Setting tuition and fees for the 2020-21 academic year and granting an honorary degree are among the issues the Board of Trustees of the University of Oregon will consider when it meets for its winter meetings March 16 and 17 at the Ford Alumni Center.
The main topic on the board’s agenda will be tuition for the upcoming year. Trustees will consider a recommendation from President Michael H. Schill that includes the adoption of a guaranteed tuition program for all new and current undergraduate students starting in the 2020-21 academic year.
The Tuition and Fee Advisory Board held a series of public meetings and comment sessions to inform a recommendation to the president. The president also held a public forum and an open comment period on the proposal, which would lock tuition and institutionally set fee rates for five years for each incoming class of students.
In addition to tuition, the board will vote on awarding an honorary degree to James F. Ivory, a 1951 alumnus and Oscar award-winner. Ivory is a recipient of the Lawrence Medal, the College of Design’s highest honor for its graduates, and his papers are held by UO Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives.
The Academic and Student Affairs Committee will hear from Provost and Senior Vice President Patrick Phillips on recent collaborations and the strengthening relationship between the UO and Oregon Health & Science University. Among other collaborations, faculty members at the two institutions have partnered on a grant supporting opioid research in addition to five teams exploring topics such as bone repair, risk factors for childhood obesity and the effect of dietary protein on the gut microbiome.
Phillips will be joined by David Conover, vice president for research and innovation, and Bill Cresko, executive director of the Data Science Initiative.
The Academic and Student Affairs Committee will also learn about plans to measure the university’s progress relative to student success. It will be the first look at the metrics being used and what they show to date. The committee will also receive updates on the UO Career Center and PathwayOregon, the program that covers the costs of attending the UO for qualified in-state residents.
In addition, the committee will hear from Jim Rawlins, assistant vice president for admissions, and Janet Woodruff-Borden, executive vice president for academic affairs, about the use of standardized tests in admissions. A work group is examining making the results of standardized tests optional in the admissions process.
The Finance and Facilities Committee will hear from Andre Le Duc, chief risk officer and associate vice president for safety and risk services, on steps the university has already taken regarding COVID-19 preparations and contingency plans should a case emerge locally.
The committee also will receive quarterly treasury reports, including an update on the university’s current budget. Committee members also will hear from Rob Mullens, director of intercollegiate athletics, on a new audio/video project at Autzen Stadium and an amended multimedia agreement, both of which need action by trustees.
Committee meetings begin 10 a.m. March 16. The full board meets at 9:30 a.m. March 17. Board meeting agendas and materials, as well as a live webcast link, are available on the board’s website.