An undaunted leader
Olum steers University toward excellence
By Sandy Johnstone
CM the Emerald
As he talks, University Pres. Paul Olum paces around
the room, opening books, toying with pencils, looking out
the window, picking up stacks of papers and rearranging
them, perching on the edge of chairs.
He becomes agitated when he talks about the recent
budget cuts the University has faced. And he gets vehe
ment when he tells of how the quality of the University has
been retained in the light of those cuts.
Why has the University been able to maintain high
quality programs during a time of budget reductions?
Paul Olum is too modest to say that he is responsible.
But others are not.
“He rallies to a challenge," says Vivian Olum, his wife
and a psychology professor.
“Pres. Olum has provided the kind of leadership to
allow the University to survive without losing its spirit,"
*ays uan wimams, vice president
for administration.
"He really exercises leader
ship in the best sense of the word.
A lot of people can be in charge
but few provide leadership. He
won't play it safe. His willingness
to take a risk is the main reason
we've survived. He communicates
a feeling of hope," says Williams.
Olum, 65, is blunt when he
talks of the quality of the Universi
ty, making no attempt to hide the fact that he thinks the
University is far superior to Oregon State University,
Portland State University or any of the other state system
schools.
"He provides uncompromising leadership and ad
vocacy for the University. Olum risked unpopularity by
pushing the University's interests. Past presidents have not
iheen vigorous and zealous enough advocates. They try to
Be polite," says Aaron Novick, chairer of the biology
department. "But the University is funded unfairly."
In his speeches to the public, Olum tells about top
University programs in the sciences, about its membership
in the American Association of Universities, about its top
faculty who are staying although some of them could dou
ble their salaries at other institutions.
But he does worry about the effect the lack of money
will eventually have.
"It's been scary," he admits. "I've worried that we
'He is willing to deal now
with problems when the
typical administrator
is willing to put you off'
— Aaron Novick
could not get through the year without serious cutting, but
we've resisted."
To take off some of the pressure, Olum talks to people
— the vice presidents, his staff, his wife.
"I try to share the burden with others and fight against
things that are unfair," says Olum. "When I'm in the mid
dle of the battle and by-god determined, then I've not given
up and it lessens the anxiety. The worst is when you feel
helpless. I always say we will win or be bloody on the
floor."
Perhaps because she has always been involved in
academic life as a student or faculty member, Vivian Olum
can relate to his problems.
"It helps that he can talk at home — that I understand
the problems of his job," she says. "He handles pressure
well. He talks about his problems at home and doesn't bot
tle them up. He's active, not depressed."
Olum uses a team management concept which is com
mon to universities. He meets every
Thursday morning with the three vice
presidents, but also consults with
them daily about day-to-day
problems.
"If there is an important issue,
two or three heads are better than
one," says Olum.
"Some administrators isolate
themselves and make decisions in
dependently. A lot of his strength is
not that he leans on people, but his
openness to all inputs that are there/' says Vivian Olum.
"He has a lot of respect for people, for the faculty. He has
no false pride about asking people for input. He listens. He
has none of the arrogance sometimes associated with a
high position in administration."
Olum was named president of the University in 1981,
after about six months as acting president after former
University Pres. Bill Boyd resigned.
His career in administration started late. Olum was 56
and had been a mathematics professor at Cornell for 25
years before accepting a position as a dean at University of
Texas at Austin in 1974. He was provost and vice president
for academic affairs at the University for four years before
he won the presidency.
Why the shift in career focus?
"I like administration. I enjoy it. I don't perhaps value it
as highly as the research I did when I was a professor, but I
Continued on Page 26
Photo by Mari Pynm
University Pres. Paul Olum
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