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PART THREE:

My educational experience at the U of O included having only a single tenured professor my entire junior year, with the rest of my classes were taught by GTF's or "visiting" professors , mostly teaching directly from the book and via multiple choice exams. For my senior year only three of my 400 division courses were taught by university department professors. But most classes were taught by GTF's or visiting professors (some who were visiting the university primarily for collaborative research and publishing purposes and had no business teaching upper division courses, yet alone an introduction to business). While profs are off campus on sabbaticals, or doing on campus research and writing. But NOT teaching. Other UO grads I have spoken with have communicated similar observations.

Late in my junior year I came to the conclusion my education was getting shorted by the university's undergrad program (or lacking thereof). Fortunately I had the insight to recognize I was "sold" a bill of goods, and was able to re-tool and re-focus towards "educating myself", while completing coursework required for graduation. Focusing on my own education and a work ethic made the difference. Sad to say, I don't observe a similar ethic in a majority of todays undergrads. Many are just blindly entering one side of a university machine with false expectations, and then four or five years later coming out the other side of the machine without much to show for it besides huge student loans and opportunity costs. These days the undergrad education one might "receive" at the UofO is comparable to an education one could have received from a quality high school twenty years ago. I apologize if I've given high schools of previous eras short shrift.

B.S. CBA (double major + double minor) / Cum Laude

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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PART TWO:

The U of O "brochure" sure is nice but the "education mission" of the university is all smoke and mirrors. Undergrads get the shaft yet pay the majority of the infrastructure bills. The Oregon legislature continually props up University, informing the general citizenship that the states "commitment to" higher ed funding is all about helping educate it's kids (undergrads) and the well instructed media runs with this message. But state government, well instructed by the university employed lobbyists, fully understand the primary benefits of it's funding decisions are not to assist undergraduates, rather the primary beneficiaries are programs focused on those whom "reside" at or ride the coattails of the university system. No matter how the OSBHE/OUS bean counters like to spin it.

And to be sure "Frohnmayers Plan" is not reform. Rather his plan is self-serving to the interests to which he is beholden. Commercialize and Privatize. The long term interests of Oregon and it's citizens are immaterial to his arguments. It is my view David Frohnmayer has lost any credibility and has devalued any legacy he may have had.

I suggest cutting the University in two. One half with a primary focus on undergrads, whose administration and professors are employed primarily for the purposes of teaching undergrads (not publishing and research). The other half can administer the remaining programs.

And then the state should refocus most of it's funding and investment decisions on four year undergrad programs as well as community colleges.

But at the same time ultimate decision making authority and responsibility for the entire OUS should be retained by the legislature (including implementing improved audit controls).

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I'm an alumni of UO College of Business Admin (double major and double minor).

Below is a recent post I made to the Register-Guard on this subject. In a nutshell the summary of my post.

1. Undergraduate programs are being short changed by everything else going on at the U of O.

2. Long term tenured professors are taking too many sabbaticals and on leave too often and not teaching many undergrad classes. At least in the CBA. I took some surveys during one year I was at the UofO and over 50% of the CBA department professors were on sabbatical at one time. Some departments 2/3rd's were MIA.

3. Do not compare the u of O with the Harvards, Princetons, Yales, Stanfords, etc. Compare the U of O with West coast public universities.

4. At the U of O tenured profs and administrators ARE PAID TOO MUCH. The instructors and untenured teachers ARE UNDERPAID. As well as community college instructors.

FULL POSTING (PART One):

The university is extremely top heavy with administration, where primary funding is "funneled" away from supporting programs for undergraduates. Instead funding is funneled towards graduate programs, research, marketing, publication, public relations, promotion, lobbying, more marketing, expanding campus foot print (needed or not), athletics, outreach (PR), international marketing, etc,

UO undergrad programs on the whole are just not competitive, they are a disgrace, when comparing costs versus results. Besides the primary/secondary teaching ed programs, the U of O is NOT a university undergrad students (or their parents) should be considering. If you want to prepare yourself for the real-world, much better options exist. Alternatives not requiring a four plus commitment, not requiring mortgaging your future, for a piece of paper that says you're alright, and then, not requiring a two year internship AFTER graduation just for a basic paycheck. If you're not sure go to a community college and then transfer (the instructor to student ratios are much better and courses are led by professional instructors).

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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