President Karl Scholz and Provost Christopher P. Long both spoke about the University of Oregon’s work to address a structural budget deficit at the board of trustees meeting over two days Sept. 28-29.
Scholz said during his report to the board Sept. 28 he is thinking about two truths he and many others at the university are contending with and need to hold at once. The first being the budget challenges the UO faces in cutting $65 million. The second being the bright future of the university.
“My North Star when I took this job was to leave the university stronger when I left than when I arrived,” Scholz said. “I think about that aspiration every day. We are building the foundations for a stronger UO 10 and 20 years from now. That is a truth. And we have difficult decisions to make now that are, in some respects, among the hardest that any university has to make. We will make these necessary decisions.”
Long also acknowledged in his report to the board the difficulty of the process and the work that has been done over the summer and the upcoming work this fall.
“The extended period of not-yet-knowing we are currently navigating is rife with uncertainty and ambiguity for our campus community,” Long said. “But we need to remain focused on the process of our decision-making, which requires patient reflection, the careful weighing of options and a willingness to live with possibilities that we might not ultimately choose.”
The university’s finances were a main point of conversation during the two-day meeting in Eugene. After an audit report during the Executive, Audit and Governance Committee meeting Sept. 28, the Finance and Facilities Committee heard quarterly reports on the university’s finances, a housing update and what factors are driving up construction costs for university projects.
During the full meeting that afternoon, Scholz, Long, University Senate President Edward Davis and ASUO President Quadrian Gill gave their reports.
This was followed by faculty spotlights on Laura Wellman, Tykeson Associate Professor of Accounting, and Josh Roering, professor of earth sciences. The day ended with an enrollment management update by Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Derek Kindle.
The second day began with comments from representatives of campus labor groups and public comment from members of the campus community.
Board Chair Steve Holwerda gave his brief report and then updated the public on Scholz’s annual review.
The board then held a conversation about potentially delaying the budget decisions on the $65 million in cuts beyond the agreed upon December deadline, though in the end it chose to stay with the original timeline, which can be found at president.uoregon.edu/budget.
The board meeting ended with a report from the Academic and Student Affairs Committee on updates to Oregon Rising goals to improve timely graduation and career preparation.
There were also two executive sessions to discuss the president’s annual review and collective bargaining.
The agenda, materials and recordings of the meeting are available on the board website.
—Ben Schorzman, University Communications