Yes, it’s true: The University of Oregon has hired a new president. Here are the 10 things you should know about Mike Schill, 56, from his salary as the UO’s top administrator to his favorite place to visit in Portland:
He’ll start on July 1, 2015
Schill was on campus as late as the weekend of April 11-12, as he said during a press conference announcing his hiring. He will officially move into the president’s office at Johnson Hall July 1.
He’ll earn $660,000 per year, including benefits
Schill and the board negotiated a five-year contract, which includes a vehicle stipend and a retention package. Michael Gottfredson’s salary was $544,000. His vehicle stipend amounted to $15,000. When he stepped down as president, Gottfredson received a $949,000 severance package.
Connie Ballmer, chair of the presidential search committee, told The Emerald’s Francesca Fontana that the salary ballpark for the UO’s next leader would be around $600,000.
He’ll also be a tenured professor at the UO law school
In addition to his duties as university president, Schill may also teach classes at the University of Oregon School of Law, much like his last long-term predecessor, David Frohnmayer.
He’s the first president hired by the board of trustees
Prior to last year, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, under the purview of the Oregon University System and the governor, was in charge of hiring the UO’s presidents. The state board’s last two appointments — Gottfredson and Richard Lariviere — both lasted just over two years in the job.
He’s an Ivy Leaguer
Schill earned his A.B. — the equivalent of a bachelor’s — at Princeton at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1980. He earned his Juris Doctor at the Yale Law School in 1984.
He’s also a first-generation college student
Schill told reporters and the public at his presser that neither of his parents pursued higher education, making him the first in his family to graduate from college.
He’s been an administrator for 10 years
Schill’s first job as a college administrator came in 2004 when he was hired as the UCLA School of Law’s dean. He left that job in 2009 to join the University of Chicago law school, where he will continue to be until he starts at Oregon.
Schill wasn’t looking for a job — the job found him
Schill said that he wasn’t actively looking for a new job while he was at Chicago. Instead, he said, a member of the search committee reached out to him to ask if he was interested. That’s when he threw his hat in the ring and, lo and behold, he eventually secured the job as the UO’s 18th president.
He doesn’t have any ties to Oregon, although he’s been to Powell’s City of Books in Portland
During his press conference, Schill told attendees that although he doesn’t have any family or longstanding ties in Oregon, that he’s been here several times for fundraising trips. His favorite destination is Powell’s in Portland.
He’s got a lot to catch up on
During his presser, Schill admitted that he’s not completely caught up on the pending lawsuit against the UO following the alleged sexual assault of a student by three former members of the men’s basketball team. He also wasn’t familiar with the wave of controversy the university has found itself in following general council’s acquisition of the survivor’s counseling records. He said that he’ll familiarize himself with the cases upon entering office.
Follow Eder Campuzano on Twitter @edercampuzano
