Thursday, March 4, 1982
Eugana, Oregon
Oregon daily
Volume 83
Number 114
emerald
• m
Photo by Bob Baker
More than 900 University employees packed the EMU ballroom to hear University Pres. Paul Olum speak on plans to deal with a new $1.4 million budget cut.
Olum’s meeting draws ire, approval
By Debbie Howletl
Of the CmertU
University faculty and staff
crowded into the EMU Ballroom
Wednesday and heard Univer
sity Pres Paul Olum's plans to
deal with a $1 4 million budget
cut By the end of the meeting
Olum's remarks had been met
by both applause and loud dis
approval
In a hastily called "convoca
tion,' Olum made it clear to
University employees that to
meet the cut, two options exist
— either cut academic pro
grams or cut employee salaries.
Despite outbursts of disap
proval, Olum's suggestions for
administering the cuts seemed
to be approved by a majority of
faculty
Nodding quietly, most of the
crowd approved a suggestion to
combine the "educational
leave" with a postponement of a
faculty pay increase.
At the conclusion of the con
vocation, Olum asked for a
show of hands to poll staff
members on how they wanted to
meet the deficit After the infor
mal vote, Olum said, "it appears
that a majority opt for the simple
solution of postponing salary
increases, a third of you are
opposed and a bunch haven’t
made up their minds."
Earlier in his presentation,
Olum said University represen
tatives "have fought very hard
to make a case for the state
system and this university. But
we have to make some grievous
cuts."
Olum outlined a plan that
contained several options to
decrease salaries but was
vague on plans to cut schools or
departments.
Calling the cutting of
academic programs "the last
stage in the whole business,"
Olum said that to meet the $1 4
million shortfall, the University
would have to close two of its
professional schools
After Olum's initial presenta
r
tion, discussion of cutting
departments quickly caught
fire
An irate James Boren, an
associate English professor,
yelled angrily toward the
podium "this discussion is
loaded." Boren harshly ac
cused Olum of evading crucial
questions of which departments
would be cut Boren added that
Olum had continually told what
he would not do in regards to
program cuts.
“If I had to cut schools, you
ask me what I would do — I
would resign,” Olum roared
back.
"I’m not here to see that you
have a 5-percent increase or
decrease in living expense —
I'm only interested in this
March is here — so is the flu
By Ann Portal
Better pick up some orange juice and
asprrin — the flu is paying its annual visit to the
University
Two samples taken last week from
University students and sent to the State
Health Division have been confirmed as in
fluenza, according to University Physician Jim
Jackson
About 50 students already have visited the
student health center complaining of the
numerous flu symptoms — high temperature
headache, fatigue, nasal congestion, sore
throat and muscle aches, Jackson says.
The first three months of the year are the
prime influenza season, he says, and this year
is no exception Students should not. however,
confuse influenza — an upper respiratory
infection - with stomach flu. he says
Stomach flu is the villain that causes
vomiting and diarrhea, and it does not appear
to have a specific season. Jackson says.
The flu is highly contagious" but Jackson
says students don t need to isolate themselves
completely if they get it Susceptible students
will come in contact with it at some point
anyway, he says.
After students have been exposed to the
flu virus, it usually takes 48 to 72 hours for the
symptoms to show up Backing off from activi
ties at the first sign of the flu can help cut down
on the attack. Jackson says
Around the state, the flu outbreak is min
imal so far and does not look like it will turn into
an epidemic, he says. But as long as it’s here
Jackson has some tips for students — which
boil down to remember what your mother told
you.
"There's nothing that cures the flu, " he
says Your own body has to take care of the
infection itself "
Some common sense measures that may
help battle the bug include:
* Eat well and be sure to drink a lot of
fluids
♦ Take aspirin or Tylenol for headaches
and a fever
♦ Try a decongestant for a stuffed-up
nose
• Rest \
The worst symptoms of the flu usually last
one or two days, and students should feel
much better" by the third or fourth day
Jackson says Most students should be able to
handle the flu without seeing a doctor, but "if
you're having a lot of problems with it." drop by
the health center he recommends
damn University,” said an angry
Olum.
Olum’s defense of academic
programs was applauded by the
audience. When Boren started
to respond to the President's
statement, he was met with a
chorus of cat calls from other
staff members.
Prior to opening the floor for
discussion, Olum outlined a
three-sided proposal to deal
with salary reductions The op
tions, as Olum explained them,
are:
• A faculty furlough —
"That's a nice word for leave
without pay," said Olum "It
would also require a declaration
of financial exigency,” he ad
ded
• An "educational leave."
This leave is similar to a sabba
tical in that faculty would take
one year off, with half pay, to do
work outside the realm of the
University The difference is that
the faculty would have more of a
choice of what work could be
done on "educational leave."
One suggestion Olum made was
that staff could earn a doctorate
degree while on leave.
Some of the staff raised
questions about the effect of
just taking a cut in pay without
stressing the harm that would
be done to the University
“Why don't we just tell Salem;
lay me off,’ ” said David Well
man, an associate professor of
sociology.
Olum said he would inform
the State Board of Higher
Education that there was some
concern that people are not fully
aware of the damage from the
cuts.