September 12, 2016

Dear Campus Community,

Our students attend the University of Oregon for the excellence of our faculty and the strength of our research opportunities. Academics are at the heart of everything we do, but our students also choose to be Ducks because of the exceptional student experience outside of the classroom. They create memories, learn life lessons, and prepare for careers while making the UO their home—in student housing and dining halls, at the student union and rec center, in clubs and cultural events—receiving care and support along the way.

This exceptional student experience, one of the finest in the country, has been shaped and polished by our vice president for student life, Robin Holmes. Robin recently informed me that she is leaving the UO on October 18 to become the vice president for student life with the University of California System, in the Office of the President based in Oakland. I offer her my deepest congratulations on this well-earned career opportunity. Robin leaves a legacy of student-focused service at the UO. She is an inspiring and visionary leader who will be greatly missed.

Robin joined the UO nearly 25 years ago as a clinical psychologist and has served for the last nine years as vice president for student life. During her tenure at Oregon, Robin has been a tireless champion for students—providing high-quality experiences outside the classroom, while instilling values that helped shape them as respectful, responsible, and engaged citizens of a global community. Thanks to her leadership, the Division of Student Life delivered a vision that truly demonstrates our commitment to student-centered, innovative learning, delivered by an inclusive community of multiculturally-competent professionals. 

Robin has also played a key role in changing the landscape of campus through the construction of approximately $300 million in projects, including the Student Recreation Center (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum-certified), the magnificent Erb Memorial Union, and an eight-year housing plan in support of our residential university mission, with residence halls that support and foster robust academic residential communities.

In the coming weeks, I will work with Robin to determine the best model for interim leadership. I will communicate those plans with campus shortly. In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Robin, thanking her, and wishing her the very best.

Sincerely,

Michael H. Schill
President and Professor of Law