UO President Michael Schill and Provost Jayanth Banavar approved strategic initiative funding from a set of recommendations from the UO’s Budget Advisory Group, according to reporting by Around the O.
Strategic investments are defined by the University of Oregon as “a central (non-unit-based) priority designed to have a transformational effect on the institution that will benefit multiple units and individuals.”
Here are the seven funding decisions made by the administration:

• The largest investment of $400,000 will reduce the Clark Honors College tuition differential by 35.6 percent or about $1,500, a decision made earlier this month by the Board of Trustees as previously reported by the Emerald.
• Plans for a virtual reality laboratory at the School of Journalism and Communication in Portland will receive $51,000 per year for two years — a total of $102,000 — to support the laboratory as a research space and classroom.
  
• The Accessible Education Center will get an ongoing $70,000 per year to support requests for disability-related testing accommodations.
  
• A new position as a policy implementation and training officer will receive a continuing $117,408 per year to support the position’s work to support compliance and trainings “for a new university policy on student sexual and gender-based harassment and violence complaints and responses,” according to Around the O.
  
• Three professional advising positions in the Division of Undergraduate Studies will be funded $27,000 per year.
  
• The Promising Scholars Award will receive $210,000 per year for five years — a total of $1,050,000 — until the funding sunsets and the program is evaluated to determine its effectiveness.
  
• The Behavioral Evaluation and Threat Assessment Team, as well as forensic psychologist assessments, will be funded a one-time total of $23,865 to support training and operational support.