The State Board of Higher Education plans to compensate Oregon University System Chancellor Richard Jarvis about $180,000 after he vacates his post in June.
Jarvis’ resignation last week came in the midst of a complete overhaul of the Chancellor’s Office, a result of board President Neil Goldschmidt’s efforts to lessen the burden of state budget cuts on OUS campuses.
The first cut to the Chancellor’s Office has been established at $1 million, which will come primarily from the office’s Academic Affairs division.
Jarvis was originally appointed chancellor in late July 2002. The former board president renewed his contract for an additional two years in September 2003.
“He had a contract with the state, and the state was obligated to come to a resolution,” said Kevin Neely, spokesman for state Attorney General Hardy Myers. “We devised a reasonable settlement.”
The board will pay Jarvis his normal salary until June 30, which was about $224,000 annually including funds for housing and other costs, Neely said. In July, the board will also pay Jarvis a lump sum calculated by subtracting the amount he will be paid over the next three months from $250,000, according to the settlement.
The settlement agreement stipulates that Jarvis is to delegate authority to board members while remaining available to cooperate and work with the board on the office functions until June.
Goldschmidt said during last week’s board meeting in Portland that the search for a new chancellor will begin once the office’s restructuring is completed. On Thursday, he formally announced the appointment of former state Department of Administrative Services Director Jon Yunker as chief operations officer and executive vice chancellor for OUS, according to an OUS press release.
Jarvis is currently one of two candidates for the presidency of San José State University in California, OUS spokeswoman Di Saunders said.