UO E-clips, Feb. 14

Obsessive secrecy in Duckville (The Oregonian): Two years ago, Bill Harbaugh came up against what he calls the University of Oregon's "culture of secrecy" for the first time. Harbaugh, the faculty member who forced the university to finally make public a consultant's report that challenges the extravagant revenue projections for its new $200 million basketball arena, was questioning the administration's plans to diversify its faculty and student body. The institution's "obsessive secrecy" was such, Harbaugh claims, that University President Dave Frohnmayer "was unwilling to give me copies of the university's affirmative action plan. He and his lawyer, Melinda Grier, spent months trying to hide that from me."

The cheerleaders at DOJ (The Oregonian): Thursday's column on the culture of secrecy at the University of Oregon should have made one thing much more clear: UO is only able to show such disdain for public records law because Attorney General Hardy Myers and the Department of Justice let them get away with it. As Bill Harbaugh, who teaches Behavioral and Experimental Economics at the university, noted in my column, he three times petitioned DOJ before the university finally turned a 2004 EcoNorthwest consulting report. The University of Oregon Foundation paid more than $123,000 for the report, then forgot it existed.

UO faculty back arena plan (Register-Guard): News article follows in its entirety) (University of Oregon faculty members who reviewed the UO's financial plan for a proposed new basketball arena are asking legislators to approve the plan. A letter to be presented to lawmakers today urges approval of the $200 million in bonds for the arena on the condition that the university meet three requirements. Those call for transparency on arena expenses and revenues, prudent management of the athletic department's new Legacy Fund and the athletic department's continued financial independence.

UO Senate voted in favor of sharing athletic revenue (Daily Emerald): The University Senate overwhelmingly passed a motion on Wednesday that asks the athletic department to share its profits with the academic budget if the department earns excess revenue. The University Senate, which functions as an advisory body in this case, doesn't have the power to mandate that the athletic department share its revenue, and the motion's current language leaves a lot of wiggle room in terms of how revenue sharing would be accomplished. The sharing doesn't necessarily mean direct contributions of cash, though, but could include program support or scholarships.

Opponent of UO arena plan predicts it will pass Salem (Associated Press): A key legislator who had reservations about the University of Oregon's proposal to build a lavish new basketball arena predicted Wednesday that lawmakers will soon sign off on plans to issue $200 million in taxpayer-backed bonds to pay the construction costs. "I think that we are getting very close," said State Rep. Mary Nolan, D-Portland, who was one of only two lawmakers to vote against the proposal when it came before the Joint Committee on Ways and Means in January. The other "no" vote, State Sen. Avel Gordly, I-Portland, said Wednesday that she, too, "might get there," and change her vote, though she still had questions about any potential burden on taxpayers.

Wide range of arena revenue estimates spark dispute (Register-Guard): A flap over how much money a new University of Oregon basketball arena will generate has given critics of the $200 million project a second wind, but it hasn't shaken the university's confidence that the building will pay off. Whether the arena will be able to pay for itself -- with help from a $100 million gift from Phil and Penny Knight -- has been a point of debate since the project was first proposed. That debate intensified last week when skeptical faculty circulated a four-year-old report that was critical of an earlier UO arena plan.

How much will the arena earn? Pick a report(Register-Guard): Estimates of the amount of revenue the UO can expect from a new basketball arena have varied widely. Here is a list of the most frequently cited revenue estimates. The two oldest estimates -- from 2003 and 2004 -- are not adjusted for inflation and were generated based on old and different assumptions about the arena's size, features and location. The figures below represent each report's projection of arena revenue left over after operating costs -- such as payroll and maintenance -- are paid, but before the UO makes debt payments. Debt service on the arena land and construction bonds is estimated at $14.5 million a year, although that could change based on the bond interest rate.

University of Oregon gets new broadcast deal (Associated Press): The University of Oregon and IMG College have agreed to a 10-year contract that will net the university $67.1 million from local broadcast rights, advertising, signage, sponsorships and promotions. IMG College is one of the country's largest sports, media and entertainment companies. It will work with the Oregon Sports Network, and the two companies will combine to market Oregon sports to local and national sponsors. It's an arrangement once handled by ESPN Regional, which first contracted to manage media rights for the Ducks in 1999. ESPN Regional left that business a year ago and the Oregon Sports Network took over sole management of media rights.

Having an invisible friend is good for your kid's health -- (Newindpress.com, TimesOnline): Having an invisible companion (IC) is good for a child's health and can help him decide what kind of a person he wants to be, says a leading psychologist. Kids who create ICs are often thought to be lonely or socially incompetent, and their invisible playmates are regarded by adults as sad substitutes for proper social interaction. According to Dr Marjorie Taylor and her colleagues at the University of Oregon, having an IC is more common today for children as it was earlier, reports TimesOnline.

Hitting the $pot (Register-Guard): Fear of a recession may have consumers tightening their belts, but for the most romantic day of the year, they're still loosening their purse strings in hopes Cupid will aim his arrows at their sweethearts. Money may not buy love, but people still try. Shoppers are expected to shell out $17 billion -- or $122.99 each -- on 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, 214 million roses and 190 million greeting cards for Valentine's Day, according to the National Retail Federation's annual Valentine's survey. No matter the economic state, people still tend to splurge on holiday purchases, University of Oregon economics department head Larry Singell said.

UO program offers free counseling (Register-Guard): For some, Valentine's Day can be more blue than red. That's one reason why the University of Oregon's Center for Family Therapy is offering free counseling sessions Friday for anyone interested, from lovers in crumbling relationships to families, couples and individuals simply looking to start new conversations with people they care about. “Most couples who are having problems go an average of six years before they seek help,” said John Miller, director of the center and a professor at the university's Couples and Family Therapy Program. “By that time, it's usually too late.”