Oregon Ducks fans across the country clamor as football, America’s most popular sport, continues its fall season. The once-vacant seats of Autzen Stadium are filled again with eager supporters, ready to summon victory with the sheer power of excitement.
There’s no denying that the University of Oregon is a sports school. Home to many impressive athletes, UO is considered to have one of the most successful sports programs in the country, given the football team won the Rose Bowl in 2020 and brings in impressive revenue — with a net profit just under $40 million according to College Factual.
While Ducks football produces reliable athletic revenue, all the attention and resources poured into the sport have prevented other vital and equally developmental programs  — specifically, academic programs like the Robert D. Clark Honors College —  from receiving their fair share of recognition.
According to the Clark Honors College website, “The Clark Honors College emphasizes creativity, interdisciplinary scholarship, and independent research.” The program relies on individuals who are self-motivated. Built on an environment of collaboration and creativity, students are encouraged to represent the university through their impressive academic achievements.
The Clark Honors College has a mission of showcasing capable and imaginative individuals, which is commendable, and the grand overview of the program is vastly appealing. When the details are dissected, however, there is a disparity between the public perception and the inner workings of the CHC.
The cost of attending the CHC is more than $1,000 per term above tuition and fees for the rest of UO. This additional cost erects a barrier to entry that otherwise brilliant students may suffer from, potentially preventing the “creative, interdisciplinary, independent research” the program prides itself on from being released to the public.
Honors students are supposed to be the university’s academic achievers, but what “honor” is there in increased tuition? The goal of student independence now develops into student isolation. There is a forced independence for these scholars –– which, at its core, separates them from potentially helpful resources. When so much of the CHC relies on capability, it is accompanied by a sense of financial helplessness. This isolating factor explains the high dropout rates.
According to previous Daily Emerald reporting, from 2011 to 2014, the average dropout rate was around 40%. The Honors College requires students to complete large amounts of challenging work and secure the finances to do so. The program is excessively student driven, which creates a sense of isolation when looking at options for support. All of this can be tied back to the UO’s prevailing focus on sports.
One of UO’s most recognized donors, Nike co-founder Phil Knight, has made major contributions toward UO sports, including $100 million for an athletic legacy fund and $41.7 million for a student-athlete academic tutoring center, according to The Oregonian. Hayward Field, one of the newest renovations on campus, is currently at an estimated cost of $270 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Additionally, annual donations for the Duck Athletic Fund scholarships are $13.2 million.
In stark contrast, first-year students at the CHC are not eligible for Honors College-specific financial aid. In order to qualify for CHC scholarships, you must complete one full year in the program. There is not as much recognition for the students in the Honors College as there is for Oregon’s athletes, which limits the amount of donations given specifically for scholarly appreciation. Students then struggle to find the finances for the program because of this underappreciation.
Despite Knight’s considerable contributions to UO academics (made obvious through the many buildings in his name), UO remains, undeniably, a sports school.
That focus on sports helps create inclusiveness and student involvement, objectives the UO preaches, but ones which can also occur by recognizing and encouraging highly creative and successful academics.
The success of CHC students is not measurable like football profits. The way a society evolves is not calculable. It is not easy to map out the amount of attention and financial support CHC students will bring to the school. But we need to start paying more attention to the creative minds at UO as a means of placing faith in our future as an institution of learning, not just a sports program with a university attached.
A linear, money-laden and sports-oriented path is not what will continue to successfully expand UO’s community. The money sports make for the university is necessary, and the donations and funding for sports needn’t be reduced. But UO should maintain its reputation as a first-class research institution by attracting and financially supporting students of brilliant minds who are willing and excited to contribute to a conversational, understanding future.