Last week, University President Richard Lariviere hired Robert Berdahl, a previous long-time University professor and former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, to work on a team of special assistants during the 2011-12 academic year@@http://uonews.uoregon.edu//archive/news-release/2011/10/retired-aau-president-work-uo@@.
University President Lariviere’s new hire, Robert Berdahl.
No stranger to Oregon, Berdahl, 68, was a history professor at the University from 1967 to 1986 and served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1981 to 1986. He most recently served five years as the president of the Association of American Universities before retiring in June.@@http://uonews.uoregon.edu//archive/news-release/2011/10/retired-aau-president-work-uo@@
Berdahl will focus on strategic and academic planning @@What does this mean?@@as well as the funding of higher education at the University. He formally begins work Oct. 17 and will round out a leadership team that will be in place during the one-year sabbatical of University Provost Jim Bean@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Bean@@, the University’s second-in-command who suffered a pulmonary embolism over the summer.
In a written statement last week about the appointment, Lariviere wrote “As a recent president of the Association of American Universities — an organization of the very best institutions in North America — Bob’s advice will be invaluable in helping us maintain excellence where it already exists and achieve it where it ought to exist.”
According to colleagues@@Which colleagues are we talking about – University, Cal, etc.?@@ Berdahl is very knowledgeable in his field, and several anticipate he will be beneficial to the University.
“I feel good about the appointment,” said Professor Daniel Pope@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Daniel+Pope@@, director of Graduate Studies in the Department of History@@http://history.uoregon.edu/graduate/index.php@@. “I know Bob Berdahl. He was a colleague of mine in this department for roughly the first ten years or so that I was here at the University, and I think very highly of him. I think having him in Johnson Hall is a very positive development and I think he is worth every nickel.”@@Okay, you write that “colleagues” but only cite one professor supporting this appointment.@@
Berdahl, who resides in Portland, will work for the University approximately two days a week — at a price of $96,000 a year from the University@@$96k for only two days a week? For a year? I better get home-made waffles every Monday morning from this guy whenever I show up on campus! And they better be good!@@.
Sen. Mark Hass, the Democratic chair of Oregon’s Senate Education Committee, is unhappy with the addition@@http://www.leg.state.or.us/hass/@@. He thinks paying Berdahl almost six figures sends the wrong message to families that are struggling to send their kids to college after the economic downturn.
“I don’t question whether the guy is worth it, but if I had $100,000 laying around, I would spread it across some scholarships and try to put every possible dime I can into tuition reduction,” Hass told the Chronicle of Higher Education last week@@http://chronicle.com/article/2-Day-a-Week-Job-at-U-of/129326/@@.
Alyssa Belluomini@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Alyssa+Belluomini@@, a University senior majoring in business, feels that while Berdahl could be a useful addition to the university, she doesn’t think that it should have been a priority.
“(The decision) is just adding one more person to the team that may help, but there’s multiple people who probably already fill that position,” Belluomini said. “I don’t think it’s necessary to add more people and pay them more money.”@@Good quote@@
Still, President Lariviere feels that Berdahl will prove to be an essential part of the University. Lariviere worked with Berdahl in the past when Lariviere was a professor and administrator at the University of Texas during the same time Berdahl was serving as the school’s president@@sounds like the makings of an old-boys’ club@@. Moreover, Lariviere feels that Berdahl’s time serving as the head of the AAU will make him even more of an asset to the University.
