Emerald Graphic
Bike committee gears up
for celebration, meeting
A ceremony this evening on the West Bank
Bike Path near Valley River shopping center
has a double purpose.
Not only will the latest addition to Eugene’s
bike paths receive a traditional dedication, but
participants also will celebrate 10 years of
state-supported bikeways.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the
signing of the "Bike Bill,” legislation that
requires spending 1 percent of all state high
way division money for bikeways.
Eugene has used its share of the funds to
help construct some 60 miles of bikeways
throughout the city, a bikeway system that has
attracted national attention.
On hand for the dedication ceremony will be
members of the State Advisory Committee on
Bicycles, who are meeting in Eugene today to
discuss legislation currently under considera
tion for maintenance and liability of the state’s
bike paths and to consider proposals for a
statewide bikeway master plan. The committee
is appointed by the governor to oversee state
bicycle projects and advise cities on bikeway
construction.
The ceremony gets underway at 6 p.m. with a
bicycle decoration contest, offering a new
bicycle as first prize. Registration for the
contest will be at the Greenway Bike Bridge’s
north end in the Valley River Center parking
lot.
Following the contest, city officials and state
committee members will speak about state and
local bikeway systems.
The West Bank Bike Path is designed to
connect bicyclists in the River Road area with
downtown Eugene, according to Don Diment,
president of the Eugene Bicycle Committee,
the city-appointed group that coordinates
local bikeway projects.
Diment says the new addition will help those
who have had to contend with heavy traffic on
River Road in the past.
Campus committee tries
to slow student attrition
By MARIAN GREEN
Of the Emerald
The dilemma of keeping University students
at the University is one faculty and students are
well aware of — but one that needs reiteration.
That’s where the Student Retention Steering
Committee comes in.
The committee — composed of faculty, staff
and students and chaired by English Prof. Nat
Teich — studies student attrition and proposes
ways to improve the University’s means of retain
ing students.
Almost one-half of the University's students
leave before they complete their first two years of
school, according to Teich
‘ Close to 50 percent of the students who enter
won't be here at the beginning of their third year,”
Teich says. He points out that this problem is
common at most state universities.
However, the committee submitted a long list
of recommendations to slow student attrition and
to make the University sensitive to the problem,
Teich says.
“We bring information to the forefront to
make faculty who weren’t aware more conscious
that problems do exist," he says.
The recommendations include ways of in
creasing or improving departmental and peer
advising, urging more faculty/student contact
and establishing faculty advisor training pro
grams and teaching improvement programs.
These recommendations emphasize improv
ing student/faculty relations because "people
get dissatisfied because the University is imper
sonal," Teich says.
The committee also recommended providing
undeclared students with more career advising
and direction, he says. About 2,000 University
students are undeclared majors — the single
largest major, according to Teich, who praised
the University’s recent efforts in advising unde
clared majors.
One drawback in the recommendations is
that several require faculty release time or money.
This creates "an uphill battle” because of the
University's sorry financial state, Teich says.
Computer registration is one committee
recommendation that has been delayed due to
budget cutbacks, he says.
"We’re urging the University Administration
to put computer registration implementation as
high as possible on its priority list.”
Computerized registration is "the single most
significant improvement" the administration
could make in the students’ University exper
ience, Teich says. A computerized system could
make that initial student/University contact less
frustrating while improving class offerings and
choices, he says.
In the final analysis, however, Teich main
tains that student and faculty communication is
still the key to retaining students.
"There is no magic solution for faculty taking
the time to talk to students and students taking the
initiative to go talk to them."
f
attention
CLASSIFIED
STAFF
Fred Wilhelm was recently appointed to fill
the vacant classified staff position on the
University of Oregon Bookstore’s Board of
Directors.
Fred is your representative. Contact him if
you ever have a question, complaint or
suggestion regarding the Bookstore. He
can be reached either personally at the
Graduate School in Chapman Hall or by
telephone at 686-5133.
uo
13th & Kincaid
Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30
Sat 10:00-2:00
BOOKSTORE
Textbooks 686-3520
Supplies 686-4331
General Books 686-3510
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