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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1982)
Tuesday, June 1, 1982 Eugene, Oregon Oregon daily Volume 83 Number 183 emerald Lieuallen retires with no illusions "Expect a miracle.” The coffee mug and Its hopeful message sits on Chancellor Roy Lieuallen's heavy oak desk as an ever-present reminder that the past few years have been less-than-hopeful for higher education. But Lieuallen is quick to explain that he knows hard work — not a miracle — will save the State System of Higher Education. In 1961, when he took office, he said, “I have no illusions about the enormous task we all face in higher education " After 20 years as chancellor, and less than a month away from retirement, Lieuallen's task hasn't changed Neither has his concern for higher education. As June 30 nears, his biggest regret is that he’s leaving the system at a fiscally unstable time, "if I could have timed it better, I would have left either two years ago or two years from now.” Recent years "have been pretty rough," Lieuallen says. “But I’m not ending 20 years of misery. It’s been a very satisfying experience — even within the last few years When I put it in perspective, I get a lot more pleasure out of the experience than the depression I might generate because some people have been critical of what I've done." Lieuallen — nicknamed Lew by system colleagues — is soft-spoken but articulate, choosing his words carefully The level of his low voice changes only slightly when he is angry or amused He sits back in the chair and leans a knee on the edge of a heavily polished oak table — obviously at home in the office and job he has held for so many years. He is quick to defend his dominion, saying the state system is one of the best in the nation “I get great satisfaction out of the fact that the image of this system from an external view has improved dramatically over these 20 years. I don't take the credit for that. The presidents and their faculties are responsible. When (State Rep.) Vera Katz says mediocrity is rampant in the system, she does not know what she's talking about.’’ His voice grows slightly louder. "She simply does not know what she's talking about " Lieuallen says he hasn’t been bored by two decades in the same job "I was never looking for another job because I didn't see any I wanted. Few people have the satisfaction of spending the majority of their professional life working with legislators, college and university presidents, faculties, governors and board members “How many people spend their lives doing what they would most prefer to do? Not very many.” Still, he's ready to retire "With all the problems we are facing now, I guess I am looking forward to turning it over to somebody else " Lieuallen says he is too busy to plan his retirement “I told the board, ’I intend to be your chancellor until June 30 at 5 o’clock.’ It would be uncharacteristic for me to spend the last two months gazing out the window "When people ask me what I am going to do. I say ‘I don't know yet,' because until June 30,1 am going to continue what I have been doing for 20 years I will make my plans for after June 30 after June 30.” Roy Elwayne Lieuallen was 45 years old when he was appointed chancellor in December 1961 after a seven-month search by the state board He began the job immediately His base salary has grown from $25,000 to $69,000 Student enrollment has increased from 29,000 students attending the eight state system schools to 65,000. Lieuallen s personality and views are as unchanged as his hair style and black-rimmed glasses, says Bill Lemman, a state system vice chancellor who has known Lieuallen for at least 25 years “On the other hand, maybe we've just grown gracefully together, and I don't notice.” Continued on Page 12 Board reduces tuition, fees by $30 By Ann Portal Ofth»£marald KLAMATH FALLS — Breaking from the recent trend, the State Board of Higher Education took action Friday that will slightly reduce a 19 percent increase in tuition and fees next year. A $10 reduction in incidental fees each term will decrease total tuition by about $30 for the 1982-83 academic year. The money is a refund of a portion of the building fees previously paid by students. The State System of Higher Education contributed too much money to the state's self-insurance fund, and about $1.5 million of that amount will be paid back to students statewide. However, tuition increases set by the last legislative session mean that tuition still will rise next year, bringing University resident tuition and fees to about $1,386 and nonresident tuition and fees to about $4,011. Those amounts include the $49-per-term surcharge — which is being retained — but do not include the $10-per-term incidental fee decrease. At its monthly meeting Friday, the state board discussed at length tuition policies for the 1983-85 biennium. The board focused on eliminating the $49 tuition surcharge. That possibility, which would require an additional $11.2 million in state funds, is one option that will be included in the 1983-85 budget given to Gov. Vic Atiyeh in September A number of other tuition options were considered, such as charging different amounts for upper and lower division students or college and university students. Chancellor Roy Lieuallen suggested the creation of an inter-departmental committee made up of state board and Oregon Educational Coordinating Com mission members to study tuition levels and examine the differences between community college and college tuitions. The board also discussed returning to some type of "rational" tuition policy that would set tuition at a percentage of the cost of instruction. Prior to the 1981-83 biennium, resident undergraduate tui tion was set at 23 percent of the cost of instruction, with nonresident under graduate tuition set at 100 percent. For 1982-83, that percentage has risen to 31 percent for resident undergraduates and 103.8 percent for nonresident under graduates. Bill Lemman, vice chancellor for ad ministration, suggested resident under graduates pay 25 percent and resident graduates pay 33 percent, with nonres ident tuition returning to 100 percent. Even if tuition was frozen at its present level. Lemman said, it still would take two years for it to catch up to a more accept able level, compared to other Western universities. The state system’s staff will return to the board this summer with a recommended tuition level. The board also approved staff recom mendations that provide the foundation for compiling the 1983-85 budget. That budget will be constructed using the 1982-83 amount as a “base budget" and will include six “decision packages" that the Legislature will have the option of including or rejecting. Before adding the six packages, state system staff project an increase of $45 million in the base budget just to fund inflation adjustments, delayed academic and classified staff salary increases and the suspended contribution to the state’s self-insurance fund. Board member Lou Perry of Portland questioned the probability that higher education actually could get the in creases, which would raise the state's contribution to the higher education budget by about one-third. Perry said the state system's staff would do well to consider the request with the knowledge that they may have to go with program reductions. The six packages include a request for about $14 million in tuition money that the system expects to lose because of declining enrollment Statewide, student enrollment is projected to fall about 3,500 students from 1982-83 to 1984-85. Continued on Pago 3
