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The Deal’
disappears
amid cuts
in funding
The plan to diffuse the cost
of attending OUS schools
has been abandoned in favor
of a strategy of fiscal survival
By A. Sho Ikeda
Senior News Reporter
A proposal the Oregon University Sys
tem created last fall to help spread the cost
of higher education among students, uni
versities and legislators has disappeared af
ter the state fiscal crisis last summer threat
ened budget cuts around Oregon.
Students and higher education officials
had high hopes for "The Deal," which
would have established an agreement be
tween OUS and the state whereby students
would pay up to 50 percent of higher edu
cation costs, and the state covering the oth
er half of the costs. The agreement would
not have set limits on tuition, however.
With OUS receiving $62.7 million less
from state funds than in the previous bi
ennium — the University alone is receiv
ing about $14.5 million less — the sys
tem's officials have focused less on the
long term financial goals outlined in the
deal and more on fiscal survival. It has al
ready been estimated that students will
pay 64 percent of the total cost of educa
tion during the 2003-05 biennium, ac
cording to the OUS Web site.
OUS Chancellor Richard Jarvis said the
deal is no longer a priority and OUS is
now focusing on a "survival strategy."
"We're doing the best we can because
the state revenue picture just kept getting
Turn to DEAL, page 4
UO continues hunt for diversity provost
This week, students can
meet the latest candidate
seeking to fill the new position
of vice provost for diversity
By Chelsea Duncan
News Reporter
The search for a vice provost for insti
tutional equity and diversity continues as
groups and departments on campus that
will work with the new administrator
wait expectantly for a decision.
Students can meet the latest candidate
for the position, Gregory J. Vincent of
Louisiana State University, Thursday at 3
p.m. in the EMU Century Room E. He
will also be at a campus and community
reception on Friday at 4 p.m. in the Bow
erman Building's Heritage Hall.
If hired, Vincent would be responsible
for providing leadership for University
equity and diversity matters for faculty,
staff and students. I le would also work
closely with University programs that fo
cus on diversity issues, and support affir
mative action and human resource oper
ations.
The decision to create the position
came a few years ago when students told
the administration that it lacked a focus
on diversity initiatives.
"The emphasis for this position actual
ly came from students," Senior Vice Presi
dent and Provost John Moseley said,
adding that the administration agreed the
position is important.
A search committee was formed in
September 2002, and the administration
reviewed three candidates in the spring
and one during the summer. Vincent, the
fifth candidate, is currently being re
Tum to PROVOST, page 3
Gregory J.
Vincent
Provost candidate
Doing it their way
Tim Bobosky Photographer
Kimberly Gwynne, 34, and David Watson, 38, are busy with their first term at the University.
Nontraditionai students have
difficulties balancing course
workloads and everyday life
By Jared Paben
News Reporter
Kimberly Gwynne knows that she can't live
the same life as most students. The 34-year
old nontraditionai student and her nine-year
partner David Watson, 38, wake up at 6:15
a m. three days a week to get to their 9 a m.
Geography 141 class on time.
The two environmental science majors live
in Salem and commute every week day to at
tend school in Eugene. They home school
their children, work all day Saturday and Sun
day to pay the bills and struggle to manage
their load of homework and reading.
Gwynne and Watson are classic examples
of nontraditionai students.
Nontraditionai Student Union co-Director
Steven Burns estimated that approximately
1,600 nontraditionai students attend the Uni
versity, but he admitted it's hard to know for
Turn to STUDENTS, page 3
Morales press release raises concerns about ASUO’s practices
The late release of information
involving ASUO’s vice president
has created contradicting opinions
about their public relations tactics
By Ali Shaughnessy
Senior News Reporter
The charges brought against ASUO Vice
President Eduardo Morales have raised ques
tions about the organization's public relations
procedures.
Morales was cited for assault and criminal
mischief in the second degree and appeared in
municipal court on Oct. 22 to plead innocent.
That same day, ASUO spokeswoman Taraneh
Foster prepared a press statement. The Emer
aid was not given a copy of the statement until
Oct. 28 when a reporter attempted to inter
view Morales.
Professionals in the public relations field and
public relations professors at the University have
contradicting opinions about whether it was a
good or bad strategy for ASUO to withhold the
statement from the media.
University Professor Thomas Bivins said it
would have been a better move to release the
statement once the information was available,
but he said he could not fault ASUO for trying
to protect itself.
"It's not good press relations," he said. "But
it's not unethical."
University Professor Jim Van Leuven also
said the smart move would have been to re
lease a press statement or hold a press confer
ence immediately after finding out about the
alleged incident.
"Information should have been made avail
able sooner because it is a matter of public
record, and (Morales) is a public official," Van
Leuven said.
However, Jim Bradbury, who owns a Eugene
based press relations business, said ASUO's strat
egy is a common practice known as a contin
gency statement, meaning that it is contingent
upon media request.
"It's like breathing in and breathing out," he
said. "You always want to prepare a statement in
case the press does call, so you can say what you
want to say correctly and to avoid legal issues."
Bradbury said he would "quite possibly" use
the same methods as Foster if found in a simi
lar situation.
"You want to be prepared," he said.
Foster said the statement was prepared in lieu
of being able to interview her regarding the mat
ter because she was leaving town on a business
trip the evening of Oct. 23. Foster said she didn't
know if she would have contacted the media
had the media not contacted her, adding that
ASUO has only an obligation to students.
"We are not required to (notify media)," Fos
ter said. "Media are not our constituents."
Foster said she used a "crisis communica
tions" tactic while preparing the statement. Hav
ing less than an hour to write it, she sought ad
vice from various public relations professionals,
including Seattle-based consultant John Stark
weather of the Morse Associates.
Turn to PRESS, page 3
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Mario Kart
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