ifsreport7Apr00.html

Joint Annual Meeting AOF, AAUP, IFS (Friday April 6 and Saturday 7 April 2001)

Report on IFS meeting 6--7 April 2001 Salem: Day 1. Reported by N. C. Phillips.

Notes: (1) Day 2 has been reported by Peter Gilkey. (2) This report contains what I thought to be the material of most interest. I have more information.Report on IFS meeting 6--7 April 2001 Salem: Day 1. Reported by N. C. Phillips. Notes: (1) Day 2 has been reported by Peter Gilkey. (2) This report contains what I thought to be the material of most interest. I have more information.

Abuse of the cell values in the Resource Allocation Model

This is something I heard about from other IFS representatives. The cell values estimate costs per student credit hour in various kinds of courses. At both the Oregon Institute of Technology and Portland State, administrators have compared the actual cost of operating a department with what the relevant cell values say it should cost that department to teach the students in its courses. Under this comparison, some departments are seen as making a profit and others a loss; those making a loss have been threatened with budget cuts. At the Oregon Institute of Technology, the math department was threatened; the administration was eventually convinced this approach was not valid. I am less sure about what happened at Portland State.

Presentation by Speaker of the House Mark Simmons (R-Elgin)

I arrived during this presentation, having been delayed in leaving Eugene because of teaching duties. He strongly supported higher education last time, and still does. (He himself did not go to college, but recognizes its value, and wishes he could go back.) However, he notes that last session it was the Republicans who stuck their necks out for higher education, but that students almost certainly cost his party a house seat in North Eugene and quite possibly another one in or near Corvallis. This is not how one treats one's friends. The Democrats still get to take the student and faculty vote for granted, despite doing nothing for them.

Tips on communicating with legislators, primarily from the legislative assistant of Rep. Kelley Wirth (D-Corvallis).

Identify yourself as a constituent if that is the case, and include an address (even in email).
Letters are best, but email does get read. The offices get little spam [bulk junk email]. It was suggested that there is an email filtering system, since Wirth's campaign email got huge amounts of spam. [I agree with this assessment, and wonder how much legitimate email is lost by mistake.]
Specify a bill number if possible, and write about only one bill at a time. (For the higher education budget, there are some separate smaller specific provisions in it, which can be referred to by name. Otherwise, the best you can do is the less satisfactory reference to the higher education budget as a whole.)
Be brief (at most one page).
Summarize two or three main points (say with bullet marks) first--this will be what makes the biggest impression. Follow up with more detail in the rest of the letter.
Use anecdotes (we lost so and so, a very important person in our department, because such and such wasn't done, or whatever). [It is also apparent from the speeches made to our group by assorted legislators that anecdotes--personal stories they can get hold of--play a big role in their thinking. Also, from Sen. Tom Hartung (R-???) on Sa, in the specific context of the higher education budget: Legislators want to know what the extra $96 million in the last budget did for higher education. Again: specific individual stories, such as, we were able to hire so and so, etc.]

This material was presented in the context of how at least one legislator's office actually works. In extremely brief summary: Letters and email from consituents gets noticed, those from nonconstituents may not [although, as was said elsewhere, volume counts]. Communications referring to one specific bill get filed with information on that bill, while those mentioning several bills may get filed with only one and those mentioning no specific bill may get filed with none.

Lobbying

We were expected to hunt down legislators during several breaks in the meeting. This wasn't made clear until just a day or two before the meeting, at least to those not at the previous meeting, leaving us unprepared. I found nobody in the offices of either of my legislators, but Jim Isenberg was able to talk to one of his.

MEMO TO: UO Senate President Jim Earl UO Senate VicePresident Nathan Tublitz UO Senate Secretary Gwen Steigelman
MEMO FROM: Peter B Gilkey (IFS Senator)
MEMO RE: IFS Meeting 7 April 2001

Dear Gwen, Jim, and Nathan: Below are some notes that I made at the joint AAUP/IFS/AOF meeting today. Chris Phillips also was in attendance. I was unable to attend the meeting yesterday; Chris Philips and Jim Isenberg were in attendance yesterday and Chris will write up some information on the meeting. Saturday 7 April 2001. The Meeting was held at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center (Oregon State University). Below are a few exerpts from some of the speeches made.

The program began with welcoming remarks from the President of OSU. He thanked all the faculty who were able to attend. He reminded the participants of the many benefits that a higher education brings:

The economic benefit of a higher education degree is an average salary that is $21,000 per year higher than that of persons without a higher education degree.
The chance of being in jail is much lower for persons with a higher education degree than those without one.
The chance of having a job with benefits is much higher for persons with a higher education degree than those without one.

For society as a whole, he noted that States that support higher education do better economically than those that do not.

Senator Cliff Trow (Corvallis) spoke next. He discussed the fact that faculty salaries at OUS institutions do not compare well with those of our peer institutions. It is a struggle to get general funds - they are overcommitted. The Goernor took the lead agains inititative that would have sunk us had they passed. He thanked the AAUP and AOF for helping work for decent budgets.

Senator Dave Nelson (A UO Alumni and Senate Majority leader) indicated the GOvernor has added money back to the budget but that it is not enough. Final decisions will not be made before the 14 May budget forecast. It is important for higher ed to have someone in the halls at all times. Higher education is tied in with economic development, everything is related. The economy needs highly trained people. The number 1 way to improve peoples lives is through higher education.

Representative Kelly Wirth (Corvallis). Many OSU extension projects present a great face for Higher Ed in Eastern Oregon. OUS has done a great job in presenting the case for higher education in Salem. All the legislators understand the need for long term investment in higher education. Top priority is the push to a `top tier' and to `double the number of engineering graduates'. She encouraged us all to call our legislators. To get Ag experimentation and high tech together to lobby for higher ed.

Senator Tom Hartung (Chair Education Subcommittee of Joint Ways and Means Committee). He is a strong supporter of higher education. He tries not to be just the Senator from OSU. He was proud of what the 7 OUS presidents said before the legislature. There will be no money added back before the 14 May revenue forecasts; he wants to restore the 96,000,000 from the previous session. He won't critizie the governor; the Governor has other priorities and shares the budget frustrations. A measure of the quality of our civilization is how we take care of the infirm, aged, and young.To a certain extent higher ED is a vicitim of our sucess - the quality and high number of grads coming to OSU and to PSU. OSU has an opportunity to become a first tier world class University. OSU has put a 3.5 milllion dollar endowment for the new branch campus in Bend. He encouraged each University to act like a private University in raising funds. Intel hires 80% of engineers from out of state. Think of what it would do for our young people to get an education in state to earn good salaries and to be able to get these jobs. We should give up new programs and enhancements if they come at the expense of working problems.

Senator Kate Brown (Senate Democratic Leader). Should look at the bigger picture. Not easy to stave off budget cuts. Term limits have gotten rid of incentives to work collaboratively - folks come in with agends that have to be completed in 6 years. The energy crunch is a big issue. Rising medical costs is a big problem. There are gaping holes in the budget. Adult family services have been cut. She is pleased with the Governor's addback of 45,000,000. But it is not enough. There are plenty of resources out there. The 20,000,000 for the computer initiative is doable. She is concerned that the next budget will be even tigheter. Urged us to get involved, make phone calls, send letters and emails. Oregon truely has a citizen legislature. In terms of our economy, higher ed is the most important thing.

Joe Cox (Chancellor OUS system) There have never been better friends of higher ed than the folks that are here at this meeting and they need to know it. 5/6 years ago, Oregon said we must be come more `client' oriented (here client means not only students but others in the state). We must become more busineslike and carry higher ed to other parts of Oregon. Serve place and time bound adults whose only chance is higher ed. Rebuild relationships with business. Become more publically accountable and more efficient. The connection between the quality of life and higher education has arrived. The Ways and Means is a friendly committee but has to make hard choices. Urges if money is put in it be put in unencombered and to fund the continuing service level. Problems he sees: skyrocketing utility costs, health care costs, unfunded salary increases,etc. He saw advantages and disadvantages to going the OHSU route and beocming a public coperation. The way to go tier 1 is through private leveraging, OSU has made termendous progress.

John Wykoff OSA discussed the many student concerns - using tuition to `backfill' other parts of the state budget. Students are going to pay more and get less in basic state services.

Senator Lenn Hannon (Co chair Joint Ways and Means Committee) Wants to add some perspective and a dose of reality. Term limits means one loses senior people. The pendulum is swinging from the elected to the appointed positions. It is a tragedy to pit K-12 against Higher Ed. Bill Sizemore is what is being done to us - government is being sold to the highest bidder. Sizemore feeds on negative feers of people. Time to take back your government. Mr. Sizemore has been repudiated every time he has run fo rpublic office. The budget for 2002/3 has a big hole in it - the snowball hits in 2003 - you have seen nothing yet. The Ways and Means has difficult decisions to be made. Need a new more stable source of revenue and to quit pitting one citizen against another.

Lobbyist Panel (Mark Nelson, Dave Barrows, Grattan Kerans) Outlined need to keep in contact with our legislators during the next 6-8 weeks.

Web page spun on 7 April 2001 by Peter B Gilkey 202 Deady Hall, Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1222, U.S.A. Phone 1-541-346-4717 Email:peter.gilkey.cc.67@aya.yale.edu of Deady Spider Enterprises