Update: Nov. 3, 2016 at 12:55 pm. According to KEZI, the professor has been identified as Nancy Shurtz. 

Update: Nov. 2, 2016 at 3:10 pm. Senior Vice President and Provost Scott Coltrane said at the faculty senate meeting the professor has been placed on administrative leave.

The Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity is investigating the incident to determine whether university policy was violated. 

An email sent out to the University of Oregon community on Tuesday evening condemned the actions of a UO Law School professor for attending an off-campus party in blackface on Halloween.

“We condemn this action unequivocally as anathema to the University of Oregon’s cherished values of racial diversity and inclusion. The use of blackface, even in jest at a Halloween party, is patently offensive and reinforces historically racist stereotypes. It was a stupid act and is in no way defensible,” UO President Michael Schill said in the email.

On Nov. 2, a petition demanding that the professor resign was started by Moorisha Bey-Taylor, a former Law School student.

The post UO professor dresses in blackface at Halloween party; Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity to investigate appeared first on Emerald Media.

In the kitchen at Pegasus Smokehouse Pizza on 14th Avenue, one employee comes in every morning at 4 a.m. and turns on the massive oven that churns out hundreds of pizzas a week. This is the beginning of the food preparation process. Scrutinizing this process is general manager Tara Reader.

“Maintaining cleanliness, especially in food service is part of a good business and most importantly a good product,” Reader said. “It shows that you really care about what you are presenting to your customers.”

Small issues can lead to big problems for restaurants. Food-handler cards at Pegasus hang on a small, cork bulletin board next to the walk-in refrigerator. Reader prioritizes safety and cleanliness at her restaurant, and when she saw that two of her employees’ food-handler cards were expired, she took them down and handed them to her kitchen manager to address the employees. Due to state regulation, employees may not return to work until they are re-certified.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 47.8 million illnesses in the U.S. were caused by poor food-handling practices, leading to 127,839 hospitalizations and 3,037 deaths in 2011, the most recent CDC study.

The leading pathogen, contributing to 58 percent of those illnesses, is norovirus, an issue students at the University of Oregon have dealt with. In May 2016, around 30 cases of norovirus related illnesses were reported at UO, leading to changes in health protocols on campus. It was unclear whether the norovirus outbreak at UO was linked to food-handling issues or to the restaurants on campus.

According to the CDC, norovirus illnesses occur when humans ingest traces of stool or vomit in contaminated food. Once the virus has been contracted, it is highly contagious, living on surfaces such as countertops, door handles and utensils.

The state of Oregon has systems in place to help prevent illnesses that can come from unsanitary food preparation. Todd Roberts has worked as a health inspector in Lane County for three years. According to him, the first priority when inspecting is to identify the areas that pose the greatest dangers to public health.

“Food storage, food service and food prep areas translate to what is the most imminent danger to the public,” Roberts said.

At Pegasus, the walk-in refrigerator holds food before it is taken to the preparation line in the back of the restaurant. This is where the cooks assemble the pizzas before they are put into the oven. Toppings are readily available in this temporary holding area. Thermometers in the refrigerator show a cool 38 degree fahrenheit — three degrees below the “danger zone” of 41 degrees.

(Erica Pahua/Emerald)

According to Oregon Health Authority in The 2012 Food Safety Self-Training Manual, the danger zone is the area between 41 and 135 degrees. Food left at that temperature for more than four hours must be discarded because bacteria that grow in those conditions produce toxins that result in illness.

In order to pass an inspection, restaurants need to score 70 or better. In 2016, six of 589 Eugene restaurants passed with a score between 70-79, with the rest scoring above. Health codes violations such as “crust and debris buildup” and “alive and dead insects on the bar floor,” are some of the violations at those establishments according to the county inspection scores website.

Pegasus consistently scores well on its bi-annual health inspections from the county, and since 2006, Pegasus has not scored lower than 91. Between November 2013 and June 2016, Pegasus only received one score below 100. The point deduction came from an employee failing to wash their hands before putting on gloves in November 2014.

Roberts inspects restaurants twice a year, once at the beginning of the year and then six months later for a follow-up. Pegasus is on the list of restaurants he is responsible for, and he said there is some flexibility in inspection times. If a restaurant passes in January, he might not make it back until August.

“We kind of have an idea, within a month of when they are going to come,” Reader said. “I think it would be better for the people of Eugene if we never knew when they were coming so you always had to be prepared for it.”

Beside the cleanliness of the restaurant itself, Roberts is also in charge of making sure the people who make the food will meet the standards the county deems necessary. The food-handler card is only a starting point but Roberts says it is a “phenomenal” place to start.

“As simple as [the test] is, it gives you the first level. Here’s why we do things the way we do,” Roberts said.

Although the food-handler test theoretically prepares all employees to keep customers safe, Reader is skeptical the test does an adequate job.

(Erica Pahua/Emerald)

“I don’t think it’s thorough enough,” Reader said. “Anybody can get it.“

While Lane County Public Health has the power to close or suspend restaurants, Roberts said that action is “rarely” taken.

If a restaurant does receive a score below 70, they have 14 days to correct the violation. If they fail a second inspection they are shut down.

Working with the restaurants is important for Roberts. The county provides consultation on how to address the violations and will follow up with informal visits to see that proposed changes by the restaurant are compliant.

“We will work with them,” Roberts said. “To see their progress is our progress.”

Former University of Oregon student Kevin Post was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 days in jail as a condition of probation for selling LSD and psychedelic mushrooms.

Last week, Lane County Circuit Judge Mustafa Kasubhai determined that Post’s actions in selling LSD and psychedelic mushrooms did not contribute to the death of Cody Bennett in 2014. According to court documents, the cause of Bennett’s death was overdose from a mixture of alcohol and cocaine.

When Bennett arrived at Post’s house the night of his death, he appeared to already be under the influence of cocaine, court documents show. There was no cocaine found at Post’s apartment.

University of Oregon President Michael Schill addressed a full house Tuesday morning in the Giustina Ballroom. Faculty Senate members, the Board of Trustees and state legislators, including Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, were on hand for the official announcement of a $500 million gift from Phil and Penny Knight.

“The initiative which President Schill will share with you today is a transformative development that creates a powerful new platform for collaboration and partnership between the scientists and researchers at the University of Oregon and OHSU,” Joe Robertson, president of OHSU said.

OHSU received a $500 million gift from the Knights last year for its work on early detection of lethal cancers.

Jim Hutchison, Lokey-Harrington Chair in chemistry, said that the campus will help UO bring new people in while sending out ideas that originate here.

“The key strength of the University of Oregon is fundamental science; we discover new things everyday,” Hutchison said. “Often those discoveries stay within the university … our goal is translate those ideas.”

Schill applauded the work of faculty members for bringing the idea to life.

“The vision for this campus was born, like all great academic ideas not by administrators but by our faculty members,” Schill said, “out of a passion to make a difference in the world.”

The new campus is being received well by faculty members. Ulrich Mayr, department head of psychology, is excited about the intellectual as well as physical expansion that the campus will bring.

“It’s fantastic, it’s going to lift up the whole campus,” Mayr said. “It will release space pressure, on campus by starting the northward expansion across Franklin [Boulevard].”

The Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact will bring hundreds of researchers to UO. Schill also predicts that it will “substantially” increase state funding for the university and be a boon for Eugene’s economy in the process.

This gift comes in the midst of a $2 billion fundraising campaign initiated by Schill in October 2014. After reaching the half-way point in July 2016, the university is closing in on its goal.

“Unlike so many other initiatives in higher education, this one has the resources to back it up,” Schill said.

In order to properly celebrate the freshly re-named Indigenous People’s Day (formerly Columbus Day), the Native American Student Union is holding a celebration in the EMU amphitheater from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 10.

Ecuadorian dancers will intersperse speakers representing various Indigenous People’s endeavors around the state.

Schedule of events for Indigenous Solidarity Day (Native American Student Union)

**This post has been updated to reflect the areas that are blocked off

A gas leak near University Park at E. 24th and Harris was reported this morning to Central Lane 911 according to the City of Eugene website. The leak was reported at 7:46 a.m.

Police are directing traffic and advising everyone to avoid 24th Avenue between Potter and Kincaid

The story is developing.

Students will continue to feel the strain of rising tuition at UO this year, but for some, confusion surrounds how their money is being spent.

This year, UO’s budget increased $17.5 million, primarily from increased tuition costs.

The budget increase is required because of the recent unionization and collective bargaining done by UO faculty members.

The four-year-old United Academics Union, lead by professor of sociology Michael Dreiling recently won salary increases for its nearly 1,800 members that make up much of the faculty at UO.

“All that labor, which is the main expense at the university of Oregon, is the most vital asset of the university,” Dreiling said. “You need to invest in your crucial asset if you want excellence. I think President [Michael] Schill is getting this … You can’t have a top-notch university without the robust expenditures and the people who make the university excellent.”

Faculty at UO have ranked at the bottom of a peer group of nine universities in terms of salary. In a 2015-16 AAUP Salary Survey Study, the UO lags behind its peers’ in every category.

Data that reflects the raises to faculty will not be available until October according to the Office of Institutional Research.

When the Tuition Fees and Advisory Board voted to increase tuition by 4.8 and 4.5 percent for resident and out-of-state students respectively in January, students rallied in protest,. ASUO members participated in the public comments section during the March Board of Trustees meeting in order to express their discontent with the Board’s refusal to work with them.

“We’re not willing to work with you if you’re not willing to work with us,” Shawn Stevenson, ASUO Finance Director said at that meeting the Emerald reported earlier this year.

Some students accused the TFAB of holding a vote after student representatives and activists had to leave for class. Students also accused TFAB of holding an open forum when the most active students would be in the capitol, lobbying for higher education funding.

“Our students should not be starving,” ASUO Local Affairs Commissioner Amy Schenk said about tuition costs. “I personally believe that education is a right.”

State funding for the University of Oregon has consistently climbed since a major decrease of 32.25 percent between 2010-11 and 2011-12, but tuition prices have continued to climb as well, nullifying the increased state funding.

Here is where the money is going.

Last year, tuition and fees accounted for 42.2 percent of the income for UO, a drop from the 46 percent that the same dollars represented in 2013-14. Beginning in the 2009-10 school year, tuition and fees at UO began to climb by significantly — an 18 percent increase from 2008-09 to 2009-10.

Tuition for in-state students rose 10.2 percent in the 2011-12 school year, then 7.3 percent, 5.9 percent, 4.9 percent and 1.6 percent in the following school years. The xx percent increase for 2016-17 represents the first spike in tuition increases since 20xx.

“Tuition dollars are general fund dollars,” Brad Shelton vice provost for budget and planning said in an email to the Emerald. “They pay for most of the basic operations of the academic and administrative portions of the university,”

Items such as electricity, paper and non-wireless internet as well as the salaries of professors, counselors and Title IX investigators are paid for by tuition. Shelton clarified that tuition dollars are generally not used to pay for auxiliaries such as housing, parking and the student recreation center. 

The Best Investment

       Anyone who has taken microeconomics will be familiar with opportunity costs —the highest-valued alternative that must be sacrificed in order to get something else. The question of whether college is still worth the wages and time foregone in the workplace is still answered with a resounding yes according to UO economics professor Bill Harbaugh.

“The real cost of going to college is the income you sacrifice while going to college,” Harbaugh said. “And that’s OK because the return in terms of higher income is so high that it wipes out all those other costs [of going to college]. Easily.“

The UO is the sixth most-affordable college in Oregon for in-state students, according to collegecalc.com, and the 22nd most affordable school for out-of-state students..

“About 48 percent of our students get some type of federal aid,” Jim Brooks Director of Financial Aid said. “I would be surprised, at where our costs are, if students are needy they wouldn’t be exploring every option they have to help pay for college.”

In January, Marketwatch reported the outstanding bill for student debt in the US was $1.2 trillion, or 37,471,896 years of school at the UO paying current out of state tuition and fees. Student loan debt is second only to mortgages.

Much of the financial aid that is available comes in the form of student loans. Money that is used today and must be paid back tomorrow. Pay as you earn plans have been constructed to help relieve some pressure on students to payback their loans. Some professions have a loan forgiveness aspect built into them in order to encourage specific areas of work. But not all financial aid has to be paid back.

Two of the largest contributors to students at UO in terms of aid are grants that at least a quarter of the student body qualifies for. The Oregon Opportunity Program provides about $6 to $6.5 million a year for students at UO said Brooks. While only Oregon residents are eligible for an opportunity grant, the federal Pell grant is available to all needy students, offering $5,815 a year on the high end to $580 on the low. Eligibility for the program is determined when students fill out a FAFSA and can be applied for at any point in the year to still receive the full year’s funding.

Students are now facing the hard reality of increasing costs; however, they are weighing the painful sacrifices against potential benefits.
“The financial reality of the upcoming academic year is not pleasant, but it is clear,” said Chuck Lillis, chair of the board. “Continually rising labor costs, unfunded mandates and the ongoing pursuit of excellence are not inexpensive, and they are not all met by the state’s relatively low investment in higher education.”

Correction: A previous version of this article contained an error in the spelling of ASUO Local Affairs Commissioner Amy Schenk’s name and an incorrect title. This has since been corrected. The Emerald regrets this error.

Newly arrived University of Oregon students step into fall quarter at a time when school is evolving. Ombuds, architecture and journalism are among the departments at UO that have a new dean at the helm. Some of these new deans determine the trajectory of their department. Some improve student life. Some shape the scope of science and research.

Collectively, these six new individuals at UO influence the direction of the school. And the students follow.

Welcome Christoph Lindner, Juan-Carlos Molleda, Brett Harris, Doneka Scott, Kris Winter and David Conover.

Christoph Lindner

By: Miguel Sanchez-Rutledge

Christopher Lindner has lived and worked in dozens of countries during his life, but his next chapter has him living in Eugene, where he will be the newest dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon.

Upon coming to Oregon, Lindner was ecstatic to begin his work at UO.

“What makes me very excited about being here is that there is a lot of positive energy on campus,” Linder said. “I am really excited to be joining the university that is here now and I am even more excited about being part of building the university that’s coming.”

Lindner comes to UO from the Netherlands where he was a professor of media and culture at the University of Amsterdam. From 2010-14, Lindner was the director of the Amsterdam School of Cultural Analysis. Lindner has published many works on urban planning and design including “Paris-Amsterdam Underground: Essays on Cultural Resistance, Subversion, and Diversion.” Lindner has conducted many studies regarding interrelations between cities, globalization and political ecology. Despite his accomplishments, Lindner admits that he can’t do well in this position without knowing and becoming a part of this community. Lindner hopes to cultivate a sense of unity at UO.

“You need to know and understand your community,” Lindner said. “You can’t provide direction or leadership to a college unless you actually know the people who are there. My job is to make great things happen for other people, and that’s how I measure my success. My success comes with the success of our students, faculty, departments and university.”

Juan Carlos Molleda

By: Max Thornberry

Juan Carlos Molleda said that one thing he brings to the School of Journalism and Communication is different perspectives. Molleda is honored to take the helm of this 100-year-old school after moving across the country from the University of Florida.

“I’m coming from outside, from a peer institution,”  Molleda said in a phone interview with the Emerald, “I bring a wealth of experience in academia.”

In addition to his lengthy list of professional accomplishments, Molleda brings diverse experience and a new vision to the school. He is the first dean of the SOJC with a professional background in public relations as well as the first Latino.

Molleda said that some of his goals are making the PhD program stronger, emphasizing experiential learning as “essential for success” and improving the synergy between the Eugene and Portland programs.

Molleda believes his background makes him a good fit at UO.

“My bachelor’s [degree] is in journalism, then I have experience in PR,” he said. “This is why it is called the school of journalism and communication – because there are different fields of study. […] I have always worked with journalists and understand the importance of the work they do.”

Molleda and his husband moved to Eugene on June 26, roughly a week before he began at UO. Since then, he has enjoyed the move, particularly the summer weather.

“Florida is very humid, very hot,” he said, “then you come to Eugene and there is no comparison. You have a lot to do, not only in Eugene but in the state.”

Molleda is appreciative of his leisure opportunities as well as his team at the university.

“In the SOJC, I have a really great staff who are helping me to understand the administration,” he said, “and the faculty is helping me to understand their curriculum.”

Brett Harris

By: Tran Nguyen

Brett Harris isn’t new to Oregon, in fact, she lived in Lincoln City in 2005 and since then, she said she hasn’t been able to get Oregon out of her mind.

The former ombudsperson for University of Mississippi has recently joined the ombuds office team at the University of Oregon, taking over for UO professor Jennifer Reynolds. Founded in 2014, the Ombuds office is one of the only confidential and neutral services for all campus members to discuss concerns, explore options and find resources for conflict resolution.

With a background in dispute resolution and experience working as a mediator and attorney, Harris was hired to be the first ombudsperson at UM in 2015. She holds a bachelor degree in American Studies from Idaho State University and a J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law with a degree emphasis in Native American Law.

“The university and the people were wonderful,” she said of UM. “[My family and I] loved our time there.”

Harris said leading the UO Ombuds office is an “amazing opportunity.” She hopes to grow and shape the already established program into a substantial resource for campus members. Her focus will be on educating and training the community on conflict resolution.

Her family, including her husband Wesley, two of her younger kids, two labrador retrievers and a cat, just moved to Eugene Sept. 12. “It’s challenging,” she said, but she’s glad to see her four-year-old and ten-year-old adapting well to their new schools.

Her husband, who worked in nursing administration in Mississippi, is excited to be here in  Oregon because he will be able to fly fish.

“We don’t have any spot to fly fish in Mississippi, mostly because we are afraid of alligators,” Harris said with a laugh.

Other New Ducks added to the flock this fall 

Kris Winter becomes the dean of students at the University of Oregon on Sept. 19 after leaving that position from Oregon State University.

As dean of students, Winter helps the UO community by “removing barriers, responding in crisis, building community and upholding integrity,” she told AroundtheO, UO’s website for news releases.

“There will be everyday moments, ‘aha’ moments and moments that challenge you,” she wrote in her announcement on the dean of students website. “In all of these moments, I want you to know that my staff and I are here for you.”

Winter replaced Paul Shang as the dean of students after Shang retired in August. Vice President of Student Life Robin Holmes held the interim position until Winter was hired, according to AroundtheO.

Winter earned her undergraduate degree in educational studies in 1998 from UO, her master’s from OSU and is currently working on her doctorate at Portland State University, according to the UO Dean of Students website.

David Conover moved to UO from Stony Brook University to fill the Vice President for Research and Innovation position on Aug. 15, according to the UO provost website.

At Stony Brook, Conover was a professor of marine science in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, where he also served as dean from 2003 to 2010. Conover has authored over 125 publications on oceanic fish.

“My background and experience in research and administration will benefit the great work that is taking place across campus and around the globe every day as we further strengthen and expand discovery and innovation at the UO,” he said on the UO research website.

Doneka Scott, former assistant vice provost for Equity and Diversity for University of Minnesota, has just accepted a job at UO as Associate Vice Provost for Student Success. Her job is to develop and implement strategies around advising and other student services, with a focus on overseeing student success tool, EAB’s Student Success Collaborative Campus.

Scott, a graduate of University of Michigan, has a background in mentoring, advising and teaching. At her two and a half-year-old job at University of Minnesota, Scott worked to improve graduation and retention rates for undergraduate students.

Will Campbell  also contributed to this report

Robin Holmes announced that she will be leaving the University of Oregon to join the University of California system in the president’s office in Oakland, California.

UO President Michael Schill said in an email on Monday morning that Holmes’ impact on the university community has been felt inside classrooms as well as noticed in the landscape of campus. Holmes was involved in redeveloping the Student Recreation Center and Erb Memorial Union as well as developing an eight-year housing plan to support “our residential university mission,” the email said.

Holmes has been with the UO for nearly 25 years. She came to the university in 1992 as a psychologist working in the counseling and testing center.

“During her tenure at UO, Robin has been a tireless champion for students — providing high-quality experiences outside the classroom, while instilling values that help shape them as respectful, responsible, and engaged citizens of a global community,” Schill added. “Thanks to her leadership, the Division of Student Life delivered a vision that truly demonstrates our commitment to student-centered, innovative learning, delivered by an inclusive community of multiculturally competent professionals.”

Dunn hall renamed in response to Black Student Task Force list of demands

The University of Oregon Board of Trustees renamed Dunn Hall to Cedar Hall until a permanent name is decided on. The change came after the BSTF issued a series of demands to the school last year.

The list called for buildings named after members affiliated with the KKK to be changed and to have placards placed so that students would understand the history of the halls.

The BSTF also asked for Deady Hall to be renamed, but that decision has been postponed. UO President Michael Schill and the Board have extended the commenting period for students, faculty and community members to Oct. 14.

Three former basketball players had lawsuits against the university dismissed

The former basketball players, accused of raping a student at an off-campus party in March 2014, filed lawsuits against the university citing gender bias.

Brandon Austin filed his suit against the university for $7.5 million in Oct. 2015. Domonic Artis and Damyean Dotson filed jointly for $10 million in March.

After investigation by the Oregon District Court, Federal Judge Michael McShane concluded that, “nothing in the complaint or incorporated documents suggests that the actions of the University were motivated by gender bias or that the University deprived Plaintiffs of a due process right,” according to court documents.

Male student fails to have suspension overturned

A student filed to have his suspension overturned last Monday. He claimed that he was falsely accused of an off-campus sexual assault. In addition claiming he was falsely charged, John Doe, as he is named in court documents, alleges that university officials gave him an unfair disciplinary trial.

His attorney said that because of how close he is to finishing his degree, a two year suspension would be a “substantial consequence for him.”

Lane County Circuit Judge Josephine Mooney rejected the case, removing the possibility of the student to return to campus in the fall.