Oregon daily emerald., February 25, 1982, Image 1

Thursday, February 25, 1982
Eugene, Oregon
Oregon daily
Volume 83
Number 109
—emerald
Board interviews chancellor finalist
By Ann Portal
Of tha E mar aid
Higher education's main
problem in Oregon is not the
state board, the chancellor or
the organization of the college
and university system, a finalist
for chancellor of the State Sys
tem of Higher Education said
Wednesday
The primary problem con
fronting the state’s colleges and
universities is that they are bad
ly underfunded, and rapidly
eroding, said William Davis,
currently president of the
University of New Mexico,
"Something has to change,"
Davis said to the press after a
two-hour interview with
members of the State Board of
Higher Education
He said education leaders
must sit down with legislators
and citizens of the state and
decide just where the institu
tions are headed, and what level
of higher education taxpayers
are willing to support.
You have to decide what
league you want to play in,"
Davis said The state must
eventually settle on a fiscal
package that is not just a Band
Aid for declining salaries and
neglected deferred mainten
ance, he said
Davis said he feels the state
system is not overbuilt, and that
closing an institution would not
provide large savings and is not
practical as a short-term solu
tion to a long-range problem
He said he does not favor
moving the chancellor's office
to Salem, because it would soon
be perceived as "another part of
the bureaucracy." He did sug
gest stationing an assistant
chancellor in the capital city to
work with legislators and give
the chancellor an office there
Moving the chancellor's of
fice into its own building, separ
ate from any of the institutions,
could remove the appearance
of favoritism that some schools
complain the University now
enjoys, Davis said
Davis, who has been pres
ident at the University of New
Mexico for seven years,
previously was the president of
Idaho State University for 10
years
During those 10 years, he
took a year off in 1972 to run
unsuccessfully for the U S
Senate He lost by only 20,000 —
of 161.000 votes — but he said
he decided to "leave politics to
those who do it well."
Davis also was head football
coach at the University of
Colorado in 1962 and served 13
years in the U S. Marine Corp
Reserve He has a bachelor's
degree in physical education, a
master's in education adminis
tration and a doctorate in higher
education
Although Davis is under con
sideration for the position
Photo by Duane Schrag
Bud Davis, president of the University of New Mexico, met Wednesday with members of the press after
a two-hour interview as part of the search to fill the chancellor's seat.
because he was nominated, he
said he is interested because "it
would be a real challenge "
Oregon's colleges and un
iversities retain their "prestige
and reputation," in spite of the
system's funding problems,
Davis He said that in his 17
years as president at Idaho and
New Mexico, he has never had
to cut back to the point of fin
ancial exigency, which he
called bad for the institution,
bad for morale."
Davis said the state govern
ment "absolutely" should pick
up the tab for higher education
if the federal government with
draws In New Mexico, the state
legislature already has set up a
$1 million work-study program,
he said
When tuition increases as
much as it has in Oregon during
such a short period, it begins to
provide a "real financial
barrier" to students, Davis ob
served.
The State Board of Higher
Education meets to discuss the
chancellor candidates during
an executive session Friday
morning at the University Board
Pres. Ed Harms said that al
though a chancellor may be
chosen Friday, board members
probably will not officially ap
prove him until their March 10
board meeting. The new chan
cellor will be announced as
soon as the candidate accepts
the board s offer, Harms said.
Senate recommends
no 'dead week’ finals
By Debbie Hewlett
Of the Emerald
University students will not be
required to take final examinations dur
ing dead week" — at least not it the
University Senate meeting is any indica
tion of things to come
Wednesday afternoon the Senate
passed a unanimous recommendation to
the University Assembly, which, if passed
into law, will limit final exams to finals
week only.
A “constant flow of complaints"
received by the ASUO prompted the
legislation, said Gale Graham, a senator
from the ASUO offices
Graham said exams given the week
before final exams reduced the quantity
and quality of the education students
spent their money for He also cited
undue pressures that were put upon the
students.
The motion reads that tests worth
more than 20 percent of the final grade
are not allowed during the period
students refer to as “dead week,” and
that no finals in any "guise" would be
allowed at all. The motion qualifies term
papers and projects as acceptable, if
they are provided for in a class syllabus
within two weeks of the start of classes.
Make-up exams, for normal tests also will
be allowed during dead week
"This will bring up the high level of
education that this University should
offer,” said Graham
The wording of the original motion
was changed through a ‘‘friendly"
amendment — an informal amendment
that is agreed upon without a vote of the
Senate body
Katherine Eaton, chair of the Sen
ate, also noted that this was the first vote
of the year without abstentions.
The Senate also voted to change
legislation requiring 2 percent of the
faculty's signatures for nominations to
various committees such as the advisory
council and the University Senate. It was
amended to read 10 (signatures) instead
of 2 percent. Two percent is roughly 18
faculty members.
In other Senate business a motion
by biology prof. Bayard McConnaughe
that would boot ROTC off campus was
dismissed without discussion. Seven
senators voted in favor of the motion.
A motion to express "no con
fidence" in the State System of Higher
Education and Chancellor Roy Lieuallen
which was defeated by the University
Assembly last month, was reintroduced
to the Senate after changes were made
in the wording Holly Jones, head of the
reference department, introduced a
substitute to that motion
After discussion by the senators that
the substitute motion might not be
agreeable to the originator of the motion,
Thomas Brady, a history professor, the
original and the substitute were asked to
be voted on seperately
Brady’s motion was defeated and a
quorum of the Senate prevented action
on the substitute motion.
Neither McConnaughey nor Brady
attended the Senate meeting
First time in two years
State higher ed board
visits University today
Members of the State Board of
Higher Education will pay a formal
visit to the University for the first time
in two years today.
The all-day session is intended to
give board members first-hand
knowledge of some of the Universi
ty’s strengths in teaching, research
and service, according to University
Pres. Paul Olum.
Different programs are highlight
ed each time board members visit so
they can become familiar with the
breadth and depth of the Universi
ty's excellence, Olum said
Board members, who will be host
ed by faculty members and students
throughout the day, will hear a
morning presentation on the
integration of a liberal arts education
with professional training that re
sponds to society’s needs That
presentation will be held in 143
Straub Hall from 9:30 to 11:30 a m.
The panel for the discussion,
moderated by Robert Berdahl, dean
of the college of arts and sciences,
includes Barbara Mossberg, assis
tant English professor; Everette
Dennis, journalism school dean;
Robert Gilberts, education college
dean; and Stephen Hedetniemi,
head of the computer and informa
tion science department.
Board members will attend an af
ternoon discussion, moderated by
Olum, concerning the connections
between University research and
various efforts to attract high tech
nology industries to the state
The discussion’s panel includes
Michael Menaker, biology professor;
Barry Bates, associate physical
education professor; Marjorie Wool
lacott, associate physical education
professor; John Moseley, associate
physics professor; and Virgil Boel
kelheide, chemistry professor. The
talk lasts from 2 to 4 p.m in Room
214 Science II
While eating lunch at Dunn Hall,
the board will learn about the
elements of the University residence
hall and family housing program that
are unique in the state system of
higher education.
During their visit, they also will
have brief exposure to selected
ASUO programs, the EMU, the
Student Health Center, the health,
physical education and recreation
college, and the architecture and
allied arts school.
The visit marks the beginning of
another round in the 11-member
governing body’s two-year cycle of
visit to all eight state colleges and
universities