opinion
Plan or statement?
“The Strategic Plan for Higher Education in Oregon.
1983-87,” or at least its draft, does not outline strategies for
meeting the problems higher education now faces.
The drafters should be commended for their succinct state
ment of the value of higher education in Oregon. The State
Board of Higher Education's adopted plan, or at least this draft,
should succeed as a public relations tool for the state system.
But, the “Strategic Plan” is not a four-year plan at all.
The board needs to make some tough decisions about in
creasing overall revenue, lobbying for more state and federal
funding and setting specific criteria for allocating funds.
Such oblique suggestions as: . Each institution should
strengthen its office of institutional planning to ensure that the
institution is operating as efficiently as possible and is keeping
abreast of changes in state and federal policies affecting higher
education" skirts the issue of how these eight institutions are
going to be able to do this. It begs the question, "aren’t they do
ing this already?"
The draft does a good job of tipping its hat at the problems
now facing the state system schools: the general fund falling
nearly 10 percent in the last 10 years, the inadequacies of the
full-time equivalency funding system, the lack of money for
building maintenance and the lack of coordination between
community colleges and the state system.
To meet these problems the state system is going to have
offer more specific suggestions than: "The State System should
seek from the Legislature the resources needed to provide a
good quality general education program in all the undergraduate
institutions of the System.”
What the state system really needs is either a scheme for
boosting the funding of all the institutions, the University in par
ticular, or a real "plan" on what to do if funding isn't there.
The state colleges and universities need some solid ideas
to meet the scenario the state system has been good enough to
supply the public.
For example: A strategy would say how the system will
seek funds to increase library acquisitions and change over to a
computerized library.
The Chancellor’s office has not submitted a course of ac
tion for higher education. In their own words, “Strategic plan
ning... is more a matter of perspective than planning tech
nique."
The staff of the state system has submitted their perspec
tive on higher education and received little disagreement. Now
we await their long-range strategies.
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DOUAR ROUNDTRlp FUGHT FRO* LOS ANGELES TO NEW TOR*,,,
frank shaw
Class boredom
There’s no such thing as
boring classes — ? only bor
ing teachers.
I've yawned through classes
with the best of them,
mastered the fine art of sleep
ing with my eyes open, read
the graffiti ingrained on my
desk, all the while blaming my
boredom on the class
material.
Let's face it; the person who
gets the coffee rights to some
of these classes is going to be
very rich.
letters
Causes
Michael Cross’ article con
cerning capital punishment
was well supported However,
if Michael had ever studied
discrimination in our society,
he would quickly realize that
Blacks far outnumber other
groups on death row. Blacks
and other minorities confron
ting the adversary system can
not afford to pay successful
lawyers like F. Lee Bailey.
Therefore, they are supported
by recent law school
graduates just learning the
ropes.
For example, Hurricane
Carter was charged for murder
and sentenced to life im
prisonment. Under Atiyeh’s
proposed legislation Hur
ricane deserved to be ex
ecuted. As Michael Cross
points out, “Let’s stop freeing
murderers and instead give
them the punishment they
deserve." Hurricane Carter
was released after spending
10 years in prison after
evidence proved he was not in
volved with the murder.
In American society, the
murder rates remain the same
whether or not there is a death
penalty. The best deterent of
murder would be an end to
discrimination, unemploy
ment and the availability to
purchase guns.
Europe has a low murder
rate and no capital punish
ment. The English police carry
no guns.
I believe the cause of crime
must be thoroughly examined
before we make a hasty deci
sion regarding capital punish
ment. Why do people murder?
Will the fear of death deter the
motive to kill? Every increase
in the percentage of people
unemployed in our nation
leads to a corresponding in
crease of murder. What's
Ronald doing to our society
anyway?
Drew O'Rourke
senior, sociolgy
Burning
Instead of cutting faculty
and course, the University
should cut its heating expen
ditures. It could start by lower
ing the temperature in the In
ternational Lounge.
Specifically, the ther
mometer in the Lounge
registers in at a sizzling 82
degrees (with the windows
open). This situation, besides
being economically unfeasi
ble, is in no way conducive to
studying (the primary utiliza
tion of the lounge). Let's quit
getting burned and lower the
thermostat 14 degrees.
Ready Pool
Oregon doily . _
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Jaan Qwnhay
Is that the way it has to be?
On the first day of class this
term one of my professors ad
mitted the course material
would be boring at times, and
announced he would be han
ding out door prizes to start
off each lecture.
True to his word, the next
class began with prizes of
books, posters and slugs of
type.
It was refreshing to hear a
professor admit the material
was not inherently interesting.
He was willing to do a little ex
tra work to make it more ap
pealing — ? and therefore in
formative — ? to students.
The door prizes gave me a
whole new perspective on bor
ing classes. Up until then I had
accepted boring classes as
part of education, something
like death and taxes — pretty
much unavoidable.
But then I started thinking
of some other boring classes
I've had. They were so tedious
because the teachers didn't
seem to care whether the
students were interested.
They seemed to be convinc
ed that education has to be
boring.
They remind me of my mom.
When I was a kid she was con
vinced the worse a medicine
tasted the better It would be
for me. If it tasted good, it
wouldn't work.
Some professors must think
the same way. If a student has
fun in a class, they're not real
ly learning.
Now I'm not suggesting
teachers have a duty to keep
students entertained. After all.
f.
not everyone is a stand-up
comedian, and not every class
is suited to a Johnny Carson
monologue.
But if professors can’t sum
mon up enough interest to
make the class at least
marginally interesting,
perhaps they shouldn't be
teaching it.
The basic goal of any class
is to get students to learn
something, and learning re
quires cooperation with
students.
The best professors I've had
have encouraged class discus
sion and participation and
were open to ideas and sug
gestions from students.
Of course you can’t teach
an economics class in 150
Geology using class discus
sion, but is there a rule that
says students can't ask ques
tions, or present ideas, or pro
fessors can't use something
more stimulating than WWII
maps for visual aides?
I have a suggestion for pro
fessors who want to test their
interest vs. boredom quotient.
Tape record your lectures,
play them from the back of 150
geology, 180 PLC, or 241
Gilbert keeping in mind the
whole time the stimulating
decor of the room and the
fascinating graph you etched
out of crayon about the supply
and demand of widgets.
See how long you can stay
awake. Believe it or not, it's
impossible to sleep and learn
at the same time.
Now, where's my cup of
coffee?
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