President Scholz sent the following message to faculty, staff and students on Monday, September 28, 2026.
To the University of Oregon community,
Welcome to the first day of fall term. Whether you are walking onto campus for the first time or the 30th, I hope you feel what I feel this morning: the particular energy of a university coming back to life.
This year carries extra meaning. In October 1876, the University of Oregon held its first classes in a building that wasn't finished. Students studied on the first floor while carpenters worked on the floors above. A century and a half later, we are still building, in our labs and studios, in our ideas, and in the kind of community we choose to be. Over the coming months we will celebrate our 150th anniversary together.
Some of that building took a big step forward last week. Phil and Penny Knight's gift to establish a college of engineering and scale our innovation work will shape this university for generations. It started with our faculty. A group of them had an idea, made the case for it, and then spent 10 years building it alongside our staff and students. It is another vote of confidence in what great public research universities can do.
To our students, new and returning: you belong here. Last night at Convocation, I asked the Class of 2030 to be curious, find their people and finish what they start. That advice holds for all. Take a class outside your plan. Go to office hours. When things get hard, and at times they will, reach out. We want you to succeed.
To our faculty: your teaching is a gift to the university, and your scholarship continues to bring new insight, new knowledge, and new discoveries to the world. Thank you for the year you are about to begin.
To our staff: you make this place run. Students feel the difference you make every day, from advising offices and residence halls to safety and health care—and everything in between. Thank you.
About the year ahead: like many universities, we are adjusting our budget to meet the realities facing higher education, and that work will be visible in the coming months. We will share a plan in October, and the Board of Trustees will hear our final plan in December. These conversations will be difficult. My hope is that we move through them the way this university has moved through hard seasons before, with honesty, with care for one another, and with our eyes on what we want the University of Oregon to become.
Universities are among the few places where people from every walk of life come together to learn from one another. That only works when we engage thoughtfully, disagree with respect and look out for the people around us, especially when the issues of the day feel heavy.
One hundred fifty years ago, a small group of people believed in a university that didn't fully exist yet. Each of you is part of what it becomes next. I'm glad you are here, and I look forward to a great fall term.
Sincerely,
Karl Scholz
President