Skip to main content
Over this sleepy Thanksgiving weekend, dissenting views continue to surface over the decision by Gov. John Kitzhaber and the State Board of Higher Education to oust Richard Lariviere as president of the University of Oregon. As WW reported earlier in the week, Lariviere was informed that his contract would not be renewed, and while the explanations from the State Board of Higher Education have not been terribly detailed, a number of sources believe it has, in part, to do with Lariviere's decision to give 1,300 professors and administrative workers raises earlier this year, at a time when other universities were holding the line, a move that annoyed public employees unions (even thought the funds used to raise salaries came not from the state, but from tuition and private giving).
Today, a number of deans at the U of O released a letter of support for Lariviere, (who was often seen wearing a fedora, which explains the slogan, "We Stand With The Hat" that has been making the rounds). In addition, WW has learned that the state board of Higher Ed and chancellor George Pernsteiner received an email of protest from Larry Singell. Singell is a former associate dean at the University of Oregon and is now a dean at Indiana University. More importantly, however, Singell is considered a national expert on the economics of Higher Education. Here is his email:
WWeek 2015