Oregonians for Higher Education Excellence — a newly formed political action committee — @@http://www.uomatters.com/2012/05/oregonians-for-higher-education.html2@@is looking to revamp the state’s higher education system to counter the state’s continued disinvestment.
The committee plans to lobby the Oregon State Legislature to create independent governing boards for each Oregon university wanting one. Members and supporters of the committee include Nike Chairman and University alum Phil Knight, Columbia Sportswear CEO and University alum Tim Boyle, former University Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny and prominent Portland attorney Jack Faust.@@nameschecked@@ The committee is directed in part by Boyle and Faust but is currently headed by former Oregon State Board of Higher Education member John Von Schlegell.@@http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=698587&privcapId=946166&previousCapId=696281&previousTitle=Citadel%20Broadcasting%20Corporation@@
Their grievance with the current state of Oregon higher education system is that the dwindling state funding is not representative of the authority that the Oregon University System has over each campus. Frustrated by the state’s disinvestment in higher education, Von Schlegell left the state board in 2009 to focus on his Portland-based private equity firm, Endeavour Capital, Inc.
Von Schlegell said that he and the other members of the committee want to revive former University president Richard Lariviere’s New Partnership plan, with a few tweaks of their own. He said he wants to create independent boards for universities that want one, such as the one established at the Oregon Health and Sciences University.
“I think when you see successful people in the business community willing to take the time, money and effort, I think it shows the business community in Oregon really cares about the higher education system,” Von Schlegell said. “There has been a steady disinvestment by the state in these public universities, so you can either stand by and watch that funding continue to shrink, or you can try and explore new ways to structure the system.”
Von Schlegell noted that the committee, although comprised of many wealthy University alumni and donors, is focused on helping each school in the system, not just the University.
Some students on campus have received the committee with hopeful regard that change will actually take place. ASUO President Laura Hinman@@checked@@ said she is glad Oregonians are waking up and seeing that the state system and legislature are failing Oregon’s students. As a supporter of institutional boards, she is hopeful the committee will be able to help students bring change to Oregon.
“At this point in higher education, we need to find new resources and come to new solutions, and it’s not gonna take just the voice of students or a university president because it hasn’t worked in the past,” Hinman said. “It’s at the point where we need that extra advocacy.”
Others are a bit more apprehensive due to the list of current committee members and certain baggage that they carry with them. Former ASUO President Ben Eckstein@@checked@@ said that Oregon students should be wary of high-profile business figures controlling state education policy.
“I think we should set our education policy on what’s best for students in Oregon, what’s best for families in Oregon and what’s best for the state and not what wealthy alumni donors would like to see for their own interests and benefits,” Eckstein said. “We are having some very important conversations about the future of higher education in the state, and at the center of those conversations should be the interests of students.”