Thursday, March 11, 1982
Eugana, Oragon
Oregon daily
Volume 83
Number 116
emerald
Photo by Bob Baker
Petaling away
Jupiter effect or no Jupiter effect, this lone cyclist pedaled down blossom-covered
bikepeths near the University dorms, Wednesday. With the potential doomsday
behind it. Spring is working toward an early appearance. But the U.S. Weather
Service is predicting rain for the next few days.
Faculty, Olum
debate ‘leave’
By Debbie Howiett
Of the Em«r»U
University Pres Paul Olum told University Assembly members
Wednesday that pursuing the idea of an ‘educational leave" for
faculty members as a means to meet the $1 4 million budget cut, "is
a mistake.”
Olum said that he had been convinced through many discus
sions and communications that the concept of an “educational
leave” would not work because, among other reasons, there are
misconceptions that the leave is more of a paid vacation than a
“drastic” measure
The “educational leave” concept was based on a plan
currently in use at the University of Michigan Olum adapted the
idea of a sabbatical-iike ieave for one year, with half-pay, but with
more freedom of how that year was to be spent.
One faculty member criticized the plan as being "a plum
dangled in the faculty's face” to make salary decreases more
palatable
At the onset of Olum’s "State of the Budget” talk, he asked that
all assembly members speak their minds but respect other
members' positions.
"It is terribly important that we respect each other’s views,”
Olum said, “but speak strongly if you wish "
Olum went on to elaborate on other measures under con
sideration to meet the $1.4 million deficit.
Olum said he has received 34 letters since last week's con
vocation, some suggesting that the University be "shut-down” for a
period that would erase the deficit. Olum said that some of the
letters asked that a "symbolic" stance be taken.
“There is a reasonably strong feeling, however, that at some
point we ought to do something, a symbolic action, some kind of
meeting, some kind of public statement,” Olum said.
Pointing to suggestions of cutting programs, Olum reminded
the assembly that $304,000 still remains to be cut from programs
even before the $1 4 million cut is considered Olum added that the
savings from closing one of the four largest professionals schools
would realize only $700,000 to $900,000
In other assembly action, the members, after much debate,
defeated a motion to boot the ROTC program from the University,
74-40
Final(ly), some respect
“Dead week” may become
even quieter since the Universi
ty Assembly met and approved a
motion limiting final exams to
only the regularly scheduled
time slots printed in the Univer
sity course booklet.
The motion prohibits giving
any test worth more than 20
percent of the course grade
during the week prior to finals. It
also states that during this time.
“no final examinations will be
given under any guise ’’
Take home finals and class
projects are allowed under the
new guidelines, if those assign
ments are specified in a course
syllabus during the first two
weeks of class
The motion does allow make
up tests to be given during dead
week
University hinders change, planners say
By Ann Portal
Of (/>• Emarakf
A committee charged with long-range
planning by University Pres Paul Olum in
October came to a conclusion at its
fourth meeting Wednesday: the structure
of the University is not well-suited to
change
That drawback may impede any plan
ning the committee does, members said,
but they decided to push ahead by
choosing "reasonably non-trivial propo
sals'" from planning documents submit
ted by each department and school last
fall.
The committee will discuss from six to
eight of those proposals at its meeting
next week, searching for ways to meet
the requests.
Committee members have spent
several meetings debating how to handle
the planning documents that Olum
requested at his October inauguration
A synopsis of the planning documents
was submitted to the committee last
week Comments range from radical
ideas such as restructuring the entire
academic function of the University
(suggested by the health, physical
education and recreation college) to
relatively conventional proposals, such
as requesting an additional faculty
member for the germanic languages
department.
But committee members were unsure
how to determine the shape the Univer
sity should assume in the next few years
— using quality, students' needs and
changes in academic disciplines as cri
teria.
"I'm now convinced that this Universi
ty is just not very well set up for innova
tion,” said mathematics Prof Charles
Curtis.
"I have very serious questions if the
present structure is capable of dealing
with suggestions that cut across several
departments,” as most departments’
proposals do, he said.
Most attempted cooperation between
departments is unsuccessful, committee
members agreed. Area studies programs
have had problems “year after year,”
struggling because there is no mechan
ism to get them going, said committee
chairer Bob Albrecht, vice provost for
academic affairs.
Committee members discussed
departments' fears that they will “lose
something” — such as money — through
cooperation. Innovation requires the
administration to take risks and provide
funding, Curtis said
Restructured or new programs need
money, which is “extremely difficult
when you're just barely surviving to
begin with," agreed Robert Gilberts,
education college dean.
Perhaps the committee should limit its
involvement to certain broad areas, Gil
berts suggested.
Gilberts suggested presenting worka
ble ideas to the faculty, and suggesting
the conditions necessary to nurture
those ideas. Perhaps the committee can
suggest approaches, organization and
people to contact to discuss the pro
gram's merit, Gilberts said.
“I personally don’t feel overly well
qualified to make those kinds of
judgements, based on the data I have,"
he said. .... .