Provost John Miller Plans Retirement

Pacific University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs John Miller has announced his plans to retire at the end of this academic year.

Miller joined Pacific University in 2008, leading the university’s academic units, libraries, athletics and research efforts. 

“The growth in Pacific’s programs during these past 13 years have been nothing short of transformational,” said President Lesley Hallick.

During his tenure, Miller has overseen:

• The College of Arts & Sciences’ new Master of Social Work program, based in Eugene, and a Bachelor of Social Work program in Forest Grove, along with the development of new undergraduate majors in criminal justice, data science, and music education, as well as several new minors, a revision of the core curriculum, and a growth in transfer student enrollment.
• The establishment of the MBA program and the College of Business, which earned accreditation last month.
• The College of Education’s School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, along with its master’s program in speech-language pathology, undergraduate minor and post-baccalaureate track — plus the opening of the Woodburn Campus, the partnership with Lane Community College and the relocation of the Pacific Eugene Campus to the LCC campus, and the growth of master’s and bachelor’s level teacher licensure programs in STEM and elementary education.
• The College of Health Professions’ expansion from a fledgling collaboration of four foundational schools of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, and Graduate Psychology to now also include schools of Audiology, Dental Hygiene Studies, Healthcare Administration & Leadership, and Pharmacy. That expansion also has included two of the university’s first three PhD programs in Clinical Psychology and Education & Leadership (a collaboration with the College of Education) and several outpatient clinics.
• The College of Optometry’s PhD and master’s programs in vision sciences and partnership with health systems in China and Taiwan.

At the same time, he has helped lead the launch of the Center for Educational Technology and Curricular Innovation, Pacific University Press, and Berglund Center for Innovation within the Pacific University Libraries, as well as the growth of athletics programs including the return of football.

He also oversaw the establishment of the Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Projects, which has contributed to the nearly quadrupled amount of externally sponsored research and scholarship at Pacific and the university’s role as the No. 1 private university for research for two consecutive years.

Prior to his time at Pacific, John earned his PhD in sociology from the University of Oregon, served as a professor, department head and dean at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Southeastern Louisiana University, and provost at Eastern Oregon University.

“Please join me in thanking John for his tremendous contributions to Pacific University and its students,” Hallick said, “and in wishing him the best in his retirement."