Oregon State Board of Higher Education will meet on Nov. 15 to discuss renewing the presidential contract for UO President Michael Gottfredson through June 30th, 2016.

Per the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, Gottfredson was to initially be employed as the UO president from August 1, 2012 through June 30, 2015 and would only receive a one year extension if the interim chancellor recommended them based on their performance evaluation from the previous year.

Along with negotiating presidential agreements, various decisions within the presidential contract such as compensation and service time must await action from the full board. However, with presidential evaluations already being complete, Interim Chancellor Melody Rose recommended that Gottfredson’s employment agreement be extended one year through June 30, 2016.

UO Director of Communications Julie Brown explained that OUS always makes the final decisions.

“The university president is hired by the State Board of Higher Education and the Chancellor is the authority over the university president,” Brown said. “The entire process of a presidents employment is established by the state board. It’s not a process that happens on our campus.”

Brown explained that presidential contracts are set by the chancellors office and the state board of higher education and any input in the past or present is part of that process. She also explained the UO will not always be under OUS and that the process will eventually change once the independent governing board begins to have authority, but that will not take effect until July 2014.

Until then, all decisions, including the employment of Gottfredson will be made by OUS.