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Gottfredson's departure coincides with the establishment of a
new board of directors for the university, located in Eugene,
after a turbulent period.
"I accepted the job as president of this great institution with
the clear objective of helping the university manage through a
period of uncertainty and get to a place of stability,"
Gottfredson said in a statement on the University's website. "We
have accomplished those objectives and I know that the UO is on
the right course."
Gottfredson will receive a $940,000 severance package from the
university, trustee Chuck Lillis said on Thursday, following a
meeting at which the board accepted the resignation and
appointed university provost Scott Coltrane as interim
president.
During his two-year tenure, Gottfredson faced an NCAA
investigation, the birth of a new faculty union and questions
about the university’s handling of alleged sexual assaults by
athletes.
In May, Gottfredson said that three University of Oregon
basketball players who were accused of rape had been dropped
from the team, despite a decision by prosecutors not to charge
them criminally.
Lane County District Attorney Alex Gardner, in announcing that
he would not file charges in the case, had said all three
players told police they had consensual sex with the woman, who
was not identified, but she said it was not consensual.
The new board of directors had considered asking Gottfredson to
stay on while they sought his replacement, but ultimately opted
to have the president depart immediately, Lillis said.
The new board of trustees for the University of Oregon was
created July 1 under an act of the state legislature.
Previously, a single board had overseen every state-chartered
Oregon university.
Gottfredson "felt that, given the history, it was appropriate
that this new group of trustees have an opportunity to have a
president they might want to have," Lillis said.
"He’s been very gracious" about the resignation process, Lillis
said.
When he announced his resignation on Wednesday, Gottfredson said
he was leaving to spend more time with his family and to focus
on scholarly pursuits.
(Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Clarence Fernandez)
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