Hundreds of students from Oregon’s community colleges and public universities descended on the Capitol building in Salem Thursday to voice their concerns about mounting student debt and proposed tuition hikes.
Legislature considers establishment of university boards
New legislation in Salem could have a significant impact on the way universities are run in Oregon. Senate Bill 270 and House Bill 2149 both address the establishment of institutional boards at the state’s public universities. If passed, this legislation would see a board of directors created at both Portland State and the University of Oregon, allowing many decisions to be made at a university level.
New bills in Legislature address debt, tuition
Three bills are making their way through the Oregon Legislature this session and have provoked an earnest discussion about the future of higher education in the state. House bills 2838, 3025 and 3472 are in various stages of negotiation and offer new ways of approaching the question of education funding in Oregon.
Judaic studies program receives its largest-ever student scholarship
The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State was the recent recipient of an anonymous, $250,000 donation that will establish an endowed, need-based scholarship fund for students majoring or minoring in the program.
Zipcar brings all-electric vehicles to PSU campus
Students and faculty looking for sustainable transportation now have a new option. Zipcar recently stationed two all-electric Honda Fits on the Portland State campus.
Located in Parking Structure 1 near the Sixth Avenue entrance, the new Fits are available for reservation by Zipcar members who are 21 years of age or older at an hourly rate of $10.50.
Faculty contract negotiations begin with bagpipes in the park
The Park Blocks were peaceful on Tuesday, until the bagpipes started playing.
So began a high-visibility march through campus to hand-deliver two oversized letters to Portland State administration; one went to PSU President Wim Wiewel, the other to Carol Mack, vice provost for Academic Personnel and Leadership Development.
PSU professor’s study explores children’s exposure to violence
A child’s exposure to multiple kinds of violence is more likely to lead to emotional and behavioral issues later in life than if that child had been exposed to violence in fewer forms. That’s according to a study by Portland State’s Laura Hickman and her former colleagues at the RAND Corporation.
PSU reaches out to Beaverton minorites
Portland State is working with the city of Beaverton to craft a minority outreach plan that would encourage civic engagement by the city’s ethnic minorities. This joint effort is the first iteration of a major new initiative being pursued by the center, and is tentatively being dubbed the Public Service Innovation Laboratory.