President Lussier, Chancellor Jarvis, Directors, University Presidents, Students, and Guests:

Unintended Consequences - In my remarks last month, I spoke of the Unintended Consequences of the lack of funding to Higher Education and to all state agencies. I tried to convey the danger of damage to our infrastructure, and the fact that below some level of funding things start to fall apart, creating problems worse than just the programs, employees, and students affected by the cuts. At some point, even if funding were to be restored we would not have the system we had before.

Preaching to the Choir - I realize that this is not news to the people in this room -- people like you who fight daily to hold our system together in the face of seemingly endless gloomy economic forecasts, budget cuts, and calls for fiscal measures that range from the draconian to the incomprehensible (has everybody stopped making color copies?). You already know that faculty members are asked to maintain national and international stature to achieve promotion and tenure, but are allowed to travel out of state only under very restrictive circumstances. You know that we are asked to maintain quality teaching, while our class sizes are growing, our teaching/advising load is increasing and our salaries and benefits are declining when measured in constant-dollar equivalents. You know that our students bear financial burdens that create debt beyond reason, and some of them worry that even if they graduate they may not get a job and it may take the better part of their career to repay their loans. Suddenly itıs Oregon that Doonesbury is making fun of, not Mississippi or West Virginia.

The Uh-Oh Squad - I have a friend who, when suddenly faced with a really bad situation like accidently skiing over a hidden ledge or coming face to face with a bear on the trail or rounding a bend in the river and discovering that that odd rumbling is a raging waterfall, calls on help from the Uh-Oh Squad. My friend seems to find himself in these situations remarkably often, and I must admit that sometimes I didnıt hear about these events second-handed. Calling for the Uh-Oh Squad means that suddenly one realizes the full impact of the current situation, and anxiety turns to adrenalin or panic.

I am not an expert in financial analysis, forecasting, or economic planning. I receive data weekly that I often donıt understand and sometimes canıt even read. I hear reports of budget cuts in amounts that I canıt fathom. To paraphrase one of our national legislators, ³...a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money². At some point, one doesnıt have to read the reports to know that a serious situation has developed.

From Anxiety To ?? -- I am beginning to hear reports from my friends and colleagues that are disturbing beyond the usual moaning and groaning, and that I think may signal a sea change in attitude and morale. I note an increasing incidence of serious physical and emotional health problems among my friends, and widespread talk of retiring early or changing careers; I observe previously vibrant scholars who have essentially stopped contributing beyond their teaching, and I see folks who were happy, effective, and light-hearted become bitter, depressed, and angry. It is as though we are behaving like rats in an electrified cage who, when shocked repeatedly, attack each other instead of pushing the lever to stop the shock like they were trained to do. I donıt mean to make light of these very serious situations, but it might be time to call for the Uh-Oh Squad. Itıs time to get serious, time to take immediate action without self-destructing. I once heard a story of a Civil War sea battle where the enemy was so close that the defendersı cannon blew a hole in their own ship. We canıt afford that, but we know that we are no longer shooting at targets on the horizon -- our economic enemy is right here, right now, and they are not shooting blanks.

Getting Serious, Staying Positive - I hope that this is not the beginning of one manifestation of the Unintended Consequences of our faltering economy, or permanent damage to our infrastructure. On every campus we see positive reactions as well as the negative. The OUS faculty and IFS are committed to a campaign for positive and constructive legislative action, including seeking new permanent revenue sources, creative short term remedies, and energetic entrepreneurial activities. We vigorously support the OUS goals of flexibility initiatives and maintenance of quality educational programs. In two weeks members of the Interinstitutional Faculty Senate, as part of our regular meeting, will meet in Salem to visit with our legislators in an effort to support these goals of the Oregon University System. In May the IFS is meeting jointly with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Association of Oregon Faculties (AOF) to discuss options with legislators and, hopefully, with the Governor. The faculty of Oregon universities supports our citizensı right to expect a world class university system contributing to the economic well-being of the state, we support our studentsı right to a quality affordable education provided by a quality faculty with decent pay and adequate resources, and we appreciate the support of our OUS board and university administration.