The Chronicle of Higher Education
August 8th, 2014
The revolving door to the president’s office at the University of Oregon is spinning again. Just two years after taking the position, President Michael R. Gottfredson announced on Wednesday that he was resigning immediately to spend more time on academic research and with his family.
While the suddenness of Mr. Gottfredson’s resignation may have caught casual observers off guard, his tenure was marked by near-constant activity and, often, strife. In just 24 months, the president had to handle an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations by the football team (resulting in three years' probation and other penalties), negotiate a contract with a new faculty union, lobby (successfully) for the formation of a new governing board, and begin a major fund-raising campaign.
Most recently, Mr. Gottfredson had been heavily criticized for the institution's handling of accusations of sexual assault against three members of the men’s basketball team.