Michael R. Gottfredson has resigned, effective on Thursday, as president of the University of Oregon after two years on the job, according to news reports. In a resignation letter on Wednesday, he cited academic and personal reasons for stepping down. “My scholarly interests beckon,” he wrote, adding that he and his wife, Karol, “would like more time to spend with our family.”
The Oregonian, however, noted that his resignation had the hallmarks of a forced departure: Mr. Gottfredson “does not have a new job lined up, it was announced the day before it takes effect, and he cites spending more time with family as a key motive.”
Mr. Gottfredson took office in August 2012 after he was hired by the Oregon Board of Higher Education, which had fired his predecessor, Richard W. Lariviere, the previous year. The university has its own Board of Trustees now, following a restructuring of higher-education governance in Oregon. That board got the power to hire and fire the university’s president just last month. The board has scheduled a meeting for Thursday afternoon to discuss the university’s future leadership.
