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Better the second time around?

9/19/2011: The groans over this are as loud as the crowd at Matt Court on a bad night. Not exactly hope and change. I don’t know what to think. Will she get to keep her car? What will this mean for her golden parachute contract? The 2008 Oregonian story by Suzanne Pardington on the golden parachute deals is here, the Moseley, Williams and Davis contracts are here, today’s Bill Graves story here. Nice headline. Not a lot of options for UO. Provost takes an unusual combination of skills combined with a willingness to work in academia. The people who are good at this and enjoy it have jobs. She did keep Frohnmayer and Moseley from destroying UO. I hope we get a replacement for Frances Dyke real quick. Comments?

Sept. 19, 2011

Dear Colleagues

This afternoon I am making the following public announcement regarding the appointment of Lorraine Davis as acting provost. I want to share the news at this time with the UO community and its partners.

During Lorraine’s interim appointment, Vice President for Research & Innovation Kimberly Espy will report directly to my office. All other administrative alignments will be unchanged.

I hope you will join me in welcoming Lorraine Davis to her newest role at the UO.

– Richard

Versatile administrator Lorraine Davis has been appointed by University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere to serve as acting provost at the UO for next year. She will fill in for Senior Vice President and Provost James Bean, who has been granted a one-year sabbatical during his recovery from a pulmonary embolism he suffered in June.

“Lorraine Davis is a tremendous administrator who has proved herself more than capable of stepping into many roles at the UO, and of doing so with vision and integrity,” Lariviere said. “As in every other position she has held, I know that Lorraine will serve with distinction as the top academic officer while Jim Bean is recovering.”

Davis, whose appointment is effective Oct. 1, is a retired administrator and faculty member who currently serves part-time as a special assistant to the president, provost and athletics director. She was appointed interim athletics director in March 2010, replacing Mike Bellotti, and served until Rob Mullens was hired and took over the permanent position four months later.

Davis, who previously held the position of vice president for academic affairs, said Monday that she is honored to serve the university and to assist during Bean’s recovery. She expects a learning curve as she gets fully up to speed on current academic issues, but intends to maintain what she described as the “upward trajectory” of the institution.

“This is not something I sought, but I do it out of a sense of duty and love and gratitude for the university,” she said. “With the strong leadership team that is in place, and that I will have the opportunity to work with, I hope to keep the institution moving forward and maintain the University of Oregon’s strong academic status.”

Davis joined the UO faculty in 1972 and served 20 years as a professor in the College of Human Development and Performance, teaching graduate research and statistics. She became graduate coordinator and department head in the UO school and community health program, then was appointed vice provost for academic personnel in 1990. Davis served as vice president for academic affairs from 2001 to 2006, with the deans of all UO schools and colleges reporting to her.

She earned her doctorate from the UO in health education, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics and health and physical education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Bean, who has served as UO provost for the past three years, announced a week and a half ago that he will return to teaching and research during a 60 percent sabbatical appointment over the coming year.

14 Comments

  1. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    Headline: “Phys Ed scholar named UO’s top academic officer.”

  2. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    Dog says

    This move was expected – as UOmatters remarks,
    not a lot of choices. LGD will say the status quo- no initiatives and no vision. But who needs that anyway; we are the UO. LGD also likes Frances Dyke, a lot. As for DF and JTM “destroying” the UO – U0matters needs to define what that means. In the dog’s world, the UO was, in fact,
    destroyed in terms of academic integrity – but its likely that this dog is the only one that lives in that dog’s world. In a past life, this dog use to destroy stuff but that always involved C4 (or for you explosives aficionados – PE4, better stuff) – I don’t think LGD ever
    caught JTM/DF trying to light the fuse …

  3. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    So the only turnover since Frohnmayer left is the VP for research job, new admissions director, new development VP. Last 2 are not exactly central.

    Same old crowd in the provost, academic affairs, finance and admin jobs. For general counsel, Geller is Grier’s old deputy and acts like it.

    Am I missing anyone?

  4. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    It could be worse. The silver lining may be that LaRiviere will need to engage more than he has done under Bean.

    As others have pointed out, the dearth of quality administrators centrally is well known. It began as DF, JTM and LD began to reap their ‘well deserved’ rewards; Linda Brady’s brief tenure accelerated the process in a dramatic way.

    It is ironic that we have ended up with so many mediocrities just when we have some resources to really improve. It is tragic that the funds that come in from undergraduates are devoted to externalities like public safely and administrator salaries.

    But then again this Cheshire Cat recognizes that Wunderland is here to stay.

  5. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    Welcome back, Lorraine. And don’t let all the sourpusses spoil it for you. They don’t represent the vast majority of us, who are either supportive or indifferently detached. Best of luck in the coming year!

  6. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    She ran a tight ship. Maybe she’ll stop the “administrative bloat” this blog is always whining about.

  7. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    Once again, Lariviere reveals his true stripes, just like with the UO police force. I can’t believe UO Matters falls for his schtick over and over again.

  8. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    Wild ass theory: JB’s condition has been overstated and is moving aside while LD holds down the fort. RL’s days are numbered and Kitz can’t do anything about it. Pernsteiner wins. We. All. Lose.

  9. Anonymous 09/20/2011

    When GP shows RL the door, look for JTM to
    be appointed interim prez. He’ll rule the UO
    from his Deschutes River Lodge via E-mail to LD.
    Watch for top UO administrators holding retreats
    at the Deschutes River Lodge.

  10. UO Matters 09/20/2011

    My money is still on Lariviere. If Pernsteiner gets a new contract this spring, it will be one year, terminal. (With a golden parachute, of course.)

    I’ll put a bottle of Lagavullin on it, against your George Dickel.

  11. Anonymous 09/21/2011

    Given LD’s role in facilitating the excesses and abuses of DF and JTM, it is hard to see how UOMatters or others can have any confidence that another round of LD would yield anything useful. I agree with the Cat that the level of competence in the central admin is very low, and the appointment of LD serves only to confirm that perception.

  12. Anonymous 09/21/2011

    dog says

    oh please

    Lagavullin

    so generic, unimaginative
    like choosing Lafroig or Glenanything

    Bowmore
    now that’s single malt for dogs ….

    as for as the Cat goes – yes, generally agree
    but more to the point, LGD is the safest option
    because its known that she won’t rock anyone’s boat

    and to the previous anon – define “tight ship” –
    Don Harris was hired on her watch, and that
    was a disaster, for instance … (and she even know it at the time – that’s the problem with
    LGD – no initiative)

  13. Anonymous 09/21/2011

    back up for dog

    1) if you can’t find a Bowmore to fall in love with, you may have to consider very seriously the possibility that you’re wasting your money drinking whisky at all
    Iain Banks, Author

    2) yes I know its Laphroaig – just wanted to bring out the academic in you per-emptively

  14. Anonymous 09/21/2011

    Bowmore: peaty is to scotch as irony is to hipsters

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