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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1978)
$1.5 million spent annually IFC makes effort to inform students In an attempt to better inform students about the $31 paid each term in incidental fees, the Incidental Fee Committee (IFC) inserted an information card in every registration packet this term. “I would guess that less than 10 percent of the current student body understands any relationship between tuition and the stu dents having control over part of that money,” says IFC member IFC member Scott Bassett, who instigated the card. Yet, Bassett is optimistic about the effect the card may have. He says, "The fundamental assumption underlying this project is that students are not apathetic, but they are ignor ant. Students cannot be called apathetic if they are not informed.” Through the card, students will perhaps find out student gov ernment "has some power and is worth being involved in,” Bas sett says. The card details the amount of money taken in incidental fees yearly, $1,458,264.78, and how the money is spent. The IFC and ASUO executive determine which groups should get how much. Their decisions are then subject to the University president’s judgment. In the 1977-78 academic year, the EMU obtained the most IFC support, $512,579, or 35.2 percent of the total funds. EMU prog rams were next in line with 18.6 percent followed by inter collegiate athletics with 15.2 percent of incidental fees. IFC members have already been through one set of budget hearings to determine next year's fee allocations. In the first set members decided on appropriate goals for each group request ing money. The next hearings, scheduled for April, will set actual dollar amounts for the groups. Oregon law forces fee assessment Like it or not, students are stuck with paying incidental fees. Oregon statute 351.070 delegates the authority to assess stu dent incidental fees to the State Board of Higher Education, which in turn gives that power to each University president, who then has the option of allowing a student group to assess the fee and determine where the money should go. The statute says the "State Board of Higher Education prescribes incidental fees for programs under the supervi sion or control of the board, found by the board, upon its own motivation whereupon recognition of the recognized student governments of the in stitutions concerned.” Last term a student called the IFC asking for a voucher to waive the incidental fee since he didn’t participate in any of the fee funded groups. The student was referred to Office of Student Advocacy and his request was denied under the statute. Students in California are testing the validity of student fees in one school. About 50 students filed suits against one University of California School in small claims court to recover their fees. The suits, filed in mid-March, claim the university does not have the right to collect the money. Students there pay $12.50 in fees each quarter. Earlier, the students sbnt petitions to the university chancellor demanding the return of their money, but the petitions were denied. There may be some hope for the California students, but this University is faced with the $31 fee every term by law. Take heart; at least the University of Oregon fee is the lowest of the seven major Oregon colleges and universities. Stories by CAROLYN BEAVER Of the Emerald Budgetary ills plague colleges, explains Boyd SALEM — University Pres. Wil liam Boyd says budget problems have replaced student rebellions as the top problem facing college leaders. Boyd spoke Monday be fore the Salem Rotarian Women. He said an enrollment decline is causing closure of the UO School of Librarianship after next summer and forcing the budget of the Col lege of Community Services to be cut in half. While the number of teachers drops off, the number of adminis trators rises, Boyd said. With government regulation in creasing on campuses, so does the number of regulators. “Sometimes I think they multi ply like coathangers in a dark closet,” he said. “Every time you look there are more of them. “Even when Gov. Bob Straub declared war on forms, each campus came up with a commis sar of forms. It’s hard not to be come cynical about the whole process.” Boyd said tuition and state ap propriations will have to be in creased. But he said he advo cated higher tuition only if it is ac companied by increased aid to lower and middle income stu dents. The University’s budget pro cess should be more open to the public, he said. This spring, Boyd said, Eugene area legislators will meet with University officials to go over the University’s $41.8 million budget. “I submit that society can’t af ford to lose its love affair with higher education,” Boyd said. 1978-79 Cultural Forum Position Openings One coordinator will be selected for each of the following areas: • Popular Concerts • Heritage Music • Contemporary Issues • Film and Literature • Visual and Performing Arts Pick up applications forms in the Program Office, Suite 2, EMU (Deadline for applying is 5 pm, April 14, 1978) These are non-salaried positions.
