News
A University student is charged with drunken driving and assault
after hitting a motorcycle officer in Portland on Sunday night. Page 4
Sports
Michael Jordan’s wife files paperwork seeking to end their marriage. Page 8
The UO women’s basketball team struggles in its early games. Page 5
Tuesdayjanuary 8,2002
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 103, Issue 70
■ A record enrollment has overstuffed
some classes, but solutions are being sought
By Joanna Maas
for the Emerald
;
Along with the enrollment increase at the Uni
versity this year, students and faculty are see
ing increases in their class sizes, and some say
the higher numbers have put a damper on their
classroom experience.
According to the University, the largest class size
in 2000 peaked at 475 students in the fall. In one
year, that number has moved past the 500-student
mark — Sociology 204, for example, had 503 stu
dents fall term.
Senior Meghann McKinley has felt the effect of
the enrollment increase and said her class sizes
have grown.
“It’s usually the entry-level classes that are packed
to the brim, but now I have noticed that even some
of the upper-division classes that I assumed would
be smaller and more personal seem to have gotten
bigger,” McKinley said.
According to James Buch, associate vice president
for enrollment management, the University has al
ready taken steps to alleviate this problem.
“When it was realized several months ago that en
rollment would increase in fall 2001, faculty and
staff in academic departments made adjustments to
class schedules and teaching assignments,” he said.
Buch said that departments maintained their en
rollment levels by increasing the number of classes
offered, and that larger lecture-formatted classes
were increased in size to accommodate the rising
number of students at the University.
“Professors teaching those courses made the ad
justments knowing that they could effectively teach
the course to a slightly larger number of students,”
Turn to Crowding, page 3
Adam Jones Emerald
A full house doesn’t slow journalism Professor Jim Upshaw as he lectures Monday.
PeaceHealth buys thoroughfare near campus
■ The medical group is keeping
its expansion options open,
and pedestrians may be forced
to find an alternate route
By Brook Reinhard
Oregon Daily Emerald
PeaceHealth is shelling out $85,000 to
buy the alley bordering the north edge of
Sacred Heart Medical Center between Hil
Inside
yard and Alder Streets, closing a path stu
dents and community members use to walk
to the University.
The ordinance to
vacate the alley,
which was passed by
the Eugene City
Council on Dec. 10
and becomes effec
tive on Tan. 9, is -the
latest development
f jlans for the hos
tilities.
recently completed
its land purchase
in Springfield
PAGE4_
in the medical group’s pi
pital and surrounding fac
PeaceHealth spokesman Brian Terrett
said there are no current plans for the alley,
and he would not predict the property’s
future. He said that owning it would allow
PeaceHealth more flexibility in planning
what to do with its Eugene campus.
“We just felt it was important to have
the alley in our possession,” Terrett said.
The group is relocating its main hos
pital facilities to a 160-acre site border
ing the McKenzie River in Springfield.
The hospital finalized the land purchase
on Dec. 31, and it expects to break
ground on the project in 2003.
If PeaceHealth decides to close the al
ley to the public, it could implement that
decision as early as Wednesday.
Mark Allen, a resident of Eugene who
uses the alley to get to work every day, said
that PeaceHealth will have to expend
some effort to get him to change his route.
“TheyTl have to put up a fence to
keep me from walking through this al
ley,” he said.
Some city officials agreed that get
ting people to choose a new route
might be difficult.
“They may need security guards,” city
of Eugene associate planner Gabe Flock
said. “They may need to gate it. ”
Terrett said if the hospital decides to
close off the alley, there will be plenty
of warning.
“We’re committed to a substantial
public information campaign,” Terrett
said, with “at least a month’s notice.”
David Brink, chief financial officer of
Oregon Medical Laboratories, a sub
Tum to Alley, page 3
Adam Jones Emerald
Student Dustin Joll walks on East 11th Alley, which was purchased
by PeaceHealth and could soon be closed to the public.
Governor
announces
fiscal fix
■ Gov. John Kitzhaber says his
budget plan, which calls for an
$84 million reduction in higher
education, is a “starting point”
By Brook Reinhard
Oregon Daily Emerald
Gov. John Kitzhaber released a propos
al Monday to alleviate the $830 million
state budget shortfall. The proposal
would leave rainy day funds, such as to
bacco settlement money, untouched.
Kitzhaber’s proposal also avoided a
suggestion to raise taxes.
“This is not a ‘Governor’s Recom
mended Budget,’” Kitzhaber said in a
statement. He said the initial proposal
was necessary to shock Oregonians into
realizing the severity of the situation. The
governor issued the plan as a “starting
point,” and he wants to have an updated
proposal to discuss with the state legisla
ture by Jan. 14.
Under the plan, the Oregon Universi
ty System would face $84 million in
cuts, including:
• Reduce direct support for undergrad
uate education by 5.1 percent, including
support for an engineering school.
• Decrease research funding by 20 percent
• Reduce campus-based service pro
grams by 20 percent. Examples of cam
pus-based programs include small busi
ness development centers and
campus-based radio stations.
Contact community reporter Brook Reinhard at
brookreinhard@dailyemerald.com.
OUS to expand
athletic audit,
survey players
■ Auditors delay results of inquiry
to review all travel expenses
by University athletes in 2000-2001
By Eric Martin
Oregon Daily Emerald
Results from a financial investigation
of Athletic Department travel expenses
and procedures will be released a month
later than originally expected because
Oregon University System auditors have
broadened their investigation to include
every trip taken by student athletes.
Patricia Snopkowski, director for the
OUS Internal Audit Division and OUS
supervisor for the University investiga
tion, said additional abuses have not been
detected “at this point” among the $1.7
million in travel expenses for 2000-01.
“Basically, we need confirmation from
students,” Snopkowski said. “The key au
dit step is confirming with the students. ”
The questionnaire asks when athletes
Turn to Audit, page 3