Oregon Public Broadcasting

The new president of the University of Oregon said Tuesday he agrees with recent criticism leveled at the state’s university system.

Central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey reports.

The fall school year hasn’t started yet, so new president Richard Lariviere is on a barnstorming tour of the state.

In Bend, Lariviere spoke to local business leaders and told OPB that he supports a critical letter that former state higher education board members sent to the Governor.

That letter proposed turning the state university system into a public corporation. Lariviere says even though that idea may make waves, it should be considered.

Richard Lariviere: “The regulatory involvement in the state in higher education is way out of whack. And any time you layer on some set of regulatory constraints you’re debilitating the university from fulfilling its obligation to the state of Oregon.”

After his stop in Bend, Lariviere will head out of state, to the high-profile Ducks football game versus Boise State on Thursday.

Richard Lariviere: “I think that we are going to win by 8 points, you heard it here first.”

He’s not rocking the boat there.