As the University of Oregon explores ways to address a structural budget reduction over the coming months, the UO community will be navigating both the difficulty of the moment and the potential for a stronger and more deliberate future.
“Our work will require difficult conversations and tradeoffs,” President Karl Scholz said at a Board of Trustees meeting earlier this year. “It will also be an opportunity to clarify what matters most, to focus our efforts and position the university for long-term strength.”
Throughout the fall, the university will be undertaking a process to identify $65 million in reductions to avoid an ongoing annual budget deficit in the coming years.
The decisions will be guided both by a set of principles and by a renewed vision for the academic enterprise — developed in collaboration with academic leadership — that expands on the direction of Oregon Rising, the university’s strategic plan. All parts of the university — including administrative areas and academic units — are being engaged in this work.
In addition, the president has charged a group to investigate potential savings in enterprise-wide business processes.
A public website has been created to help the UO community better understand this process. The budget website includes a timeline, messages and frequently asked questions on topics including the factors driving the need for reductions and funding scenarios.
You can also play a role: anyone can email budgetideas@uoregon.edu with a cost-saving suggestion.