PSU Magazine Fall 1994

Rocky marriages studied What does it take to get a fractured marriage back together- religion and premarital cohabitation, according to a PSU Professor. had a higher reconciliation rate than those attend ing services less frequently. after age 21 are more likely to get back together with their husband than women who married before 21. Howard Wineberg, ass istant director of the Center fo r Population Research and Census at PSU, has studied key facto rs in successful marriage reconciliations. Statistics show that one of every two marriages in America ends in divorce, and only about one-third of all reconciliations are successful. Apparently re ligion plays a key role. Wineberg tudied 506 white women across the nation, picked at random from a 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Households conducted by the University of Wisconsin . The women interviewed in the survey had been married once or twice and attempted a reconciliation in their first marriage. Several factors are also assoc iated with unsuccessful reconciliations, according to Wineberg's study. Marrying a man who was prev iously married, for example, is associated with a lower reconciliation succes rate. Also, women without a high chool diploma have a "substantially lower" likelihood of hav ing a successful reconciliation than those who have graduated from high school. Co llege graduates report the highest rates of successful reunitings. "The proportion of successful reconciliations is twice as great fo r those marriages in which either spouse changed religion after marrying than for those marriages in which no religious conversion occurred," says Wineberg. For the study, Wineberg defined a reconciliation as successful if the woman was currently married and living with her husband more than one year after their reconciliation began. In addition, couples attending religiou services at least once a week Interestingly, couples who li ve together before marry ing have a better chance of a marriage reconciliation should they eparate- a contradiction to the stereotype that labels couples who live together as lacking marital commitment. Age also play a factor in successful reunitings. Women marrying Wineberg says furth er reconciliation research involving a more diverse population needs to be done. The initial survey fo r the study did not include men, says Wineberg, "because marital data reported by men are considered less reliable and precise than marital data reported by women." FROM THE PRESIDENT his has been an incredible summer for Portland State– one of repeated national recognition for academic and admin– istrative program initiatives. Late last spring we learned that our innovative General Education curriculum proposal will be published in the Journal of General Education as a national model for higher education reform. We've also just learned that we were awarded a major grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to help us integrate service learning through– out the curriculum and increase stu– dent participation in these projects to 100 percent by 1997. In award– ing the grant, the Corporation cited the comprehensive and creative nature of PSU's proposal. Earlier this summer, the consulting organization KPMG Peat Marwick, reviewing our administrative and operational organization for the State Board of Higher Education, termed PSU "a national model for urban universities" and invited us to attend a national meeting to share our ideas with other institutions. Now comes the news that PSU won a national award for management achievement sponsored by the National Association of College and University Business Officers 2 PSU Magazine (NACUBO). Termed the Innovative Management Achievement Award, the program recognizes campuses that have made significant gains in improving the quality and reducing the cost of higher education programs and services. Under the leadership of Vice President for Finance and Administration Lindsay Desrochers, PSU used a multi- trategy approach to reorganize, accomplishing savings of some $3.5 million over the past three years. We have consolidated administrative units; reduced middle management; developed quality initiative teams to improve operating processes; increa ed staff training; created technologically advanced information systems; and initiated joint venture projects with Oregon Health Sciences University to maximize efficiency. The NACUBO award committee wrote, "PSU's approach stood out because it involved the entire institution... it' been implemented, and it's working." We're pleased with thi evidence of national recognition for PSU. It affirms both our philosophy and strategy for improving academic and administrative programs. With our University mission and strategic plan as a guide, we will continue to rely on teamwork, advanced technology and collaboration both within and outside the institution, to focus on improved service for our constituents. Judith A. Ramaley, President