Richard Lariviere, the final candidate in the search to replace retiring University President Dave Frohnmayer, will visit campus today and tomorrow to meet with students and faculty once on both days.
Lariviere is the executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of Kansas and his selection was announced March 2 after eight months of a closed presidential search by a 25-member committee.
While he is on campus, Lariviere will first participate in a community and campus public forum from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the potential new president will answer questions in a campus forum from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., again in the EMU Ballroom.
Many people on campus want Lariviere to talk about funding at those forums.
Admissions counselor Kelly Craig said she’d like to “hear what his opinions are on the financial situation.”
Sophomore Curtis Haley was more specific: He wants to know what Lariviere will do with money for the athletic department and whether he will be more conservative than Frohnmayer in how he spends it.
“How is he going to change or maintain the current faculty relations with the athletic department?” Haley asked.
Haley added that he wants to know how Lariviere expects to raise money for the University, and whether he’ll do it by continuing to raise enrollment or through other routes.
Sophomore Ryan Moore said he is anxious to find out what Lariviere might do with money from the federal stimulus package, if the University receives any. However, Gov. Ted Kulongoski has asked that no stimulus money go toward higher education, but to K-12 education instead.
And senior Liana Hochhalter said she wants to hear about his general priorities for funding the campus.
The purpose of the visit and the forums is for students, staff and faculty to decide whether Lariviere seems like a good fit for the University. On Jan. 9, University Senate President Paul van Donkelaar told the Emerald that if this visit does not go well and the campus strongly dislikes the candidate, he will be removed from the search.
Campus members who have opinions on Lariviere after seeing him at the public forums can let Oregon University System Chancellor George Pernsteiner know what they think by noon Thursday via e-mail at [email protected].
The ultimate decision, however, lies with the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.
Currently, many campus members don’t have a very good idea of who Lariviere is or what he’s like. Craig said she knows he’s from the University of Kansas and is a provost there, but that’s it.
Moore said he knows “practically nothing” about the likely new president.
After Wednesday, it is probable the campus will know much more about the man who may replace Frohnmayer. However, for now “he’s definitely a mystery man to everybody else on campus,” Haley said.
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