Reimagining the Public University

Dear UO Alumni:

I am writing to share the University of Oregon’s white paper, “Preserving Our Public Mission through a New Partnership with the State.” This is an effort to re imagine the public university and to reengage state support for the University of Oregon. At its heart, this is a proposal to keep the University of Oregon a public institution that serves Oregonians. I know that the question of how the University of Oregon preserves excellence, access, and affordability is of profound interest to our campus and to the University’s many alumni and supporters.

I also want to underscore the importance of campus engagement in considering the details of the proposal. You are receiving this link to the white paper to provide time for review prior to the launch of the public involvement process. The campus and stakeholder public involvement process that will begin Friday, May 14, uses a customized public involvement website at newpartnership.uoregon.edu.

Much like the process used to solicit comments on the academic plan, I invite you to engage wholeheartedly in evaluating the proposal for the University of Oregon to form a new partnership with the state of Oregon.

I’ve discussed elements of the proposal at meetings throughout campus and beyond. The basis for the proposal is recognition that a policy debate is occurring nationally and particularly in Oregon about how to preserve public higher education. In Oregon there is a growing consensus among policymakers, the business sector, and the higher education community that the state must make real reform so that each university is better able to fulfill its public mission—helping more Oregonians earn college degrees.

Richard W. Lariviere