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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1948)
- fyniuetiltiif, Beeki llebenisiauM,... Blueprints For Future UO Related Proposed Surplus Allocation to Provide Building Betterment A long range building program for the future will permit the schools in the state system of higher education to realize a single goal—that of being able to supply adequately the demands of stu dents regarding utilities, class , rooms, and laboratories. In addition to the use of 512,000, 000 in income tax surpluses for future building construction as outlined by Governor John H. Hall last Saturday, the state board of higher education will submit a recommendation to the next legis lature asking appopriations for ab solute minimum building construc tion needs. Nothing Immediate The legislature will be asked to appropriate $24,500,000. This a mount. will include the $12,000,000 emergency portion which the state board recommends be put in use immediately on the emergency phases of the minimum building program. The remaining money would be used over a period of years for con struction of buildings and comple tion of projects according to the needs of each institution. However, nothing will be done immediately to put this fund to use because of the high cost of building construc tion. Under the existing plan the Uni versity would receive $5,275,000 to be allocated for construction in the following way: Schools to Expand Expansion of the architecture and allied arts school to cost $550, 000; school of journalism, $400, 000;$150,000 addition to the physi cal education building; infirmary addition to cost $225,000; and a $700,000 addition to the women’s PE building. Completion of an administration building to house agencies now lo cated in Emeral hall would cost $600,000. Additions amounting to $650,000 will be made to Condon r and Chapman halls. $150,000 will be spent for utili ties, and $550,000 will go for land acquisitions. Dorm Unit Plans In Final Stage One of the first projects on the University’s building schedule will be the women's dormitory on Em erald street between Thirteenth and Fourteenth. Architects will complete final plans and specifications for the first unit of the women’s dormi tory February 22. Bids will be called for the following day. On March 16, the bids will be opened by the building committee of the state board of higher education. It and the Erb Memorial build ing are the two self-financed structures planned by the Univer sity. Both are scheduled to be un ^ der construction before the end of the year, i The science building, shown above in architects’ drawing, is one of the first projects to be undertaken in the University’s building program. The building will be situated at the corner Of Fourteenth and Kin caid. The physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy departments are to be housed in the new structure. Proposal to Speed Building Program Critical building needs at the University of Oregon and other state institutions of higher learn ing call for immediate action on the part of the State of Oregon, according to University officials interviewed yesterday. The significance of Governor Hall's proposal that $12,000,000’ in tax surpluses be made available through initiative action that would place the allocation of these funds on the November ballot, lies Building Plans Need'OK' Vote Is is up to the people of the state of Oregon to supply the ab solute minimum emergency in structional facilities needed—lab oratories, classrooms, and library space. Governor John H. Hall, virtually implied this solution in a speech given before an assembled group of Oregon Dads last Saturday. He said that it would be the •oters who would have to start •nitiative action to put on the No vember ballot a measure to divert $12,000,000 in income tax surpluses to ’ uilding construction for schools of iiigher education. Unless this is done, the money cannot be touched. Signatures Required To r et this measure on the bal lot, it would take close to 50,000 signatures on a petition, or 8 per cent of the total number of regis tered vo'ers. Tentative plans for the alloca tion of t'-'s money have already been drawn up. The University will receive exa'tly half of the total amount. This means the Univer sity will re^eb-e $6,000,000 for new buildings, additions and expansions of existing structures and plants. Allocations Listed Additions to buildings of the school of business administration will total $700,000; $1,800,000 will be allocated for science labora tories and classes; $1,000,000 will be used for expansion of the heat ing plant and tunnels; and $2,500, 000 will go to the Or egon Medical school for a new medical unit and utilities. Supporting the views of Gover nor Hall, the state board of higher education said, “This program is considered the absolute minimum required to enable the institution to do effectively their job and to provide facilities reasonably com in the fact that this money could then be used iri the near future to alleviate the existing cramped con ditions. Need Established “There can t}s no question' among thinking people of the ex treme need of the institutions of higher learning for the $12,000, 000 as proposed by the governor. It has been well established that a sizeable surplus exists in the state treasurey. “To wait for the 1949 legisla ture to make an appropriation, from this surplus would mean that buildings needed right now would not be available for use until the fall of 1951 or later. The govern or’s proposal for a vote of the people this fall would accelerate the program at least a year,” Dr. C. D. Byrne, secretary of the state board of education said. University Dags In order for the University of Oregon to provide educational fa cilities equivalent to those found in the institutions of higher learn ing in other states, it is necessary for considerable building expan sion to take place, University of ficials stated. Business office figures show that the University of Oregon’s “emer gency” building program amounts to $8,675,000. $3,500,000 of this would be obtainable from the pro posed state allocation, the rest to be received through future approp riations. These figures can be com pared to the $90,000,000 building program of the California state system of higher education or the $21,000,000 program now under way at the University of Washing ton. Little Alloted Another significant comparison is that of the state alloted funds for the years 1930-45, during which time Oregon spent $100,000 for state institutions, Washington $6, 000,000 and California $10,000,000. “If the educational standards of the University of Oregon are to be maintained, the state must do something. We feel it is the state’s responsibility to provide class rooms and adequate facilities. The need is undeniable, the money is here, and we think it should be put to use,” was one University officials comment. That the members of the student pared to similar institutions in nearby states. It only provides for the needs of “yesterday” not for the requirements of “tomorrow!” !f Millrace Restored We Could Float Oregon students just haven't a foot to stand on. In fact, each student of our fair institution of higher erudition lacks something like 60 square feet according to our calculations. National standards specify that each university should have 170 square feet for each student enrolled. At present Oregon has only 110 square feet per student, or almost one-third below the national norm. EDITOR'S NOTE This page was prepared to give students a round-up of Uni versity building plans and the manner in which Gov. Hall’s pro posed allocation of funds will alter the situation. The articles were written by Virginia Fletch er and Bob Reed. AWS Petitions Needed Monday Petitions for committee heads of the Associated Women Students preview weekend should be turned in to Barbara Johns at the Delta Gamma house by Monday, Febru ary 23. Positions to be filled include chairmanship of Nickel Hop, ex change dinners, Saturday after noon fun fest, and invitations com mittees. body are equally aware of the pressing need for expansion was asserted by Stanley Williamson, student body president. Campuses Neglected Financially Record Enrollments, Small Allotments Pose Big Problems An overall picture of building construction on the campuses of the state system of higher educa tion during the past 19 years shows that appropriations made for the period 1945 to 1947 were greatly in excess of the appropriations made during the 15-year period, 1929 to 1945. Today, institutions of higher edu cation face a difficult problem. They lack proper facilities to serve the largest number of students in the state's history. The state board of higher education puts the blame on two fundamental causes: the first, a “failure of the state over a long period of time, to provide ade quate physical plant for its institu tions of higher learning.” And sec ond, “inadequacy of emergency measures and funds chiefly because of the familiar inflation bugaboos —higher costs of wages and build ing materials.” Low Appropriations From 1929 to 1945, the state leg islature appropriated only $100,000 for buildings. Compared with the appropriations of other western states for the same period, this was remarkably low. The state of Washington provided $5,000,000 and California made available $10, 000,000. During this period, a number of buildings were completed through a self-financed program, supple mented by federal aid. Student building fees were pledged to pro vide funds for this program. In 1945, the legislature appropri ated $1,000,000 for emergency building purposes and an addition al $4,000,000 was granted by the people. Three Completed Over a span of 10 years, this amount was to provide for 29 es sential projects. At present, three projects have been completed, and three are under construction. Six other proposed works, plans for which are practically complete, will exhaust the building funds available. From the money in this fund, (Please turn to pane six) ~t INFORMAL TEA DANCE 3:00 - 6:00 Sunday Afternoon Featuring: The music and versatile entertainment of HERB WIDMERE COMBO 50c cover charge