News briefs

New Study with the World Health Organization

Researchers from Portland State joined city officials in a presentation examining age-friendly cities around the world.

The Age-Friendly Cities Project was presented by the Institute of Aging, part of the school of community health in PSU’s Urban and Public Affairs College. The project, which was presented in collaboration with the World Health Organization, identified certain indicators of a city designed to help serve the elderly.

The areas of focus within the project included: transportation, housing and buildings, respect, inclusiveness and social participation, civic participation, employment, communication and information, community support, and health services and outdoor spaces.

33 cities throughout 22 countries were involved in this project, with Portland being the only U.S. representative in the data collection.

The researchers involved have been publicizing the results through city and county officials, well-known community members and Portland’s City Club.

–Carly Nairn

Vice-provost candidate speaks to students

The second of three candidates vying for the position of vice-provost of Student Affairs held a lecture at Portland State Oct 10, speaking to students about issues on campus.

F. Neil Matthews, vice chancellor of Louisiana State University, spoke about health centers and advising for graduation and raising tuition during the lecture. He said the students are the clients on these issues.

“Without the students, there would be no professors or campus. I care about the living and learning environment of students,” Matthews said.

Matthews said he likes that a major university is so involved with a major city. He wants to motivate students to become more involved in the city of Portland, the reason he decided to apply for the vice-provost position.

Matthews has served as the vice chancellor of Student Life and Academic Services at Louisiana State University since 2001, his place of employment since 1981.

The vice-provost of student affairs, which is the top position in the Office of Student Affairs, oversees all parts of the university related to student involvement and success such as the Women’s Resource Center, new student orientation, all student groups, tutoring centers and the Center for Student Health and Counseling.

The final candidate for the position, Dr. Timothy W. Quinnan, will be speaking with students today from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m and Friday from noon to 1 p.m in room 238 of Smith Memorial Student Union.

–Norman Dunn

Rec clubs seek changes to allocation process

Student recreation clubs at Portland State could soon be funded under one budget by a council representing student recreation instead of directly from the Student Fee Committee.

If given endorsement by the Student Fee Committee (SFC), funding for PSU recreational clubs would be handled by the Recreational Club Council, according to a proposal presented to the SFC at a meeting on Oct. 10.

The Recreational Club Council is a representative body of recreation club students formed last year. The SFC is in charge of allocating $12.4 million in student fees this year to more than 100 student groups, including athletics and The Vanguard.

Currently, responsibility for the allocation of recreational club funds is shared between the SFC and the council. The proposal states that the council would submit one budget to the SFC on behalf of all recreational clubs at PSU–a sum of budgets from the previous year’s recreational clubs plus a varying percentage to cover other necessary expenses that differ from club to club.

After final allocations are given, the council would then allocate budgets to each recreational club, the proposal states. While no decision over the proposal was reached at the meeting, one is expected in the coming weeks.

–Steve Haske