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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1974)
problems. The library has the few textbooks the department uses, and Zweig, in fact, suggested the library drop a couple of minor philosophy periodicals. He says he would like to use more films to make up for the lack of speakers. He explained he had the opportunity to rent a film called "Oxford Philosophy" which, according to Zweig, "presented six of Great Britain's best philosophers." But with a rental fee of $300, "we can't even think of con sidering that." He appealed to a state commission for financial help "but we came away empty-handed." Feeling somewhat empty-handed themselves are the graduate students who have suffered the brunt of the department's cuts. Last year, the department offered 10 graduate courses. This year, there are four. Nye explains: "The idea at the University is that you get as much money as you have undergraduate students in your department. They have some formula." According to people in the department, the emphasis is put on getting undergraduate enrollment up. That means professors have to teach more undergraduate courses which in turn means they have to get the additional time by lopping off graduate courses. The graduate offerings are now so slim the students have banded together in an effort to find out for them selves what is happening. "The graduate students are really upset," said Nye. "The professors are appalled." As in undergraduate courses, the quality of education ir graduate programs has suffered. Last year, students could, through independent study, spend time with a professor. But, as one graduate student put it, "They're running so hard just to keep things going in their un dergraduate classes, they haven't got the time to sit down with us." Dave Tiktin and John Thomas, graduate students, met Tuesday with professor of history Paul Holbo in an effort to find out why graduate students were getting low priority. What they found out was "not too en couraging," said Tiktin. He said Holbo told them there is some latitude for change in the philosophy department. He told the graduate students that to get more graduate courses would require increasing the class load of the professors or dropping some low-attendance undergraduate courses. Tiktin believed because professors are almost embarrassed at the dismal shape of the graduate school, they would accept a heavier class load. But the professors themselves can only shudder at the thought of increased work loads. Zweig says large classes are difficult to teach. There are five with over 100 students attending. Because of the school's poor financial shape, the department is hiring "cheaper" professors to replace those who leave. Zweig said many of the best philosophers at the school "would be impossible to replace." One professor said the philosophers don't complain too much about low salaries. "As long as working conditions are congenial and there are good people to work with, we'll accept just about anything." He pointed out the poor job market prevents most professors from moving on. "No one has offered me any more money," he quipped. People in the philosophy department said statistics don't really tell the story of declining quality of education. They do provide a measure of how poorly the department fares money-wise. Replacing those who leave, though, has caused an erosion in the standards. Said Nye, "The department might be sacrificing standards to provide some people appealing to undergraduate students." Levi, too, noted that decisions on staff appointments "are made under the worst possible conditions. We're walking a tight rope." Over the past four years, the department has lost three Drawing by Jill Herrigel and a half staff positions and now has only seven and a half professors. Teaching assistants ranks have been thinned 50 per cent from 12 to six. With those declines has come a 25 per cent increase in enrollment in the pas* year alone. Department leaders shudder every time they think about the numbers. The future looks no more promising. Holbo told graduate students the department could lose one more staff member. Any additional cuts beyond that would mean the elimination of the graduate program. Zweig says he sometimes feels like a professional fighter when wrestling for more money. He would like at least two more staff members. "I'm vigorously arguing with the people who are close to the source of money," he says. He says even with all the bad news, the department tries to attract good students. Smiling wryly he noted, "I try not to be too discouraging when I talk to them." But the facts and comments tell a story that is anything but encouraging. Fast today ( Continued from Page 18) participating, will be used to supply food and encourage agriculture in Bangladesh, Northern Ghana, and Niger. Since OXFAM relies on a small, mostly volunteer staff for distribution, a minimal percentage of the total funds raised will be spent on administration. "All the money's well-used, says Daniel Judd, spokesperson for Eugene-OXFAM "It's not like foreign aid where they dump millions of dollars in some bureaucratic machine...they're working in areas where it's possible to raise the level of specific programs." OXFAM asks that checks be sent to OXFAM-America, 302 Columbus Ave., Boston, Mass. A vigil will be held on the EMU terrace today from noon to 1 p.m., at which contributions will also be accepted. Hunger is a problem which not many in the United States h jve to deal with. According to OXFAM, the average Indian consumes 200 pounds of grain in a year. The average American consumes 1,700 pounds per year, much of it in the form of livestock. The amount of good which one day's abstinence can do is open to question. 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