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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1982)
Wednesday, January 13, 1982 Eugmna, Oregon Oregon daily Volume 83 Number 77 emerald Olum favors lower tuition By Ann Portal Of Of Emmrmkl Nearly $3 million of recently released higher education funds should be used to “rollback" tuition increases at state colleges and universities, University Pres Paul Olum said Tuesday The State Board of Higher Education saved more than $2 8 million last month by rearranging some debt servicing funds Bill Lemman, vice chancellor for administration, has said that money probably will be held in reserve to offset loss of tuition revenue Tuition already has reached a level that will make it impossible for some students to attend college, Olum said at his monthly press conference The compounded tuition increase for the 1981-83 school years already is 56 or 57 percent, he said University enrollment, which was down 3.2 percent Friday, may not fully reflect the latest tuition increase until fall. Olum said Students don’t want to leave school in the middle of an academic year he said "Students are stuck with it right now I think you’re going to see the effect next fall.” Olum urged the State Board of Higher Education to use $2.8 million to cancel as much of the $49 winter and spring term surcharges as possible Some higher education officials would like to hold the money as a hedge against future tuition losses if enrollment drops, but a tuition decrease is needed this academic year, he said “I’d rather take a risk with cost effectiveness and make it possible for the young people to attend the University, ” Olum said Tuition increases are one of the University’s biggest concerns as administrators prepare for the Legislature’s special session, Olum said Another concern is the possibility of a salary cut for faculty and staff, he added A cut in faculty salary could cost the University a great deal because it would require a declaration of financial exigency, Olum said However, he said legislators appear to understand higher education cuts have reached their limit, and that preserving higher education is important. “I think the question of whether we lose a large number of our best faculty depends on the Legislature,” Olum said, but he said current legislative support is the strongest he's seen in Oregon “I can’t believe that anybody believes there's any fat or flexibility left.” In addition to money matters, Olum also offered an update on the question of whether the FBI can recruit at the University An "interesting and intense’’ correspondence between law school Dean Derrick Bell and the FBI is underway, but nothing's been settled, he said / can see clearly now. Photo by Bob Baker • • With the air stagnation advisory hanging over our heads here in the valley, the best prospects seem to be at the coast. By afternoon the sky should be clearing there, and the seagulls expect a high of 55. GTF appointments declining A dispute over a decline in the number of University Graduate Teaching Fellowship appointments has administrators and the GTF Federation fighting a numbers battle Both sides agree that appointments are declining, although neither group agrees on how many they’ve lost. At a recent meeting of the GTFs, GTF Pres. Brenda Cochran produced some startling figures. Cochran claimed that the number of GTF appointments between April 1980 and December 1981 dropped from 939 to 741 — a 22-percent de cline. She said her figures came from payroll sheets that list the number of GTFs in the bargaining unit who are obligated to pay dues Administrators at the meeting were caught off-guard by the statement '‘It’s very hard to believe, I'm shocked at those figures/' said University Provost Richard Hill. Hill said GTFs have been cut from the physical education department because of the reduction of service courses. Richard Harsh, dean of the graduate school, contested Coch ran's figure of 22 percent. "The number of GTFs is down but those figures may be misleading,’* Hersch said. The dissenting arguments caused some quick research at the graduate school. Actual counts of dues-paying GTFs are declining, says Shirley Menaker, associate dean of the graduate school, because some of the GTFs included in the bargaining unit are not required to pay dues and they have begun to come forth. Numbers that Menaker quoted were different from Cochran's. From fall, 1980 to fall. 1981, Menaker says total GTF appointments declined only 4 percent, from 917 to 882. Menaker called Cochran s state ment “inaccurate “ Menaker said she sent a memo to the GTFF offices in hopes of clearing up any dis crepancies But the compromise figures still differ. "There has been some decline,’’ says Charlie Aker, an employee at the GTFF office, "from upwards of 50 to 100 a year " Katz fights Atiyeh budget to help welfare recipients SALEM, Ore (AP) — Welfare clients would be spared most cuts recommend ed by Gov Vic Atiyeh under an alterna tive plan presented Tuesday to a budget subcommittee "These are hurts the state can’t toler ate," Rep Vera Katz, D-Portland, said of the governor’s proposals Katz, chairman of the Ways and Means subcommittee, suggested that the remainder of the Department of Human Resources' 1981-83 budget be cut about half as much as Atiyeh wanted Her plan would protect scheduled cost of living increases in welfare payments ' and save medical coverage for children. The proposal rejects Atiyeh’s plans to eliminate hearing and dental programs for youngsters and to tighten welfare eligibility standards Sen. Tony Meeker of Amity and Rep. Al Riebel of Salem, the subcommittee's two Republican members, immediately pounced on the proposals. Riebel said Katz’ plan cuts about $31.3 million less out of human resources than recommended by the governor "At some point in time, someone will have to explain where the balance comes from," Riebel said Meeker complained that the chairman was proposing a budget before each subcommittee member had a chance to give their advice. “I am not ramming this down your throat Sen Meeker," Katz replied "This is a point of departure ” She said all subcommittee members would have a chance to review the proposals item by item and express their opinions Katz presented her plan after House Speaker Hardy Myers and Senate Pres ident Fred Heard directed the Ways and Means Committee to take the lead in deciding how much state spending should be cut. The leadership said the balance needed to prevent the projected $237 million state deficit would then have to be made up through taxes or reduc tions in basic school support and property tax relief. The plan worked out by Katz and fiscal analysts includes $26.7 million in federal funds that would be substituted for state funds, mostly in the Children's Services Division About $7.5 million would be cut in administrative costs and only $1.4 million would be cut in services.
