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
Ofthȣmarald
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