With limited financial resources and inadequate state funding, Oregon State University must manage its enrollment and prioritize its spending, OSU President Ed Ray said Thursday.

Ray spoke at Thursday’s Faculty Senate meeting, fielding questions and sharing what he feels are two major issues facing the university.

When Ray arrived at OSU in 2003, the state wanted to see the university’s enrollment at 24,000. That ideal number has since been reduced to 21,000.

OSU has about 19,400 students, perhaps more than it can support without the quality of education suffering, he said.

In deciding how many students OSU can take, the university must look at where it wants to go, how much it costs to educate each student and how much support the state provides.

“It’s not a number you pick out of the air,” said Ray.

Ray also discussed the importance of using the strategic plan in deciding how to allocate limited resources.

With deferred maintenance projects piling up, and faculty and staff salaries lagging behind national averages at peer institutions, OSU must decide how to get the most bang for its buck.

When Ray opened the floor for questions, Wayne Huber, professor of civil engineering, asked how departments can be expected to self-fund the raises mandated after the 2003-05 biennium salary freeze was lifted.

Tough decisions and reductions must be made, Ray responded.

When it comes to cuts, “none of the choices are good,” he said. “Hopefully, they can be most effective if they’re informed by the strategic plan.”

A senator from the College of Forestry noted that central administration has been quite hands-off during the controversy surrounding the college.

As Ray addressed the Faculty Senate, a confidence vote in Hal Salwasser, dean of the College of Forestry, was drawing to a close.

Ray said he thinks of the poll as a survey intended to gauge sentiments within the college.

He expressed support for Salwasser, and confidence that the dean will lead the college forward.

“I think Hal Salwasser is a man of tremendous integrity,” Ray said, while noting that “mistakes were made” on the dean’s part.

Ray believes Salwasser has “the adaptability to listen and move on that will sustain him in this position. We need to let this run its course and move on.”

Grade change

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the Senate approved a new policy whereby an “incomplete” grade that is not resolved within 12 months will automatically be converted to an F on a student’s record.

This policy is expected to take effect next fall, and was controversial among the senators.

Some felt it would encourage faculty and students to resolve incompletes in a timely fashion, and would prevent students from padding their grade-point averages by taking incompletes in classes where they’re not doing well.

Others objected to grades they didn’t assign automatically appearing on student transcripts once the window to resolve incompletes lapses.

Under the current rules, incompletes are supposed to be handled within 12 months. However, that doesn’t always happen, and there are no consequences when this requirement isn’t met; the incomplete remains until the faculty member responsible for that particular course awards a grade.

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.