• I am pleased to announce that Biology Professor Patrick Phillips will be the UO’s next provost and senior vice president. From a pool of tremendously strong internal candidates, Patrick emerged as the next provost due to his nearly two decades of distinguished service as one of the UO’s most respected faculty members, a track record of success as an administrative leader, and clear vision for what it will take for this institution to achieve new levels of academic excellence and distinction. Patrick will begin his term July 1.
• Over the last week, I have received in-person and online input from students and other campus stakeholders on the 2019–20 resident undergraduate tuition recommendation from the Tuition and Fee Advisory Board (TFAB). I greatly appreciated hearing from students at the open forum, and I want to thank everyone who invested the time to share their point of view.
• I am the first person to admit that I am not an expert when it comes to social media and the way that information is consumed, created, and shared in our digital-first world. I like to follow friends on Facebook and I fully appreciate that Instagram and Snapchat are among the preferred communications channels of many University of Oregon students, but I am not personally active on social media. In so many ways our society and lives are better for the speed, power, and access that comes from living in the digital age, but there are times when it also comes at a cost. Over the last weekend, we experienced one such moment at the UO, when the rapid circulation of misinformation on social media unnecessarily created a problem—or the perception of a problem—on our campus.
• The University of Oregon’s updated Climate Action Plan (CAP) continues to work toward carbon neutrality. This work began in 2010 when we first created a plan to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The updated CAP includes immediate actions that the UO will take to reduce emissions, and it commits to vital studies needed in order to establish long-term, achievable emissions reductions.
• On behalf of the University of Oregon, the Provost Search Committee and President Michael H. Schill invite applications for the position of Provost and Senior Vice President (provost). This position reports directly to President Schill. As the chief academic officer, the provost will be expected to work in concert with the president to strengthen the UO’s academic reputation as a leading institution of higher education and research. In a message to campus on April 25, President Schill announced the process for recruiting and selecting a new provost to replace Jayanth Banavar, who has announced his intention to step down on July 1 and join the faculty as a professor of physics.
• I was deeply saddened to wake today to learn about an act of violence early this morning adjacent to campus. According to the Eugene Police Department, a man was shot and killed around 1:45 a.m. in a parking lot behind Taylor’s Bar and Grill.
• May 1, 2019
Dear University of Oregon community members:
I would like all of us at the University of Oregon to take a moment to extend our thoughts and prayers to the University of North Carolina community following a shooting on their campus in Charlotte yesterday. I extend deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, and we wish those who were wounded a speedy and full recovery.
• April 25, 2019
Dear University of Oregon campus community,
In the weeks since Provost Jayanth Banavar announced his intention to step down on July 1, I have personally consulted with dozens of faculty members and administrators on how to proceed in the coming months. In addition, I have engaged in dialogue with groups such as the Faculty Advisory Council, Senate Executive Committee, Deans Council, and Academic Council. I am grateful for all of the advice I received.
• Dear Colleagues, Universities today face headwinds from a multitude of sources. In the political sphere, one party castigates us for being ideologically unbalanced and intolerant of free speech and the other for being unaffordable and elitist. Trust in universities is battered by a deluge of criticism and well-publicized scandals involving sexual violence, administrative misfeasance, and admissions improprieties.
• April 3, 2019
Dear University of Oregon community:
I am writing to let you know that Jayanth Banavar will complete his service as provost and senior vice president as of July 1. In stepping back from his academic leadership position, Jayanth, a renowned physicist, will assume his appointment as a professor in the UO’s Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. I am delighted that he will continue to be part of the UO community.
