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
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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