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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1978)
Boyd (Continued from Page 8) Community Service and Public Af fairs. Both actions created controver sies that brought protest from stu dents, faculty and concerned citi zens statewide. Boyd maintains his closure of the librarianship school was economically necessary. At the time of his decision, opponents claimed the school was unique in the state and should be spared from budget cuts. Boyd argues now, as then, that the school was the best place to absorb University budget cut backs. Boyd says the state has no great need for librarians, and the school was detached enough from the rest of the University to cause only minimal impact if closed. Many opponents of the school’s closure disagreed with Boyd’s contention that librarians were underpaid and under-employed in in Oregon, including one profes sor with figures showing a high placement ratio of University lib rarianship school graduates. Many argued that Boyd should have sliced a program duplicated elsewhere from the University budget. But he insists that the lib rarianship school was the easiest place to make a needed sacrifice. Legislative underfunding of the University and declining enroll ment has caused a money short fall that led him to re-organize the scnooi, tioya says. “It was not a popular decision,” he says, heaving a sigh. In Feb ruary 1977, Boyd announced his plan to reduce the CSPA budget almost by 50 percent over the next two years. The CSPA school is another program unique in the state, and Boyd’s announcement raised more than a few hackles. Though his reasoning for select ing the CSPA program for sub stantial budget cuts pleased few, Boyd says it is a program that can and should be interdisciplinary in hard times. Bryan Downes, associate dean for the CSPA program, says the school is functioning, but under great stress. "They’re really ask ing you to do the same for less,” he says. Downes says he tries to be op timistic and thinks the school will survive. "We’re trying to respond creatively ... this year. We’re identifying other resources on campus (to tie-into).” Downes says it is probably too early to judge the total effect Boyd’s decision will have on the education the CSPA program provides. Boyd says another major con cern of his during the past three years is the University’s image, which is somewhat related to fund ing. “One result of greater recog nition is getting more private money,” he says. Boyd says he may not be di rectly responsible for improving the public relations arm of the Uni versity, but adds that he has been able to discern a change in public opinion since his arrival. Boyd’s commitment to improv ing the University image is re c°j&e Punvyors of : WORLD’.' FINEST COFFEE* MEXICAN * SWISS CHOCOLATE RARE * £\OTIC TEAS -MiUffli’Wfr -BuiMtiu} ”»*— JE«WT Hfli £i<i|ri(f. OivijiWl 97-toi fleeted in increased attention to the community education prog ram and the hiring of a public rela tions expert at the vice presiden tial level. Curt Simic, vice president for public affairs, says it is unfortu nate that economic considera tions may have led the University to take stock of its public image. Nevertheless, it is a step in the right direction for the University to increase its accessibility, he says. Boyd says it was his concern about the University’s image that caused him to speak out in his first three years about graduate edu cation and research, areas he says the public misunderstands. Considering his early attention to graduate education, he sounds like a different person when speaking of his commitment to undergraduates. In fact, it would seem as if the commitment is new-found. Not so, he says. “If I seemed to stress graduate education and research in the past, it is because those are areas I felt the public needed to better understand,” he offers. Boyd adds that his major goal is to cut down on student attrition. “This means improving our advis ing system and improving under graduate life, in general.” Improving undergraduate “life” can be as specific as developing a new registration system and re quiring faculty to keep generous office hours, according to Boyd. “This probably means a shifting of resources from graduate to un dergraduate education,” he adds. Boyd sees the major issue of the future as maintaining quality education throughout budget cuts. Earlier this year, Boyd told one group that budget problems have replaced student rebellions as the top problem facing college leaders. Barring future student rebel lions, budget problems will con tinue to dominate Boyd’s presi dential consciousness. But it re mains to be seen whether he will respond to such problems humanely and effectively. HALLOWEEN! Theatrical Make-up ★ Masks ★ Accessories BACKSTAGE 878 Pearl Street Eugene, Oregon 97401 686-2671 Mon - Sat 9:00 - 5:30 State consumer division has ‘bite’ in enforcing law By STEVE DODGE Of the Emerald One of the few consumer agen cies with teeth is the Oregon State Consumer Protection Division in Portland. Funded $800,000 each bien nium from the state's general fund, the division’s three full-time lawyers, five investigators and two enforcement assistants are charged with enforcement of the Unlawful Trade Practices Act of 1971 which makes it unlawful to “misrepresent (the product) when an individual makes a purchase of goods or services for personal, family or household purposes from a business.” The agency can bring suit against violators in any county, Chief Consul Ross Laybourn said, often with the local district attorney’s help. Laybourn said there are two steps the division will take before that action , however. •Informal action. The com plaint is passed on to the business so the two parties can try to work out the problem. •Assurance of voluntary com pliance. If the first step fails, a for mal agreement between the divi sion and the business in violation Consumer law explanation due at symposium Phillip Jackson, a member of the board of governors of the Fed eral Reserve Board in Washing ton, D.C., will discuss U.S. con sumer credit protection at a symposium at 3:30 p.m. today at the Valley River Inn. The symposium is designed to clarify for the general public, lend ing institutions and businesses a complex set of federal consumer credit protection laws passed in recent years. is made stating the practice will cease, and-or restitution will be made. An example of the last action, says Laybourn, is the recent “Chevymobile” problem. In that case about 700 Oregon consum ers received $200 and an ex tended warranty from General Motors after the company had in stalled Chovy motors in a number of Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Pon tiacs. Laybourn said the $280,000 payment was the largest con sumer settlement in the state’s history. Automobiles and spin-off ser vices “traditionally” lead the list of complaints, he says, followed by mail order problems and a lesser number of problems with mobile home solicitations. According to enforcement as sistant Jocelyn Wagner, all written complaints are reviewed for viola tion of the Trade Practices Act and referred to one of the division’s lawyers. If any illegalities are found, the division proceeds first with a letter to the business, then through the steps already out lined. Occasionally, she says, division investigators will enter busines ses and pose as potential cus tomers in an effort to add to evi dence against a suspected vio lator. She said all complaints are reviewed for clearness of the vio lation, the pattern of conduct of the business and the amount of sub stantiation available. Although the division needs written complaints in order to pro ceed against a violator, Wagner said, the agency encourages people with consumer problems to call the state-wide toll free number, 1-800-452-7813. The Consumer Protection Division’s address is 500 Pacific Building, 520 S.W. Yamhill, Port land, 97204. 4th Congressional District Candidates Debate the Issues Rep. Jim Weaver, Democratic Incumbent vs. Jerry Lausman, Republican Challenger In a 'Meet the Press’ format debate with -Henny Willis, Eugene Register-Guard -Fred Webb, KUGN Radio -Kevin Harden, Oregon Daily Emerald as questioners. Issues to be discussed: * Foreign Affairs * Defense Public Lands - Wilderness or Timber? Economy and Taxation TUESDAY OCTOBER 24th NOON DAD’S ROOM - EMU Presented by ASUO State Affairs
