • I want to share a message that Vice President Yvette Alex-Assensoh sent to campus about an opportunity for conversation about honoring and valuing diversity at the University of Oregon.

11/10/2015 • Today we are here to celebrate the accomplishments of PathwayOregon. We are here to celebrate—but also to say that is not enough. Too many students are still left on the education sidelines. We must do much more to open our doors to more students from every walk of life, keep those doors open, and create paths to on-time graduation and successful careers.

10/30/2015 • I invite you to join me for my first all-campus presidential address on November 10 at 11:00 a.m. in the EMU Ballroom. I will share plans for improving access, retention, and graduation for our students.