University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon An independent newspaper Volume 98, Issue 53 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15,1996 INDEX Opinion 2A News 3A Rhythm & Reviews 5A Sports 9A Classifieds 10A Crossword 11A TODAY Today is the last day to change grading options for Fall 1996 classes. INSIDE The Oregon seniors play their final home game against California this Saturday Residence hall staff members are offering peer advising to freshmen and transfer students WEATHER Scattered showers. High 50. Low 40. Law School Coming Along Plans for the new 128,000 square foot, $25 million center underwent preliminary review By Ben Kwasney Higher Education Reporter A new law school for the University is closer to becoming a reality now that the campus planning committee has re viewed schematic designs of the pro posed William W. Knight Law Center. The 128,000 square foot, $25 million law building will be located on the cor ner of 15th Avenue and Agate Street. The Agate site was chosen because it is one of only two sites on campus that are large enough to accommodate such a building. The building will be about the size of Willamette Hall. The law building is just one part of a three-part campus project, said Chris Ramey, director and architect for Univer sity Planning. “It’s the beginning of a future develop ment campus plan,” he said. “This seems like a really great way to start that, to set the tone.” Turn to LAW, Page 3A ■ PROPOSED ELEVATION ALONG AGATE ST. Looking from Hayward Field Bleachers - ■ PROPOSED WILLIAM W. KNIGHT LAW CENTER ■ WHERE: East 15th Ave. and Agate St., across from Hayward Field. ■ SIZE: 128,000 square feet or approximately the size of Willamette Hall. ■ COST: $14.7 million in private donations, including $10 million from Phil Knight. Re maining $10.3 million bonded. 1. CLASSROOM/S 2. ADMINISTRATION OFFICES 3. LOCKERS KEY: 4. GREAT HALL 5. PARKING 6. JELL & OREGON LAW REVIEW DuuMbtiYosiiiruDenail Arcmtecture DENNIS BOLT/Emerald LEarn program offers all students money, skills ■ JOBS: Employment opportunities are paid positions, which also provide experience for the future job market By Laura Cadiz Higher Education Reporter It may just sound like any other campus job. But the Learn and Earn Employment Program (LEarn) offers all students the op portunity to link their education with a de cent paying job. LEam was developed at the University in 1994, and was created to encourage stu dents to learn and sharpen skills while working at a paid job. “It is a relationship where the employer and the student enter into an agreement,” EMU Director Dusty Miller said. “The stu dent takes a job that he or she has some ex pertise in and interest in learning and evolving further." LEam positions have an average pay rate of $6.50 an hour. The program participates in a 50-50 funding match with various Uni versity departments to finance positions. Ten percent of the student technology fee also helps contribute to the students’ pay checks. "It gives students a chance to do some thing that they know how to do and like to do and get paid for it,” said Ron Kellett, as sociate professor of architecture. Last year the program had 200 students involved and the same turnout is expected this year, said Greg Doss, LEarn program development officer. Employment oppor tunities such as EMU food service market ing representatives, an outdoor safety coor dinator and a World Wide Web page developer are provided by this program. The goal of the LEam program is to pre pare students for the outside job market once they graduate, Doss said. “LEam positions offer students the op portunity to enrich their academic experi ence by acquiring skills that will prove valuable as they move into their careers,” he said. For Therese Peffer, an architecture major, the LEarn program has helped her reach that goal. “I gained a different perspective of what it’s going to be like to work in the real world ... to work with real clients,” Peffer said. “It’s something I can see myself doing... it’s given me a taste of what I will be doing with my education when I leave here. ” Peffer said she acquired worthwhile skills at her LEarn job last year in the Ener gy Studies for Buildings Laboratories. “In architecture school, you learn from the classes, but when you can actually sit in a working environment it’s very beneficial Turn to JOBS, Page 4A Program would unite faculties ■ INSTITUTE: Proposed state-wide school of computing should cause more in-state hiring, professors say By Tamyra Howser Higher Education Reporter With Oregon’s high-tech industry boom ing, the demand for qualified job applicants has increased. In response, several University computer science proiessors nave proposed a statewide school of computing that will help support the in dustry. Oregon’s high tech industry is ranked fifth in the nation in eco nomic growth. Under the proposal, the University, Oregon State University and Portland State University’s computer science faculties would unite to expand computer science education. University President Dave Frohnmayer said the proposal will help the problem of Oregon-based high-tech companies who tend to hire out-of-state. “I think it’s an intriguing proposal,” he said. “It allows us to leverage existing strengths and build a resource for what Oregon really needs.” This would help prepare students for fu ture work at high-tech companies, added John Conery, associate professor of the computer and information science depart ment, who helped write the proposal’s draft. "Oregon definitely has a problem with outside hiring... and we thought it was the best way for the [schools] to respond to the [industry’s] needs,” he said. “We want to see more companies hire in-state.” The main focus of the proposal is to ex pand computer science education, Conery said. Currently, 50 to 80 students graduate from the University computer science pro gram, which is considered low, he said. The proposal, spawned by computer sci ence faculty retreats last year, was the brainchild of University professors Conery, Eugene Luks and Gary Meyer. The Oregon State System of Higher Education will ex amine this proposal at Portland State Uni versity today. The proposed computer school, which Conery called a “research institute,” could be located in Portland, but nothing is defi nite, he said. Tentative plans to consolidate an engi neering school between Oregon State Uni versity and Portland State University could influence where the computing school will be located. If formed, both programs could be linked together. If the new computer school is imple mented, an Oregon State professor could teach at the University, or a Portland State professor could teach at Oregon State, Con ery said. The collaboration of the universities’ computer science departments will not Turn to INSTITUTE, Page 4A