State Faces Crisis in Higher Education
There are 74.2% wore student; in Institutions of
the State System of Higher Education than there
were in 1940
Enrollment
in
thousands
28
The population
increase plateau
rea* prewar
enrollment
Wartime
The veteran
impact
Present
rollmenr
The war babies
enter college ..
and continue to come .. •
uut ot tne rast
The Shape of Things to Come
UO Stands to Gain
In Registration;
Needs More Room
By WALTER DODD
Oregon higher education today is at the crossroads of a new
era. With a tremendous population increase, and enrollments
double the prewar peak, higher education faces many challenging
and complex problems.
Since 1940, more than 500,000 new Oregonians have been add
ed to the population rolls to bring the total from 1,102,000 to 1,
649,000, a 49.6 per centage population increase, far surpassing
the per centage gains by other
states.
Student body population has
more than kept abreast of pop
ulation increases. From a peak
prewar student body of 3,705
the university has grown to a
postwar peak of 6,149, a 66 per cent
cent increase in the Duck brood.
For the state system of higher
education as a whole, the student
body has increased' from 9,902 in
1940 to 17,259, a per centage of al
most 75 per cent.
GI Total Decreases
The present high postwar enroll
ments are not temporary freaks
caused by the engulfing tide of
GI’s. Enrollments in the state sys
tem of higher education for fall
term 1948 are only 114 under those
of the preceeding year, yet the
number of veterans has declined
1,095.
A continually growing Oregon is
sending to its universities and col
leges enough postwar students to
take up the slack as veterans com
plete their education. A new peak
has been reached, and this new level
will maintain itself for years to
come.
Estimates by the State Board of
Higher Education expect enroll
ments in state system institutions
to remain around the 17,000 level
until about 1957, and then rise to
approximately 22,000 in 1960 with
the influx of war babies.
Enrollment Grows
This would increase the Duckling
brood in Eugene to between 7,200
and' 7,500, provided all institutions
in the state system increased pro
portionately in size.
On the basis of the recommenda
tions of the President’s Commis
sion on Higher Education some 40,
000 Oregonians would be in state
supported institutions of higher
education. This would mean 12,000
students at the University in Eu
gene.
Along with the postwar expan
sion, a 66 per cent increase in the
student bod}', has come growing
pains overcrowded classrooms, and
educational facilities.
The University provides 99 sq. ft.
of classrooms, laboratories, and of
fice areas per student in permanent
buildings. Including temporary
buildings 115 sq. ft, of yawning and
stretching space is available. Forty
per cent of the physical plant of the
university is temporary.
Space Recommended
The President’s Commission on
Higher Education recommends 175
sq. ft. per student and an essential
minimum of 155 sq. ft.
Upon completion of the present
building program, additions to Vil
lard, the library and music build
ings, 125 sq. ft. of both temporary
and permanent buildings are avail
able per student.
This represents only 81 per cent
of the space required to meet es
sential minimum standards. A 24
per cent increase in classroom, lab
oratory and office space is needed
to meet current requirements.
Board Asks Funds
The State Board of Higher Edu
cation has requested a legislative
appropriation of $12,175,000 to
meet current emergency building
needs to be distributed as follows:
1 HE PRESENT HIGH postwar enrollments are not temporary
freaks caused by the engulfing tide of GI’s. Educators are con
vinced that enrollment has leveled off and will remain at a record
plane for many years. Along with growth has come signs of
growing pains; overcrowded classrooms and educational facil
ities.
uo .
osc .
Medical-Dental
EOCE .
SOCE .
OCE .
TOTAL.
.$ 3,500,000
. 5,175,000
. 2,500,000
350,000
350.000
300.000
$12,175,000
The University request covers a
science building, building additions
for business administration and a
new heating plant and heating tun
nels.
The funds for OSC covers build
ings for dairy manfucture, food in
dustry, home economics, chemical
engineering, and the first unit of
an agricultural and biological build
ing.
On the basis of a 6,500 enrollment
in the university, 140 sq. ft. of tem
porary and permanent space per
student will be available when the
emergency building program is
completed.
Will Still Lack Room
This emergency building pro
gram will still leave the University
below the essential minimum rec
ommended by the Commission on
Ote^a*
&OA piMuf
« 1,649,000
.in 1948 ^
!>
1,102,000
In 1940
Higher Education to meet current
needs and requirements.
To bring the physical plants of
state institutions up to adequate
minimum standards to meet cur
rent requirements would cost $24,
500,000. Of the total almost $9,000,
000 is to be spent at the University
in Eugene.
Ten-Year Program
Such a building program is plan
ned to cover a ten-year period. Ad
ditions are planned to architecture,
journalism, administration, physi
cal education, Condon, Chapman,
and the women’s physical education
building.
On the basis of the ten year build
ing program 167 sq. ft. of class
room, laboratory, and office space
will be available per student.
Not until the completion of the
proposed ten year building program
will the physical facilities of higher
education be sufficient to meet>cur
rent requirements.
Three Exhibts
Set for Gallery
In AAA School
Three major exhibitions are
scheduled for the Little Art Gallery
in the Art school for spring term,
according to Mark Sponenburgh,
art instructor.
“Early American Xrts and
Crafts,’’ the first exhibit, will be
shown from April 12 to 24, and is
being gathered in this area by J. D.
Hatch, Visiting professor of art.
This will be followed by a travel
ing group called “A survey of
American Sculpture,” and will be
made up of material from the Mu
seum of Modern Art in New York,
which will be supplemented by
sculpture from the leading Ameri
can museums illustrating the prin
cipaal periods from 1700 to the
present. This exhibition will begin
with a formal opening on the even
ing of May 4, and will run through
May 22.
The “Art School Annual,” exhibi
tion of work done by students in
the school, v/ill open June 11 and
run through the summer.
Christian Science
Christian Science organization
will meet Tuesday at 7:45 p. m. in
the YWCA.
All connected with the Universi
ty are invited' to attend.
Spanish Movie
A Spanish movie will be shown
today at 3:30 and 7 P. M., in 207
Chapman Hall. Cantinflas will star
in “El Supersabio.” Admission 25c.
Color Photography
Browsing Topic
“Color Photography” will be the
subject of a talk by Don Hunter,
head of the audio-visual depart
ment of the University library, at
the Ethel R. Sawyer Browsing
room hour this afternoon at 4,
Hunter will use colored slides to il
lustrate his talk, and will suggest
worth-while books and magazines
dealing with his subject. The talk
is open to all students.
Spokane Meet
Attracts Four
Four faculty members from the
school of education will attend the
Inland Empire meeting April 6, 7,
and 8, in Spokane. Public schools
and colleges in six western states
will be represented.
Delegates from Oregon will in
clude F. L. Stetson, professor of
education and executive secretary
of the Northwest Association of
Colleges and Secondary schools;
H. B. Wood, professor of education
and president of the Northwest
Curricula society which is meeting
in Spokane; P. B. Jacobson, dean
of the school of education, and R.
G. Langston, assistant professor
of education.
Principal speakers at the meet
ing will be Robert N. Hutchens,
president, University of Chicago;
Harold Benjamin, dean of the
school of education, University of
Maryland, and Professor Ethel Al
penfels, New York university.
Float Parade
Pairings for the Junior weekend
float parade will be discussed at a
meeting Thursday at the Alpha
Omricon Pi house at 7 p. m., accord
ing to parade chairman Phil Pat
terson.
Every living organization has
been requested by Patterson to
send a representative to the meet
ing.
Hui O Kamaaina
An important Hui O Kamaaina
meeting will be held Tuesday at 7
P. M., downstairs in Gerlinger Hall.
A $24,000,000 Program Will Help
Desirable...
175 square feet
Essential minimum ...
155 square feet
nduding temporary buildings
122 square feet
In permanent buildings only
112 square feet
NECESSARY SPACE per Student Recommended by President’s Commission
cn Higher Education.
ACTUAL BUILDING Space Available in Institutions of the Oregon State
System of Higher Education.