Western Front - 1974 January 29

              LRPC reports focus
on Western's future
(First of a weekly series.)
by RODGER PAINTER
The optimistic predictions of
Western's future made three years ago
have turned sour and have been
replaced by uncertainty and gloom.
Dropping enrollment and the
resulting budget crisis, of course, are
the reasons behing the changed
outlook. Western no longer seems
destined to reach the 15,000
enrollment figureforecast three years
ago.
analysis
The most dangerous implication of
the budget crisis is the possible
spiraling effect it may have on the
enrollment decline. By cutting back on
faculty, course offerings and student
services, Western will be less attractive
to new students and will have less
appeal to those currently enrolled.
The legislature's support of higher
education largely hinges upon the
recommendations of its Council on
Higher Education (CHE). CHE,
composed of educators and interested
citizens, is currently considering three
proposals that will, if adopted by the
legislature, substantially change the
nature of education offerings at
Western and the other state colleges.
In an attempt to modify the
-proposals before CHE, the Long Range
Planning Committee (LRPC) of
Western's All-College Senate has
appointed three task forces to draw up
responses. A fourth committee is
charged with finding a way to deal
with Western's student attrition
dropout rate which is, according to
college president Charles J. Flora, the
primary reason behind this year's sharp
enrollment decline.
"The council (CHE) is concerned
that higher education is not prepared
to meet the needs of students after
high school," LRPC chairman Robert
Meade said. " I t (the report if adopted)
may mean that Western will have to
change what it is now doing."
*The other three LRPC
subcommittees are scheduled to
present their findings in the next three
weeks. If approved by the LRPC, they
will be forwarded to the senate, then
to the Board of Trustees and finally to
CHE. The task force are dealing with:
—»A response to a report being
considered by CHE entitled "What
Should be the Goals of Post Secondary
. Education in Washington?" This task
force, chaired by Charles Ross of the
Biology department, is due Feb. 5.
^Response to a proposal before
CHE calling for the three state colleges
(Western, Eastern and Central) to be
responsible for specific areas of
education. In Western's case it would
mean such areas as marine biology,
technology and Canadian affairs. This
committee, headed by Ralph Thomson
of the Education faculty, is scheduled
to report its findings on Feb. 19.
Meade was personally critical of this
proposal saying that "liberal arts would
be offered but only as supportive
courses" to the areas of responsibility.
But Flora, an ex-officio member of
CHE, said the idea has considerable
merit because Western could then
receive funding for an area of
responsibility it now assumes because
"we believe it is important."
-•Response to a report asking for
more use of non-traditional teaching
methods in the classroom and more
independent fields studies. According
to Meade this would stress programs
such as the University Year for Action,
the Drug Education Program and
Continuing Studies. This committee is
chaired by Fairhaven faculty member
Kathy Anderson and its report is due
Feb. 12.
"Che is undoubtably going to make
some far-reaching recommendations
about Western's future," Meade said.
" I f any or all of the three proposals
are adopted by the legislature, the
future of Western will be substantially
effected. Conceivably Western could
become a tech school specializing in
several areas.
The attrition committee, headed by
LRPC chariman Meade, is charged with
compiling the reasons for Western's
student attrition, recommending how
the rate can be lowered and
recommending how the quality of
teaching can be improved.
Meade is scheduled to present his
report at 4 p.m. today in Viking Union
335. It is for internal use and will not
be forwarded to CHE.
(Future weekly articles will analyze the
four LRPC reports, as they are
released.)
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calls for unity
to fight terminations
by SHERRY JOHANNES
Financial support for terminated
faculty who wish to participate in a
suit against Western was pledged in a
unanimous vote last Thursday by the
campus chapter of the American
Federation of Teachers (AF T ).
The group will be seeking
college-wide support for the suit and
assess its members up to $100 each to
finance the litigation.
Kaye Faulkner, A F T president,
said the faculty has to "stand up and
fight," against terminations. He
stressed that the matter should concern
not just those who have been "ripped"
so far, but all faculty members who
may be affected in the future also.
The measure, moved by Leonard
Helfgott of the history department,
proposed that the Western AFT
chapter support all legal expenses
associated with challenging the
college's "reduction in force" policy.
It also empowered the AFT
executive to seek college-wide support
for the defense.
The possibility that some of the
terminations would violate existing
contracts and laws, and "pressure"
from the college administration for
faculty to take cuts in salary were also
discussed.
The "'need for urgency in this
action is not recognized by this
institution," said Charles North of the
music department. When the matter is
taken to the departments, he said,
"You run into a wall of complete
apathy."
The union local has employed
Seattle attorney Harold Green to look
into the legality of the "reduction in
force" policy and its implications.
If a lawsuit is brought forward,
possible litigants would include the
seven faculty who have already
received termination notices, those
who have volunteered to take cuts in
employment time or pay and those
who have agreed to go on sabbaticals
or do research in order to cut down
the number of faculty who must be
dropped.
Languages cut one-third
by NANCY KELLY
"I don't believe that any other
department has made the horrendous
sacrifices that the foreign language
department has," said Walter L.
Robinson, chairman of the department.
The foreign language program has
been cut from 19 to 12 full-time
equivalencies (FTE s), a term which "is
a heck of a thing to call a teacher,"
according to Robinson.
To cope with these cuts, every
member of the department met Friday,
Dec. 6 and agreed to live off of 12
salaries instead of 19, reducing
each instructor's salary by at least
one-third.
Just a year ago the department was
cut from 21 to 19 FTE s which means
that foreign languages has suffered
almost a 50 per cent reduction in
faculty since spring of 1971.
The new alternative plan which will
save seven jobs was agreed upon
reluctantly, but the department feels it
is fair to give those dropped a year to
find new teaching positions.
Robinson explained that
department cuts are based on
enrollment preductions but the foreign
language department, he claims, has
the same enrollment it had last winter.
Since a foreign language is no
longer a requirement for any student,
the department is at a disadvantage in
that it must compete with departments
that offer required programs, he added.
Robinson said that "the -only
sacrifices some departments are making
is being unable to hire new teachers."
At a department meeting last
Thursday, the issue was discussed
further. Eunice Faber, associate
professor of Spanish at Western since
1959, said her new salary will be what
she earned in 1963. Helen H.
Goldsmith, associate professor of
French, said some will be earning less
than they have ever earned.
WALTER ROBINSON - "... a heck of
a thing to call a teacher."
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