PSU Magazine Winter 1993

LETTERS Accolades for urban grant For 100 years, higher education institu– tions like Oregon State University have received federa l research grants under a program that recognizes Oregon's agricultural and rural heritage. Today, we've brought this "land grant" university concept to the city, and I'm delighted that Portland State University has been successful in obtaining funding under the new Urban Community Service Grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The "urban grant" program is a com– munity-based program that encourages cooperation between businesses, local organization , and schools to address critical "urban" problems such as violence, health care, poverty, and soc ial services. Building partnerships to address urban- pecific problems is the key. Portland tate University played an important role in the development of the urban grant program and moved quickly to establi ha local focus on children. Much of the credit for the urban grant concept must be given to Dr.Judith Ramaley, who first brought the idea to my attention over a year ago and watched closely a we moved the legislation through Congress. Under the leadership of Dr. Ramaley, the Portland Leader Roundtable, the Portland Educational Network, and others who have been intimately involved in the program, Portland State is poised to make a dif– ference in the community and provide the stimulus for a succe sfu l program that will ultimately improve the quality of life fo r residents of our urban Neighborhoods. Senator Mark 0. Hatfield Parking permits easier In the past, the start of the school year wa marked each fall by lines of stu– dents naking around Smith Memorial Center, queuing for parking permits in 2 rsu the haze of early morning. This year, PSU implemented its new touch-tone parking system, allowing tudents to register by phone. "The system is the first of its kind with in the state system of higher educa– tion and most likely in the state," says Robert Schneider, assistant director of PSU's computing information systems. And, by all account the system was a huge success. The Parking Office surveyed some 570 students fo llowing the fall initia– tion.Ninety-three percent gave the system a positive rating, says manager Sandy Arnold, and 60 percent called it "excellent." tudent comments included: "It's such a relief!" and "Surely, student prefer to wait at home rather than wait in lin all day." To be eligible to regi ter via the parking touch-tone ystem, students must be registered for classe . Callers are told immediately if they will receive a permit, which are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. If the kind of permit they want i not avail– able, the student can request to be put on a waiting list and given another choice. Portland State was the first OSSHE institution to initiate touch-tone registration for classes in summer 1991. Grant forms new ties Portland State has received a $1.6 mil– lion Department of Education urban grant that will help fund community– based programs that address a number of urban problem endangering children. This is the first time in the history of congress that such funding as been made available to an urban campus. "This grant acknowledges the role of univer ities in helping urban com– munities succeed," says Pres ident Judith Ramaley. "It acknowledge and bui lds on the University's continuing commitment to work in collaboration with the community to addre s local issues and concerns." Sen. Mark Hatfield and Rep. Les AuCoin were trongly upportive of the urban higher education program and endorsed the PSU proposal. "We worked for authorization and funding of the Urban Community Services Pro– gram," say Hatfield, "because we felt that the tudent and faculty of urban higher education institutions such as P U can make a major contribution to the quality of life in their communities. This grant, which involves not only P U, but the community colleges and other in titutions in the Portland area will work with K-12 chools and com-' munity leaders to improve the lives of endangered children. In my view, the project is a model of what congre intended when it passed the Higher Education Act." The $1.6 million grant, like the projects it wil l eventua lly assist, was a collaborative effort that involved P U the Portland Leaders Round table, and' the Portland Educational Network. The three-year grant is one of 16 urban university grants awarded nationally. A tota l of 108 chools from 37 states competed for the $8 million in federa l grant aid. "The first year of the three-year grant will focus on three community action roundtable teams," says Samuel Henry, executive director of the Portland Educational Network. 'They include the Jefferson High School cluster with 10 elementary schoo ls, two middle schools, and one high school; the Marshall High School cluster with even elementary schools, two middle chools, and one high school; and the Roo evelt High School cluster with six elementary chools, two middle schools, and one high school." Henry ays the project will support addit ional community action roundtable teams in the second and third years of the grant. The one endangerment to urban children which will be addressed out– side of the three clu ter and will involve the entire Portland metro area is the problem of youth violence. "It was the feeling of the community leader that youth violence affects all schools and neighborhoods and should receive special attention," say Henry.