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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1969)
I O WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1969 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA VOL. 92, NO. 62 Legislature kills S0io i 1 f with grading appeals committees by Jim Pedersen grade appeal problems will confront mits a written report, and the com- Crompton thinks a college level Nebraskan Staff Writer Few students have taken advantage of the newly established departmental grading appeals committees to register grade complaints in the first weeks of this semester. Committees for grade review have been formed on both the departmental md college level to deal with any grade complaints as the result of a clause in the Student Academic Freedom document approved b y ASUN Senate, Faculty Senate and the Regents in 1968. ;The departmental and college com mittees are still in an experimental state, however. They are neither highly organized nor have they been beset by large numbers of appealing students. IN THE COLLEGE of Arts and Sciences, for example, 13 departmen tal committees reported only four cases. In some instances, committee members were unaware of the ex istence of such a committee or of their position on the committee. "We are in the process of drawing up a statement of procedures for dealing with cases on the college level," Dr. Larry Poston, associate professor of English, said Monday. . Poston, who is one of four members o the College of Arts and Sciences committee, added that the college committee does expect some appeals Irom the departmental committees. -Poston said that he did not know yet on what basis an appeal from the departments would be accepted or rejected. ""IN THEORY, there should be an area of appeal for the student to a i'6'mmittee not composed of members of the same department in which his case originated," Poston continued. "No member of the college committee should help handle a case involving his own department." Poston thinks that two types of ,V v r if- l l is i V 1 "S3 ; ,t5. x. ' University students, Mike Randall, h - i er and James Branch model some of the clothes which they say are so hard to obtain in Lincoln. Jimmy Smith displays the natural hair look of the bush, a style which is catching on with the males but is slower in the female styles on the University campus. both the departmental and college committees. "If a student feels that he has been the subject of bias or prejudice in grading," he said, "then there are legitimate grounds for committee in tervention." According to Poston, differences in opinion between the committee and a faculty member of educational philosophy would not be reason enough to evaluate a grading com plaint, however. "We can't dictate to a teacher how he should grade merely because we disagree with his methods," he added. Poston thinks there is a need for a committee above the departmental level, but he isn't sure as to how much actual work it will do. There have been no appeals yet. "Most committees will probably tend to be conservative with regards to changing the students' grades," Poston said. "I have considered sug gesting that students be allowed to sit on departmental committees." Of the four cases already dealt with in the departmental committees, no grades were altered. The college committee does have one voting stu dent member, Nancy Griffin. "The students are probably still ig norant of their right of appeal," Poston added. "We expect many more cases in the next few weeks." THE CHEMISTRY, English, psychology and zoology departmental committees have each handled one complaint. Procedure in the chemistry depart ment is explicit and somewhat elaborate. The student submits a written ex planation of the situation as he sees it, according to Dr. James Looker, professor of chemistry. The com mittee and the professor involved read the report. "We then meet with the instructor and he gives us an oral report," he added. "Finally, the instructor sub- J fx) s, fi I H (1 -:- .1. r it aur- "1 Imiw -irnmiii ami m i" -tiwimi irn-nwr mr 'a ''ttP Jimmy Smith, Charlotte Walk : 'ml: m ui iVVJ "X HI -"Iff i , v U -.-v & , ' -;. t t - mittee meets with the student and the instructor to make known our decision." DESPITE THE outlined procedure, Looker said 'Jiat the operation of the committee is still very fluid and flex ible. "We will consider any student who gets an F in a course," he continued. "But a student who gets between a C and a D might not be heard." According to Looker, the committee does not want to deal with satisfactory grades (above a C) because of lack of time. "A college level appeal board could serve the interests of both student and teacher," Looker said. "In some cases a teacher might need protection if he is falsely accused." IN THE zoology department, the procedure is similar. "The student and the faculty member are asked to submit a written report," Dr. Brent Nickol, assistant profesj-or of zoology, said. "The committee then interviews the student and if there are further problems, questions the instructor be fore making a decision." After the decision has been made, the student is provided with a written record of what has transpired, he added. In the English department, the ap peal procedure is less rigid. "We are playing it by ear right now," according to Dr. Louis Crompton. professor of English. "It will take some time to formulate a definite procedure," CROMPTON SAID in the one case already examined by the committee, the student brought evidence in the way of test papers and essays which the committee reviewed. Two members of the committee then talked with the faculty member involved, he said. The decision on the grade appeal was made on the basis of the discussions with both teacher and student. Passed unanimously Human Rights committee gains approval of Senate A Committee on Human Rights, designed to benefit all members of the University community, was ap proved unanimously at Tuesday afternoon's University Senate meet ing. The committee will seek assurances that all groups in the University "... are able to conduct their re spective activities with proper guar antees of legally established and com monly accepted precepts of human rights." Two students, chosen by ASUN, will make up one third of the committee. The other four members will be chosen by the Chancellor and the University Senate. ACCORDING to the committee proposal, the group will act as an Dashikis, by Joanell Ackerman Nebraskan Staff Writer Is Nebraska with it yet? Not as far as black students are concerned. "All of the Big Eight schools are with it except Nebraska. And this school is really behind," according to Mike Randall, member of the Afro American collegiate Society. THE OUTWARD signs of being "with it" the natural c o i f s and Afro clothes though not prevalent, are "catching on" among the black students at NU, he said. Part of the problem is that Lincoln merchants do not stock the Afro style of dress. "It's hard to get the garb in Lincoln. Black students have to go to Omaha to get their stuff. If the Lincoln merchants knew what we liked, maybe they would stock the Afro styles," Randall said. THE DASIIIKI is one of the basic Afro styles. A loose-fitting shirt or full-length gown, it is made from col orful material and drapes over the body suggestive of uninhibited African dress. THE LONG dashiki is popular with black sisters, while black brothers opt for the shorter length. Another "in" style is a felop or hat similar to the one worn by Nehru, former prime minister of India. . "Usually the f e 1 o p s are colorful and match the dashiki. Though not worn here, they are quite popular on other campuses," Randall said. "I. committee is needed because small departments are unable to allow for a really effective appeal body. "The more members on the com mittee, the better it is for the stu dent," he added. "In a year or two we will know what to expect. "Right now we are educating ourselves and making ad hoc judgments in dealing with the grade appeals," Crompton said. THE CASE in the psychology department was resolved by a com mittee meeting alone, according to Dr. Monte Page, assistant professor of psychology. No written reports by either the student or instructor were evaluated. In all cases, the committees refuse to consider any appeal until all other approaches to the grade problem have been exhausted. The size of the departmental com mittees range from two to five members. Most departments maintain a committee of three. "I HAVEN'T even heard of the com mittee," Dr. Winfield Ray, professor of botany, said. "I think grade com plaints should be settled by the indi vidual professor." If the individual instructor cannot solve the problem, Ray thinks that a college level committee should deal with the complaint in order to get an objective point of view outside the department. "Our expectation and hope in the department is that we won't get much business with this thing." one member of a departmental grading committee, who wished to remain unknown, said. "For what we do deal with, a three member committee should be more than enough." The committee member thinks that having a hierarchial system of ap peals is both pointless and redundant. Dr. R. H. Hurlbutt of the philosophy department thinks that all cases should be investigated. advisory body. The committee shall present recommendations t o ap propriate University agencies to im plement existing policies. Other duties of the committee will include counselling and assisting in dividuals or groups alleging infringe ment of human rights. The Committee will also present recommendations to appropriate agencies to implement existing policies. The Committee proposal was writ ten by the Senate's Committee on Committees. Chairman of that group, Dr. Thomas B. Thorson, said that few faculty suggestions were received. But his group tried to take into account divergent views. Thorson that the proposal would "not satisfy everyone." Continued on Page 3 felops set mean, where can you buy a felop in Lincoln?" AS FOR THE black coeds at NU, Randall said that the girls "do not seem to be as black conscious as black sisters" at other schools. And black coeds were inclined to agree with him. "The girls here dress pretty much the same as other coeds," said Camille Steed, a freshman from Omaha. She estimated that about 20 per cent of the black coeds have let their hair go natural. That is not many because there are not many black girls on campus, she added. TO A BLACK girl, the "Afro" or "bush" is not just another hair style. "If a girl wears an "Afro, it means something," said Annette Hudson. "It means that she is against the system the way things are now. "A girl is actually changing her whole idea of what is beautiful," she said. ; Another "with it" style for Afro American students is a black leather jacket, with black slacks and a black turtle neck shirt a la the Black Panthers. And what is below the surface of this outward show of thinking black? Each has his own way of saying it. "Just like the black people, their styles are coming up," said Jill Hunt To Randall, the Afro dress is a "matter of identifying and a source of cultural pride." Perhaps Nebraska will get "with it" afteralL State-wide college confro 6r jfenfe 3 by Susie Jenkins Nebraskan Staff Writer The Education Committee of the Legislature killed LB180 Tuesday, a bill which would have placed govern ing of all four-year state colleges under the control of the Board of Regents. The bill, presented by Education Committee Chairman Lester Harsh, would also have placed control of the state junior colleges under the Board with the consent of the Legislature. The eight senators on the Education Committee apparently were in some confusion concerning the effect of this measure on LB205, the bill to create a State Coordinating Council on Higher Education. Committee member Sen. Wayne Ziebarth of Wilcox questioned the ef ficacy of such a bill when "The Coun cil (on Higher Education) will just change things later." The committee asked questions of their own chairman, who testified on behalf of the bill. LB205, which has advanced to general file, would create a council that would have advisory o r regulatory power over all state post high school educational institutions. The bill will be read in its entirety before the whole Legislature while it Honorary degrees given at centennial convocation Six men and women will receive honorary degrees for outstanding contributions in a wide variety of fields at the University Centennial Convocation February 14. The recipients are: Dr. Robert Goheen. president of Princeton University; Whitney M. Young. Jr.. executive director of the National Urban League; Mrs. Olga Nielsen Sheldon, art patron; Dr. Edwin J. Wellhausen, director of the Interna tional Maise and Wheat Improvement Center for the Rockefeller Foundation in Mexico City; Mrs. Sarah Ladd Woods, supporter of cultural affairs and Dr. J. George Harrar, president of the Rockefeller Foundation. GOHEEN WILL give the address, "Time for Understanding," at the Convocation which begins at 10 a.m. in the University Coliseum. Students, faculty and interested persons may attend. Classes will be dismissed from 9:30-12:30 a.m. on the city campus and from 9-12 on east campus. Acting Chancellor Merk Hobson will confer the honorary degrees and Dr. Joseph Soshnik, president of the Lin coln campuses and outstate activities, will preside. Goheen, a native of India, was named president of Princeton University at the age of 37. He has served as director of the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Program and more recently, has served on a variety of educational missions in Western Afro fashion trends ( $ 4 .V t i v. i r 1 4- t Jody Car and Anette Hudson display the natural looking prints which are fast becoming popular in modern clothing styles for both men and women in the Afro mode, , . is on general file, and if it is approved the bill will be read and approved twice more before becoming law. , . In defending LB180, Harsh gave two main reasons for introduction of the bill: Competition for state funds between the colleges is harmful for those institutions, Harsh said. Little Hoover Commission spokesman Garth Donaldson agreed, noting that it would be desirable to have all four-year in stitutions under the same governing board. - Harsh said that a merging"2f. Regents and State Normal Board staffs would be beneficial, and th hiring of additional staff members would be partially offset by the elimination of two Normal Board positions. . Regent Ed Schwartzkopf of Lincoln also spoke in favor of the bill, saying that coordination "to avoid costly duplication" is necessary both through the Board of Regents and the Council on Education. The bill was opposed by members of the State Normal Board and Dr. John Gustad, coordinator for tht Normal Board, who is leaving at the end of the year. Gustad advocated killing LB180, in deference to LB205, "provided the small college board is retained." Europe, the Middle East and Far East. YOUNG, WHO worked for the Na tional Urban League in Omaha, is president-elect of the National Association of Social Workers, past president of the National Conference on Social W7elfare and author of "To Be Equal," a book on human rela tions. Mrs. Sheldon is the widow of A. Bromley Sheldon who with his sister, the late Miss Frances Sheldon, pro vided the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery on the University campus. Wellhausen has served on the Rockefeller Foundation staff for more than 25 years, working virtually all of that time in Mexico. He has helped develop many new strains of corn, which have been valuable in the agriculture of underdeveloped regions, . MRS. WOODS has twice served as president of the Nebraska Art Association and continues as a trustee and patron. Her interest in cultural and civic affairs is reflected in the work of the Woods Charitable Fund, donor of the Nelle Cochran Woods Art Classroom Building and benefac tor of the University's program in English curriculum development. Harrar began his career as a biologist and university professor, and, in 1943, joined the Rockefeller Foundation. Since 1961, he has been president of the Foundation, where he continues his attack on hunger in the Americas. fU i A V: i I , f . I r '