Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Batkid film fundraiser brings in over $100,000 Grange Co-Op garden helps feed the hungry Emergency Services Man found asleep in stolen car Medford School District considers gifted land for new school Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Man found asleep in stolen car Grants Pass man arrested on sex abuse charges Comic book strives to teach kids to be ready for earthquakes Medford library bathrooms vandalized multiple times Politics and Elections Cecil, Stricker to face off in mayor's race, again Commissioner Skundrick plans final four town hall meetings Medford eyes electronic sign visual pollution Medford council veterans plan exit Education Medford School District considers gifted land for new school Loan default rate threatens Umpqua student aid Logos art teacher recognized High-tech tools Eagle Point equips kindergartners with iPads Environment Deadly deer virus may be spreading Talent earns Bee City USA designation Those without senior water rights left high and dry Stressed but off life support Rogue watershed councils plan to merge State news Nation - World Obituaries Dr. William Lee Margaret A.Vinzant Death Notices Stuart Skeele Frank Raymond Nadeau Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories (No heading) Seahawks use big first half to rout Bears (No heading) Murphy ready for city, SOGC tournaments Ducks break camp, prep for game day Varsity 541 College Sports (No heading) Ducks break camp, prep for game day SOU football team has an eye in the sky Raiders open with two triumphs Mannion's understudies compete for No. 2 spot Pro Sports Seahawks use big first half to rout Bears (No heading) (No heading) Versatile Martin looks to earn 49ers roster spot Finally, game ends in Cubs' victory Community Sports Results / Standings Second season a success for Rogues Runners defend titles in Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Locals shine in Dwarf Car Nationals opener Mustangs rout Alaska in opener Business Latest Stories Ashland's Paddington Station takes top national prize Soul Shine Yoga and Massage to open in downtown Medford Blog: Daydreaming: Three Easy Steps Blog: It's back, back, back, back to school time Medford company joins Inc.Magazine's 5,000 fastest-growing list Real Estate News Median residential housing prices rise 10.7 percent, but may begin to level out People In Business People in business Transportation Agriculture Opinion Latest The summer of my discontent: An open letter to Bill Rauch Other Views: NCAA must maintain academic integrity Letters to the Editor, Aug. 22 Michael Gerson: In Iraq, this is no time to lead from behind Our View: Marijuana sales — a taxing problem Editorials Other Views: NCAA must maintain academic integrity Our View: Marijuana sales — a taxing problem Our View: Water law has outlived its purpose Our View: Karuks have a head start on casino plans Library keeps a close eye on (financial) books Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Aug. 22 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 21 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 20 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 19 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 18 Guest Opinions The summer of my discontent: An open letter to Bill Rauch The power of local philanthropy Who I am and why I want to serve on the City Council City council members should be paid Lifestyle Latest stories A musical celebration at Camelot Down, but not out, at Cascade Lakes Relay Fishing Report: Friday, Aug. 22 Shoot Out! Dry grass leads to vehicle restrictions Food Community blog: Onion pickles can wait for home-canning lull Cooking outside the box Cold Cucumber Cream Soup With Tomato Salsa Summer Squash Pasta With Green Goddess Dressing Corn on the cob butter recipes Home and Garden Green Scene: Diagnosing common tomato troubles Lawn talk Tips for keeping backyard birds cool this summer Bath time for the birds: You can help them stay cool and clean Learn to pick produce at the peak of ripeness Health Community blog:Here�s How To Leave Despair For Resilience Health officials detect West Nile Virus in another Jackson County sample Community blog:Doing laundry... Healthy Aging: An udderly unlikely vacation find Community blog:The Unfriendly Skies Hiking Faith Religion briefs Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East - Part three of four Religion briefs Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East part 2 Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements Grange Co-Op garden helps feed the hungry Medford woman graduates with honors Century Club New Arrivals Wedding: Schulman-Nadolny Columnist for a Day Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs Brian Regan hands out the laughs at Britt Randall Theatre extends 'Godspell' American Idol Live! comes to the Britt Stage 'Pump Boys & Dinettes' opens at Camelot Theatre Theater Randall Theatre extends 'Godspell' 'Pump Boys & Dinettes' opens at Camelot Theatre Film festival kicks off annual 'Daedalus Project' Review: The joy of 'Godspell' is infectious Randall Theatre opens 'Godspell' Music Live Music in Local Clubs Jeff Addicott: A Rogue Valley Experience Guitar Circus with Peter Frampton and Buddy Guy Brian Regan hands out the laughs at Britt Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at Britt Community Events Shady Cove Tie Days Swap Meet 'Prints From the Plateau' at the Rogue Gallery Nature Walks in Lithia Park ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum World of Wine celebrates local varietals Dining NW Raw Kelly's Crepes Basil & Berries India Palace Taco Riendo Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Get Up & Go: Saturday, Aug. 23 ... Forestry crews snuff human-caused fire outside Gold Hill ... ACCESS warns clients to check possibly contaminated nut butters ... Get Up & Go: Saturday, Aug. 23 ... Forestry crews snuff human-caused fire outside Gold Hill ... ACCESS warns clients to check possibly contaminated nut butters ... OTHER VIEWS Other Views: U.O. president's abrupt departure invites speculation By The (Eugene) Register-Guard MailTribune.com By The (Eugene) Register-Guard Posted Aug. 16, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 18, 2014 at 4:06 PM By The (Eugene) Register-Guard Posted Aug. 16, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 18, 2014 at 4:06 PM » Social News Six weeks after a university's independent board gains governance powers, the university's president resigns, effective the following day. Two possibilities leap to mind: One, the board exercised its authority to seek new leadership just about as soon as it could. Two, the president found himself in conflict with the new board and beat a hasty retreat. Chuck Lillis, chairman of the University of Oregon Board of Trustees, insisted in a meeting with The Register-Guard editorial board that neither is the case. UO President Michael Gottfredson had the respect of trustees before and after the board was formally empowered on July 1, Lillis said. The chairman described both the board's composition and its structure as hallmarks of Gottfredson's two-year tenure, undercutting the idea that the president suddenly found that he couldn't function in the UO's new environment of institutional autonomy. If indeed Gottfredson left on good terms, his departure was awkwardly executed. Most people who quit a job are expected to give at least two weeks' notice. The leaders of big public institutions usually announce their intentions months in advance, allowing time to arrange an orderly transition. Lillis said he learned of Gottfredson's plans to resign both as president and as a tenured member of the UO faculty, and one year short of his three-year contract period only a few days before they were publicly announced. On Thursday, the trustees named Scott Coltrane as interim president, six months after he was appointed provost, the UO's chief academic officer. Lillis said it's expected that Coltrane will return to the provost's office at the end of his interim presidency. Presuming a permanent successor to Gottfredson is hired by this time next year, the UO will have had six presidents in a six-year period. That's a lot of turnover, but Lillis sees the glass as half full. Gottfredson came to the UO in a period of uncertainty: Proposals for the creation of independent boards for Oregon's larger universities were still taking shape, the UO's football program was under investigation by the NCAA, and faculty members were preparing to negotiate their first-ever collective bargaining agreement. "I think he did a good job wrestling with those," Lillis said, and now that they have been resolved Gottfredson leaves the UO in a period of relative stability. That will make recruiting the next president easier, he said. Even if Lillis is fully candid in his assessment, and even if he's correct in judging that "the university is better for Mike's being here," the trustees will be looking for a different type of president. Gottfredson never seemed fully at ease in his role, a perception amplified by contrast to the charismatic Richard Lariviere, the UO's previous noninterim president. Fundraising, which has become the modern university president's primary job, has been lackluster under Gottfredson. His handling of allegations of sexual misconduct against three UO basketball players early this year was clumsy and inspired little confidence in the university's openness. Encouragingly, Lillis said there has been no interference from Salem or from Beaverton — he informed Gov. John Kitzhaber and Nike co-founder Phil Knight of Gottfredson's decision shortly before it was made public, in wise obedience to the rule that the governor and the UO's biggest benefactor should not learn of such events from the newspapers. The board of trustees appears to be the seat of authority in dealing with the university president, which is how it should be under the new governance structure. So the most positive interpretation — the version offered by Lillis — is that Gottfredson saw the UO through a couple of rough years and by leaving creates fresh opportunities for the new board. This version would be more plausible if it weren't for the abruptness of the president's departure. At 63, Gottfredson could have announced that he would retire in a few months, allowing time for a smooth handoff to Coltrane as interim president or a permanent successor. Instead, Gottfredson's quick exit invites speculation about intrigue and bad blood, disrupting the stability that Lillis called the president's biggest achievement. The manner in which Gottfredson's brief tenure ended has the effect of hardening convictions that new leadership is in the UO's best interest — he ensured, at least, that no one would be begging him to stay. The UO needs a president with enough staying power to build relationships on and off campus, as the benefits of Edward Ray's 11-year tenure at Oregon State University make clear. Whatever else may have occurred, Gottfredson has allowed the UO to take the first step in that direction. By The (Eugene) Register-Guard MailTribune.com By The (Eugene) Register-Guard Posted Aug. 16, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 18, 2014 at 4:06 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501