University employees said Thursday that the person who replaces Oregon University System Chancellor Joe Cox must be capable of rallying the Legislature and preserving academic integrity in sour economic times.
Cox announced July 17 he would step down after a replacement is selected.
Faculty, staff, administrators and community members attended an hour-and-a-half roundtable discussion in the EMU Gumwood Room to provide input on the characteristics a chief executive of Oregon’s institutions of higher education must possess.
Meanwhile, members of the Oregon Public Employees Union, which represents classified workers at Oregon’s seven public universities, distributed orange flyers across campus suggesting the chancellor’s office is not needed — especially for a state facing an $830 million budget shortfall.
“A lot of people in our organization feel the chancellor’s office is unnecessary,” union member James Jacobson said. “If the state needs to make cuts, that would be a good place to start.”
To fill Cox’s powerful shoes, the State Board of Higher Education formed a search committee last fall and solicited the help of Los Angeles-based national search firm Korn/Ferry International to compile a pool of candidates.
Thursday’s discussion offered many University employees and community members their first opportunity to give feedback on the selection criteria and process.
“The faculty wants someone who demands excellence and doesn’t give up,” University Senate President Nathan Tublitz said. “The current system we have encourages mediocrity. That mediocrity is killing the University here.”
Tublitz said diminishing higher-education funds are forcing institutions to adopt a do-more-with-less attitude. That often translates to a do-less-with-less reality, he said. The new chancellor must be willing to fight to restore funding by negotiating with the public, the state and the Legislature.
“I don’t see that being done,” he said.
Jim Willis, search committee member and state board member until 2001, recorded each comment on a sheet of paper and asked respondents follow-up questions.
Some attended to ask that the chancellor maintain and enhance collaborative efforts between universities and public schools because public schools stock future university classes.
Jamon Kent, superintendent for the Springfield Public School District, said these collaborative efforts also enrich public-school operations because university researchers can share important information public school leaders are seeking.
“For example, the Institute of Violence and Destructive Behavior has been working with us on various strategies to reduce violence in schools,” he said. “When we can drive 20 minutes to find someone who can help us, that’s quite a resource.”
Community member Bruce Miller said the search committee can’t afford to rest on its laurels waiting for a qualified candidate to come forward. The committee must actively seek a candidate of this stature, he said. If Oregon head football coach Mike Bellotti “went to the NFL, the Athletic Department would pick the five best football coaches in the U.S.” to replace him, Miller said.
Willis responded that the system couldn’t pay a salary of the caliber paid the chancellor of Maryland’s higher education system — $345,000 a year. Cox makes $149,004 a year, according to OUS human resources.
Though low by industry standards, Cox’s salary and benefits drew criticism from OPEU members. They printed 100 orange “Help Wanted” flyers and passed them out on campus.
“The perks were just a point of reference for people to realize where their money is spent,” said Cheri Smith, president for Service Employees International Union/OPEU Local 085. “The chancellor’s office has not proven they can provide us with more personalized service or take care of us. They’ve actually gotten more distant from us.”