Farewell UO President, Richard Lariviere

Farewell and thanks to our University of Oregon President, Richard Lariviere—December 28, 2011

Today marks the end of a presidency but not the end of what our University must accomplish going forward. The sign of a good leader is how the organization functions when the leader is no longer there. If an organization is solely dependent on the charisma and influence of the leader, it is really about the leader and not the goals and values of the organization. However, if an organization can continue moving forward and knows what it needs to do regardless of the leader, you know you are on the right track. While we will surely miss his daily presence and leadership, he has left the University stronger than when he arrived.

One of the things that he engendered and inspired in us is to be bold and to take chances. President Lariviere had an uncanny ability to make you think that everything was your idea; that the reason why we were doing well was because of what we as individuals were accomplishing collectively. He was so fond of saying, “You guys don’t know how good you really are.” It’s time for us to demonstrate why he always said that. We must remember that and honor his tenure as the 16th University of Oregon president by moving forward with purpose and determination. Thanks for everything Richard. You will be missed, but not forgotten.