Council denies sister city funding
By David Ryan
Oregon Daily Emerald
City Council passed up the po
tential to facilitate greater world
peace Monday night.
At least, greater world peace is
what Councilwoman Betty Tay
lor said having sister cities con
tributes to.
“I think the benefits of sister
cities, in addition to the cultural
and economic benefit, we are
contributing to world peace,”
Taylor said.
Taylor spoke in support of Sis
ter Cities International, a group
of volunteers who run Eugene’s
sister cities programs and events.
The group came to the council
Monday night to ask for funding
beyond the end of the 1999 fiscal
year, when city funding for the
group expires. But group mem
bers didn’t stop there. They
wanted funding to increase the
number of Eugene's sister cities
beyond the four it has.
But council members were
skeptical of the sister city pro
gram.
Councilwoman Nancy Na
thanson criticized the way sister
city programs were run. She said
that she was disappointed that
many one-day visitors from Eu
gene’s sister cities were not giv
en meaningful tours of the city
but were instead taken to shop at
Valley River Center. She was also
worried that many Eugene resi
dents were unaware that the pro
gram exists.
"What sort of statistical infor
mation do we have that say peo
ple in Eugene are aware of our
sister city program?” She said.
Councilman Scott Meisner
was critical of the way the group
planned its budgets. Meisner
also expressed dismay at the way
he felt social groups viewed the
city as “the first and last funding
source.”
“We are now the social service
safety net.” he said.
Council members talked about
funding the group enough to sur
vive. Mayor James Torrey also
suggested the group ask the Ro
tary Club for funds.
Report hails University’s budget cuts
The General Accounting
Office commends the
school for saving millions
By Tricia Schwennesen
Oregon Daily Emerald
The University caught the atten
tion of the U.S. General Account
ing Office by efficiently cutting
$7.7 million of its administrative
budget.
“The GAO concluded that the
University of Oregon exemplified
success in running a tight ship and
included us as one of only three
examples nationally,” University
President Dave Frohnmayer said
in his State of the University ad
dress Thursday.
The GAO report, released Sept.
30, spotlighted the University for
implementing a new on-line fi
nancial information system and
eliminating paperwork from man
ually processing checks and pur
chase orders thereby saving the
University money.
In the early 1990s, the State
Board of Higher Education man
dated that all universities organize
a Board Administrative Review
Committee to examine adminis
tration costs vs. the cost of educa
tion, said John Moseley, provost
and vice president of academic af
fairs.
The committee’s goal was to re
duce administrative costs and im
plement more efficient processes
to combat rising tuition.
The budget was then about $150
million. Of that, $50 million went
toward administrative cost, in
cluding the operation of the busi
ness office, the physical plant,
buildings and the grounds, he said.
With the help of an outside con
sultant, the committee had to
come up with a plan to cut costs.
The University then reduced
the number of vice presidents
from four to three, reduced the
number of administrative posi
tions, streamlined bookkeeping
and switched from a paper pur
chase order system to credit card
purchasing, he said.
“We were typical of most state
bureaucracies,” Moseley said.
“More paperwork and more ap
provals were needed to guarantee
we were getting the best deal.”
While the University was com
piling the requested report, Mea
sure 5 reduced the number of state
dollars each university received.
The climate had already been
created to hold down the cost of
administration, but now the Uni
versity had to raise six dollars to
every one state dollar.
“The irony of this particular sit
uation is that tuition at the UO in
creased tremendously, which had
nothing to do with administrative
costs but the reduction of state
funds,” Moseley said.
The challenge in reducing costs
was to make sure that the same
services were still available to stu
dents.
One way the University has
found to reduce costs while keep
ing services is the new matricula
tion fee that was implemented this
fall, he said.
The fee is $150 for new students
and $45 for returning students and
covers the cost of such things as
IntroDUCKtion, transcript re
quests and processing graduation
applications.
Moseley said state funding may
increase but that he hoped the tu
ition freeze will continue.
If the University doesn't receive
more state funding, then tuition
may have to increase or educa
tional services may need to be cut
to keep a balanced budget, he said.
“We are continuing to fight the
battle,” Moseley said.
The GAO report is available on
line at www.gao.gov/new.items
/he98227.pdf.
favfieX to.
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507. off
great travel packs!
Eurailpasses issued
on the spot!
Plan early for
Thankgiving!
Council
Travel .
CIEE: Council on International
Educational Exchange
877 1/2 East 13th Street,
Eugene
1222 East 13th Street,
EMU Building,
Univ. of Oregon,
Eugene [54IJ-344-2263
www.counciltravel.com
004527
OCTOBER 14-16 10-5
Food • Unique Crafts • Clothing
Jewelry • Glass • Art
Questions? call 346-0622
P M
TRADITION. CHARACTER.
THE DELTA CHI FRATERNITY
DON'T MISS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE
APART OF SOMETHING GREAT!
International Representatives are on campus now,and seeking
interested men to become a part of UO's newest fraternity!
For more information on becoming a
Founding Father
Plan to attend our informational meetings:
Tuesday, October 13, from 6:00-7:00pm in Carson Hall - Gold Room
Tuesday, October 13, from 7:30-8:30pm in EMU - Century F
Wednesday, October 14, from 6:00-7:00pm in Univ Inn - Lobby
Wednesday, October 14, from 7:30-8:30pm in EMU - Metolius Room
Thursday, October 15, from 6:00-7:00pm in Moore Dining Room
If you are unable to attend, but are still interested, please contact Corey Rasmussen at (541) 346-9584
or come by our office in the EMU Century Rooms between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of Choice." William Jennings Bryan - AX Georgetown
fyeelituj. Clothed?
*Free Cholesterol Screening
Tuesday 9:30-11:30
University Health Center
Questions? Call 346-4456
* Must have current UO I.D.
004607
U N ! V t K S I
f HEALTH CENTER
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