NEWS BRIEFS

Mark Gregory to fill in as FADM vice president

Portland State President Wim Wiewel recently announced that Mark Gregory will serve as temporary vice president of finance and administration until the permanent replacement, Monica Rimai, arrives in August.

Current Vice President Lindsay Desrochers will retire on July 1 after 10 years of working at PSU.

According to a press release, Gregory has worked at PSU since 1998. He started as the director of computing and networking until 2000, when he became chief information officer.

Corie Charnley

Senate Bill 242 on hold in Legislature

Senate Bill 242, which would grant the Oregon University System more autonomy, is currently on hold in the Oregon State Legislature and will reach the voting floor within the next few weeks. 

According to OUS Communications Director Diane Saunders, the bill is expected to pass as it has almost universal support within the Legislature and the Governor’s Office.  

ASPSU Legislative Affairs Director Aaron Dumas said that the bill has not yet been voted on because legislators are awaiting the results of a fiscal impact statement. 

ASPSU has been actively lobbying for SB 242, according to Dumas. It has submitted student testimonies in support of the Oregon Student Association’s efforts to raise legislative awareness about the bill’s effects on students. In addition, ASPSU has also held informational sessions in order to educate students about the proposed changes.

If passed, SB 242 would drastically alter the budget structure for higher education, giving OUS more control over its finances. Saunders said that the bill would allow for increased accountability, efficiency and preparedness among individual campuses.

According to Saunders, the bill would also give OUS campuses the freedom to spend tuition dollars as needed, rather than seek approval from the Legislature. In addition, the state would no longer have the legal ability to “sweep” tuition reserve funds, as it has in the past, she said.  

Saunders said that these budgetary restrictions negatively impact OUS because campuses cannot adequately plan for the future when they are unsure of how much money they will actually have at their disposal.

“When you’re not sure whether or not money you’ve put in your reserves will be there to pay for expenses you have on the campus, like faculty, it makes it really, really hard to plan,” Saunders said. 

Katrina Petrovich

PSU to present faculty with Outstanding Researcher Awards

For the sixth year in a row, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will present faculty members with an Outstanding Teacher Award today in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom.

Geology department Chair Scott Burns created the awards to recognize faculty members for their excellence in teaching. Specially selected students from each department are responsible for choosing the winners.

The awards ceremony will run from 3 to 5 p.m. and is open to the public.