Oregon falls behind for some good reasons, most notably its relatively modest array of academic programs. Without cash cows like engineering, medicine, and pharmacy, Oregon cannot expect to generate the kind of research dollars that the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor or the Univer sity of Washington might.
But few question that something must change here. After decades building an identity around a vibrant and alluring undergraduate experience, Oregon now wrestles with the sober reality that it must either elevate its academic standing or risk sliding further down the prestige ladder.