Oregon daily
emerald
Tuesday, August 10, 1982
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 84, Number 15
State work-study idea needs $5.7 million
Students to work with private sector
By Debbie Howlett
Of (h* Emaratd
The Oregon State Scholarship Com
mission is trying to parlay the Reagan
Administration's concept of "New
Federalism" into state-funded sources of
financial aid
The commission has submitted to the
state legislature as a part of its budget for
1983-85 a proposal that would appro
priate more than $5 7 million for a
state/private industry program similar to
the federal work-study program
Although the state work-study propo
sal would not replace the federal pro
gram, commission officials say it could
supply more financial aid for Oregon
students
The program will work in much the
same manner as the federal work-study
program with the exception that students
will work for private business The state
will pay half the students' salary with the
business picking up the tab tor the other
half
Lee says he would like to see the
program apply to "all students” and that
it is a "natural" for students in the
professional schools Business also
benefits because they get the employees
for half-price, he adds
"We re not talking about students go
ing into executive positions,” Lee says,
adding that at the same time the students
wouldn't be go-fers
There are a few kinks, Lee admits, the
biggest of which is the timing of the
request
“Many facets make it attractive. The
legislature might say that it is a wonderful
idea but they don't have the money.
Progress of any size is going to cost. I
wouldn't count it out,” Lee says
There have also been charges that the
program will displace "regular” em
ployees
"We don't want that to happen,” Lee
says. “I'm sure labor folks don't.”
But for all the answers Lee has, he says
very few people have had any questions,
and there has been "no negative feed
back" at all
"We have had input from a number of
sources — we ran it up the flagpole and
saw who saluted," Lee says.
Salutes have come from several
sources contacted at the University,
although some people, like Carol Ri
chard, associate director of financial aid,
have voiced problems
"We have no objections to the concept
at all," Richard says But, "there are a
few problems with the internal work
ings," she says
"There is a question about profit-mak
ing businesses using students,” Richard
says, without elaborating further
"I certainly think it’s a good idea we
get as many financial assistance pro
grams as possible," she adds.
University Provost, Richard Hill,
echoes Richard's approval, qualifying it
by saying that he has not seen the report
yet
"Any increase in resources available
to students is probably a good thing,” Hill
says
For the request to be approved, Lee
Photo by Mark Pynes
Jeff Lee, executive director of the Oregon State Scholarship Commission, is
proposing a new, state funded work-study program.
says there is a definite need for the
support and backing of higher education
and business officials. According to Ri
chard, one of Lee's associates, Ruth
Burns has been surveying financial aid
offices at several institutions for input.
But the toughest battle, as Lee sees it,
will come in the legislature, where money
is scarce. The hope for approval lies in
the Legislature's attitude that Oregon
business needs help — and students
could provide some of that help.
1
Commission asks for GSL contingency plan
The Oregon State Scholarship Com
mission has penned a request to the
Legislature which would provide a
contingency plan for Guaranteed
Student Loans.
The proposal asks that in the event of
a "crisis," a pool of money — generated
from revenue bonds — could be made
available to students in Oregon's post
secondary schools, says Jeff Lee, ex
ecutive director of the OSSC.
The request is likely to encounter
quite few hurdles including a flounder
ing bond market, administrators at
schools and the state Legislature, Lee
says.
"It isn't so good these days," Lee
says of the bond market.
However, according to Lee, the
request for the GSL back-up stands a
better chance of legislative approval
than the employment program because
the funding would be generated
through bond sales.
There have been some questions,
mostly from student interest groups,
such as the Oregon Student Lobby
about the wording as well as the timing
of the request.
Lee agrees, the request has been
revised several times and he stresses
that now isn’t necessarily the best time
to ask the legislature to approve fund
ing of any new programs
However, most groups, including the
commission welcome any additional
assistance for students.
But, while the legislators might view
the reserve as a nicety, Lee views it as
necessity.
"I’d hate to sit on my thumbs and
watch students drop out of school
because they can't afford it,” Lee says.
Lane officials see academia’s practical side
By Joan Nyland
Of the Emerald
lowing their horn” and praising
their research, member of the
University administration guided
nearly 25 Lane County officials on a
campus tour and luncheon next week
As the leaders toured and dined,
University speakers stressed the prac
tical uses and the financing of their
theoretical research.
•‘Excellent and practical” is what
county commissioner Jerry Rust called
the tour.
University Pres Paul Olum greeted the
group with grave remarks about the fin
ancial straits of the University and the
University's neglect of public relations
with the community since the days of
Sputnik and plentiful funding for higher
education
“We stand on the edge of disaster —
desperately beyond the end of our rope,”
said Olum. He reiterated his view that
more budget tightening would mean
cutting programs
"So far we’re doing it successfully” —
“B
keeping the academic quality high, Olum
said.
Science departments are keeping
faculty so far, Olum said. Professors in
the various science departments have
refused jobs from such facilities as Har
vard and the California Institue of Tech
nology.
One such professor who returned here
from Harvard and Yale, geology head
Harve Waff, impressed the group with his
figures on the potential for geo-thermal
power in Oregon — a rough estimate of
about 15 percent of the U S potential
“It could turn Oregon upside-down
economically," Waff said of the prosper
ity potential Oregon and even Lane
County has in geo-thermal power
aff showed off his unique pressure
cooker for rocks from deep in the
earth which simulates the sort of
pressure that creates volcanic lavea. He
said that he has tried to get funds from
BPA in the past and is approaching the
Northwest Power Planning Commission
this week about his research. So far,
"they haven’t made a commitment to go
geo-thermal,” Waff said.
If Waff is right, "all we have to do is kick
back,” and watch the revenue come in,
said Eugene City Manager Mike Williams,
Robert Gilberts, dean of the education
school, started the presentations with a
discussion of the uniqueness and com
petitiveness of the educational programs
here.
The tour then moved to the Institute of
Chemical Physics where Bernd Cra
semann explained the success story
of the Institute He also stressed the
practicality of the uses of research —
particularly laser technology and military
uses.
The scientific explanations were "over
my head” said Ed Cooper, one of the tour
members representing Lane Community
College, but "it gives you a surface
feeling great things are going on."
Peter von Hippel, head of the
Chemistry department, standing in front
of a model of part of a DNA molecule,
struggled to explain “how things happen
at the molecular level. "
"It makes getting back to budget
problems seem simple," said Judy Mo
seley of Eugene school district 4-J, after
seeing the models of protein and DNA in
the lab.
"I hope the teachers at LCC aren’t tied
down so much looking for money,” said
Jim Pitney a member of the LCC Board
after listening to the four professors
discuss their research.
“They made an effort not to be esoter
ic,” Moseley said of the researchers.
Moseley said the tour had shown her
how advanced we are in research but
how behind we are in political savvy.
Luncheon speakers English professor
Barbara Mossberg and graduate school
dean Richard Hersh discussed what
Olum called the "spirit and practicality"
of the University.
Mossberg gave a short version of her
speech on the humanities. She stressed
that humanities were "practical” if one
defined practical as "wise and useful.”
l#er stress was on the long-range
use of the humanities in fulfilling an
individual - something technology or a "9
to 5" job cannot do.
Richard Hersh stressed the unique
ness of the research capacities of this
Univesity in this state.