Mount Hood

WOU internal scholarships face $1.5 million “right-sizing”

Area heads receive emails announcing smaller budget for Fee Remissions next year

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Article 15 and staff layoffs were only among the first areas to undergo what Western administration has coined “right-sizing” the university.

Going into the upcoming school year, Student Affairs and Financial Aid have finalized a list of Western specific scholarships known as “Fee Remissions” to be cut, totalling an estimated $1.5 million, according to a March 31 email sent to English professor and Honors Department Director Dr. Gavin Keulks.

According to Financial Aid’s website, the Fee Remissions budget is university funds designated by Western to help students pay for tuition and educational fees. The site lists educational fees including mandatory fees ⏤ Incidental fee, Building fee, Online Course fee, Rec Center building fee, Student Health building fee and Health Services fee ⏤ and course fees that vary by class.

“(The) University is reducing the Remission budget for next year, largely because of fewer students enrolled at (Western),” said Vice President of Student Affairs Gary Dukes. “Even though enrollment has been decreasing over the last few years, the Remissions budget has been increasing. This (reduction) is largely to bring the Remission budget back in line with our current enrollment.”

At the time this article was written, the Western Howl had not been sent a full comprehensive list of all scholarships that are undergoing these changes, but on May 14, the Howl was sent a list of 17 areas. This list did not include the Honors Department scholarship; however, according to Keulks, the Honors Department is receiving a 25% decrease to their current $200,000 budget. Under the new budget, Keulks anticipates two possible scenarios to respond to the decrease, but it all depends on enrollment rates for the upcoming school year.

“It was 42 (students) back at the start of the year,” said Keulk. “I’m not going to be anywhere near 42 with with the incoming students. I might be at 20 and right there is $20,000 saved … here’s no way it’s not going to impact students, but it’s not going to be an obliteration.”

However, Keulks says that the worst case scenario would be more enrollment than anticipated as it would impact the fixed amounts given during each academic year. 

After speaking to several assistant directors within a few departments, a commonality in the budget decrease is that directors were not involved directly with decisions regarding Fee Remission decreases. Directors received an email from Gary Dukes pertaining to their budget, but otherwise were not contacted other than asking for what could be cut.

Contact the author at scarpenter@mail.wou.edu

The fight for the Freedom Center continues

Students voice opinions on Freedom Center project in special Board of Trustees meeting

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor 

The special meeting designated for the Freedom Center held on May 12  ended an hour and a half early with the Board of Trustees chair Betty Komp accepting no questions from members on the committee. 

In preparation for the meeting, students signed up to give their comments on the student drafted cultural proposal project presented by Incidental Fee Committee chair Makana Waikiki on April 21 — the second to last meeting of the Board of Trustees. To view the full proposal, check out vol. 3 issue 24, page 3 of The Western Howl that was released on April 27.

In this special meeting, the board changed its comment process, giving each student three minutes to voice their concerns. In total, nine Western students signed up to publicly address the committee members, including Associated Students of Western Oregon University President Elect Logan Jackson.

“Due to the events that have happened over the past year especially, we’ve been given the perfect catalyst to really start addressing issues we have here on campus involving diversity and inclusion,” said Jackson.

Jackson noted her experience as a student of color and commended the university for the progress she has seen in her three years of being a student at Western. However, Jackson went on to say that there is still work to be done on a multitude of levels.

“I look forward to being able to work with everyone next year in an effort to continue the progress that has slowly but surely been made here at (Western) in regards to diversity and inclusion,” said Jackson.

Because of the meeting format, the Board was not able to take any action. However, Chair Komp opened the discussion for committee members to only comment and not question students on their given testimonies. Board member Gayle Evans addressed the students saying she had taken notes, and other members had further questions to ask of the students when the time was appropriate.

“As a white person raised mostly in Oregon I have learned a lot in the last year,” said Evans. “I understand what you’re saying about people who do not have the same background and experience to fully understand, relate and support BIPOC.”

Although members voiced that they had questions, the committee chair ended the meeting at around 1:30 p.m. instead of the designated 3 p.m. One of the board members voiced their  disagreement because the session still had an hour and a half left.

“It is up to the discretion of the chair to say whether you are going to accept the question or not,” said Komp in an interview after the special meeting. “My interpretation is that they had further questions about this topic and they can take that to their committee meetings.”

Komp cited a policy claiming that because the meeting was designated as a comment time for students, board members were primarily responsible for listening rather than asking questions at that time. 

The committee has one final meeting on June 9 at 1 p.m. It is currently unknown whether the proposal will make the agenda. To view the meeting, the live stream will be hosted by WOUTV.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

WOU announces plans to require COVID-19 vaccine

Western leadership creates incentive program for vaccines

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

As of May 11, a total of three private and four public universities in Oregon have announced requirements for students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 for the next school year.

Western became the third public university to announce its plans to require students, staff and faculty to be vaccinated for the upcoming school year during a virtual town hall meeting on May 10.

“I wanted something that rewarded students for doing the right thing,” said Johnson, “and I also wanted to push us to have a more safe opening in the fall.”

The incentive program was initialized by Associated Students of Western Oregon University President NJ Johnson to further encourage the community to be vaccinated against the virus. Under the program, people who have received their first dose of the vaccine qualify to receive a $25 WolfStore voucher that can be used for textbooks, Western merchandise or other miscellaneous items found at the bookstore. To receive the voucher, a vaccine card and student ID must be presented to the Werner University Center information desk.

According to Johnson, the program is currently being funded by the General Fund and anticipates it costing around $100,000. The intent is to eventually have the program funded by the emergency relief fund, however, due to the ambiguity of what emergency relief is permitted to be used for, the university is still working with the federal government to determine if the program is legally permitted to be funded this way.

Western intends to provide students with the opportunity to take in person classes next term. During the virtual town hall meeting, the modalities were presented as follows: in person classes will make up 53% of Western’s curriculum, 22% hybrid, 19% online asynchronous and 6%  online synchronous; departments were not specified.  For students planning to live on campus next year, Tina Fuchs announced reduced capacity in the residence halls. Ackerman will be filled to 85% capacity while Arbor Park will be filled to 100%. Barnum and Landers will be assessed on a need basis. 

The COVID vaccine is not the only required vaccination by the institution; according to the Student Health and Counseling website, all admitted students are required to have the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine before coming to campus. Exceptions include being born before Jan. 1, 1957, religious beliefs and specific nonmedical related issues that are provided by the state of Oregon. Western is still currently researching exemptions for COVID.

“Many of the details remain unfinished,” said Western Vice President and General Counsel Ryan Hagemann, “and that’s because we have to speak to our community.” 

Hagemann went on to say how the university is making this a priority and is trying to get it right.

“This really relates to the idea that we should be able to have a safe community,” said President Rex Fuller during the May 10 virtual town hall meeting. “We know that being together in face to face encounters with careful safety planning, we have a better educational experience for all of our students, faculty and staff.”

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Anti-protest bill in Oregon to be conscious of

Important protest bill to keep on the lookout for heading into summer

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

A national debate over peaceful and violent gatherings has sparked U.S. lawmakers to engage in writing “anti-protest laws.” 46 states have currently proposed or passed bills.

In Oregon, there have been three bills presented; two of them have been defeated or expired, while one known as House Bill 3329 — introduced on March 2 — is currently under review by the House Committee On Judiciary.

The proposed bill, sponsored by Representative David Brock Smith of  District 1, introduced a new felony charge to peaceful protesters who block traffic.

Under the bill, vehicles or people blocking roadways would be classified as a Class C felony. Convicted of the felony, people could expect to serve up to five years in prison and pay around $125,000, done during a ‘violent or disorderly assembly,’” according to icnl.org. 

Additionally, the legislative proposal introduced a Class C felony for “engaging in threatening or intimidating conduct” in public, which disqualifies people from receiving financial aid from the state if convicted of these charges. In addition, it prohibits immediate release if arrested for rioting or for “violent” behavior, and gives protection to police if a person filing a civil claim was “grossly negligent.” More information about the specificities of the bill can be found at incl.org.

Associated Students of Western Oregon University President NJ Johnson said he believes the bill is in direct response to People of Color in Oregon after a full year of using their voice to protest.

“Whether we want to admit it or not, the state of Oregon has a history of trying to silence the voices of People of Color,” said Johnson. “This is obviously a bill (that) if passed is going to be implemented largely to punish and silence People of Color for speaking out against racial injustice. I want to make it clear (that) a lot of this violence that we see and blame on protesters is incited by law enforcement.”

To follow the bill’s movement, community members can visit olis.oregonlegislature.gov or email Rep.DavidBrockSmith@oregonlegislature.gov to learn more.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

WOU softball enters GNAC championship as alternates

Wolves softball team place third overall in GNAC championship

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

A rise in COVID-19 cases in the state of Washington caused the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s original fourth seed — Central Washington — to drop out of the softball championship being hosted at Western.  

As a result of the Conference’s bylaws, the Western Oregon Wolves softball team — fifth seed — was promoted to the fourth seed position and entered into the championship game for the eighth consecutive year.

Similar to years prior, GNAC formatted the championship game as a double elimination tournament. The first round winners went head to head in a second round, and the losing teams from the first round played in a second round match to determine the competitors for the third and final championship match. 

In the first round of the tournament on May 6, Western lost to first seed Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks 2-1. The following day, Western competed against third seed Saint Martin Saints; the team gave the Wolves several walking opportunities to fill the bases, leading to a 7-6 victory for the Wolves. Western advanced to face off again against the Nighthawks, only to lose 9-0 in five innings, bringing an end to the softball season. With this, the Wolves placed third in the GNAC conference. 

After the game, the Wolves commemorated the senior members of their team that will be graduating in June. Head Coach Lonny Sargent commented on how proud of the team he is after having such a hectic year. 

“It’s such a great group of kids,” said Sargent. “We have a lot of young kids … they just (want to) go play.”

Going forward, Sargent is excited about the upcoming season and what the next year will bring.

“The players we have and the players we have coming in, we’re building another great program for next year,” he said.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Salem Riverfront Carousel announces plans for time capsule

Salem Carousel invites community members to preserve carousel memorabilia in a time capsule 

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

   

Inspired by the first old-world style carousel built in Missoula, Montana, the Salem Riverfront Carousel’s history, magic and community value has generated attention from all over the world since its grand opening in 2001.

In honor of the carousel’s 20th birthday, Assistant Director and Volunteer Programs Manager Laura Tea-Pelley proposed a time capsule to commemorate the magic it has brought to Oregon. Originally, the birthday bash was intended to be a yearlong campaign, but due to the ongoing pandemic, the carousel has closed its doors a total of three times as of April 30. According to Tea-Pelley, the carousel anticipates holding an event featuring the time capsule when they finally begin construction for their “A New Dream” project. 

According to salemcarousel.wixsite.com, the project involves the construction of a building designated as “The Stables.”

The building will be dedicated to providing an area of carving, education and event bookings.

In their current work space of 420 square feet, the carousel is not able to accommodate the guests they receive; on average the carousel receives more than 400 visitors. The new building will be approximately 2,400 square feet and plans to accommodate tours and increase accessibility. The current cost projected is approximately $2.7 million. Until the funding is obtained, the time capsule project will remain open for visitors of the carousel to send in various memorabilia from their time with the well loved icon of Salem.

“We’re all children at heart in a way,” said Tea-Pelley. “If we can hang onto that and protect that kind of innocence and guard that light of the world, I think it makes the world a better place.”

For patrons interested in sending items to be put in the capsule, the deadline to submit items is May 23. Participants are encouraged to mail any items they want included to 101 Front St. NE

Salem, OR. For more information or questions pertaining to what items are allowed in the capsule, please contact Laura Tea-Pelley at lauratp@salemcarousel.org or visit their Instagram page @salemcarousel.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Western professor wins “Educator of the Year”

IndyMo honors Dr. Leanne Merrill during  the 56th year of community awards

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

For a little more than half a century, the cities of Monmouth and Independence have celebrated community members through their “Community Awards.”

This year, Western’s own mathematics professor Dr. Leanne Merrill was honored as co-honoree in the “Educator of the Year” category. A newer hire at Western, Merrill has been teaching full time for less than four years, and taught part time at University of Oregon while completing her master’s degree.

“I feel very lucky to have been recognized at such an early stage in my career — I don’t even have tenure yet,” said Merrill. “I love my job because I am so grateful that I get to work with (Western) students. Every single day I am energized and inspired by (Western) students’ work ethic, humility, bravery and accomplishments.”

Merrill goes on to say how rewarding it is for her department to receive such a high achievement.

“Mathematics gets a bad rap a lot of the time,” said Merrill. “But I strongly believe that everyone can be a successful practitioner of mathematics, and that mathematical empowerment is a human right.

As an educator, Merrill says she has struggled with imposter syndrome, particularly being a woman in science, technology, engineering and math. Being given the award made Merrill feel empowered, and that her teaching style is resonating with students while also making a difference in their lives.

“Teaching is a great but challenging career because there is no one right way to do it — what works well is depending upon the teacher, the students and the relationships that are formed in the classrooms,” said Merrill. “As a teacher, I believe it is my duty to meet students where they are. Teaching is so dependent upon the individuals involved that it’s always possible to rework ideas or discover new fun ways of doing things.”

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Postponed certification of ASWOU elections officially finalized

Elections Committee delays certification after a grievance presented to the committee

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

After a week of candidates campaigning, the Associated Students of Western Oregon University Elections Committee has selected the candidates that will be representing Western students for the upcoming school year.

For the upcoming school year, students have elected Logan Jackson as ASWOU President, Devin Jay Thongdy as ASWOU Vice President, Elizabeth Braatz as Senate President, Hannah Young as Judicial Administrator, Maria Cuevas and Austin Olin as Justices and Caitlin Wheeler as an Incidental Fee Committee Member. 

Prior to the public certification of the election, the committee received an “outstanding grievance request” from one of the candidates, according to committee chair Houston Winslow.

“Our hearing (on April 27) was pursuant to a grievance regarding the actions of some members of the football team, coaches and players, who advocated a vote for the candidates Logan Jackson and Hannah Young,” said Winslow. “One coach sent a message to players saying: ‘VOTE! Or 1000 versa monday ;)’ which was challenged as threatening voters, a violation of our election’s bylaws.”

Ultimately, the grievance was determined by the committee to not be the result of any actions taken by Jackson and Young, and the candidate that submitted it did not file for an appeal; the committee certified the election results on April 28 at 8 a.m.

“Everything went through the proper channels and it was eventually proven that there were no signs of wrongdoing which I expected,” said junior public policy and administration major and newly elected ASWOU president Logan Jackson. “I think after witnessing such a ‘bumpy’ national election last year, it was made clear that elections may not always go as smoothly as planned.” 

Following similar trends to the national election, Jackson made history at Western for being the first female Black, Indigenous and Person of Color to be elected into the executive branch of ASWOU. 

“I think that it is a sentiment to that fact that we, as a university, are making progress because students of color are starting to want to be involved in leadership positions and decision-making processes,” said Jackson.

Looking towards the future, Jackson plans to work with all members of ASWOU as Western transitions from virtual learning back to in person and hybrid learning. She wants to ensure that students are comfortable and safe being in a lecture hall setting, and open opportunities to address and learn about the stress of members of the BIPOC community. 

Additionally, Jackson advocated for the community to remain proactive during the current health crisis.

“Now that everyone ages 16 + are eligible for the vaccine, get vaccinated!” said Jackson. “We’re at a very pivotal moment in this pandemic where we have the ability to turn things around for the better — that being said, I encourage everyone to schedule their appointments, bring their friends, and ask questions if they have any hesitancy! We’re all in this together.”

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Clothes are not consent

WOU clubs and organizations promote awareness of sexual assault by participating in Denim Day

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

For 22 years, Denim Day has been dedicated towards promoting awareness of sexual assault.

At Western, various organizations on campus ⏤ such as Abby’s House, the Student Health and Counseling Center and University Housing ⏤ are taking to social media on April 28, opening their space for students, staff, faculty and members of the community to participate in wearing denim.

Denim Day was first celebrated in Los Angeles, California in 1999 after a 1992 Italian court case conviciting a 45-year-old driving instructor of raping an 18-year-old was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court on the premise that victim was wearing tight jeans and had to help the assailant remove the garment, constituting under Italian law as consenual sex. In over 50 countries, this is now known as the “jeans alibi,” according to denimdayinfo.org.

“We believe survivors. Survivors are never to blame for experiencing sexual violence,” said Abby’s House Advocate Rocio Avalos. “Wearing denim on Denim Day shows support for survivors and those who have experienced sexual violence by pushing back on harmful narratives, victim-blaming rhetoric and rape culture … We can change the conversation, express our support and belief of survivors and end sexual assault and interpersonal violence.”

To participate this year, community members are invited to take pictures of themselves on Instagram using “#DenimDay” and tag @abbyshouse_wou in the photo.

For Western community members interested in learning more, visit the Abby’s House website, wou.edu/abbyshouse/.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

All you need to know about the latest Board of Trustees meeting

Important updates from the second to last Board of Trustees meeting of the school year

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor  

On April 21, the Board of Trustees completed their second to last meeting. In the meeting, students, staff and faculty presented to the Board on the current state of the university and the important actions that will impact students for the next school year.

Student proposal: Over the course of a few months, students have been developing a detailed proposal for the board. Makana Waikiki ⏤ the current Incidental Fee Committee chair ⏤ led the presentation on borrowed time from shared governance after an April 13 request to be included in the meeting was denied due to the agenda being full. During the presentation, Waikiki presented five main items that will have the opportunity to be discussed in a special forum prior to the Board’s final meeting in June. It should be noted that the presentation is not mentioned anywhere within the meeting docket.

  1. Allocate $1 million from the online course fee not used by the IFC towards the “Freedom Center,” IFC funded programs, replenishing the IFC reserves, additional funding for student athletes and hiring a Director of Equity and Inclusion.
  2. Comprise a committee consisting of one Black Indigenous Person of Color student recommended by ASWOU, one BIPOC student appointed by Black Student Union, one BIPOC student sent by the Multicultural Student Union, one BIPOC faculty member recommendation from the faculty union, one BIPOC staff member appointed by staff union and one administrator appointed by Western’s president.
  3. Allow 30 minutes of public comment on reopening campus for fall term.
  4. Have President Fuller come to the next board meeting with a new policy around hiring faculty and staff positions. All committees should be required to have a student, staff and faculty member that is within the BIPOC community.
  5. Hold a series of public forums in fall 2021 for students, staff and faculty to provide feedback to various organizations on campus.

IFC: Incidental fee recommendation is included in the Tuition and Fee Book and is supported by President Fuller. The Incidental Fee Steering Committee will meet during spring term to review the IFC Bylaws. IFC has voted to change the fee to $355 per term, to be charged to all students at credit one.

Article 15:  The Curriculum Committee voted to disapprove the remaining Article 15 items. Dr. Leigh Graziano, Faculty Senate President and Associate Professor of English, anticipates the remaining items to also be disapproved by the Faculty Senate on April 27.

Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility: In collaboration with the University Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee and University Cultural Competency Advisory Committee, the Board’s Executive Governance and Trusteeship Committee released an official statement instead of University Policies or Procedures that communicates operational or transactional procedures. The statement is broken down into three sections: key terms and definitions, the seven priorities and expectations and accountability and steps the university will take to ensure that it is meeting the Board’s expectations.

Reopening update: Currently, a large committee meets every other week to discuss plans for reopening for fall 2021. At this time, the university anticipates holding in person classes and resuming co-curricular activities and group meetings. Western is currently reviewing a paper discussion presented by the Math and Science Faculties evaluating high-efficiency particulate air filters in classrooms. Western will be testing the filters in the coming months, assessing noise and overall effectiveness; funds for the project will come from the America Rescue Plan.

Tuition & Fee Advisory Committee: For the upcoming school year, the committee has recommended a 0% increase to the current tuition ⏤ $184 per credit ⏤ citing a concern pertaining to decreasing enrollment and 546 students who indicated $184 per credit was the maximum they were willing to pay. However, the committee did recommend a $5 increase to the Student Health and Counseling service fee from $145 to $150 a term.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

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