In the fall of 2024, University of Oregon President John Karl Scholz announced the launch of a new strategic plan, Oregon Rising. Scholz and his team promised to achieve four goals over the next decade: enhance pathways to timely graduation, become a leader in career preparation, create a flourishing community and accelerate UO’s impact on the world.  

The development process began in 2023, consisting of multiple facilitated sessions and an online survey. By the end of the year, 1,200 faculty, staff, students, alumni and stakeholders contributed input. 

“There was a candor about wanting to know what people view as special here, what people view as worth investing further in, worth making a highlight,” Cy Abbott, Ph.D. student and member of the Board of Trustees, said about the process.

Peg Weiser, a philosophy professor with extensive experience observing strategic planning at multiple universities, highlighted the length and complexity of the process.

“It’s a very elaborate document, and there’s nothing really surprising in it, but it’s a way for President (Scholz) to learn from the university constituency,” Weiser said. “He has to listen for a year, gather all the info, have a team of people who write this up for him, finesse it and then come up with this document in the fall.”

In a UO Today interview with The Director of the Oregon Humanities Center Leah Middlebrook, Scholz explained the intention behind the first priority.

“Goal number one is to remove impediments to timely graduation. College is expensive, and we want students to graduate in the time frame they aim for,” Scholz said in the interview.

The plan outlines action items including establishing a policy team, addressing curriculum complexities and removing financial barriers. 

Furthering the student-centered approach, goal two emphasizes student preparation post-graduation. 

“Let’s be a leader in helping students transition from school to work or graduate school,” Scholz said in the interview. “A major is not a career — it’s acquiring a set of skills you’ll take with you for the rest of your life.” 

Oregon Rising frames a UO degree as a “launchpad” for students after graduation. Scholz hopes to “create value” through initiatives such as increased connections with UO alumni and the adoption of a campus-wide career platform.

“One of the great strengths of the University of Oregon is this amazing alumni network (that is) very successful, very talented and very passionate about the university,” Scholz said. “Through this career idea, we find opportunities for alumni to give back.” 

The third goal, creating a flourishing community, shifts the focus to a “philosophical” context, according to Weiser.

Scholz expressed enthusiasm for the concept, emphasizing its foundation in “continuous improvement.”

“I love the word ‘flourishing.’ How do we create a campus where people grow, change and feel a sense of community, wellness, resilience and purpose?” Scholz said in the interview. 

The fourth goal aims to accelerate UO’s global impact. Weiser acknowledged that this ambition might feel abstract to some.

“This (goal) is where most students don’t have a clue where this is going,” Weiser said. “(It means) we want to be a top-tier research institution. It has everything to do with faculty, how many students we graduate, how many PhDs we produce and how many research dollars we bring in.”

Oregon Rising includes accountability in its framework to ensure progress, according to Scholz.

The plan includes specific metrics to measure success, such as raising the four-year graduation rate from 61% to 70% and the six-year graduation rate from 73% to 85% by 2032. It also aims to double the university’s annual overall research expenditures by the same year.

However, some measures have yet to be determined. For example, goal three includes metrics like the “percent of flourishing students, both undergraduate and graduate,” and the “percent of flourishing employees.” A note in the plan indicates that baseline measures for these goals will be defined during the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

“(Accountability) is built into the language,” Weiser said. “Now, whether it actually happens, we will watch and see.”