While this opinion piece is written by parties who have a vested interest and must be carefully scrutinized, they make some good points.  Lower paid non-tenured faculty are an important part of an efficiently run modern University.  It is important to have a portion of the faculty that takes teaching as a first priority rather than research.  The teaching portion of the faculty is cost effective in supporting the primary educational function of the University.  Research is a secondary function of the University and it is very expensive.  Tenure-track faculty are typically heavily involved in research which requires substantial time.  Such faculty may teach only one course per term (or none).  The trustees, as representatives? of the citizens of Oregon, must decide whether to go with cost effective contract employees or expensive tenure-track faculty.  Truth be told, research provides limited benefit to Oregonians but is very expensive.  (A former tenured professor.)