U. of Oregon Cancels Branding Contract, Will Spend Money on Academics

The University of Oregon announced on Wednesday that it had canceled a multimillion-dollar contract with a branding firm and planned to funnel the savings into academics, The Register-Guard reports. The university said it would save hundreds of thousands of dollars by canceling the contract with 160over90.

The move follows much soul-searching at the university about its academic standing, juxtaposed against its yearslong effort to brand the campus as an alluring destination for undergraduates.

Michael H. Schill, the university’s president, said the move was part of an effort to cut administrative costs campuswide.

In November, Mr. Schill announced the university would spend $17 million to raise the four-year graduation rate by 10 percent over the next five years.