Oregon Daily_ ¥
Emerald
Inside:
•Dancing to Brubeck
Page 7
Thursday, November 12, 1MH7
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 8‘t, Number '> 1
Senate unanimously behind Olum
By Ingrid Petersen
Emerald Reporter
The University Senate
unanimously passed a motion
Wednesday to ask the State
Board of Higher Education not
to accept its executive commit
tee's recommendation to retire
University President Paul Olum
earlier than his anticipated
retirement date.
I.a.st month the committee
recommended that Olum retire
on June 30. 1‘IHO. which is three
years earlier than Olum's re
quested retirement date.
The motion, which also
criticizes the committee for not
Photo by Ktthffi Kirby
Math Professor Richard Gilkey sub
mitted a motion before the University
Senate protesting the state board's
decision to retire University President
Paul Olum.
consulting with faculty
and other University
consitituents
preceding its decision,
now will be sent to the
state board. The board
will discuss Olum’s
retirement date during
its Nov. 13 meeting at
the University.
"We haven't had a
unanimous consent on
matters of importance
in a long time." said
Peter B Gilkey, a math
professor who submit
ted the motion, referr
ing to the 30-0 vote
With Glum as presi
dent we have some
very exciting things to
look forward to, such
as the K i verfron t
Research Park, the
search for a new pro
vost and the capital
campaign to find
money for various
University projects,
such as refurbishing
the main library,
Gilkey said
These projects re
EWEB, steam plant study
discovers cost similarities
By Andrew LaMar
Emerald Reporter
Preliminary results of a
study on the University
steam plant and the Eugene
Wator and Electric Board
show the two plant's produc
tion costs to differ only
slightly, according to an
EWEB official
Gary Kunkel, EWEB's
director of power manage
merit, said the study of
EWEB and the steam plant
shows the two plant's pro
duction costs of 1.000
pounds of steam only differs
by "a few cents."
Kunkel said the cost dif
ference claimed by Ralph
Hill, University steam plant
supervisor, in an Oct. 29
Oregon Daily E^merald article
were inaccurate. Hill said the
University steam plant pro
duces 1.000 pounds of steam
at a cost at least $1.35
cheaper than EWEB.
Kunkel also said Ray Hovl
ing's comment in the same
article that "EWEB would
like to get their hands on the
state coffers" is untrue.
"We're not in a produc
tions cost competition for thti
University, and we don't
want to get our hands on the
state coffers,” kunkel said.
The report is being con
ducted by the Eugene ac
counting firm Gregor Profes
sional Corporation and is
jointly sponsored by EWKB
and the University. Universi
ty officials will use the
report's findings as a first
step to deciding the fate of
the University steam plant
The Riverfront Research
Park's master site plan sug
gests eventual elimination or
relocation of the plant and
using the plant's current site
for a public building
John Moseley. University
vice president for research,
spoke about the plant at a
Riverfront Research Park
public forum Nov. 4 He said
eventually the plant will be
eliminated, and the Univer
sity will buy power from
EWEB
But the University pro
bably won't get out of the
steam business until it is
economically feasible, he
said.
quire continuity of the Universi
ty president, he said. "No pro
vost is going to come to the
University if the president is go
ing to retire nine months after
he gets here," (lilkey said
Gilkey also complained aliout
the state board's decision not to
consult with members of the
University before calling for
Olum’s retirement.
"I know of no one from the
University with whom the state
board or chancellor’s office
communicated before making
the decision." he said "Our
concern is that they (the board)
lie provided with the best infor
mation that is possible
"i have talked to no faculty
member who is in favor of
Olum's retirement." he said.
The University Senate also
considered motions for amen
ding University parking rules
and submitting written faculty
approval of the University's
current reduced tenure pro
gram it postponed voting for a
new senate vice president,
which for the last ten years has
been a student.
Peter Nesbit. a member of the
Student Senate, was nominated
for the position by the Universi
ty Senate's nominating
committee.
"lie wants to do it and seems
dedicated.” said Karen
Frymoyer, chairwoman of the
Student Senate.
However, due to Nesbit's
Turn to Senate, Page 4
Classes should go on;
strike called extreme
By Mike Drummond
Emerald Associate Editor
Provost Dirk Hill is
dissatisfied with the Student
Senate's call to strike Friday
morning classes as a show of
student support for President
Paul Olum Olum doesn’t
like the idea either
In a statement released on
Tuesday. Hill said he shared
students' position regarding
Olum and was pleased they
have given the president
their strong support
However, he believes such
an action is an inappropriate
way to convey concerns to
state hoard members
"I cannot approve of. or in
any way endorse, the general
strike that the Student Senate
has called for Friday morn
ing. .We should refrain
from actions that might be
seen as distractions from the
orderly process and debate,"
Mill said
Olum reiterated Mill's con
tention that a student stike
was not the best means to
demonstrate discontent with
the state tioard.
"I’m not alanit to tell the
students what to do. I said in
the beginning students have
a right to make up their own
minds, but striking classes
is not as good a way
as what they've (students)
already done," Olum said
"I take our academic work
as sort of sacred, and I don't
(.all off our classes for
anything I keep getting i alls
to call off classes for national
holidays, for University con
vocations or hud weather,
and 1 refuse to do that,"
Olum said.
Olum said calling off
classes is not one of his
favorite symbols of student
dissent regarding the state
hoard's decision. "Class
work is the nature of our
business it's the heart of
what we do.” Olum added
However, Olum said he
was pleased with the over
whelming student support
he has received.
"Students have behaved
wonderfully I have been
moved by what they've
done, and I thought the ban
ner (unfurled at the Universi
ty Assembly meeting) was
terrific." Oium said
Peter von llippel, head of
the chemistry department
and a faculty representative
who will he addressing the
state Itoard on Friday, also
had reservations regarding
the student strike
"We're all pleased with
Turn to Strike, Page 4
Ambassador credits University
By Paula Grefn
Emerald Reporter
"The University of Oregon
holds a special place in Nepal,”
said Hishwa Pradhan, Royal
Nepalese Ambassador to the
United States, during a visit to
the University on Wednesday,
Pradhan, an author, lecturer,
and former foreign secretary of
Nepal, credits the University
with helping to establish
Tribhuvan University in
Nepal's capital city of
Kathmandu
According to Pradhan, the
University was the first to
welcome students from Nepal to
study. These students then
went back to Nepal and
"created some major educa
tional impacts,” he said.
"The literacy rate in our
country is very high now —
about 40 percent," Pradhan
said, adding. “I am very much
impressed with this university's
impact."
Pradhan also credits Professor
Emeritus Hugh B. Wood with
generating an interest in the
students from Nepal through
the creation of the American
Nepal Education Foundation, of
which Wood is the executive
director.
"Due to his efforts, thfi
students are able to be here."
Pradhan said.
The American Nepal Educa
tion Foundation, which was
established on campus in 1955,
is jointly sponsored by the
University and Nepal, and has
grown in the last 10 years to
support 175 students
throughout the United States.
There are currently five
Nepalese students at the
University.
Pradhan and Wood met
several years ago. In the late
1950s, through what is termed
the ‘‘Oregon Connection."
Wood and the University
became deeply involved in set
ting up an educational system
in Nepal. Soon after, the king of
Nepal visited the campus to
thank the University for bring
ing Nepal's educational system
into the 20th century.
"I would particularly like this
connection to continue to grow
and prosper,” Pradhan said.
Although the University is
given credit with helping to
establish Tribhuvan University,
and the universities are
designated "sister univer
sities." Tribhuvan and the
educational system in Nepal are
patterned after the British
education system — a result of
the long-ago British conquest of
southeast Asia. This means that
after tho age of 16. students may
continue their education in
technical or commercial study,
or go on to higher education.
"They have an Oregon Alum
ni Association in Kathmandu,”
Wood joked, "though it's really
only an informal meeting of
people."
Pradhan also commented on
the city of Eugene, which is
identified as Kathmandu's
"sister city."
"Tho surroundings of this
place remind me of kathinundu.
with the hills and the valley,"
Pradhan said.
Bishwa Pradhan