Portland State Perspective Productions
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Portland State University PDXScholar University Archives: Campus Publications & Portland State Perspective Productions 1-1-1985 Portland State Perspective; Spring 1985 Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/perspective Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Portland State University, "Portland State Perspective; Spring 1985" (1985). Portland State Perspective. 24. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/perspective/24 This Article is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Portland State Perspective by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. ]F§UJR!rsnective Portland State University Alumni News - Spring 1985 The city is my campus! tivc Portland State University Alumni News The cost of college in the '80s Spring 1985 By Bob Mullin Robin Morris was a case in point. Twenty-four years old, the mother of two small daughters, and in the process of getting a divorce. Not surprisingly, she was broke. "I had always wanted to go to college," Robin remembers. "I thought it was unlikely I could ever go - I had no resources available to me. But I happened to have a good friend who kept telling me to go into the financial aid office and see what they could do." Reluctant at first, Robin finally visited the office in 1980 and , to her pleasant surprise, found that through a combination of assistance programs - grants, loans and work study - she would be able to enroll at Portland State as an undergraduate. "I moved into PSU student housing which allows children," she says. " I sold my car and my appliances to do it. I had no transportation so that ruled out transportation costs . After Since Sputnik was launched, the federal government six months I was able to leave my children at the (Helen Gordon) child has made college accessible to nearly anyone with the care center, which reduced my child desire and ability to attend. But rising costs and care expenses." possible cutbacks in financi.al aid may limit the choices. Her grades were sporadic during the first year of adjustment, Robin remembers, but then " things stabilized. " By the time she earned Portland State serves a unique GPA of the student body at large. In her bachelor's degree in 1984, she function in that more than any other the spring of 1984, undergraduate had come within a fraction of a grade institution in the state system it can males receiving aid averaged 2.751 point of graduating with honors. proVide financial assistance to such compared to 2.769 for undergraduate John Anderson, director of students - for example, divorced males overall , while undergraduate Financial Aid at PSU, was so women with dependent children who females receiving aid averaged 2.963 impressed with Robin 's achievements need to come back to get a degree 50 compared to 3.012 for undergraduate that he nominated her for the student they have job skills . We currently are females overall. Inside advisory committee to the College assisting 258 such women. " Keeping up with Sputnik Scho larship Service. She was flown to Who are the PSU students on In all, more than half Portland New York City severa l times a year to PSU takes to the air I 2 financial aid? State's student body depends on aid High·flying TV commercial launches help assess the financial aid needs of Statistics compiled in Anderson's of some sort to attend school, says campaign to raise PSU 's profile college students nationally. office provide a picture: Anderson. Grants and scholarshi ps, Old friends team up for youth I 5 " Within six months they recognized - Two of every three of them are from state, federal and private Gladys McCoy (,67 MSW) and Bonnie Neal ('71) that she was exceptional," says independent of parents for their sources, account for 38 percent of the used to share babysitting, now an office Anderson, " and asked her if she support. aid money awarded; low-interest A Summer Session Sampler I & would be one of two student -Of those sti ll dependent on Choose from over 500 courses and two federal loans, many of which do not dozen foreign professors this summer members on the executive committee parents for support, 32 percent come have to be repaid until graduation, From CPA to refugee worker I 7 for the College Entrance Examination from families with incomes of less account for 50 percent; and the Dustine Davidson ('69) has found a way Board. " than $15,000 a year. federal College Work Study program, to combine business, humanitarian interests She currently is serving her second -Of those who are independent, which subsidizes wages for working Coaster comes home I 8-9 of three years in both positions from 76 percent have annual incomes of aid recipients, accounts for the other It was a tough decision, but Jack Featheringill her new home in Amherst, Mass., has brought his summer theater to the city less than $5,000 a year. 12 percent. "Your Turn" I 2 where she is seeking a doctorate in -Thirty-three percent of the Anderson says the amount of aid AlumNotes I 4 cognitive psychology research at the independent aid recipients are distributed has grown over the years, Foundation News I 12 University of Massachusetts. married andlor have dependent but the kind of aid given is changing. Campus News I 13-14 Financial aid made it possible children, and 12.8 percent are "Grant assistance has not grown at Calendar I 15 " None of this would have been unmarried and have dependent the rate loan assistance has grown," On the cover: PSU theater ar15 student Mary possible without financial aid," says children. he says. " So we have more students Kadderly steps from helicopter owned and Anderson. " Our aid programs are -The grade point average of aid borrowing more money than ever chauffeured by C. Norm Winningstad (,73 especially helpful to the so-called recipients, according to Anderson, " is befo re . In a sense, we're creating a MBA) in TV spot taped on PSU campus and nontraditional students such as Robin . not significantly different" from the generation of debtors." aired on prime time local television. See story on page lWo. In fact, because of its urban location, Continued on p. 3 1 TV commercial offers Your Turn Colleges and universities across the Would you rather pay for your son upbeat image of PSU country have been doing a little more or daughter's college education or soul-searching than usual after recent hand over the money for a business assaults on the virtues of the venture?" by Cynthia D. Stowell And, while its effect on applications baccalaureate degree. Give it some thought and send your "See that? You're looking at the and enrollment will be difficult to Take, for instance, the report answer (and your name, please) to: most exciting university campus in measure, the commercial has drawn released by the Association of PSU Perspective, News and Oregon!" some very iX'sitive reactions from American Colleges in February. It sa id Information Services, Portland State The enthusiastic voice of PSU viewers- including state legislators college curriculum had been watered University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, student Mary Kaddedy rises above the and civic leaders. Surprisingly, for down and was pandering to OR 97207. If it's more convenient, roar of a helicopter motor as the such broad exposure, not a grumble marketplace demands. "As for what call us with your answer, at (503) Willamette River and the city of has been heard. passes as a college curriculum, almost 229-3711. And you don't have to Portland stretch out below. A few Still, one of the most heartening anything goes," said the Me report. have a chi ld to have an opinion! seconds later, the helicopter touches aspects of the project was the " Fads and fashions ...enter where down in front of Millar Library and volunteer and professional wisdom and experience should Quarters or semestersJ Kadderly steps out. her book bag over involvement of PSU alumni. The prevail." The report blamed relaxed last issue's "Your Turn" question her shoulder. University's director of News and college entrance requirements and the stirred up a few opinions. As you "Portland State University is my Information Services Clarence Hein more recent sag in enrollments for a might remember, we asked whether school," she says. "And the city is ('65) sought out another grad, Cap "survival ethic" and "diminished PSU should convert to a 15-week my campus!" Hedges ('64), to produce the spot. vision" on college campuses. semester system. Alumni who It is Portland State at its jauntiest, Cap Hedges & Associates is the The academic community was still contacted us favored converting; the and it's part of a new campaign to second largest buyer of broadcast reeling when the nation's new only person who felt we should retain raise the University's profile in the media time in the metropolitan area. secretary of education issued his own the quarter system wouldn't give her community. One of the two helicopters used in challenges and criticisms. Said name! Here's what alumni had to say: The 30·second television production was loaned by C. Norm William 1. Bennett just a few days commercial, which aired on (our Winningstad ('73 MBA), president of after taking office in early February, Portland stations 160 times during the Beaverton-based high tech firm "Most colleges promise to make you J think we should convert to the March, April and May, was PSU's first Floating Point Systems.