Former educator at ease
with administrative role
By Michael Kuiaga
Of the Emerald
What is a former director of
Harvard's Center for Moral
Education, author of six books
on education, and Olympic
rowing coach doing coor
dinating academic-research ac
tivities at the University of
Oregon?
At first glance, Dick Hersh,
University vice president for
research, seems out of place
directing a university’s research
efforts. His education is in the
liberal arts.
With a bachelor's degree in
political science and history
and a master's degree in social
science and education from
Syracuse University, and a doc
torate in curriculum and in
struction from Boston Universi
ty, he seems a long way from
home both geographically and
academically.
But as Hersh explains, his ex
perience as an educator and a
department administrator has
prepared him well for Universi
ty administration.
Hersh's aiea of expertise is
education. Specifically “it is
concerned with how people
learn a sense of marality,” he
says. “The research I’ve done in
that area and the writing I’ve
done on that is really an attempt
to explain how schools impact
moral development.’’
In his more recent work he
has explored why some schools
are more effective than others in
teaching students. “So all the
way through, my whole
scholarship has been the con
cern for improving schools and
improving teaching and learn
ing.” he says.
His transition from educator
to administrator was not as
abrupt as it may apppear. From
1968 until 1974 Hersh served
first as a professor in, and later
as chairman of, secondary
education at the University of
Toledo. “That is where I really
grew up in terms of going from
an assistant to a full professor,
going from a faculty member to
an administrator," he says.
In 1974, after spending a sab
batical doing research at Har
vard University, he was hired to
direct the Center for Moral
Education.
Hersh spent 1975 shuttling
between Cambridge and Toron
to, where he directed the
University of Toronto’s Moral
Education Project, “directing
two staffs, having two apart
ments, having two programs,
and teaching in both places."
He moved to Eugene in 1976
where he assumed the position
of associate dean of teacher
Dick Hersh
education at the University.
And in 1980 he was appointed
dean of the Graduate School
and associate provost for
research. The latter title was
upgraded to vice president and
made a separate position in
February.
Hersh, 42, says his present
job is different only in degree
from the other positions he has
held over the last 15 years. “As
an associate dean for teacher
education I was concerned
with: How do you develop a
better program? How do you
develop excellence? How do
you help faculty to do things
they ought to be doing? How do
you make sure students are be
ing offered a much more
rigorous and engaging pro
gram?
“All those questions are ques
tions that can get answered at
the micro level or the macro
level. The difference is one of
degree not kind,” he says.
As vice president for
research, Hersh is responsible
for overseeing faculty and
graduate student research pro
posals, grants and contracts. He
also encourages faculty to pur
sue new areas of research at the
University and acts as a liaison
between the University and
government, industry and pro
fessional organizations.
In the last year, he has con
centrated on such projects as
the Advanced Science and
Technology Institute, a
cooperative effort with Oregon
State University and industry to
promote research and economic
development in Eugene and
Corvallis; the riverside park
proposal that would turn vacant
land along the Willamette River
into a high-tech industrial park;
and increased funding for, and
participation in, the
humanities.
These projects are consistent
with his belief that a university
should blend the arts and
humanities with the sciences
and professions to promote the
opportunity for a well-rounded
education. They also underlie
his belief that a University must
Continued on Page 23
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