UO E-clips, June 3

UO looks out for freshmen (The Oregonian, letter to the editor by Robin Holmes, UO vice president for student affairs): The University of Oregon is expecting a record number of new students in the fall. This is a testament to the university's strong reputation as Oregon's flagship institution of higher learning. As your columnist Steve Duin noted ("At UO, arena seats trump freshmen beds," May 27), this significant influx of students forced several hundred incoming freshmen onto a waiting list for on-campus housing. What Duin neglected to mention was that the only students on the waiting list were those who did not submit required paperwork before a May 1 deadline. In fact, all students who submitted a housing request before the deadline were accommodated in an on-campus residence hall.

Freshman spike comes despite housing crunch (Register-Guard): Some students are opting against choosing the University of Oregon because of a shortage of on-campus housing, but the UO still expects a record enrollment this fall. Robin Holmes, the UO’s vice president for student affairs, said she’s heard from some parents who don’t want to send their children to campus if they can’t live in a residence hall. She doesn’t know how many have opted out, but said she understands the choice. “This is a big decision for folks. This is a big investment and they need to go where they feel the most comfortable,” Holmes said.

Freshmen ranks to swell on campuses throughout Oregon (AP, appearing in the Roseburg News Review): The University of Oregon’s recent scramble to rustle up housing for incoming freshmen is only the highest-profile example of public colleges bracing for a population boom. Driven partly by the economy, partly by demographics and partly by new public funding for college scholarships, a larger-than-usual freshman class is expected on state campuses this fall. Officials chalk up the surge at least in part to the extra $50 million lawmakers poured into the state scholarship program known as the Oregon Opportunity Grant. Dennis Johnson, who heads the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, said that starting this fall, 34,000 students will get state aid, for an average grant of about $2,117 apiece. That’s a significant boost from the 27,000 who currently get an average of $1,259 and is ahead of estimates, said James Sager, an education adviser to Gov. Ted Kulongoski. In exchange for increased aid, students must pledge that they will make their own financial contribution. The idea is to reduce high post-graduation debt.

University foundation buys land on Franklin (Register-Guard): The University of Oregon has extended its footprint east with the purchase of property formerly owned by the state Department of Transportation. The 4.5-acre parcel was purchased in April by the UO Foundation for $4.1 million. The foundation, a private nonprofit company that invests and manages donations to the university, at times acts as intermediary and purchases property that the university plans to buy. At one time occupied by a highway department maintenance station and motor vehicles department office, the property has been vacant for a number of years. It sits on a corner along Walnut Street and Franklin Boulevard.

Program seeks to reduce emergency risk: The emergency management program wants campus to be prepared for an earthquake (Oregon Daily Emerald): In the wake of one of the worst earthquakes in recent memory, China's death toll since last month's earthquake surpassed 68,000 last week. On the other side of the globe and on a moderately sized college campus, the University's emergency management program continues to work to raise awareness about earthquake preparation and mitigating risk. Andre Le Duc, the University's director of the emergency management program, said his program oversees all of the emergency planning for campus, which includes not only the response portion, but a mitigation plan as well. "To be honest, the city doesn't have a recovery plan," said Le Duc. "We (the University) want to be not only ready to respond, we want to mitigate risk and think about how we would recover." Le Duc worked with the University's Emergency Management Advisory Committee, which he said has representation from many of the departments on campus, including the library, student life and academic affairs. Together, they worked to create the mitigation plan, which President Dave Frohnmayer approved in March of 2006, said Le Duc. "We're the first university in the state of Oregon to have a mitigation plan," said Le Duc. "That's a kudos to the administration on campus."