If you've become accustomed to the pace at which Oregon State University typically tackles big initiatives - let's be generous and call it, well, carefully paced and deliberative - the speed at which the university is approaching its "OSU 2025" overhaul will be a shock to the system.

The latest reminder of that came on Monday, when OSU announced the four "executive deans" it has tapped to take a leading role in the university's new divisional structure. (Read more about this in Theresa Novak's story on the front page today.)

As we read OSU's press release Monday about the organizational changes - all part of changes OSU officials believe are necessary to help it reach its goal of being among the nation's top 10 land-grant institutions - one paragraph jumped out at us, and we commend it to your attention as well:

"In their first year, the executive deans will collaborate with academic deans to create a vision and goals for each division, as well as plans for modification, consolidation, elimination, creation or realignment of degree programs, departments, centers and institutes. Decisions regarding all of the above, with the exception of degree programs, are targeted for implementation beginning in July 2010. Degree program implementation will begin in September."

To make these changes beginning in July 2010, these decisions will need to be made by early next year - and in subsequent conversations on this, OSU officials said Monday that the key decisions really should be made by March.

These are, potentially, huge decisions to be making on a short timeline. But OSU officials believe this process needs to move quickly - and the continuing erosion of state funding has just added urgency to the effort. Buckle your seatbelts.

We'd also urge OSU officials to make this process as transparent and public as possible. If we're talking about the possible elimination of programs - and it's clear that we are - the only thing that could be worse than a decision that's perceived by the public as being overly hasty would be a decision that the public believes was made entirely behind closed doors.

And we encourage OSU to reach beyond the borders of campus in soliciting public participation. The changes that the university will ponder over the next few months may not have the potential to reshape Corvallis in the way that adding thousands of additional students and faculty members might - but they will have an undeniable impact on Corvallis. The community would appreciate having a chance to weigh in.

We know - goodness, how we know - that encouraging wide public participation brings with it the potential of adding unexpected bumps to the road. In the long run, though, it makes for a much smoother ride.