UO E-Clips, Nov. 21

'One size fits all' fees met with opposition (Daily Emerald) The current Oregon University System fee structure is in the midst of a revamp. The OUS fee committee presented its research and suggestions on the issue, which affects every student at this university, to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education on Nov. 2. The committee's presentation was well-received by six of the seven OUS institution presidents. But the exception was University President Dave Frohnmayer, who presented a clear opposition in the form of a memo with five issues "for further discussion" among members. (Full story, click here)

At the UO, athletics unbridled (Register-Guard guest viewpoint): University of Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon’s playing with a serious injury last Thursday is a fiasco for athletics in more ways than just the potential loss of a Heisman Trophy for him and a descent in the rankings for the Ducks. One can appreciate Dixon’s desire to play, but this incident raises questions about the professionalism and judgment of the adults who run the sports program at the UO. They need to be held accountable for the results. This is a matter, among others, for the UO’s Intercollegiate Athletics Committee to consider (the writer, Richard Sundt, associate professor in the art history department, is a member of the committee). UO faculty as a whole are also to blame for the overheating of athletics in higher education, both here and across the country. What we have seen happen to Dixon is due as much to faculty inaction to calm down sports as it is to the inordinate ambitions of the athletic department and the university’s administration. We should not forget the Duck fans who are all too eager for college football, more eager than for college itself: There is plenty of money for expensive tickets, but no willingness to pay a little more in taxes to support education. So there is plenty of blame to pass around. (Full article)

Oregon universities go for the green (Chronicle of Higher Education; news article n its entirety): The University of Oregon started its current fund-raising campaign in 2001 with a goal of $600-million by 2008. Thanks to major gifts from the likes of Phil and Penny Knight and Lorry Lokey, the drive is $117.5-million past that mark. Another Oregon institution is following in the university’s footsteps, reports the Daily Emerald, in Eugene. Oregon State University announced in October its plan to raise $625-million. Oregon State’s fund-raising purposes are broadly focused: the endowment, facilities, equipment, fellowships, scholarships, faculty positions, and other programs. “It wasn’t a slam dunk of a goal,” Molly Brown, senior director of strategic communications, told the newspaper. “And our president wanted something that would be ambitious. It felt right for Oregon State University in terms of where we were in our development.”