University of Oregon journalism professor and Faculty Athletics Representative Tim Gleason will retire in December of this year after 33 years at the university.
Gleason was the dean of the School of Journalism and Communication from 1997 to 2013 before serving as special assistant to the provost. In fall 2014, he switched gears entirely and became the Faculty Athletics Representative, responsible for checking student-athletes’ eligibility for competition, providing academic oversight during athletics discussions and representing the university at the NCAA and Pac-12 levels.
“It’s been fascinating to kind of get into a whole different world in university after I stepped down as dean,” he said. “It makes it interesting.”
Gleason said the SOJC’s commitment to journalism, communication and the public interest is the only thing that has remained constant at the school since he started in 1987. The biggest changes he saw within the department were the increase in both the number and diversity of students, along with the wide breadth of expertise among faculty.
“When I got here, the faculty was dominated by White males. I think if you look at the faculty now in terms of gender, and race and ethnicity, you find a much more diverse faculty,” he said. “We have this almost eclectic collection of teachers and scholars, so there’s a much more diverse range of disciplines represented within the school.”
Gleason teaches communication law, and he won the SOJC’s Marshall Award for Innovative Teaching in 1990, as well as the Scripps Howard Journalism Administrator of the Year in 2013.
He directs the Ancil Payne Awards for Ethics in Journalism, an SOJC award for journalists and newsrooms who tackled tough ethical dilemmas when writing a story. He also coordinated the SOJC’s Hall of Achievement, 100th anniversary celebration and the publication of the school’s 100-year history book.
“The one thing I want to say is how much this university means to me and how much I valued my years here,” Gleason said. “One of the distinguishing factors of this place is that we don’t always succeed, but this institution really does believe that our graduates are going to make a difference.”
The university has launched an internal search for the next faculty athletics representative, who will most likely be selected by the end of spring term and can shadow Gleason for a bit to ensure a smooth transition. Gleason said he has been doing his job long enough and it’s time to move on.
“People keep asking me if I have plans, and the answer is not really. I don’t have any grand plans,” he said. “There are a lot of things that I like to do that I will do more of. But at this moment, I don’t have any definite plans to, you know, sail around the world or anything.”
