An $11.8 million cut in 1981 -82
Nicks, slashes bleed wounded budget
BY ANN PORTAL
Of ttw Emerald
Money problems are a matter
of perspective University ad
ministrators tend to view the
entire budget picture while
deans focus on the individual
components
For acting Provost Richard
Hill, an $118 million cut in the
1981-82 higher education bud
get — which had already been
streamlined before submission
to the Legislature and cut 3 5
percent by Gov Victor Atiyeh —
means nicks, cuts and slashes
in all University programs and
personnel
The shrinking budget trans
lates into fewer courses, faculty,
classified staff and support
services, he says
But Hill and other University
administrators only designate
the amount to be trimmed in
each of those areas — deans
and department chairs general
ly wield the knife
"This office doesn't have any
business telling people how to
spend their money in detail,”
Hill says
Robert Berdahl, dean of the
arts and sciences college, is
among the unlucky ones
charged with identifying
specific reductions, which for
his college include 12 faculty
members to one secretary, in
stalling party lines in professor's
offices and buying three new
microscopes where 25 are
needed
“We re just strung so ex
tremely thin I'm sure students
are going to notice it in build
ings where paint is peeling off
the wall," he says
Many class limits have been
increased above levels that
were already considered too
high for effective teaching, Hill
says The number of business
and computer science faculty,
who, last year, were unable to
meet course demand, has been
cut further, he says
"Students are going to par
ticularly feel the pinch in areas
of high demand "
Less crowded departments
will feel the crunch as well At
least one regular faculty posi
tion has been eliminated in
sociology, biology, English, his
tory, philosophy, romance
languages and psychology
One position also was
scratched in classics, a depart
ment that had only three full
time faculty members
It may no longer be possible
to guarantee seniors that they
will be able to enroll in the
courses they want, Hill says,
although the registration
schedule gives seniors priority
Faculty and classified staff
also must cope with cutbacks
Fewer classified staff positions
mean faculty members will
spend more time doing their
own clerical, allowing less time
for students and research, he
says
Berdahl says he is concerned
about filling permanent faculty
positions with temporary facul
ty, which he has had to do this
year to teach required classes,
such as English composition
"In many cases those tem
porary faculty serve very, very
well," but an increased reliance
on such people is changing the
focus of the University and
weakening the commitment to
teaching and research, he says
Some arts and sciences
departments have stiffened
graduation requirements, Ber
dahl says Computer science
now gives some priority to
students who have performed
well in the past, he says.
In Berdahl's college, each
department and school has
been considered separately,
with neither the arts nor the
sciences receiving a sig
nificantly higher proportion of
funds, he says
“I don't think we re weighting
them one way or the other.
We're giving them all the min
imum they can get by on.”
Party lines that have been in
stalled in professor's offices in
some departments are "a minor
irritant’’ to faculty who now
must answer phone calls for
themself and other members of
the party line, he says
However, the whole notion of
faculty moral is a cumulative
thing, and the combination of an
inadequate library, large
classes and decreased re
search support serve to empha
size the "tiny, tiny” problems,
Berdahl says
Vet Hill says he senses a po
sitive mood among students
and determination among
faculty.
"The faculty is continuing to
be fully committed to quality
education in this institution,” he
says.
“Students will have the same
kind of education experience
they had in the past."
BSU cites year’s goal
The Black Student Union
begins its 16th year at the
University with a general meet
ing Oct 1.
Vincson Green, BSU director,
and Maggie Brister, BSU assis
tant director, says that the
group is sponsoring a fashion
show and a Halloween mas
querade ball in October.
The BSU will celebrate the
birthday of Martin Luther King
Jr Jan 15 Black History Month
is February, and the Black Arts
Festival will be in April.
The Incidental Fee Committee
allocated BSU $11,000 for
academic year 1981-82. “We
received an increase because
of our good work last year, and
for the planned recruiting this
year,” Green says
Last year's events included
"Celebration of Humanity,” and
a reception for Derrick Bell,
University law school dean
This year, BSU will be recruit
ing black students at Portland
area high schools
"We will be working to bring
the community and black
students together,” says Bris
ter. “With the LCC Black
Student Union, the fraternities
and sororities working together,
there's no way we can fail.”
The nationwide black frater
nity Kappa Alpha Psi was char
tered on campus last year. The
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority has
general members here, and is
seeking a charter.
"California and Washington
have had these for a long time,”
says Brister. “Oregon's lagging
behind.” The reason, she ex
plains, is probably because fra
ternities in general have not
been as popular in Oregon as
elsewhere.
Black enrollment is up to 200
students from last year’s 175,
but far below the 300 of a
decade ago.
“We have about 60 incoming
freshmen this year. About 40
came to the open house we had
New Student Week. Winter term
we'll probably lose a lot. We’re
going to try and help them
stay,” reports Brister.
The BSU office and lounge
are in room 14 of the EMU
basement, across the courtyard
from the ASUO office in Suite
Four. The office is open Monday
through Friday, 9 a m. — 5 p.m.
Paula Tobe is the peer adviser.
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