Oregon daily - -
emerald
Thursday, January 13, 1983
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 84, Number 78
Plan details higher education goals
By Sandy Johnstone
Of the Emerald
The Chancellor's office has
released a "realistic'' Strategic
Plan, detailing the goals and
objectives of the State System
of Higher Education for the next
four years.
The plan outlines 69 specific
recommendations that would
benefit higher education and
"are capable of being
implemented in the next four
years," says the report.
"In order to get anything
done, you must start with
goals," says Larry Pierce,
special assistant to fhe
chancellor for strategic
planning
State board members will
hold a public hearing on the
plan Jan. 20 at 7:30 p m in
Room 110 Fenton Hall Those
wishing to testify may sign up
before the meeting beginning at
6:30 p.m or may submit written
testimony to Pierce if unable to
attend
Provost Dick Hill said it would
be inappropriate tor anyone in
the University's central admin
istration to comment on the
report's specifics
Free copies of the plan are
available at the information
desk at Oregon Hall, the cir
culation desk at the library, the
ASUO office in Suite 4 EMU. the
Eugene Public Library and in
the Johnson Hall offices of the
president and chancellor
According to Pierce, the
SBHE will discuss public
reaction to the plan at its Jan 28
meeting and make revision
suggestions After final revi
sions. the plan will be adopted
partially or fully at the board's
February meeting, Pierce says
Many recommendations
depend on increased revenue
from the state Legislature, he
says
“This covers a four year
period," Pierce says, and while
the budget for the next two
years may look bad. we may
look at 1985-87 as the years
there will be an opportunity to
make these changes
He also points out re-organ
ization at the institutional level,
not necessarily additional fund
ing, can achieve some of the
objectives
For example, smaller classes
are not unrealistic if the institu
tions change their organization
slightly. Pierce says Almost half
of all students entering univer
sities drop out by the end of
their sophomore year, partly
because of the impersonal
nature of the lower division
classes they have taken, he
says, adding that a move to
smaller class sizes or lower
division seminars would more
than offset the extra cost of
providing smaller clases
Pierce says two key
recommendations call for a
faculty salaries' increase and a
tuition freeze
The governor's proposed
budget includes a tuition freeze
for the year, but the strategic
plan proposes tuition remain
frozen until it is comparable with
those in other Western states or
based on a lower proportion of
the instruction cost
Pierce says faculty salaries
may not increase as much as
the plan specifies during this
biennium, but if the economy
improves, the goals may be met
for the 1985-87 biennium
More funding also is needed
for replacing equipment, new
computers and revitalizing the
libraries, according to the plan
"Libraries have deteriorated
badly," Pierce says. "The
Legislature will have to realize
that and provide some sup
port."
19*3
p.
Emerald Photo
Copies of the Strategic Plan, which outlines higher education goals for the next four years, are available
from Johnson Hall and various other campus locations.
The plan also calls for a re
examination of each institu
tion's programs to identify
outstanding programs and to
concentrate resources in these
key areas, according to the
report
"We are trying to re-examine
general education,’ Pierce
says "We'd like to see a math
and/or foreign language
requirement.
“There used to be fairly set
basic courses that people took,
but now it is more a smorgas
board approach. It may be time
to go back (to more structured
requirements.)"
The plan also addresses
educational needs from the
view of future teachers.
The proposal extends the
training period for elementary
and secondary education
teachers to a minimum of five
years for basic certification and
raises entrance requirements
tor teacher education
programs Pierce says the
deans of the colleges involved
developed the recommendation
after the chancellor challenged
them to strengthen their
programs
Several recommendations
reflect discussions with com
munity college representatives
and suggest ways the state
system could work more
effectively with them.
“It was worth raising (the
recommendations) publicly to
increase the level of discussion
on those proposals," Pierce
says
The plan includes new
entrance requirements, which
have been previously discussed
by the board, for college-bound
high schools students.
The proposal requires four
years of English, three years of
math, two years of science,
three years of social science
and two years of “other college
prep ' These requirements
would apply to students seeking
admission in fall 1985.
The University Assembly dis
cussed these requirements in
December, and faculty
members voiced overwhelming
support for the requirements in
a unanimous straw vote
The plan also makes formal
the presidential scholarship
proposal, which asks each in
stitution's president to seek
private funding for 50 merit
scholarships to deserving high
school seniors who would be
able to renew them throughout
their undergraduate years.
"The scholarships would do a
lot to attract good kids from high
school to the universities,”
Pierce says
1
Campus group teaches responsible drinking
By Richard Burr
Of th« Emerald
The alcohol education committee
hopes to silence past criticisms that it
does nothing by setting goals to be
achieved before year’s end, says com
mittee member Jim Richards, acting
ASUO director of University events
The committee, consisting of faculty,
students and administrators, has eight
goals to accomplish with a $322
budget The money was collected
through a 50-cent coverage charge at a
beer garden last term
Frank Geltner, committee chairer,
and Bob Bowlin, former dean of
students, applied in September to the
Metropolitan Life Foundation for a
$22,623 student health grant to sub
sidize a University alcohol education
program, but they were turned down.
An objective that would absorb most
of the committee s budget is an alcohol
brochure Many brochures are
available for targeted groups, but none
ideally suits the University, Geltner
says.
“We want something to be
streamlined for the University,” he
says
The pamphlet would have informa
tion on state laws and procedures as
well as University codes concerning
alcohol
Another goal is to establish sanctions
for alcohol-related violations of the
Student Code of Conduct The com
mittee is considering recommending
violators complete some specific com
munity service and/or attend an
alcohol education program, says
Vernon Barkhurst, committee member
and associate dean of students and
conduct coordination.
Such sanctions would force students
to atone for their acts while learning
what influenced their conduct, he says.
A popular program that has been
started already is having a breathalizer
at beer gardens. Many students asked
how to “beat the system” when the
device was introduced at a beer garden
last term, according to a report by
Cynthia Kane of the Student Health
Center
Voluntary breathilizer tests at beer
gardens are intended to show students
the correlation between their condition
and the alcohol-blood level meas
urements, Richards says.
“They might not necessarily cut
down on drinking, but it may make them
think about it, which is the start of
responsible drinking," Richards says.
An Alcohol Awareness Day is being
planned as well. No date has been set
yet, Geltner says.
An awareness day could be the
catalyst for forming a student-run
program called BACCHUS (Boost
Alcohol Consciousness Concerning
the Health of University Students),
Richards says. Organizational
meetings last term failed to generate
interest, he says.
General training in alcohol education
is a committee goal that the Interfrater
nity Council started The council spon
sored an alcohol awareness seminar
fall term.
Fraternities are active in the alcohol
program because they have been
associated with heavy drinking, says
Richards, a fraternity member.
Although the image is incorrect, the
fraternities are using the resulting vi
sibility to promote educational forums,
he says.
The fraternities are adopting alcohol
awareness guidelines, such as provid
ing non-alcoholic beverages at social
events, says IFC chairer Alan Scearce.
Fraternities are trying to break the
“Animal House" mold that has haunted
them since the movie's popularity, he
says. "We don’t feel we’re that way,"
Scearce says.
The two remaining goals are starting
support groups for students with
alcoholic friends and a program on how
to intervene when someone drinks
excessively. The intent of the eight
goals is to promote responsible drink
ing but not "preach from the pulpit,"
Geltner says.
Students interested in working with
the committee should contact Richards
at 686-3724, he adds