Today, UO President Michael Gottfredson and Interim Provost Scott Coltrane shared insight about a recently completed benchmarking report posted on the Senior Vice President and Provost’s website comparing the UO with peer AAU public universities on several metrics.

As the president and interim provost stated, the benchmarking data informs the university leaders about where the UO stands in relation to the top institutions in the country.

“We are sharing this information with our new trustees as they prepare to participate in the governance of the institution, and with you, as we embark on a planning process that depends on the active participation of our campus community,” said Gottfredson and Coltrane in the email.

The data shows that the UO has a high percentage of female tenure-track faculty and the significant number of books published by faculty. In addition, the comparisons regarding faculty–student ratio, the number of graduate students supported, and the resources available to invest in students and research lag behind comparators. The report also shows that peer public institutions are better funded than the UO.

“With our new governing board structure and continuing shared governance we have an extraordinary opportunity to ensure that the UO is competitive with the finest universities in the nation. We are about to embark on a strategic planning process to focus intently on refinancing our organization and elevating the stature of our university,” they said.

“We are continually impressed by the quality and dedication of our faculty and staff; the significance of the research, scholarship, and creative inquiry being produced on our campus; and the intellectual curiosity and engagement of our students. We acknowledge that your accomplishments have occurred in the context of the significant challenges posed by declining state funding and increased enrollment.

“Imagine what we’ll achieve with more faculty, better support for research and graduate students, and enhanced facilities, which are all among our highest strategic priorities.”

The orientation notebook prepared for the UO trustees, includes a variety of information about the UO, on the Board of Trustees website.