Chancellor Cox spoke next. The problems we face are not unique to Oregon. There are places doing much worse. He fears we may address short term fixes and ignore the long term view necessary to sustain Higher Ed. Universities are to the information age what coal mines were to the industrial age. There are escalating expectations by the public at a time we face constrained resources. Public Universities should have low tuition. But we have to raise tuition to sustain the Universities. For example, our neighbors to the north have had to raise tuition by 40%. This only matters if our goal is to be competitors and not just colonies. We should note which of the candidates for governor attended the meeting (Mannix, Roberts, Hill). We must become much more political - just like everyone else. We need to go to the legislature and the public with a clear message. The message should be ``fund enrollment''. We must not trade off our central mission or we will not remain Higher Ed.

Things he would hope for. 1) Gain control of tuition on each campus. 2) Get out from under the bureaucracy - perhaps a public corporation along the model of OHSU. 3) Get absolute management of our cash. Interest goes to general fund. Greater autonomy - control our destiny. However there is a natural tendency for the 7 institutions to have much autonomy. On the other hand, there is also a great power in 7 institutions being together. Behave more like private Universities but keep public accountability.

The three candidates for governor spoke next. Jack Roberts spoke of the need to move towards independence with a strong underpinning of public access. The role of OSU and UO as flagships - PSU has a different urban role. Fund the model to pay for undergraduate education. The service OSU provides in Bend rather than creating yet another 4 year institution is a good example. The institutions should have the right to set tuition but not to raise tuition too high as it could drive the middle class out of the schools. Fund higher education at a level to ensure the future of Oregon. Frustrated by war on PERS - don't make PERS a scapegoat. The system of higher education is one of the great assets of the state - he is proud of the fact that to many students from outside the USA come here to study. If this meeting was about K-12, all of the candidates would be here. You have to make sure all the people of the state understand how important Higher Education is to the state.

K. Mannix spoke next. Reforms are necessary for PERS - he has worked towards fixing PERS. Focus on higher ed as a general principle. Oregon Health Plan needs reengineering. The growth from 3% to 9% will eat us alive. Freeze the Oregon Health Plan and spend 2-4 years reengineering. Shift priorities. He would add 150,000,000 to higher ed in first biennium and 200,000,000 in second biennium if possible. No new taxes - increases in the economy would pay for that. Properly fund those systems that are working like Higher Ed. Fully fund the resource allocation model. Hold the line on tuition but give local flexibility.

Every institution should be its own flagship - revel in the diversity of all our institutions. Tie in the community colleges. Need quality education at reasonable cost to provide good job opportunities. Cooperate with the business sector and gain recognition as a first class University system. I am here because I believe in Higher Education and I enjoy intelligent continuing discourse. Want to reach out to all our community.

J. Hill spoke last. Told personal experience of the importance of education. He had experienced racial segregation as a child. His mother understood education as a way up and out. Ballot measure 10 will be vehicle for technology transfer. Raise alcohol and tobacco taxes to pay for funding. Time to take a stand for what is important. The economy underlies all - strong economy will bring resources. Prepare for bad times in the good times. We have reached a time when we have to be brutally honest about what we want our state to do. Our schools are in trouble. Our state is no different than our family - you invest because you want things to be better.

Awards were then presented to Senator Cliff Trow and Chancellor Joe Cox.

The use of campus health centers by the faculty was then discussed - Dr. Gerald Fleischli (UO) and Dr. Lora Jasan (OSU) gave a brief discussion. To explore the concept of faculty using health centers it is necessary to change state statues. Senator Cliff Trow urged them to consult with the faculty involved before proceeding further - this was echoed by several members of the audience. Some members of the audience questioned this might be a move motivated by health cost cutting constraints.

The meeting ended with brief presentations by the lobbyist panel Mark Nelson (AOF), Grattan Kerans (OUS) and Tom Barrows (AAUP-PSU). The situation for the special session in June remains uncertain.

Respectfully submitted Peter B Gilkey - IFS Senator and member of the UO Senate Executive Committee.