Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, spoke to Portland State faculty, staff and students at a recent lecture on the state of higher education.
Portland State’s School of Extended Studies laid off 16 employees last week in an administrative decision as part of a 4 percent budget cut implemented throughout the university. The university said the goal of the cuts is to decrease spending while maintaining academic programs and services for students. “These cuts will produce $1.5 million annual savings (in salaries and services/supplies). By making strategic budget reductions such as these, the university protects its core academic and student services from larger cuts,” PSU Director of Communications Scott Gallagher said.
Associated Students of Portland State University presidential candidate Ethan Allen Smith’s campaign was challenged by the elections board last week because he had not selected a vice presidential candidate. Due to the board’s interpretation of the ASPSU elections board bylaws, which put in place the rules under which a candidate can run, the elections board informed Smith that he would not be recognized as a candidate unless he selected a running mate. Smith responded by selecting Jeffery Frankenhauser as his vice presidential candidate.
The Associated Students of Portland State University elections board was created in order to serve as a check and balance on the other legislative and executive systems. According to the ASPSUwebsite, the board is “crucial,” as its ultimate goal is to ensure proper conduct during the election and voting processes. Now, pending approved changes made to the ASPSU Constitution, the elections board will be combined with the judicial board.
Nationwide, there has been a noticeable trend in administrative growth in secondary education. Groups such as the Goldwater Institute and internal university research groups have been examining the impact of this growth over the last 10 years.
Portland State Professor Evan Thomas spent part of his life designing life support systems for the harsh environments in space. Now, Thomas is using his expertise to improve the living conditions of people on Earth, with technology he is developing for use across the world.
Portland State has now successfully developed its own university transportation center—the National Institute for Transportation and Communities—after receiving a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The grant will allow the new center to continue to pursue objectives in transportation research. The center is a tier-one University Transportation Center designated by the DOT and will create a partnership between PSU, University of Oregon, Oregon Institute of Technology and University of Utah.
In order to fund increasing program and payroll costs, the Children’s Center and Helen Gordon Child Development Center have decided to raise hourly and monthly rates. The programs are subsidized by the university, but needs for additional funding have caused the rate increase, according to information provided by Ellen Justice, director of the CDC.
Portland State’s Center for Online Learning is beginning to feel growing pains. The center, which designs online and hybrid courses at PSU, has accumulated a $2 million surplus, generated by the Online Learning Fee. It is now planning to spend the revenue on renovations for a new location, hiring staff and providing additional services for faculty and students.
While it seems that most Portlanders would rather bike down to the nearest house show to listen to the latest indie electronic Latin scream pianist, many desire a night out on the town now and again. Portland, known for its independent music scene, also boasts a surprisingly healthy club scene. But, like all good things, it’s got a dark side. Luckily, the Vanguard put on its sparkly minidress and 14-inch heels and did the dirty work for you, with only minimal time spent crying drunkenly in the streets. We trounced through the best—and worst—of Portland’s clubs. Here are some places to avoid and their much nicer, cleaner and cheaper alternatives.
Sergeant Michael Anderson pulled up in front of Smith Memorial Student Union and hopped out of his cruiser. Going inside, he snaked through the building, on the lookout for violators or trespassers. He stopped in front of a restroom, a location specifically targeted by Campus Public Safety because it’s frequented by heroin users. Anderson laughed and said, “I didn’t know this would be my life, waiting outside of restrooms.”