Renewing Oregon’s Commitment to Academic Excellence in Higher Education

Nathan Tublitz

Professor of Biology & member, Institute of Neuroscience

President, University Senate, University of Oregon

The phrase “academic excellence” is being heard with increasing frequency at universities and colleges around the country, including the 7 state universities that make up the Oregon University System. But, what exactly is academic excellence? From an instructional perspective, academic excellence means a top-quality education for our students. Its essence is teaching students – our children, friends and future leaders of Oregon – how to think critically and express themselves coherently both orally and in writing. In an era when the average American changes jobs 8 times, critical thinking and coherent expression abilities underpin a lifetime of successful jobs and workplace transitions. Attainment of these two goals, the benchmarks of a quality University education, is unfortunately in serious peril because of persistent weakening of the OUS over the past two decades.

OUS institutions have declined in every national academic rating system in the past 20 years. Yet current OUS faculty are better educated, more prominent nationally, and receive more research and teaching awards than ever before. Why is this? The prime suspect is the major reduction in public funding over the past 20 years. Oregon has consistently failed to provide OUS institutions with sufficient resources to maintain, let alone improve, their standing. For example, the University of Oregon has seen its state support drop from 31.9% of total revenues in 1981-82 to 18.9% in 2001-02. Most of this occurred in the 1990s, a consequence of property tax Measures 5 and 47. Ironically, the number of UO students in the same period increased by 23.9%, from a low of 15,405 in 1982 to an all time high of 19,091 last autumn.

OUS institutions have continued to provide a decent educational experience despite these changes. However, OUS and University administrators have struggled mightily for years to maintain quality in the face of nearly continuous budget cuts. UO President David Frohnmayer captured the situation perfectly a few years ago, “We are in a period of constant fiscal white water.” And we faculty, on the front line of education, have done our best to do more with less. Sadly, “do more with less” has disastrous long term implications. When implemented routinely, “do more with less” invariably turns into “do less with less”.

It is time to stop settling for mediocrity. Oregon must choose to continue on its present downhill course regarding higher education or change direction under a new banner of excellence. We must demand excellence, of ourselves and of others. Oregonians comprehend the relationship between excellence and success and understand the essential role of post-secondary education in nurturing this relationship. Oregonians are attending post-secondary institutions in record numbers because we realize that a quality education means a better job, a better life for ourselves and our families. Is there anyone in Oregon who doesn’t realize the futility of a second-rate education?

It obviously takes more than talk to attain academic excellence. Success will be achieved only through an influx of serious money into OUS. This is a huge challenge for the next OUS Chancellor, who hopefully will be appointed by summer. We need a chancellor who will not give up, a determined fullback who will carry OUS across the goal line of academic excellence regardless of the obstacles. I use this analogy on purpose because our UO athletic programs have recently enjoyed great success on the playing field. This success has been achieved by hiring talented people of the highest integrity such as Bill Moos, Mike Bellotti and Ernie Kent, and, not least, by ensuring them the requisite resources. These resources were found through inspired long term planning and implementation of novel revenue generating strategies. Similar success can be achieved on the academic side, but only with the right person as our next chancellor and adequate resources from the State and other sources. Our next chancellor must be our academic flagbearer, higher education’s voice for academic excellence. Yet, without the general public’s insistence on quality education, the next chancellor is doomed to failure. Demand excellence. Accept nothing less.

Our state currently faces some vexingly difficult financial decisions. Choosing between K-12, higher education, health care, and social services, knowing that increased funding for one agency means the rest get less, is no choice at all. Despite an obvious vested interest in higher education, I cannot in good conscience argue for increased OUS funding at the expense of the health and safety of my family, friends, neighbors, and the citizens of Oregon. The next OUS Chancellor must work together with our elected officials to generate a long term financial solution to ensure that the educational, social and health needs of all Oregonians are fully met. Nothing less than the future well being of our children and their children is at stake.