Pending computer consolidation plan undergoes
revision
By OWEN MASCOTT
Of the Emerald
Affirmative: computers are
making news again in Oregon,
logically enough. A pending plan
to centralize the computer
operations of the state’s nine
institutions of higher education
into a consolidated network has
undergone a recent revision.
The change involves placing
Report hits health policies
as vague, incomprehensible
Most people in the Eugene
Springfield area do not un
derstand their health insurance
policies and don’t know where to
go with their claim problems, a
study issued Monday by the
Consumer Research Center of the
University (CRC) and OSPIRG
reveals.
OSPIRG said the three-month
study concluded that “the Oregon
Insurance Commissioner has
approved health insurance
policies containing such vague
and obscure language that many
consumers do not understand
their health insurance
coverage.”
The report calls for the In
surance Commissioner “to take
strong action to protect health
insurance policyholders by
requiring that policies be written
in plain English.’’
The study which included a
survey of 114 households in the
Eugene-Springf ield area
disclosed that the majority of
respondents misunderstand
common policy language and
that while nearly 25 percent have
previously had a claim problem,
only two in ten know that the
Oregon Insurance Divison can
assist with complaints.
Commitment process detailed
If you’ve been planning to have a friend or an enemy
committed to the State Hospital, here’s how to go about it.
First of all, you need another person to cooperate with you.
The two of you must observe and record the patient’s erratic
behavior for at least a week. Then you need to go down to the
Lane County Mental Health Clinic at 1901 Garden Avenue and
fill out certain court and petition papers, discuss the patient’s
emotional or behavioral problems with one of the 40 persons
ranging from psychiatrists and clinical psychologists to
volunteers working at the clinic.
Next, you need to set a time for a board hearing at which you
and your ‘co-committer’ and two physicians must be present. If
(he board’s verdict is affirmative, your friend or ex-friend will
be “escorted” to Salem.
About two-third of the patients in the Sate Hospital are
committed as a result of this process. The others are volunteer
admittants.
This information was offered by Tom Nugent, Supervisor of
the Mental Health Division of the Lane County Health Depart
ment, in a Friday speech to the Eugene Rubicon Society. His
speech was part of the Rubicon continuing series, “Know Your
County Government.”
Besides committing persons to the State Hospital, the
Mental Health Clinic also maintains an alcohol abuse program,
program for ex-hospital patients and services for emotionally
disturbed children and adults, Nugent said. The clinic’s two
main priorities are children and alcoholics.
He said contracts with three local organizations have
replaced some of the work that used to be done in the clinic:
White Bird Clinic and its services related to drug abuse, Family
Counselling Services and Pearl Buck Center.
The Mental Health Clinic also maintains Carlton House, a
live-in situation for alcoholic males, Buckley House, a
detoxification center and a half-way house for alcoholic women.
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the network data processing
function under the direct
supervision and control of the
Chancellor’s Office rather than
under Oregon State University’s
supervision as earlier planned.
This latest development is in
accordance with recom
mendations made by the Oregon
legislature’s Ways and Means
Salary Subcommittee in a May
report. Another suggestion of
fered by the legislators was “to
defer for one year the Depart
ment of Higher Education’s
request which relates to ad
ditional computing capacity (new
machines).”
The legislature passed a one
year budget for the computer
network in the recent session and
instructed that the funds be used
to hire a network director and
administrative staff.
The director and staff will be
charged with completing the
comprehensive planning that the
network consolidation requires.
One of their primary tasks will be
to open a bidding process with
several computer manufacturers
to determine which machinery
will be installed.
The change in the network’s
proposed site is the focal point of
discussion in computing centers
throughout the state. There had
been much concern, particularly
at this University, that cen
tralizing the network at Oregon
State could have created a
conflict of interest. George
Struble, University Computing
Center Director, says “running
their (OSU’s) own operation
alongside the network project
could have raised some
problems, particularly in terms
of time scheduling and financial
arrangements.”
University President Robert
Clark publicly declared skep
ticism in regards to the network
plan as it was formulated at a
State Board of Higher Education
meeting last September 26. On
that date the board conducted its
first review of a plan to add
$484,000 to the state system’s
proposed $7.5 million 1973-75
computing services budget to
establish a computer network
over the following two years.
Clark was concerned that the
University might suffer a loss of
quality in its computing service.
Provisions in the original net
work plan had included the
possibility of trading in the
University’s $1.1 million IBM 360
50 computer for $250,000 two
years from now, as well as the
centralization at OSU. Clark and
eight other University
representatives pressed the
board on what they considered
the shortcomings of the network
plan. The board then passed
provisions which provided:
— Any plans for removing,
replacing or adding computer
equipment at any state system
school would be thoroughly
reviewed by the board’s finance
committee before approval.
— No existing computer
equipment will be removed from
any state system campus until
after the full board has reviewed
the removal plans.
President Clark said the
proposal “may be the most
important issue we’ve had to
discuss with the board” since he
was named president.
Computing Center Direotor
Struble noted that the decision to
locate facilities at OSU “was
made by the Chancellor’s Office
alone and never was recom
mended by the Computer Policy
Council.” (CPC is a 10-member
group representing the nine state
system campuses and the
Chancellor’s Office — it was
formally established by the state
board last July 24).
Struble is the chairer of the
technical advisory group, an
important ad hoc subcommittee
of the CPC. It is his group’s
function to “evaluate technical
matters relating to the network
and advise the CPC on them.”
During a May meeting the
council established the following
priority order for the sub
committee’s work over the
coming term:
— Review, summarize and
submit to the CPC the computing
needs identified thus far by the
various groups, e.g. academic
systems, administrative
systems, etc.
— Assess the general com
puting resources necessary to
meet the collective computing
needs of the Oregon State System
of Higher Education.
— Develop general criteria for
evaluating computing equipment
needed to meet the network
requirements.
Struble feels there is still plenty
of planning to be conlcuded by the
computer network personnel.
The search is now on for a net
work director and administrative
staff to assist in the preparations.
“Further consultation
regarding the technicalities of
locating the facilities under the
Chancellor’s Office supervision is
sure to comprise the bulk of our
discussions at the next council
meeting on August 15,” Struble
said.
Applications Available
The following committees are open
ing applications for students to fill
positions during the summer session.
Applications can be picked up at the
A. S. U. O. office 315 EMU.
Application deadline is Thnrs. July
19, 1973.
The following committees have
openings.
1. Status of Women 3 positions.
2. Academic Occasions Comm. 3 positions*
3. Academic Requirements 1 positions.
4. Equal Employment Opportunity 1 positing
5. Student Conduct Comm. 1 position.
6. Scholastic Deficiency Comm. 2 positions*
7. Mew Student Orientation Comm. 4 positions
8. Assembly and University Lectures Comm.
3 positions.