University President Dave Frohnmayer highlighted the importance of facilities and philanthropy to the institution in his State of the University address Wednesday. He also announced that next year’s Civil War football game will likely take place during Dead Week, much to the annoyance of faculty members.
Frohnmayer spoke to the University Senate about progress that has been made on campus, and progress that will continue to be made. He asked the faculty to imagine walking around campus until they had seen every prominent building, all of which had been improved or constructed using private philanthropic funds.
He asked the faculty “to consider what it is we, collectively, have done over the last dozen or so years.” Among those accomplishments were the Robinson Theater, McKenzie Hall and the Lillis Business Complex, the latter of which he lauded for generating all of its own electrical power.
He also mentioned the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Straub Hall, the nearly complete education complex, the Student Recreational Center and Hayward Field – “the hallowed ground of track and field,” Frohnmayer said.
The only negative “stop” on the president’s tour was McArthur Court, which he called “increasingly inefficient, increasingly unsafe,” and he expressed his enthusiasm for its eventual replacement, the Matthew Knight Arena.
Frohnmayer admitted that the financial outlook for the state, and therefore the University, was discouraging. Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Frohnmayer said, expects the February budget to be worse than originally thought, and the governor may have to revise the Oregon state budget.
The future is uncertain, the president said, but “we do know we need to be prepared for difficult times.”
Senate President Paul van Donkelaar announced to the Senate that the 2009 Civil War football game will likely take place Thursday, Dec. 3 – the Thursday of next fall’s Dead Week.
The odd scheduling is a result of the potential deal between the University athletic department and the ABC television network, which would make $1.5 million dollars for the athletic department.
Frohnmayer said both the University and Oregon State University have confirmed they will accept the television contract if it comes available.
Several faculty members questioned whether this decision was in the best interest of students. Many referred to a Senate motion from 2006-07 that stated, “The University Senate reaffirms the suggestion that major sports events should not interfere with dead week and final exams … academic needs of students remaining the top priority.” Some senators squabbled over the same issue in 2007, when the Civil War took place on the Saturday preceding finals week.
That motion allowed for “exceptional circumstances,” which van Donkelaar said the administration considered this deal. However, van Donkelaar told the Senate, “I am completely assuming this kind of thing will happen in the future.”
Frohnmayer said little during the discussion, although he pointed out that because the athletic department is self-sufficient, it must be allowed to generate money.
At the close of the conversation, Frohnmayer’s face was flushed and his lips pursed. “We’ve had this discussion too many times,” he said, punctuating every word with a punch of his finger in the air.
In other business, Senate Vice President Peter Gilkey said a five-person committee had been established to discuss the new Conflict of Interest policy at the University, and would soon hold a town hall meeting on the subject.
Mathematics professor Dev Sinha said the Open Source Scholarly Communication Committee had written a report on how to reduce textbook prices. The most significant finding was for faculty to look for “open source” books, which can be modified and found online.
Van Donkelaar updated the Senate on the University’s search for a new president. The top candidate will visit campus by April.
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Frohnmayer foresees ‘difficult times,’ reflects on campus accomplishments
Daily Emerald
January 14, 2009
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