ISSUE 75 · JUNE 11, 2012 Public and Government Affairs Update

Opportunities to meet UO presidential finalist Michael Gottfredson

Beginning tomorrow, Gottfredson FRIDAY, JUNE 15 FRIDAY, JUNE 15 and his wife Karol will be in Eugene Event: State Board of Higher Education Event: Campus reception to meet with the campus community votes on Michael Gottfredson’s Time: 10:30 a.m. and community leaders in meetings appointment; campus community Location: Ford Lecture Hall, and public forums. You are invited to encouraged to attend Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art attend the following events. Time: 9:00 a.m. Location: Ford Lecture Hall, TUESDAY, JUNE 12 Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art Event: Campus forum Time: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Location: 182 Lillis Hall

FEDERAL AFFAIRS U.S. Senator Ron Wyden IN THIS ISSUE 1 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden hosts hosts roundtable on student roundtable on student debt with UO debt with UO students students On May 30, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D- 2 Springfield City Council tours Lokey Laboratories ) and UO Interim President Bob 2 Rudy Crew named as Oregon’s first Berdahl led a roundtable discussion with chief education officer students on student 2 Governor testifies before Special debt and financial aid. They were joined Committee on University Governance, by Laura Hinman, ASUO president, and state board adopts recommendations Nick McCain, ASUO vice president. The 3 Congress weighs options to prevent U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and UO Interim budget sequester and student loan meeting was held in ’s President Bob Berdahl talk to students about student interest rate hike debt and financial aid Paulson Reading Room and also featured 3 Oregon legislature meets for interim Jim Brooks, director of the UO Office of legislative days, hears revenue forecast Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. ing Live like a Duck, which provides and passes funding for TrackTown 12 security During the event, fifteen students shared tools and tips to help students and their families make sound financial decisions their stories and offered thoughts on how For more information or to invite government to improve financial aid for students. while attending the University of Oregon. officials to a University of Oregon event, please Several students highlighted their experi- Senator Wyden highlighted his efforts to contact Government and Community Relations at 541-346-5020 or at [email protected]. We can ences with the PathwayOregon program, provide information on the value of col- help! which ensures that academically quali- lege degrees through his Student’s Right fied, lower-income Oregonians will have to Know Before You Go Act. Public and Government Affairs Update staff their University of Oregon tuition and Wyden is a 1974 graduate of the Univer- fees paid for with a combination of fed- sity of Oregon School of Law. Earlier in Nate Stice Policy Analyst, Government and Community Relations eral, state, and university funds. Students the day, he visited the Duck Store, where Karen Hyatt Assistant Director, Government also spoke about UO programs aimed he congratulated general manager Jim and Community Relations at increasing financial literacy, includ- Williams on his retirement.

1 PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE JUNE 11, 2012 COMMUNITY RELATIONS the concept of providing a pathway for Bob Davies, Eastern Oregon University Springfield City Council institutional boards for universities that president, and Mark Weiss, Western Or- tours Lokey Laboratories want them. According to the governor, egon University president. the idea of local boards is consistent with On May 29, the City of Springfield City The committee met again on June 7 to the philosophy expressed in Senate Bills Council and Mayor Christine Lundberg hear from representatives from the office 909 and 242 and the Oregon Education held a work session on the University of of state treasurer Ted Wheeler and the Or- Investment Board (OEIB) that drives re- Oregon campus to hear from university egon Institute of Technology (OIT). Laura sponsibility and accountability closer to research officials and tour UO facili- Lockwood-McCall, debt management service delivery. He added that the cen- ties. Participants heard from Kimberly director for the Oregon State Treasury, tral question is not whether to establish Andrews Espy, vice president for research discussed bonding issues relevant to local boards, but what powers should be and innovation and dean of the Graduate university governance and Christopher vested in those boards and what mecha- School, who outlined the UO’s mission Maples, OIT president, offered his view nisms are needed to ensure they con- as a comprehensive research institution. on institutional boards. tinue to serve public interests and fulfill Chuck Williams, executive director of The Oregon State Board of Higher Edu- their responsibilities to the people of Technology Transfer Services, offered cation also considered the governance Oregon. The governor outlined the areas participants a picture of the UO’s role issue, ratifying the recommendations of consideration he felt most important in spurring innovation in the economy, of its governance and policy committee for the committee: tuition-setting, salary providing several examples of local on institutional governing boards. State and benefits, access to state bonding companies that have ties to the university. board member Paul Kelly presented the for capital needs, ownership of existing Chemistry professor Dave Johnson spoke recommendations at previous special buildings, purchasing and procurement about potential research-based partner- committee hearings. rules, and employment practices and ship opportunities, and Chris Larson, contracts. The committee also heard from director of graduate internship programs, spoke about the master’s industrial internship program’s 100 percent job STATE R E LATIONS placement rate. Ellen McWhirter, profes- sor of counseling psychology also shared Rudy Crew named as Oregon’s first her research with Springfield-area Latino chief education officer adolescents. Governor John Kitzhaber announced the selection of Following those presentations, John former City of New York school chief Rudy Crew to fill Donovan, director of the Microanalyti- the role of chief education officer. The position was cal Facility, led participants on a tour of created in 2011 as part of a comprehensive package of UO’s Lorry I. Lokey Laboratories. education reform initiatives aimed at aligning K–20 education in Oregon. The position has authority over STATE R E LATIONS K–12 education as well as Oregon’s community col- Governor testifies before leges and public universities. Crew’s thirty-year career as an educator, principal, Special Committee on Oregon chief education officer Rudy Crew and superintendent includes serving as chancellor of University Governance, New York City public schools and superintendent of state board adopts Miami-Dade County public schools. Since 2009, he has been a professor in recommendations the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. He On May 22, Governor John Kitzhaber ap- also serves as president of the K–12 division of Revolution Prep, which uses peared before the Oregon Legislative As- technology to improve math instruction and graduation rates in urban school sembly’s Special Committee on Universi- districts. A fuller biography of Rudy Crew is available on Governor Kitzha- ty Governance to express his support for ber’s site. the process established by the committee He will begin work in his new role on July 1. to examine institutional boards as well as

2 PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE JUNE 11, 2012 FEDERAL AFFAIRS set to occur on July 1. The House and increase in state revenues of another Congress weighs options to Senate have offered conflicting proposals $106.5 million for the 2011–13 biennium. prevent budget sequester to cover the $6 billion cost of maintain- State economist Mark McMullen said he ing the current 3.4 percent interest rate was encouraged by lower initial unem- and student loan interest for one year. The Senate’s plan (S. 2343) ployment claims and said the “outlook is rate hike would pay for the one-year extension remarkably stable” for continued growth. The potential impacts of a year-end by eliminating a tax break for certain During the interim legislative days, budget sequester on U.S. defense spend- corporations; the House plan, which has the legislature’s Emergency Board, the ing are prompting some Republicans and already passed the House (H.R. 4628), interim committee with budget allocation Democrats to urge their respective lead- would do so by eliminating funding for a authority, approved a $550,000 grant to ers to reach some type of compromise on preventive health fund created by the Pa- the City of Eugene for the U.S. Olympic deficit reduction before the November tient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Team Trials in track and field. The trials elections. The sequester passed in the Oregon Democrat Peter DeFazio, MA will run from June 21 to July 1, and will Budget Control Act of 2011 will require ’77, also offered a plan to prevent the be held primarily at the University of Or- across-the-board cuts in discretionary doubling of Stafford loan interest rates egon’s . The grant, which spending if lawmakers do not reach an and keep them permanently low. DeFazio was secured with the help of Oregon agreement before next January. Lawmak- would offset the costs of his proposed senate president Peter Courtney (D- ers in defense-heavy districts and states plan by increasing the tax rate by 1 per- Salem) and Weighs and Means commit- are feeling strong pressure from their cent on income more than $380,000. This tee member state representative Nancy communities—and threats to their own debate over Stafford loans comes as more Nathanson (D-Eugene), will help organiz- political futures—over the scheduled Americans rely on loans to finance their ers add extra public safety measures for $600 billion, ten-year cut to defense pro- education. A recent Oregonian article the event, which is projected to generate grams that would be part of the automatic recounted that the Federal Reserve Bank $31 million in economic activity in the $1.2 trillion cut in spending approved as of New York estimates that at least 37 greater Eugene metro area. part of last year’s budget deal. million Americans owe $870 billion for More information about the U.S. Olympic The impact of sequestration on higher outstanding student loans, a figure that Team Trials can be found at the event’s education is expected to have a large is growing and that exceeds the money official website. negative impact on domestic discretion- owed for credit cards or auto loans. For more information and ary spending including student aid pro- daily updates, like us on grams and research funding. While some STATE R E LATIONS facebook.com/uogcr believe it is unlikely that Congress in the Oregon legislature meets end would allow such cuts to be imple- for interim legislative days, UO Public and Government Affairs mented, the threat could have the effect hears revenue forecast, Web Communications intended by last year’s budget agreement: Design and Editing Services to create pressure for compromise sooner and passes funding for Media Relations Development Communications rather than later. If so, Congress could TrackTown 12 security Government and Community Relations resolve the sequester issue sometime Members of the Oregon Legislative As- KWAX-FM Marketing and Brand Management after the November elections during the sembly met May 21–23 for regularly lame duck session. There remains a great scheduled interim legislative days. In a deal of skepticism, however, that this joint session of the Senate Finance and will occur. The University of Oregon is an equal-opportunity, Revenue Committee and House Revenue affirmative-action institution committed to cultural Congressional leaders also continued to Committee, the state economist released diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This publication will be provided in debate options to prevent the doubling the quarterly economic and revenue accessible formats upon request. ©2012 University of the Stafford student loan interest rates forecast. The forecast projected a small of Oregon. DES0612-181aw.

3 PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE JUNE 11, 2012