The Register Guard
April 7th, 2015
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees recently approved a new mission statement for the university. Its first line declares that the UO “is a comprehensive public research university committed to exceptional teaching, discovery, and service.” The university faculty are primarily responsible for carrying out this core mission. Research and teaching stand at the center of our professional work. Investing in teaching and research excellence builds the long-term academic reputation of a university, something that carries far more value to parents, students, and alums than any other type of branding work.
One indicator of our success in our mission is the university’s membership in the Association of American Universities, a collection of 62 research universities across the United States and Canada. The AAU admits only universities that demonstrate a serious commitment to research, graduate training, and undergraduate education. One of the yardsticks the AAU uses to measure a university’s commitment to excellence is its ability to recruit and actively retain an excellent faculty.