>From kellman@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU  Mon Oct  4 13:29:50 1999
>Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 13:32:01 -0700

Dear Peter,

I'm addressing this note to you as head of the University Senate and
also, I understand, ex-officio member of the Faculty Advisory Committee
to President Frohnmayer.  I'm concerned with what I and many other
faculty see as a loss of academic vigor in life at the University of
Oregon, and an erosion of the academic reputation of the University in
the wider world.

This erosion can easily be seen in the decline in ranking of most
departments of the University in surveys like those of the National
Research Council.  The decline is easily documented by comparison of the
survey performed in 1994 with that of 1982.  Less authoritative, more
recent surveys support this, and show the decline has continued through
the '90's.

Many faculty feel that the Administration does not appear to be
concerned with these trends.  There seems to have been no serious effort
to raise academic salaries and support to levels that are competitive
with ambitious
state and private universities.  There is concern that the
Administration seems not to emphasize the value and importance of
research and scholarly achievement.  There just doesn't seem to be any
drive to make the U of O a great university, or even an outstanding
one.  Losses of top faculty to other institutions and non-academic
entities have reached a dangerous level, without apparent alarm among
the Administration, nor evident plan to stem the flow and rebuild
faculty strength.  I can say with utter assurance that the apparent lack
of direction at the top levels has been a primary reason for several
outstanding people in the sciences deciding to leave.

Not surprisingly, this is reflected in the undergraduate program.  The
main concern of the University seems to be simply gathering a student
body and "retaining" as many as possible to graduation.  There doesn't
seem to be overly much concern with the preparation or qualifications of
the students who come here.  There is a perception among many faculty
that the goal is retention at all costs, with a consequent erosion in
standards.  This may be understandable, given the existing system of
funding in which the University has to operate, but it cannot possibly
be healthy for the long-range attractiveness of the University to good
students.

All of this is really too bad, because for most faculty who made the
decision to come here, the University of Oregon was once seen as having
great potential.  I know I felt like it was ready to "take off" when I
moved here in 1990.  I happen to think it could still become a great
university, though it will take years to reverse the damage of the 80's
and 90's.  Nothing is going to happen without the vision and will.

I hope you will have the opportunity to raise and discuss these
concerns.

Mike

Michael Kellman
Professor of Chemistry