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.