Oregon Public Broadcasting

Richard Lariviere won't be University of Oregon's president in 2012. That's the outcome of Monday’s vote by the state higher education board.

Courtesy U of O website, Michael McDermott.

Board president Matt Donegan blamed the termination on what he called an "erosion of trust."

He cited Lariviere's granting pay raises to faculty in spite of system-wide belt-tightening. And he says Lariviere nearly scuttled the university system's bill -- to give higher ed institutions more autonomy -- by pushing a bill focused on giving autonomy just to U of O.

"It's not any one issue, it's just been a long, deepening divide," Donegan said.

Board members voted unanimously to terminate Lariviere. Faculty members plan to meet with the chancellor on Wednesday. But many Lariviere supporters spoke in heated opposition to the board before it voted.

Lariviere won't be president past December 28th. But he doesn't plan to leave Eugene after that.

"I will probably go back to the faculty and join them as a colleague and teach classical India and Sanskrit."

He can join the faculty as a tenured professor. And, OUS officials say the former president will get $245,000, the equivalent of one-year of salary.