Dr. Paul van Donkelaar, Professor
Department of Human Physiology
President, University of Oregon Senate
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403

Dear Professor Van Donkelaar:

Thank you for the December 3 message transmitting the motion (US08/09-3) establishing a Senate ad hoc committee to contribute to the search process for a president for the University of Oregon. I welcome the interest and dedication of the University community to the search process and look forward to working with the committee as the search progresses.

The search committee and I are committed to attracting to the University of Oregon the best possible president. Toward that end, a large and excellent search committee is spending a tremendous amount of time and effort seeking candidates and reviewing applications and nominations and a top notch search consultant is advising the committee and is actively seeking additional candidates for the pool. In order to ensure the best possible group of candidates, the committee and the consultant are committed to provide all actual and possible candidates strict confidentiality.

As I noted to the Senate last month, I will urge the final few candidates to visit the campus publicly prior to their consideration by the State Board of Higher Education. If all these final candidates agree to such a visit, invitations will be extended for visits and information about the candidates will be made available to the ad hoc committee. However, if any of the candidates wishes her or his candidacy to remain confidential until after meeting with the Board, I will not release any of the names or applications prior to the recommendation of the final candidate to the Board. The candidate ultimately recommended to the Board will visit the campus publicly prior to the Board's appointment of a president for the University. Information about that candidate will be made available to the ad hoc committee prior to the visit.

Obviously, I would welcome the assistance of the ad hoc committee during any public visits of any candidates and would consider carefully such comments and advice the ad hoc committee provided to the search committee which the search committee chose to provide me. Those comments would become part of what I would share with the State Board of Higher Education.

Thank you again for sending me the motion. I look forward to the participation of the ad hoc committee at appropriate times during the search process.

Sincerely,

George Pernstiner
Chancellor