Gymnastics’
fresh future
See Page 8
Thursday, March 14, 1985
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 86, Number 119
Solar collectors
How many times have we heard those dermatologists say that the
sun is bad for skin? That 20 or 30 years from now we’ll all look like
prunes if we keep up this sun worship?. . .But still, who can resist
those first few sunny days of spring?
Photo by Michael Clapp
Students might direct
health center’s budget
By Julie Shippen
Of the Emerald
Students will gain $2.4 million in veto
power and will have direct control over
the Student Health Center’s services if a
proposal to put the facility’s annual
budget up for student approval is ac
cepted, says Todd Saunders of the ASUO
Executive.
The proposal includes a new stu
dent/faculty committee that would en
dorse or reject the center’s budget each
year, based on the collective interests of
the student body," Saunders says.
Saunders discussed the idea Tuesday
with Dan Williams, vice president for
administration, James Jackson, health
center director, and. Bob Petit, a health
center administrator. The four will act
. on the final proposal some time in April,
Saunders says, • • '
The proposed committee would
decide what, if any, new services should
be added at the center and. what services
are1 no. longer needed or wanted by
students,' based on a biennial campus
wide survey, he says.
Response.from a.similar survey, taken
by. the University’s marketing depart
ment in 19'83, shows that students are in
terested in adding dental, optical and
chiropractic services, among others, to
the list of professional? at the center,
Saunders says.- •
The new committee's survey would be
. different, however,, in the respect that
students would start ' as if “from
scratch,” putting into priority .their in
terests instead of indicating what they
would like in addition to what the center
says they must have; he says. . .
“If the survey comes up and reflects
what’s at the center,, fantastic. I have no
objections,’’ he says. “But we ojve.it to
the students to .ask them what they
want.” ' . . ’ • '
Currently, there is a committee assign
ed to review the annual- budget,
Saunders says, but this group acts purely
in an advisory capacity-.
"Stude'nts’.voice in the health center
is exactly that — advisory,” he says. “I
want to see students actively involved
with voting power in what’s going down
there. I don’t think it’s an unreasonable
request.”
Saunders, who coordinates the com
mittee’s four student members, believes
their influence is further stifled because
the 12-person group does not have time
to thoroughly evaluate new budgets,
which are lengthy and complex.
But with the approval of the new com
mittee, and with a special constitution
outlining its rights and functions, ade
quate time and voice could be provided
to make sure students’ needs are being
realized in the budget, Saunders says.
This year’s health center budget con
sists of $2,455,000 in student dollars,
Saunders says, none of which is state
money. “Students are paying 100 per
, cent of that (sum),” which may surprise
a lot of students, Saunders says. “We
own the health center just like we own
the EMU.”
The budget is a combination of the
center’s expected revenue from
laboratory work, pharmaceutical sales
and other health-care charges, plus a
$33-per-term, per-student fee paid on
top of incidental fees, he says.
Saunders says his proposal in no way
implies that the center’s employees are
mishandling the.budget, and it is not his
goal to change .the facility or .its services
unless students so desire, he adds.
Rather, it’s the “issue” at stake, he
says, and it’s time the funds are turned
back over to the students. The switch is
nothing new, Saunders adds, as up until
1971, the Incidental Fee Committee
. allocated funds to the center in the same
manner it now allocates funds to student
• groups, to the EMU and to the Univer
sity’s athletic department.
“I think we should put the students!
money'back, in their hands again, back
where it belongs,’,’ Saunders says.
Bob Petit, a health center ad
ministrator, believes Saunders’ proposal
is valid. As long as certain “safeguards”
are included in the process. Petit says,
he sees no reason why students
shouldn’t be further involved.
“We enjoy working, with students,”
he says. “It is student money and we’re
very, very cognizant of that.”
Legislators plan tour
of research centers
Members of Oregon’s Senate Educa
tion Committee will visit the University
today to get an overview of its research
facilities, says Bob Watrus, committee
administrator.
The committee’s visit is part of a two
day tour to four Oregon universities,
where the legislators will be looking at
programs and listening to faculty
members involved in the proposed
“centers of excellence,’’ Watrus says.
In addition to the University, commit
tee members will visit Oregon State
University, Portland State University
and Oregon Health Sciences University
in Portland.
The University’s center of excellence,
the advanced science and technology in
stitute, along with the three other
centers, recently asked the Legislature
for $11.6 million plus money from the
Oregon State Lottery to run the pro
grams, Watrus says. The lottery funds
would be used to build facilities that will
house the centers of excellence, he says.
The legislators will meet with Univer
sity President Paul Olum and later will
hear a presentation from Dick Hersh,
vice president for research. Hersh will
describe University programs in
biotechnology, international business
and management technology.
He also will review the University’s
proposed Riverfront Science Park pro
ject, to be located by the Willamette
River near the Autzen Stadium
footbridge.
The legislators will later tour
laboratories conducting research in
molecular biology, neuroscience, cell
biology, lasers, computer software and
chemical physics.