Dear UO community,
As we begin a new year and a new term, I am grateful for each of you and for your deep commitment to our students and to the educational and research work of the University. I hope the interval between terms provided you with time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with loved ones.
Over the break I had an opportunity to reflect on my first term as provost, on the warm welcome you provided me and my family, on your openness to our conversations about intentional practice and values-enacted leadership, and on our shared commitment to creating a culture of trust in which each member of our community can do their most meaningful work. Engaging with many of you this term has helped me better understand the people who make this University the special community it is.
First, I’d like to recognize some of the outstanding students and faculty members who received accolades for their scholarship. We had two seniors were finalists for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, the oldest international fellowship award in the world. And numerous faculty members received grants, fellowships and awards for their work from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, Andrew Carnegie Foundation, the Keck Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation among others.
Progress
Over the course of the fall term, we made significant progress in our efforts to advance the work of the Oregon Rising strategic plan. The Division of Undergraduate Education and Student Success collaborated with partners across the university to promote undergraduate success, including a carrying-load analysis that increased credit loads and reduced gaps for underrepresented populations, as well as efforts to return to in-person advising for incoming students. Additionally, targeted data-driven approaches, such as the Grade Equity Dashboard and STEM course reforms, focus on reducing equity gaps and improving student achievement.
Our efforts to become a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) are progressing. Latinx enrollment has grown to 19.7 percent of the current freshman class, up from 16.7 percent last year. This progress will continue, advanced by the HSI advisory implementation work group, led by Chris Chavez. This fall we charged the work group, focusing our attention on the values we would activate in our work together: Collaboration, Trust, Accountability, Good Faith, and Care emerged as priority values for the group. I am grateful to everyone who has moved this effort forward over the years, and I look forward to working with campus constituents to ensure that the University of Oregon not only becomes an HSI, but that we are able to create a community together in which all of our Latinx students, staff, and faculty truly thrive.
In October, we welcomed peer reviewers to the Eugene campus as part of the accreditation process. We were assessed in accordance with Northwest Commission on Colleges and University standards and I’m happy to report that we navigated this stage of the accreditation process with commendations that recognize our strengths and only three recommendations.
Looking forward
Looking ahead, let us continue to pay attention to what we practice. The ambitious goals we have set to enhance pathways to timely graduation, become a leader in career readiness, create a flourishing community, and accelerate scientific impact cannot be accomplished if they are not woven into the fabric of our university culture. Institutions, like people, have habits, and good habits align with purpose and are cultivated intentionally through mindful practice.
As we begin a new year, I am confident that we will come to an agreement with United Academics. Our faculty is the beating heart of the University, and I am grateful for the dedication and talent you bring to your work every day. Both the UO and the UA bargaining teams have my complete confidence. They are working through the collective bargaining process to identify shared interests, discuss differences, and chart a course to agreement. This spring we also plan to name a new dean for the School of Law. I encourage you to participate in the process, so please look out for a community-wide invitation to attend virtual and in-person interviews with our finalists.
Finally, I am pleased to announce that we will welcome our eighth cohort for the UO Leadership Academy. Faculty and staff are invited to apply by Jan. 24. In closing, let me wish everyone a successful winter term and encourage you, despite the rain, to take time to experience the beauty of our campus, find ways to breathe fresh air and connect with one another, and be on the lookout for those early signs of spring.
Sincerely,
Christopher P. Long
Provost