Eugene weekly., December 01, 2011, Page 8, Image 8

UO PRESIDENT
LARIVIERE
TERMINATED
VISION TO
PRIVATIZE THE UO
Supporters of UO President Richard Lariviere vowed
to continue to pursue his vision for the university after his
firing this week. But what exactly was that “vision” for the
state’s “flagship” public university?
Last year, Lariviere pushed two bills in the state
Legislature that would have largely placed control of the
public university into private hands.
Senate Joint Resolution 20 would have referred to a
public vote an amendment to the state Constitution’s limits
on deficit spending and debt to allow borrowing of up to
$1 billion to fund a UO endowment.
The $1 billion would be repaid by state taxpayers with
interest, which could double the total amount paid by
citizens. The bill would also allow the state’s six other
universities to also borrow up to $1 billion each for a total
of up to $7 billion owed by taxpayers. “The State of
Oregon shall pledge its full faith and credit and taxing
power to pay the indebtedness,” SJR 20 states.
The bill requires matching funds from contributions
and “other sources” (which apparently could include
tuition) to get the taxpayer money.
The bill would allow the UO to put the public money
into a fund and “have the endowment fund managed by
agreement with a nonprofit foundation affiliated with the
public university.”
The UO Foundation is a private, tax-free corporation
not subject to state open meetings or public records law
and not under the control of the people of Oregon or their
elected representatives. State law (OAR 580-046-0025)
specifies that university foundations “shall not be subject
to control by the institution or an institution employee.”
Another bill pushed by Lariviere and the UO
Foundation, SB 559, would have established the UO as an
“independent public university, governed by University of
Oregon Board of Directors.”
Under the constitutional amendment (SJR 20) and state
law, the board would not have any control over most of the
university’s money, which would be controlled by the
private foundation corporation. SB 559 specifies that
moneys held by the UO Foundation “may not be considered
public or state funds for any purpose.”
The bill requires the new UO board to meet only four
times a year and allows “meeting electronically,” similar
to the rules for the Oregon University System board.
SB 559 specifies that the UO board would include 14
voting members, only seven of whom would be directly
appointed by an elected official, the governor. Five other
members would be appointed by the UO board, one by the
OUS state board and one by the private UO foundation
corporation. — Alan Pittman
The turmoil started when the news broke last week
that Oregon’s state Board of Higher Education
planned to terminate UO President Richard Lariviere.
On Nov. 28, the Oregon University System (OUS)
board voted unanimously to end Lariviere’s contract
as of Dec. 28. The news made national headlines this
week.
While the UO is known for its fervent support for
its sports teams, it hasn’t always been known for
getting riled up about its administration. But within
hours of the Nov. 23 announcement of the planned
termination, an emotional outpouring from the
campus community ensued. It included a Facebook
page with more than 2,000 “likes,” a petition signed
by more than 6,000 supporters, a blog, an “I stand
with the hat” graphic, faculty resolutions and
nd the
presentation of the game ball to Lariviere after
er the
Civil War football game Nov. 26.
While the decision to end Lariviere’s contract
ontract
came as a surprise to the campus community,
munity,
according to public comments at the Nov. 28 OUS
meeting, the board of directors says the decision
on was
a long time in coming. According to statements by the
board and Gov. John Kitzhaber, the conflict between
tween
the board and Lariviere during his two-and-a-half-
a-half-
year term as president stemmed from issues such
uch as
his decision to raise salaries for about for 1,300
administrators and professors at the cost of several
everal
million dollars during a time of state funding woes.
Kitzhaber issued a statement on the termination
tion in
which he said, Lariviere “disregarded my specific
pecific
direction on holding tight and delaying discussion
ussion
about retention and equity-pay increases until
til the
next biennium.”
Also at issue was Lariviere’s “New Partnership”
rship”
proposal, which would have the state back $800
million worth of bonds for the UO, separately
y from
Oregon’s six other public universities. The plan
ambitiously called for the UO to raise an additional
tional
$800 million in funds through private donations
ns to
match the borrowing and raise a $1.6 billion
lion
endowment for the school.
The board said the situation with Lariviere
re
had been deteriorating for more than a year and
d
also cited concerns that the president did not t
appear at board meetings. The New Partnership
p
and Lariviere’s pursuit of it through the e
Legislature didn’t benefit the university system
m
as a whole, board members said.
Lariviere said in his statement to the OUS
board, “The changes at the UO we are
advocating are not for the UO, they are for the
people of Oregon.”
At the tense and at times emotional two-hour
public hearing, University Senate President Robert
Kyr criticized the board for not consulting with the
UO campus and its faculty in making the decision to
fire Lariviere.
Board president Matt Donegan said Lariviere had
been warned he needed to improve his working
relationship with the OUS board. In June, the board took
the step of giving Lariviere only a one-year contract for
his position as president — he is still a tenured faculty
member at the UO, even after being terminated as
president. “It became clear to me that trust between Dr.
Lariviere and this board was not being rebuilt, but
actually eroded further,” Donegan said.
The situation with Lariviere had been “a a long
dysfunctional ride, he said, and he added “this is
heart-breaking right here.”
— Camilla Mortensen
PHOTO BY TODD COOPER
FLASHMOBS OCCUPY
BIG SHOPPING DAY
Derek Lewis in a
police mug shot
8 DECEMBER 1, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
Occupy Eugene protesters were busy little elves,
umm Occupiers, over Thanksgiving weekend. The
group sent carolers and a flashmob out to Valley River
Center and Walmart to greet Black Friday shoppers
with songs with lyrics such as “On the fifth day of
Christmas my true love gave to me — rampant
corporate greed,” and chants of “Ain’t no power like
the power of the people, ’cause the power of the
people don’t stop.”
The Occupiers left the mall when asked and
headed over to the Springfield and Eugene Walmart stores
where police arrested one protester, Derek James Lewis.
According to a media release from Occupy Eugene,
approved by the OE general assembly, the protesters were
getting ready to leave the West 11th Walmart when Lewis
was arrested. Katie Dee, an Occupy Eugene protester, says
that it was not clear the protesters were being asked to
leave, “but we were in the process of dispersing when one
of us was arrested.” According to Dee, OE believes Lewis
was singled out because he was holding a megaphone.
Later in the day on Black Friday, OE hosted “Buy
Nothing Day” events and a coat exchange with the Lane
branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (aka the
CONTINUED P. 9
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