WOU's Gary Welander had been accused of sexual harassment Gary Welander has relinquished h... Embattled professor gives up his

Gary Welander has relinquished his tenured professor rank at Western Oregon University and will retire by the end of the school year, John Minahan, the school's interim president, said Friday.

"I think his effectiveness was compromised during this last year. His teaching effectiveness was clearly compromised," Minahan said, referring to a sexual-harassment case that embroiled the veteran professor in controversy during the past school year.

A deal struck by the two men ends Welander's long teaching career at WOU while allowing him to continue working in a nonteaching capacity this school year and, following his retirement, in a half-time role for up to three more years.

Welander now is working full time in WOU's athletics department, tracking the academic eligibility of student-athletes. His yearly salary is $65,232, the same pay he received as a tenured professor in the Teacher Education Division.

Next school year, he said, the retired Welander will resume his athletic department duties in a half-time role, at half pay. After that, he has the option of working for two more years. At that point, his employment expires.

Minahan, who became interim president in late August, said the deal is aimed at putting to rest a sexual harassment scandal that shined a negative spotlight on the school and sparked dissension in the school's Teacher Education Division.

"This thing needs to be put to rest, and this is the best way to do it," Minahan said. Welander did not respond to a Statesman Journal request for comment.

Gov. Kulongoski then stepped in, ordering the state's seven public universities to evaluate whether they were doing enough to protect students from sexual harassment and educate students and staff about the risks of student-teacher romantic relationships.

Since then, Western Oregon and the other schools have strengthened campus policies, expanded education and training programs, and taken other steps to safeguard students.

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