On Friday, June 15th the Oregon State Board of Higher Education voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Michael Gottfredson as the 17th President of the University of Oregon. I had the great pleasure of witnessing his first official address to the university community at the UO Alumni Association (UOAA) Board meeting that morning. UOAA President-Elect, Anne Marie Levis, a member of the Presidential search committee, introduced him as the stand-out candidate and cleverly created an acronym to describe him (as only a true marketer could) – “He’s SWITA,” she said. “Strategic, witty, insightful, thoughtful, and authentic.”
Her description rang true in Dr. Gottfredson’s first words to the university community. He began by thanking Interim President Bob Berdahl as “one of the nation’s foremost leaders in all of higher education” and told a story of their time together during his hiring process. As Berdahl was walking across campus he was waved down by a former student. The student praised Berdahl as the best teacher he’d ever had and an inspiration in his life. “This,” Dr. Gottfredson said, “is what we aspire to. This is what it’s all about.”
During his interview with campus, Dr. Gottfredson talked about the UO’s leading role in society as a Tier 1 research university making the world a better place through the creative work of research and teaching. He talked about his commitment to the dual goals of access and excellence. And he addressed the need to refinance ourselves in order to accomplish these two goals.
Of course the question that is top of mind for all who are watching is…
How will this new President navigate a balance between collaboration with the board and the push for greater independence? Just who is Dr. Michael Gottfredson? And how will he move the UO forward?
This piece in the Register Guard best tells Dr. Gottfredson’s personal story. To start, he received his BA from UC Davis where he met his wife Karol. He earned an MA and PhD in criminology and sociology from SUNY Albany. He directed The Criminal Justice Research Center in Albany from 1976-1979. He served as Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Criminal Justice at SUNY Albany from 1977-1979. He held positions at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and at The Claremont Graduate School. He spent 15 years at the University of Arizona as Vice Provost and Vice President of Undergraduate Education, and later, Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. And since 2000, he’s served as the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at UC Irvine. His experience speaks for itself!
His academic expertise is fundamental, addressing the very nature of civil order! Criminology is a passion that was instilled at an early age through the work of his father, Don Gottfredson, who created the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University in 1974. Dr. Michael Gottfredson’s book A General Theory of Crime was called “the best book on crime and criminals in the 20th century” presenting a theory “that explains all crime, at all times.” His self-control theory of crime is one of the most frequently cited and researched theories in the field.
During his time at UC Irvine, Dr. Gottfredson oversaw the construction of $1.8 billion in new facilities, launched new schools in law, computer science and education, new programs in statistics, public policy, pharmaceutical sciences, and nursing, and new majors in public health and business. He managed to hire new faculty and grow enrollment in recessionary times and crafted “Focus on Excellence” a strategic plan with all inclusive input from a wide variety of university constituents. He is also known for his commitment to diversity “substantially increasing representation of women and under-represented minority faculty and administrators; and for his extensive work to enhance the undergraduate experience within a large research university.”
In 2012 he won the Lauds & Laurels Extraordinarius Award of the UCI Alumni Association for his dedication and optimism. “We’ve had some challenging times, but people trust him to be honest, transparent, open and fair. He’s very good at dealing with complex situations and making people feel relaxed.” – C. Ronald Huff, a Professor at UC Irvine.
Dr. Gottfredson’s wife, Karol, serves as the coordinator of UC Irvine’s Intern Teaching Credential Program. Click here to watch a video of Karol Gottfredson on the value of careers in education. They have two children – Kate, 36 and Bryan, 33.
Click here to watch an Oregon Emerald video of Dr. Gottfredson accepting the UO Presidential Appointment.
“I have admired Mike Gottfredson for many years, from when I first met him when we were both in the University of California and when we worked together in AAU. He is outstanding – highly respected, smart, thoughtful. He will be a great president for the UO.” – Interim UO President, Bob Berdahl.
State Board of Higher Education President, Matt Donegan called him “an education leader of national renown.”
Governor John Kitzhaber said Gottfredson is “the right person for the job, and the type of leader who can balance UO’s needs and plans with those of the entire state.”
“This is a leader who is very much aware of the standards of excellence, the integrity, and the collaboration needed to guide change, serve the needs of students, support faculty, engage the University’s many stakeholders, and take UO to the next level of achievement.” – Allyn Ford, member of the State Board of Higher Education and Chair of the Presidential search committee
The UO community welcomes Dr. Gottfredson and his family. We are encouraged by what we’ve seen and heard thus far. We are excited to move forward for the UO – toward access and excellence for our students and society!